Chapter 579: Phoenix Man

"What's more," the emperor paused, then sneered, "if he truly finds an opportunity, he'll be too busy killing you to save you."

Zu An remained silent, knowing the truth of the emperor's words. Assassination attempts from King Qi's side had been relentless along the way. Though they hadn't met in person, a deep animosity had already formed between them.

Of course, the emperor repeatedly emphasizing this point wasn't entirely well-intentioned. He wanted to highlight his own benevolence and concern for Zu An, but was he truly benevolent?

Wei Dan, as his trusted eunuch, had always served him diligently, yet he died in a foreign land. So far, the emperor hadn't inquired about it once.

It was clear he feared Wei Dan's death might be linked to himself, so he deliberately ignored the matter. Currently, Zu An was more useful.

It was uncertain if the emperor would settle scores over this matter in the future, but regardless, the emperor was a cold-hearted ruler.

"So what should I do?" Zu An asked cooperatively, knowing the emperor must have a plan.

The emperor tossed him a waist token. Zu An caught it and saw a unicorn pattern carved on it—the divine beast Xiezhi, capable of distinguishing loyalty from treachery, good from evil. He had seen it before on the robes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This token, however, was golden, appearing much more prestigious than those he had seen worn by other Embroidered Uniform Guards.

The emperor declared, "I bestow upon you the rank of Gold Medal Embroidered Uniform Guard, second only to Zhuxie Chixin. When necessary, you may use this token to act on my behalf."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zu An was overjoyed and quickly put away the token. This was an excellent item. He had previously thought the Embroidered Uniform Guards looked quite imposing while carrying out imperial decrees. Crucially, he was now a senior member of their ranks; wouldn't he be able to swagger around from now on?

As if reading his mind, the emperor said, "Do not reveal your identity. What you are doing is sensitive. If certain people discover you are a Gold Medal Embroidered Uniform Guard, you will die even faster."

"Thank you for the warning, Your Majesty," Zu An acknowledged, privately alerting himself. The Embroidered Uniform Guard always represented the emperor's confidants. If King Qi's faction knew he carried this token, they would certainly not believe anything he said.

The emperor then continued, "That is merely your covert identity. For your own safety, do not tell anyone. Furthermore, you will need another public identity. Hmm, since King Qi is the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince..."

He pondered for a moment, then called in a eunuch: "Issue an edict: Zu An is awarded the title of Baron for his meritorious service in presenting the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture,' with the peerage title of..."

He paused, seemingly considering what peerage title to bestow upon him, then his eyes lit up as an idea struck him: "The title shall be 'Phoenix Man'."

Zu An: "???"

"Your Majesty, absolutely not! Please choose another title," Zu An pleaded, his face turning green. How could he face anyone with the title "Phoenix Man"?

The emperor's face showed displeasure. "Nonsense! You presented the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture.' If not 'Phoenix Man,' then what should you be called?"

He had intended to use this title to provoke King Qi's faction and was not about to change it easily. He then added, "Furthermore, I appoint him as the Crown Prince's Scholar, to supervise and accompany the Crown Prince in his studies."

Zu An instantly grasped the emperor's intention. A Crown Prince's Scholar was akin to a study companion, though a more senior role, also serving as a secretary and attendant. Since King Qi was the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, both would be officials of the Eastern Palace, seeing each other constantly. Their interactions would be natural and wouldn't arouse suspicion.

However, he couldn't help but inwardly complain. King Qi and the Crown Prince were fiercely contending for the throne, yet King Qi was still appointed as the Crown Prince's tutor. He wondered which brilliant mind had come up with that arrangement.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. The main point was that he didn't want to be "Phoenix Man"!

Unfortunately, the emperor clearly had no patience to discuss it further. He waved his hand, signaling for Zu An to withdraw. They had covered what needed to be discussed, and as an emperor, he had many other matters to attend to; he couldn't spend all his time on Zu An.

Zu An still wanted to protest, but the eunuch beside him, terrified, quickly pulled him towards the exit.

The eunuch, of course, couldn't hold him back, but the emperor waved his sleeve, and an invisible surge of energy propelled Zu An directly out the door.

Just before stepping out, he faintly saw the emperor take out a green hat again and place it on his head, stroking its brim while lost in thought. Clearly, no matter how detached his words had been earlier, as a human being, a man with not long to live, the temptation of immortality was not so easily set aside.

Zu An pursed his lips. *Hmph, saying no, but the body is quite honest.*

Just then, Zhuxie Chixin, who had been waiting outside, walked over. "Congratulations, Phoenix Man!"

The emperor hadn't deliberately sealed off the room, so Zhuxie Chixin had overheard the latter part of their conversation.

Although the words were congratulatory, his tone was icy, evoking an unsettling chill.

Zu An's eyelids twitched. "Just call me by my name. Don't call me that; it makes me uneasy."

Zhuxie Chixin looked somewhat puzzled, but he didn't dwell on it. "I'll take you out of the palace now."

With that, he turned and began to walk ahead.

Zu An felt a pang of discomfort; being with such a person was indeed unsettling. He wanted to speak several times, to mention that he was also an Embroidered Uniform Guard, but Zhuxie Chixin's unapproachable demeanor left him no opportunity.

The two left the Imperial Study, winding through the palace. Zu An suddenly realized that by rights, this area was part of the inner palace, which Zhuxie Chixin could clearly enter. Why then had he deliberately handed Zu An over to Eunuch Li earlier?

It seemed he and the emperor had collaborated on a scheme to lure out and capture those lurking in the shadows.

From his journey to the capital until now, King Qi's faction had suffered heavy losses because of him. It seemed he had truly earned their bitter enmity.

After walking for a while longer, Zu An suddenly asked in surprise, "This isn't the way out of the palace, is it?"

Zhuxie Chixin replied, "What I said just now was for that eunuch to hear. The emperor has already informed me of your identity as an Embroidered Uniform Guard. I'm taking you to your residence within the palace first."

"Live in the palace?" Zu An was genuinely surprised now.

Zhuxie Chixin answered, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard are the emperor's most trusted secret agents; naturally, they remain on standby within the palace."

"Oh," Zu An said, feeling a surge of excitement. Living in the imperial palace was the dream of countless internet keyboard warriors in his previous life.

The palace was so mysterious, and there were all sorts of beautiful imperial consorts, princesses, and so on...

*Pfft, I'm a decent person, unlike them.*

At this point, Zhuxie Chixin warned him, "Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard are deeply trusted by the emperor and are permitted to reside in the outer areas of the inner palace, you must never enter the inner palace without an imperial decree. If discovered, it would lead to confiscation of property and the extermination of your clan. You must understand this clearly."

Zu An nodded. That made sense; how could the emperor have no precautions at all?

All along the way, Zhuxie Chixin led him through quiet, secluded paths, encountering no concubines or palace maids.

Soon, they arrived at a secluded courtyard. Zhuxie Chixin handed him a key token. "This is your residence, and this is the key to activate the courtyard's restrictions. Remember the route you just took from the Imperial Study yourself. The emperor usually chooses the Imperial Study for audiences."

As cultivators, their spiritual senses were far stronger than ordinary people's. At a certain level, photographic memory was a basic skill, so he wasn't worried that Zu An wouldn't remember the route after just one walk-through.

"What about other areas? I'm not familiar with this place yet. Perhaps the Commander can show me around?" Zu An asked.

Zhuxie Chixin looked at him with a wary expression. "Other areas are frequented by imperial consorts, princesses, and young princes. They are not places you should go. What do you intend to do?"

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "I was just asking casually, haha. Thank you for the reminder, Commander."

Zhuxie Chixin merely assumed Zu An, being from a small town, was curious about the imperial palace, and didn't take it to heart. "Go inside and familiarize yourself with the place first, then I'll take you to your residence outside the palace."