Chapter 587: Bringing the Wolf Into the House

Sang Qian was still suspended in mid-air, leaving Zu An in an awkward position, unsure whether to let her go or hold on.

Zu An swallowed hard. "Would you believe me if I said I mistook you for someone else?"

Sang Qian's face flushed slightly. She gently pushed him away, then gracefully twisted her body, landing lightly on the ground like a swallow. Her movements were exceptionally elegant. "Then who did you think I was?"

"I thought you were..." Zu An replied instinctively, but then froze halfway through his sentence. He couldn't very well say he was looking for Zheng Dan; she was Sang Qian's own sister-in-law, and admitting that would be incredibly awkward.

He quickly changed the subject, gesturing to the white mourning clothes she wore. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Sang Qian's eyes reddened. "Have you forgotten that my brother was killed by the Mosquito Daoist? Because we were imprisoned at the time, we could only bury him hastily in the wilderness. We've only recently managed to send people to retrieve his remains and rebury them properly. We're currently holding a vigil for him."

"My deepest condolences, Miss Sang." Zu An sighed as well. Although he had some past grievances with Sang Qian's brother, death was final, and all past enmities faded away.

"Thank you," Sang Qian replied, her spirits visibly low.

Zu An suddenly recalled something and retrieved the Mosquito Daoist's remains from his Glazed Pearl. "This is the perpetrator who killed your brother. I deliberately kept her remains with me, thinking you might want them."

A significant amount of time had passed, so it was perfectly normal for the body to have become a dried corpse. Thus, there was no need to worry about anyone suspecting that the Mosquito Daoist's vital essence had been drained.

"The Mosquito Daoist!" Sang Qian instantly recognized the killer of her brother. Her expression shifted between shock and delight. "How did she die?"

She had witnessed the Mosquito Daoist's power firsthand; even her father was no match for her. Vengeance had seemed an impossible dream, yet here she was, truly dead.

Zu An explained, "By a stroke of luck, she died by my hand. I originally intended to cremate her to be done with it, but then I thought you might prefer to see her remains for yourselves, so I kept them."

Sang Qian, being a perceptive person, didn't press for details on how he managed to kill the Mosquito Daoist, understanding that everyone had their secrets. "Thank you, Brother Zu! You are a great benefactor to our Sang family."

Her previous "thank you" had been a mere formality, but this one was truly heartfelt.

"I'd be grateful if you just didn't hate me," Zu An said with a wry smile. He knew full well that the Sang family could never tolerate his relationship with Zheng Dan.

Sang Qian, however, misinterpreted his meaning. "Brother Zu, please don't say that. When we were adversaries, we were simply serving our respective masters. Victory or defeat depended on our individual abilities. Our loss only means we were outmaneuvered or outmatched; how could we possibly blame you? And to be precise, it was my father who initiated hostilities against you; you merely reacted in self-defense."

Zu An was somewhat surprised. "I'm quite surprised by your magnanimity, Miss Sang."

"Brother Zu, please come inside and take a seat of honor. I'll go inform my father," Sang Qian said, her eyes suddenly lighting up. She then waved to someone behind her. "Sister-in-law, please help entertain Brother Zu for a moment. I'm going to take the Mosquito Daoist's remains to show Father; he'll surely be overjoyed."

Normally, it would have been improper for her widowed sister-in-law to host an unrelated man, but with the Sang family's recent decline, there were few servants in the manor, and no suitable person was immediately available. Furthermore, Sang Qian was eager to inform her father, so she disregarded such conventions.

Zu An looked back and saw Zheng Dan, also dressed in white mourning clothes, standing not far away, gazing at him with an expression of pleasant surprise.

It was no wonder the old saying claimed that mourning clothes enhanced a woman's beauty. Zheng Dan was already stunning, but the pristine white garments made her appear even more captivating and delicate.

"Alright, Xiao Qian, I'll attend to him," Zheng Dan said, doing her best to keep her voice calm.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law." Sang Qian was too excited to give it much thought. She immediately took the Mosquito Daoist's remains and hurried off to deliver the good news to her father.

Once she had left, Zheng Dan nodded to Zu An. "Young Master Zu, please follow me."

Zu An knew she was concerned about being seen by others in such an open space. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, as if transported back to their days at Bright Moon Academy, where she had similarly pretended not to know him to avoid the notice of teachers and students.

Upon entering a room, Zheng Dan deliberately left the door ajar. In that era, a man and a woman alone in a closed room would inevitably invite gossip.

She led Zu An to a spot behind the door, out of sight from anyone outside. Unable to contain her emotions any longer, she embraced him, a faint fragrance surrounding them, and choked out, "Ah Zu, are you really alright?"

Even though he had mentioned several times that he had a plan, his opponent was, after all, the most powerful emperor in the land. No matter how much faith she had in him, she couldn't quite believe he had truly emerged from that ordeal unharmed.

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything's over now." Feeling her body tremble slightly, Zu An knew she must have been terribly worried and afraid during this time.

Soon, the front of his robes was soaked with her tears. Zu An couldn't help but marvel that Zheng Dan, a water elemental user, truly seemed to be made of water.

They whispered words of longing to each other, catching up on everything that had happened since they parted.

"Why are you also wearing these clothes? Are you in mourning for Sang Qian's brother?" Zu An asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

Zheng Dan chuckled. "Not at all. I originally didn't want to wear them, but then I thought... oh, never mind. It's bad luck to say it out loud."

Zu An's heart warmed. "I understand what you mean. You were worried something might happen to me today, so you wore them specifically for me."

"It's a good thing you're alright," Zheng Dan said, tidying his disheveled collar. She looked at the damp fabric, embarrassed by her tears.

Feeling her tenderness, Zu An felt a stir within him. He leaned down and kissed her.

Zheng Dan let out a soft moan, immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, and responded with passion. Compared to the shy and tender Chu Chuyan, she was far more proactive. They had done such things countless times before at Bright Moon Academy, and were well-practiced.

Zu An had been interrupted by Chu Youzhao back at the Qin Manor, and the rushed circumstances hadn't allowed him to fully enjoy himself. Now, seeing Zheng Dan in her current attire, looking like a pitiful widow, his desire was only further ignited.

Just then, a light cough came from nearby, followed by Sang Qian's voice. "Young Master Zu, my father would like to speak with you."

Zheng Dan startled, quickly pushed him away.

Zu An felt a flicker of embarrassment, but he was always thick-skinned and quickly regained his composure. He walked out, saying, "I'd also like to meet Master Sang. Oh, Miss Sang, why is your face so red?"

Sang Qian shot him an exasperated glare. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then hesitated, and finally said nothing, merely replying, "Perhaps it's because I jogged all the way here; it made my blood rush a little."

Of course, Zu An knew she was lying. With her cultivation level, even sprinting the short distance wouldn't cause her to blush or sweat from exertion. Could she have discovered something?

But that didn't make sense. If she had truly witnessed anything, she would surely have turned hostile on the spot. After all, that was her sister-in-law.

Zu An continued to ponder the situation as he walked, soon arriving at the Sang family's main hall. Sang Hong had already stepped out to greet him. "My benefactor, please accept this old man's bow."

Zu An was startled and quickly moved to support him, feeling it improper to let Sang Hong bow. "Master Sang, you humble yourself too much. There's no need for this."

Sang Hong sighed. "My son perished at the hands of the Mosquito Daoist. Her cultivation was extraordinarily high, and she moved like a shadow, leaving no trace. Countless people in the world sought to eliminate her, but alas, it was always a fruitless endeavor. I had believed revenge was impossible in this lifetime, yet she died by your hand. What else could you be but a great benefactor?"

Zu An replied, "The Mosquito Daoist's cultivation was far superior to mine; her death at my hands was merely a coincidence."

Sang Hong didn't inquire further about how he had accomplished it. "Then it must be fate," he said. "Since you're unwilling to accept my bow, Xiao Qian, you should kowtow to our benefactor on behalf of your father and brother."

Sang Qian bit her lip, her small face flushed crimson. While a kowtow was indeed appropriate, she had just witnessed something that made the gesture feel incredibly awkward.

Being perceptive, she knew her father had been enduring immense grief recently and decided it was best not to let him know. *Sigh*, she thought, *I'll just bear this secret alone.*

So, she reluctantly stepped forward toward Zu An. "Benefactor..."

Zu An quickly moved to steady her. "Please don't do that. I brought the Mosquito Daoist's remains not to demand gratitude, but because we traveled to the capital together and fought alongside each other. We are friends who have faced adversity, so I specifically brought them to you. Your actions, on the contrary, make me feel uncomfortable."

Sang Qian blinked. Perhaps this man wasn't as bad as she had imagined after all.