Chapter 602: Reunion

The empress was deeply troubled. She had initially planned to use Zu'an's supposed disrespect as leverage, constantly threatening him and forcing him to yield, ultimately making him completely submissive to her will. However, Zu'an had suddenly transformed the optional "disrespectful offense" into a tangible reality, which instantly complicated matters.

Previously, whether he had been "disrespectful" or not was entirely up to her interpretation, giving her complete control over the situation. But now that genuine disrespect had occurred, the Emperor held the right to interpret. If he were to discover the truth, Zu'an would undoubtedly be executed, and the Emperor would certainly view her with disdain. What began as a small secret she used to manipulate Zu'an had abruptly transformed into a shared secret that both of them were compelled to keep.

If she were merely an individual, such an offense might have driven her to take drastic measures, perhaps even finding a way to eliminate Zu'an. However, she was not alone; the formidable Liu family stood behind her. She dared not take even the slightest risk, as any misstep could lead to the ruin of her entire clan.

But could she simply let it go? Could she, the dignified Empress of the realm, allow herself to be assaulted and kissed by this rogue without any repercussions? She pondered for a long time, eventually realizing with dismay that there appeared to be no viable solution. This realization only fueled her anger further. A continuous stream of rage points surged from Liu Ning.

Observing the relentless surge of rage points, Zu'an realized he had truly infuriated the empress. Unfortunately, he saw no alternative; short of being utterly ruthless, there was no better course of action.

The empress was about to speak when, from not far away, a cold snort suddenly echoed: "What a pair of illicit lovers!"

They turned to see a black-clad assassin standing coldly at the doorway, staring intently at them. The empress's mind reeled. She had been preoccupied with how to handle Zu'an, but in that moment, she instinctively urged him, "Quick, kill him!" This matter had initially been known only to her and Zu'an; with mutual understanding, they could have kept it entirely hidden. However, if a third party were privy to it, it would spell utter catastrophe. Unconsciously, she had begun to perceive Zu'an and herself as being on the same side, and indeed, they were now bound together, sharing a common fate.

Zu'an's scalp tingled with dread; if the assassin revealed what he had witnessed, even nine lives would not be enough to save him. Thus, without hesitation, he lunged directly at the assassin. The assassin, however, was quicker, fleeing outwards before Zu'an could even make his move.

Zu'an paused, perplexed. Wasn't this assassin here to kill the empress? Had he just run off? The empress was on the verge of tears. Noticing his daze, she urgently cried, "Chase him! If he escapes, he won't even need a blade to kill us both!" Zu'an snapped back to reality and immediately gave chase.

By now, the battle outside had visibly shifted. After a considerable time, guards from other parts of the palace had arrived, drawn by the commotion. More and more assassins were being cut down. These palace guards were formidable; each was hand-picked, a master among masters.

Seeing this, one of the Shadow Tower assassins suddenly blew a sharp whistle, signaling all the black-clad assassins to begin their retreat. The assassin who had been engaging Eunuch Lu, evidently the leader of this Shadow Tower operation, used the force from their clashing palms to propel himself backward, covering his comrades' withdrawal.

Eunuch Lu did not pursue. The opponent's cultivation was no less than his own, and he was already injured, so he had no desire to engage in a desperate struggle with an equally formidable opponent. The most crucial reason, however, was his concern for the empress's safety. He had seen a black-clad assassin and Zu'an emerge from within, one after the other. His expression shifted, and he immediately rushed inside, hoping the empress was unharmed.

Zu'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Eunuch Lu enter to guard the empress. His greatest fear had been that while he was pursuing the assassin, other Shadow Tower members might infiltrate and kill the empress, a scenario that would leave him utterly devastated. The empress's tone and words moments earlier clearly acknowledged their shared predicament, allowing for a delicate balance where neither dared expose the situation, thus providing a mutual safeguard. The only remaining task was to eliminate this Shadow Tower operative who knew their secret.

As he pursued, his brow furrowed in confusion. The figure looked somewhat familiar, yet he was certain he had never heard the person's voice before. Despite this internal conflict, he pressed on with the chase. The opponent's movements were remarkably elusive. Though the distance between them steadily closed, Zu'an found himself unable to quickly bridge the gap. He grew increasingly anxious, and just as he considered using a trump card, two guards suddenly appeared ahead.

The Shadow Tower members were dressed so distinctively that the two guards immediately drew their swords and blocked the path of the assassin Zu'an was chasing, shouting, "Stop!" The two guards attacked the black-clad figure from both sides. The black-clad individual changed direction multiple times but found no escape, instead being forced into a precarious position.

Zu'an was secretly astonished. The palace truly was a place of hidden talents; these two seemingly ordinary guards were both fifth-rank cultivators, and they appeared to be proficient in a combined attack technique, which doubled their power when fighting together. Soon, the black-clad assassin found herself in grave danger, struck on the shoulder by a palm, and let out a muffled groan.

Huh? That groan sounded familiar, and the voice in the empress's bedchamber had been male. How had it changed to a woman's? The two imperial guards, however, showed no mercy simply because their opponent was a woman; their attacks became even more relentless.

At this point, the black-clad woman could no longer hold back. She suddenly raised her palm, and countless vines lashed out, entangling the two guards. "Wood element?" The two imperial guards showed no hint of panic. Soon, flames erupted from their blades. The black-clad woman's cultivation would ordinarily have prevented her from being so helpless against two opponents, but she had unfortunately encountered two fire-element users, whose elemental affinity was a significant counter to hers.

"Ah!" The woman cried out again. She had already sustained a blade cut; though she had dodged quickly, a bloody gash remained. Zu'an could no longer stand idly by. He charged forward, exclaiming, "Brother Guards, I'm here to assist you!"

The two imperial guards noted Zu'an's official uniform and recalled that he had been pursuing the assassin. Thus, they lowered their guard, saying, "Just stand by and prevent his escape; getting closer will interfere with our combined attack."

"Understood!" Zu'an replied, but his body continued to rush towards them.

"What are you doing?" As imperial guards with high vigilance, they immediately sensed something amiss and quickly swung their blades defensively. Unfortunately, the vital energy from their blades seemed to fall into a black hole, completely draining away. They were utterly unprepared for this. The momentary sensation of weightlessness nearly made them vomit. Zu'an seized their moment of disorientation, dispatching each with a single finger strike. Although he was not a bloodthirsty person, he would not be merciful when someone close to him was in danger.

After dealing with the two, Zu'an turned to the black-clad young woman: "Xue'er, how are your injuries?"

"Hmph, finally recognized me?" The black-clad young woman pulled off her veil, revealing a charming face that was both sweet and indignant. It was none other than Qiao Xueying.

"Your figure looked familiar to me earlier, but you deliberately used a male voice, so I couldn't be certain." Zu'an was filled with both surprise and joy, never expecting to encounter her here.

Qiao Xueying took a small jade pendant from her neck. "A Shadow Tower creation," she explained, "it can alter one's voice to a certain extent to conceal identity." After explaining, she snorted, "Whose fault is it that you were cavorting with that empress? Naturally, you wouldn't recognize me."

"That was a misunderstanding..." Zu'an broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't imagined she would coincidentally witness that. He was about to explain when he heard the clamor of approaching footsteps, indicating guards were heading their way.

"The assassin is over there!" someone evidently shouted, having spotted them.

At this, even Qiao Xueying's expression changed. If they were truly trapped in the palace, she would undoubtedly perish, and Zu'an might suffer the same fate.