Zuan grew anxious and grabbed her. "Before, we were just caught off guard. Now, the palace guards have reacted, and the defense system is fully operational. Won't you be walking into your death if you go back now?"
"But my master has treated me with immense kindness; how can I just stand by and do nothing?" Qiu Honglei asked anxiously.
"Old woman?" Zuan's expression was strange. That long-haired woman didn't look old at all. Damn, the world of cultivation is so unreliable. Someone might look like a young girl but actually be older than your grandmother.
However, he thought of the mythical fairies who were at least thousands of years old. Yet, perverts throughout history have still fantasized about them, like Chang'e or the Seven Fairies... Do people really care about their age?
Forget heavenly fairies, even some attractive rich women make many people wish they could approach them and say, "Auntie, I don't want to work hard anymore..."
He lightly coughed, dismissing his wild thoughts, and quickly said to Qiu Honglei: "But you can't sacrifice yourself to save someone. Just now, I saw you were about to commit suicide with a dagger. What if you go back into the palace now and get captured again?"
Qiu Honglei pursed her lips: "At worst, I'll die with Master. She definitely needs help right now. If I abandon her, not only will my conscience trouble me for the rest of my life, but my Dao heart will also be damaged, preventing me from making any progress in cultivation."
Zuan knew she wasn't lying. Many cultivation sects in this world place great emphasis on cultivating one's mind and character. If problems arise, let alone glimpsing the Dao in the future, it would be difficult even to maintain their current level without regressing.
He had no choice but to say, "I'll get you safely out of the palace first, then I'll go save your master."
"Really?" Qiu Honglei was overjoyed. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him on the cheek.
Seeing his surprised expression, Qiu Honglei's face flushed red as she stepped back. "What are you looking at? It's not like I haven't kissed you before. I even sucked the poison from your back wound."
Zuan chuckled: "Does that count as a kiss?"
"Of course it does," Qiu Honglei scoffed. Immediately, a worried expression appeared on her face. "Let me go with you. At least we can look out for each other."
Zuan shook his head: "No, that won't work. I currently have the identity of a Brocade-Clad Guard; I can do many things. If you're with me, it would only cause many inconveniences."
Qiu Honglei nodded. She wasn't the type to be unreasonable and naturally understood what was important. "Then I'll leave it to you. You must help save Master."
"Yes, I'll do my best. You don't need to worry too much. Your master is, after all, a grandmaster; it's not so easy for something to happen to her," Zuan said, comforting her while holding her hand.
Qiu Honglei's brows, however, still held a worried expression: "Any other time, I wouldn't worry, but this time she's up against the Emperor."
"Don't worry," Zuan said. "Even for your sake, I'll do everything in my power to save her."
Qiu Honglei's beautiful, watery eyes gazed at him tenderly, deeply moved. "Ah Zu, you're so good to me."
The previous resentment she felt because he had sided with the Crown Princess against her had long vanished.
Zuan grinned and said, "Since I'm so good, how about another kiss?"
Qiu Honglei's face flushed slightly. She stood on her tiptoes, preparing to kiss his other cheek, when he suddenly turned his head, meeting her with his lips.
Caught off guard, their lips pressed tightly together. She felt extremely shy and quickly retreated, her pretty face burning red. "You... you cheated."
Zuan laughed heartily: "Having received Honglei's sweet kiss, I'm even more motivated to save *our* master now!"
Seeing him casually refer to her as "our master," Qiu Honglei couldn't help but roll her eyes. This guy was indeed as brazen as ever, but... she liked it.
Feeling her cheeks burn, she quickly said, "But my master is veiled. How will you know which one she is later?"
Zuan's expression was strange as he recalled the woman's demeanor in the Eastern Palace just moments ago. "Her hair is so long; it would probably be hard *not* to recognize her, wouldn't it?"
"That's true," Qiu Honglei couldn't help but smile. For years, she had envied her master's beautiful, cascading hair.
"I'll get you out of the palace first," Zuan said, glancing at a nearby gate. "I'll go distract the guards, and you can take the opportunity to climb over the wall."
He had specifically chosen this spot because the palace wall was relatively lower there.
"Okay!" Qiu Honglei assessed the wall. As long as no one was guarding it from above, she should be able to climb over with her cultivation level.
Immediately after, Zuan casually strolled towards the city gate not far away.
"Stop! Who goes there!" The city gate guards quickly spotted him.
He didn't answer, slowly walking out. The unique attire of the Brocade-Clad Guard made the guards' eyes narrow.
"May I ask, sir, what brings you here?" a junior officer probed, his eyes darting to Zuan's waist token. He grew increasingly surprised, realizing Zuan was a Golden Token Envoy.
"I need to leave the palace for a while," Zuan said gruffly.
The guards looked troubled: "Sir, there was an assassin incident in the palace just now. The palace gates are currently sealed, and no one is allowed to enter or exit."
Zuan took out his Golden Token of the Brocade-Clad Guard and placed it before them, intentionally thundering: "I am on an imperial mission. Do you dare to stop me? Can you bear the consequences if you delay an important matter?"
The guards exchanged glances and quickly tried to dissuade him. However, Zuan's arrogant demeanor, as if daring them to cross him, gradually ignited their anger.
So what if he's a Golden Token Envoy!
Uh, actually, it is a big deal.
But with an assassin incident in the palace today, they truly couldn't let anyone in or out, which gave them the confidence to stand their ground against him.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, guards on the nearby city walls slowly moved closer. After all, if a conflict truly broke out, the guards at the gate would likely suffer greatly against a Golden Token Brocade-Clad Guard.
Watching Zuan scold the many palace guards as if they were his grandchildren, a faint smile appeared on Qiu Honglei's face from her hiding spot. This guy was truly first-rate at irritating people.
She didn't waste the opportunity he had created for her. Seizing a moment when the guards left an opening, she quietly climbed over the wall and escaped.
Seeing her leave safely, Zuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Noticing more and more soldiers gathering, all with their hands on their sword hilts and looking displeased, he lightly coughed: "Gentlemen, you are indeed devoted to your duties. I came here precisely to test your reactions, and your persistence satisfies me greatly. Remember, it must be like this: no matter who comes, unless they carry the Emperor's imperial decree, no one is to be let go tonight! Do you hear me?"
"Yes, sir!" He suddenly raised his voice at the end, startling the group of guards, who instinctively replied.
"You've all worked hard," Zuan said, his face betraying no emotion. "I'll go inform the other palace gates now." He quickly turned and left.
The many palace gate guards: "..."
What a lunatic!
At a time like this, he's still conducting tests?
And he even cursed us out. Is he trying to make fun of us?
But recalling his identity as a Golden Token Envoy, they could only seethe in anger without daring to speak out.
Rage value from the palace gate guards: +666 +666 +666...
Watching tens of thousands of rage points accumulate, Zuan felt refreshed. Indeed, the more people he annoyed, the more rage points he gained. He wondered when he could try this trick in a military camp outside the city; the rage points would probably explode.
However, he soon started thinking about rescuing Qiu Honglei's master. The palace was so vast; finding her would indeed be quite troublesome.
He arrived at the Eastern Palace, originally intending to inquire about the specific details of the battle. Instead, he found the Eastern Palace leveled to the ground, leaving him utterly bewildered.
The Emperor's confrontation with a grandmaster—was the power truly this terrifying?
Just as he was about to ask someone, a Bronze Token Brocade-Clad Guard rushed over: "Sir, I've been looking for you for a long time."
Zuan paused: "What do you need me for?"
This was the drawback of the Brocade-Clad Guards: everyone wore masks and uniforms, making it impossible to recognize who was who.
The man bowed and said, "The Emperor wishes to summon you. We've been searching for you for a long time."
Zuan's heart skipped a beat: "I'll go immediately."
He followed the guard all the way to the imperial study. Before even entering, he heard the Emperor's furious voice from afar: "Is My Imperial Palace a marketplace, where assassins can come and go as they please? Do you still want your heads?!"
27986 · 0 · 71
30149 · 0 · 96
