Chapter 618: Collision

"Woman, you've fallen so low, yet you still act so superior. I won't indulge you."

He understood the principle that sycophants never come to a good end.

"Are you waiting for me to beg you?" Yun Jianyue's face showed a hint of amusement, as if she had seen through his thoughts.

"No, I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense," Zu An denied immediately, a triple negation. "Of course, if you say something nice, it's not entirely out of the question..."

Yun Jianyue chuckled softly, "No problem. When the guards come, I'll just tell them you're my accomplice, and that you used your privilege as a Gold-Medal Embroidered Envoy to let us assassins in. Doesn't that sound good?"

Zu An was speechless.

"You're really something!"

With no other choice, he said, "It's probably too difficult to get you out of the palace now. Why don't you hide at my place for a while, ride out the storm, and leave once your injuries have healed."

The method he used to get Qiu Honglei out would be nearly impossible to use a second time. Moreover, with the Left and Right Guard Generals, Zhuxie Chixin, the Guerrilla General, and others leading their troops in a widespread search throughout the palace, they could run into them at any moment. Yun Jianyue was now severely injured and likely couldn't even scale the palace walls.

Yun Jianyue didn't refuse. "Alright," she said.

Zu An stepped out and looked around. Seeing no one, he turned back and beckoned to her. "Come out quickly."

Yun Jianyue stood up, but swayed suddenly, clearly still feeling dizzy.

Zu An frowned. "Let me help you."

Knowing she wouldn't let him carry her, he didn't bother to suggest it.

Yun Jianyue nodded and slowly extended her hand.

Zu An was speechless.

Her posture made it seem as if she were a consort on an outing, and he was a young eunuch assisting her.

*Sigh*, for Honglei's sake, he would tolerate it this once.

He reached out to support her, and they slowly made their way towards his residence.

"When you recover from your injuries, you won't seek revenge and try to kill me just because I touched your hand, will you?"

As the saying goes, "once bitten by a snake, one fears a coiled rope for ten years." His accidental physical contact with the Empress and Crown Princess had led to a great deal of trouble before. He didn't want to exert himself saving someone only to get no benefit and instead be saddled with a host of new problems.

"Why would I kill you?" Yun Jianyue looked at him somewhat strangely. "Just because you touched my hand?"

Now it was Zu An's turn to be surprised. "Do men often touch your hand?"

"Are you used to it?"

Considering her origins in the Demonic Cult, it seemed plausible, yet he couldn't shake off a feeling of discomfort.

Ah, the inherent flaw of men, always wishing a beautiful woman belonged only to them.

"I'm almost tempted to kill you for that remark later," Yun Jianyue snorted.

Hearing her response, Zu An was actually pleased. No one had touched her before. That was good, very good.

Yun Jianyue frowned. "Stop chatting. The palace is full of guards searching everywhere; we don't want to run into them."

Normally, with her spiritual sense extended, no one within dozens of miles could escape her notice. Unfortunately, due to her severe injuries, she no longer had that ability. Accustomed to sensing enemies with her spiritual sense, she now felt like a blind and deaf person, which made her extremely uncomfortable.

Zu An smiled. "Don't worry, there's no one around."

Yun Jianyue was puzzled, unsure where his confidence came from. Had his cultivation also reached the point where he could extend his spiritual sense?

However, as they continued on, she couldn't help but feel impressed. Several times, Zu An pulled her aside to hide. At first, she thought he was trying to take advantage of her, but then she understood when she saw the approaching groups of guards. This happened several times in a row; each time, they managed to avoid detection in advance, as if he knew their exact locations.

Yun Jianyue finally couldn't hold back. "How are you doing this?"

Zu An smiled slightly. "It's a secret."

Of course, he couldn't extend his spiritual sense, but he could achieve similar effects through other means. That was thanks to the jade cong he wore. He could control the small animals around him. The imperial palace had extensive greenery, with trees, flowers, and many cats, mice, and birds. The guards wouldn't think to guard against them, so they had no idea these small creatures had become someone else's eyes and ears. By using these animals, Zu An was always able to detect the guards' presence in advance. Thus, even with the widespread search in the palace, he safely brought Yun Jianyue back to his residence.

Seeing his mysterious expression, Yun Jianyue decided not to press further. For cultivators, many skills were life-saving techniques, and it was indeed inconvenient to reveal them to outsiders. She mused that she would find an opportunity to ask her dear disciple later, to see if she knew.

Zu An used his waist token to open the restriction on his residence and invited Yun Jianyue inside. "This is the residence of a Gold-Medal Embroidered Envoy. Hardly anyone comes here, so you can rest assured and recover from your injuries." When he mentioned "Gold-Medal," he purposefully puffed out his chest, hoping to hear her gasp in admiration and thus show off a bit. To his surprise, she didn't seem to care at all.

"Thank you," Yun Jianyue said, looking around. The place was indeed very secluded, perfectly suited for her to lie low and recover.

Seeing her lack of reaction, Zu An felt a bit disheartened. "By the way, why were you hiding near the rock garden? It's not far from the Emperor's study. Weren't you afraid of being discovered?"

Yun Jianyue slowly sat down in a chair, supporting herself. Despite her severe injuries, her posture remained impeccable. Sitting there with her back straight, her chest appeared fuller and her waist slenderer, and the curve from her waist to her hips was particularly captivating. Her crimson lips parted slightly, her voice soft and charming, yet tinged with coolness. "The most dangerous place is often the safest. Precisely because it's so close to the Imperial Study, the guards subconsciously overlook it and search elsewhere. Moreover, I used 'Clear Mirror, Not a Stand' to conceal my aura, so it wasn't difficult to evade their senses. Of course..." She paused, then continued, "If the Emperor himself were in the palace, I wouldn't dare take such a risk."

Zu An's eyes lit up. Remembering the task the Emperor had assigned him, he quickly asked, "How did you know the Emperor wasn't in the palace?"

Yun Jianyue gave him a faint glance, clearly having no intention of answering.

Zu An hadn't expected the tables to turn so quickly. He could only say, "Alright, how about I trade information with you? Weren't you just curious how I knew about the guards' presence in advance?"

A sarcastic smile touched Yun Jianyue's lips. "No trade. Those two things aren't equivalent. And even if they were, I wouldn't make a deal with you. I won't betray that person."

Seeing her resolute stance, Zu An felt a bit dejected. It seemed he would have to find another way.

"How did you and Honglei meet?" Yun Jianyue suddenly looked at the Embroidered Envoy before her with a hint of curiosity. She knew her female disciple best: on the surface, Qiu Honglei was kind to everyone, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze. However, deep down, she was extremely proud and looked down on other men, merely playing games with them. Yet, somehow, she had become friends with this man. Her precious disciple had even entrusted "Clear Mirror, Not a Stand" to him, and he was willing to risk annihilation of his entire clan to save her for Honglei's sake. Clearly, their relationship was far from ordinary.

Zu An's first thought was to use this to exchange for information, but he quickly dismissed it. There was nothing to hide about it, as she could simply ask Qiu Honglei later. It would be better to give her the information for free and earn some goodwill. Once her favorability was built up enough, he would let her know that he wasn't someone to be freeloaded from so easily. What is the most expensive thing in the world? Often, it's something given for free.

"We met in Mingyue City some time ago."

Hearing his answer, Yun Jianyue's heart stirred. "You are Zu An?"

Zu An was slightly surprised and casually removed the mask from his face. "I didn't expect you to know me."

"Hmph, it would be difficult *not* to know you," Yun Jianyue snorted. She recalled the intelligence she had received a few months ago, about Qiu Honglei planning to marry into the Chu family as this man's concubine. At the time, she had actually believed her, thinking it was part of a scheme against the Chu family. However, during Zu An's journey to the capital, Qiu Honglei had spared him multiple times, which the scattered members of her cult had witnessed. Coupled with this current incident, it would be strange if there was *nothing* between them.

Just as Zu An was about to speak, Zhuxie Chixin's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Eleven, are you there?"