Chapter 620: Blood Moon Appears, Hell Opens

Seeing the man's hesitant expression, clearly wanting to ask something but feeling awkward, Zu An secretly chuckled. After his initial panic, he had gradually regained his composure.

He realized why Zhuxie Chixin had come to see him; the excuse of "just passing by" could be ignored. Zhuxie Chixin clearly had an agenda. His earlier hesitation to speak, combined with the strange look he gave Zu An before leaving, obviously pointed to the matter at hand.

So, Zu An took the initiative to speak. "His Majesty is extremely enraged about the large number of assassins who infiltrated the palace this time. He's also very curious as to why the assassins chose such a convenient moment, entering the palace precisely when he was away."

Zhuxie Chixin's heart stirred, and he followed Zu An's lead. "This matter is indeed rather strange. Logically, only a select few knew His Majesty was not in the palace."

Zu An sighed. "That's why His Majesty ordered me to investigate who leaked the information."

Although Zhuxie Chixin had vaguely guessed the truth, his expression still flickered slightly at the words. The emperor had bypassed him and directly assigned the investigation to his subordinate, clearly indicating that he suspected Zhuxie Chixin as well.

Even though he knew his lord was prone to suspicion, the realization that he himself was under suspicion still left him feeling disheartened.

"I am also one of the suspects. Aren't you afraid I'm the real culprit by telling me all this?" Zhuxie Chixin observed his new subordinate with interest. During their journey to the capital, he had admired Zu An's composure in the face of danger. The subsequent series of events only increased his appreciation, so when the emperor proposed granting Zu An a special Golden Token status, Zhuxie Chixin had no objections whatsoever.

Zu An gave a wry smile. "Throughout the land, when it comes to unwavering loyalty to His Majesty, none can compare to the Grand Commander. Besides, having received your care on our journey to the capital, I am well aware of your character. How could you possibly conspire with assassins?"

Hidden behind the curtain, Yun Jianyue rolled her eyes. This guy was such a sycophant; his flattery was nauseating.

Although he knew the other party was likely flattering him, Zhuxie Chixin was still extremely pleased. "I am indeed without a guilty conscience. To earn Brother Zu's trust, I am immensely grateful."

At the same time, he sighed inwardly, realizing that even Zu An, whom he had known for a short time, trusted him, while the emperor, to whom he had been loyal for so long, harbored suspicions.

Zu An couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. Flattery, indeed, was always effective. Just a moment ago, he was "Eleven," and now he was "Brother Zu."

He definitely needed to cling to this powerful figure. While his words were indeed flattery, they also came from a genuine place.

The emperor clearly intended for them to keep each other in check, but Zu An was no foolishly loyal person. Why should he be loyal to someone who was always threatening his life?

Everyone forming factions for self-interest... *cough cough*, wouldn't it be better if everyone got along? The most important thing in life was to be happy.

Therefore, he didn't hesitate to reveal the task assigned by the emperor to Zhuxie Chixin. It didn't matter whether the other party was the one who leaked the secret; the key was to foster a closer relationship between them.

Besides, if Zhuxie Chixin truly conspired with the Demonic Sect, then they would still be on the same side.

Of course, he wouldn't dare say these things to the others. He had no relationship with them and didn't know their characters. Being overly familiar too quickly could easily backfire.

He lightly coughed. "You're too kind, Brother. Speaking of which, I wanted to ask for your advice on how to approach this case. You are the expert in this field."

Behind the curtain, Yun Jianyue's expression was strange. This guy was truly lazy and shameless; he was already calling him "Brother" so quickly. He was probably the only person in the world who dared to address Zhuxie Chixin as a brother, wasn't he?

Had Hong Lei been deceived by his thicker-than-a-city-wall skin?

Zhuxie Chixin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, clearly deep in thought. Upon hearing Zu An, he replied, "Since His Majesty specifically ordered you to investigate, he clearly doesn't want me to intervene. My method of operation is too obvious; if you were to follow it, it wouldn't be good and His Majesty might notice something. So, feel free to investigate boldly. If you need any help later, just let me know."

Noting that Zhuxie Chixin no longer used the term "brother" in his tone, Zu An knew that it had likely been a brief lapse. Building a stronger rapport would be a long process. It seemed he would need to find an opportunity to invite him to a pleasure house to listen to music. As the saying goes, the three strongest bonds are formed by those who study together, fight together, and...

However, this guy's face was so pale and his demeanor so effeminate; what if he had some issues in *that* area? Zu An's gesture might then backfire spectacularly.

His mind raced with various thoughts, but his mouth didn't falter. "Brother, you truly have great foresight. Luckily, you pointed this out, or I might have made a mistake without even realizing it."

Zhuxie Chixin sighed. "You exaggerate. We are comrades; we should naturally help each other. Now, it's not just you who has a headache; I'm also quite troubled. His Majesty has ordered me to find the whereabouts of that female assassin, but unfortunately, there's no clue at all. The woman seems to have vanished into thin air."

Too much had happened that day, leaving him feeling low; otherwise, with his usual temperament, he wouldn't have spoken so much to Zu An.

Zu An's heart stirred. "Earlier, I heard you mention that long-haired female assassin was called Yun Jianyue, the Demonic Sect Leader?"

"That's right," Zhuxie Chixin nodded. "For years, I prided myself as a hero, feeling that no one in the capital, besides His Majesty, was worth my attention. I never imagined I would be defeated by a woman."

Zu An offered comfort. "Brother, there's no need to be disheartened. She's the Demonic Sect Leader, and who knows, she might have lived decades longer than you. Losing to an old hag isn't really an injustice."

Behind the curtain, Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow, her expression somewhat peculiar.

Rage value from Yun Jianyue +333!

This guy was utterly despicable. Even with her cultivation of inner calm, her defenses were breached.

Zhuxie Chixin looked at him blankly. "An old hag? While few know the true age of the Demonic Sect Leader, she's certainly not older than me. How could she be an old hag? If she were truly from a previous generation, I wouldn't be so disheartened by my defeat."

Yun Jianyue's lips curved slightly upward. This guy still spoke well; unintentional flattery was always the most pleasing.

Hearing that she wasn't an old hag, Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good." However, he wasn't going to miss such a good opportunity to extract information. "By the way, you said she was seriously injured this time. Will her lover come to avenge her? Brother, you must not let your guard down while apprehending her during this period."

"Lover?" Inside the curtain, Yun Jianyue felt her hands itching, thinking that after she recovered, she absolutely had to give this guy a good beating.

A trace of a smile appeared on Zhuxie Chixin's stern face. "How could such a fierce woman have a lover? What man in this world would dare to marry her?"

Yun Jianyue's chest rose and fell rapidly, her full breasts trembling slightly. If not for her "Bright Mirror, Not a Stand" cultivation being truly superb, her agitation at that moment would likely have been noticed by Zhuxie Chixin.

Just moments ago, she had thought this guy spoke well, but it turned out he was the same kind of person as Zu An.

Zu An suppressed the urge to look back at the curtain. "If Yun Jianyue heard you talking about her like that behind her back, she might just twist your head off."

Zhuxie Chixin snorted. "While I am indeed slightly weaker than her, it's not easy for her to defeat me. Moreover, she's currently injured by His Majesty. What if she did hear?"

Yun Jianyue, on the bed, remained expressionless. She wasn't an impulsive or thoughtless person; despite her anger, she wouldn't rush out to fight in her current state.

*Hmph*, I'll remember this debt for now.

Zu An struggled to suppress a smile. "Is she really that fierce? I saw her in the Eastern Palace earlier and she seemed quite serene. Even with her face covered, you could tell she was a great beauty, and her figure seemed pretty good too."

Zhuxie Chixin frowned. "You can say such things privately, but never speak them outside. Whether it reaches the ears of the court or the Demonic Sect, it won't end well for you."

He then rose and went to the window, looking towards the western sky. "You might be too young to know how terrifying Yun Jianyue is. Back then, when the imperial court launched a siege against the Demonic Sect, the previous Sect Leader was killed by His Majesty. The Demonic Sect instantly became leaderless, with factions abundant. Envoys, elders, and dharma kings all refused to submit to each other, fighting to the point of bloodshed over the leadership position."

"It was then that Yun Jianyue, who was still the Saintess at the time, emerged. With thunderous force, she suppressed all other factions and purged a large number of those who refused to submit to her. The imperial court was delighted by this, believing that after so many masters had been eliminated in their internal strife, the Demonic Sect would be easy to defeat. But to everyone's surprise, Yun Jianyue proactively launched an attack, completely annihilating the imperial army sent to suppress the rebellion. That battle was a bloodbath, causing the very heavens to change color. Innumerable imperial experts dispatched by the court died by her hand, solidifying her fearsome reputation as an unparalleled demoness."

"Perhaps your fleeting glimpse made you think she was a fairy-like Yun Jianyue. But the old veterans who survived that battle all mumbled one phrase upon their return: 'When the blood moon appears, hell opens.'"

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. That woman was truly so terrifying?

Then, he had held her, flirted with her repeatedly, and even felt the shape of her breasts. Wouldn't that mean he was doomed?