Chapter 627: Older Sister and Loli Switching

Cheng Xiong's guards had searched most of the area by this point, silently indicating to him that they had found nothing.

Cheng Xiong fell into thought. The only place left to search in the entire courtyard was the bed in front of them. He cupped his hands and said, "We still need to search under the bed. Lord Eleven wouldn't mind, would you?"

Zu'an frowned. "General Cheng, what do you mean by that? Do you think I wouldn't know if someone were under my bed?" As a Gold-Token Embroidered Envoy, it would be a laughing stock if he lacked such basic awareness. The opponent's request, knowing their capabilities, was indeed excessive.

Cheng Xiong chuckled, "We have no other intentions. It's just that Lord Eleven is quite injured, and your senses might not be as sharp as usual. Perhaps we can help you check, so you can sleep more peacefully."

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Zu'an's reply, he signaled his men to search. Several guards lay on the floor, lifted the bed skirt, and jabbed their knives underneath. Unfortunately, they stabbed for a long time but found nothing.

Zu'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they'd only find something under the bed if hell froze over. Just then, Yun Jianyue's vital energy transmission whispered in his ear: "Show appropriate anger, or you'll reveal a weakness." Zu'an's heart jolted, and he immediately realized that if a dignified Gold-Token Embroidered Envoy allowed these people to turn his room upside down without any reaction, it would only prove his guilt.

So he let out a cold snort, flicked his hand, and unleashed the "Gluttonous Heaven Devouring Art." The guards who had just stood up felt a powerful force wash over them; their weapons slipped from their grasp and flew towards the bed. Zu'an's wrist twitched, and several long knives in his hand were instantly twisted into knots. He said coldly, "General Cheng, didn't you teach them the rules about using weapons in my room?"

The guards were covered in cold sweat and quickly apologized. Even Cheng Xiong's pupils contracted as he awkwardly glanced at the mangled weapons on the floor. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "My subordinates were too eager to catch the thief and offended Lord Eleven. I hope you can forgive them."

At this moment, his mind was in turmoil. It wasn't fear of the other's cultivation; the vital energy fluctuation the other had displayed wasn't much higher than his own. The problem was that he couldn't discern the nature of that move. He asked himself if he could have done the same in Zu'an's place, and the answer was no. He couldn't even tell what elemental affinity the other person had.

Zu'an said indifferently, "If you're so eager to catch a thief, then go out and catch one. Why waste time here with me?"

Cheng Xiong's expression shifted but quickly recovered. He signaled his subordinates to leave. "We've caused a lot of trouble today. I hope Lord Eleven won't take it to heart." Zu'an kept a cold face and said nothing.

Cheng Xiong felt a little bored and left. As he reached the door, he cast Zu'an a meaningful glance and said, "Lord Eleven's moves are vigorous and powerful; you don't look injured at all."

Zu'an said blandly, "Even if I were injured, what effort would it take for a dignified Gold-Token Embroidered Envoy to deal with a few small fry?"

Cheng Xiong's face darkened. The other's words had effectively insulted him too, but he was genuinely uncertain because Gold-Token Embroidered Envoys were all extremely mysterious and powerful individuals. He wasn't sure he could defeat Zu'an. Reluctantly, he glanced at the bedcovers. If the other person had been much weaker, he might have simply pulled back the blanket to check. But unfortunately, Zu'an had demonstrated too much power, so he had to abandon the idea of lifting the covers.

He secretly reassured himself that the shape of the bedding didn't seem capable of hiding an adult; at most, it could hide a child. But how could an assassin entering the palace be a child? Furthermore, upon entering the room, he had already used his vital energy to scan the area and hadn't sensed anyone else apart from Zu'an. That's why he didn't insist further. "Could it be that I was really wrong?" Having gained nothing and offended a Gold-Token Envoy, Cheng Xiong left with his subordinates, his face dark.

Zu'an casually pressed the room's key, and the courtyard gate automatically closed. This world had its advantages: though it hadn't advanced technologically, many conveniences from his previous life could be replicated through cultivation knowledge.

As soon as he closed the door, the blanket was thrown back, and a small figure emerged from inside. Looking at Yun Jianyue, who resembled a small loli, Zu'an couldn't help but want to pinch her cheeks; she was simply too cute.

"Do you want to die?" Yun Jianyue slapped his hand away, then twisted her body a few times, gradually returning to her normal physique, transforming from an adorable little loli into a mature and charming older woman.

Zu'an couldn't help but exclaim, "Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly cute when you shrink?"

A blush flashed across Yun Jianyue's face. "You're not allowed to tell anyone about what just happened, not even Honglei, or I'll kill you!"

Zu'an's expression was odd. "So, you mean no one has ever seen you in that form before?"

"That's not exactly it," Yun Jianyue said, a nostalgic look on her face. "Sometimes, when I get too bored staying in the sect, I'll secretly slip into nearby towns in this form to have some fun."

Zu'an was speechless. You're the sect master, and of the dignified Demonic Sect at that. Isn't that a bit of an unusual mindset?

Yun Jianyue immediately realized she had inadvertently revealed a significant secret. Her eyes instantly became extremely dangerous. "It seems you took the opportunity to touch me just now?"

Zu'an quickly waved his hands. "Absolutely not. I was just worried you'd hear Cheng Xiong's nonsense and impulsively jump out to settle scores with him, which would be troublesome."

Yun Jianyue snorted. "Do you think I'm such a big-breasted, brainless person in your eyes?"

Zu'an's expression was strange. He involuntarily glanced at her ample chest, thinking that while "brainless" might not be true, "big-breasted" certainly was beyond dispute.

"What are you looking at?" Yun Jianyue suddenly smiled, but anyone could feel the chill in her smile.

"Nothing at all," Zu'an chuckled, quickly pulling out the Five Aggregate Mystic Ganoderma. "Take this to heal your injuries quickly." He had just hugged her and touched her; it would be ungenerous not to give it to her now.

Yun Jianyue frowned, but ultimately didn't refuse. She took the jade box but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she said, "That Cheng Xiong seems very hostile towards you. You should be careful; he likely won't give up so easily."

"Sigh, I don't know where I offended him," Zu'an sighed, feeling unlucky. Being secretly watched by such a cunning person felt like a bone stuck in his throat.

"Instead of waiting to be targeted, it's better to strike first. Find an opportunity to eliminate him once and for all," Yun Jianyue said coldly.

Zu'an was dumbfounded. At that moment, he realized that this beautiful woman, like the bright moon in the sky, was no benevolent soul but the terrifying leader of the Demonic Sect.

After giving her instructions, Yun Jianyue no longer bothered with Cheng Xiong. "Guard me while I heal my injuries." She then sat cross-legged on the bed, opened the jade box, placed it between her legs, revealing the Five Aggregate Mystic Ganoderma inside.

From a distance, Zu'an felt a wave of abundant spiritual energy washing over him, instantly clearing his mind. He quickly stood on tiptoe to look, seeing a ganoderma-like herb lying in the jade box, with visible shimmering mists flowing around it—clearly an extraordinary item. Yun Jianyue didn't swallow it. Instead, she sat in meditation and cultivated. Before long, a wisp of misty energy floating on the surface of the Five Aggregate Mystic Ganoderma slowly rose and entered her body through her nose, adding a faint blush to her pale complexion.

Zu'an watched, blinking, as her act of "swallowing clouds and exhaling mist" truly resembled an immortal from the heavens. Even healing looked so dignified. When would he ever reach such a level?

After about half an hour, Yun Jianyue opened her eyes and casually closed the jade box. Zu'an, who had been idly waiting nearby, was startled. "You're healed so quickly?" For some reason, he was a little reluctant for her to recover so fast.

Yun Jianyue shook her head. "It's not that easy. Soul injuries require slow recuperation and cannot be rushed. Half an hour of using the Five Aggregate Mystic Ganoderma to aid soul repair each day is the limit; any more time would be wasted."

Zu'an's mood instantly brightened. "Haha, then you can take your time practicing. You can stay here as long as you want. Oh, by the way, excuse me, I need to sleep now."

---

I've had some feelings bottled up for a long time, and I'd like to take this opportunity to share them. For a long time, web novels have been discriminated against by mainstream society, and harem novels, in particular, are at the bottom of the contempt hierarchy within web novels. Coupled with "clean web" campaigns, the survival environment for such works has become even more challenging.

However, there are some people in this world who dislike novels that are ostensibly about hard work and passion but are actually filled with selfishness, cunning, and viciousness. Where killing people and seizing treasures are standard operations, and a disagreement can lead to the protagonist wiping out entire families, clans, or even nations, with millions of lives stained on their hands... Personally, I don't particularly like novels that are filled with so much hostility. Those who have read my previous novel will know that the protagonist, after transmigration, always adhered to the moral baseline of a modern person. For millions of words, he barely killed anyone; later, it was solely due to plot progression that he had to kill, but his main goal was always to quell chaos quickly and let the people live in peace and prosperity. In reality, this kind of persistence is somewhat laughable. The mainstream of web novel readers still prefer decisive protagonists. My protagonist, Little Song, in the last book, was often criticized by readers for being indecisive.

I've also mentioned before that I don't like reading novels that revolve around endless cycles of leveling up, fighting monsters, and protagonists slapping villains' faces, nor am I good at writing them. I just want to diligently portray stories focusing on inner worlds. Because I personally love reading history books, I subconsciously integrate historical backgrounds into my novels. The setting of my last book mainly blended the history of the Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Qing dynasties, and some readers of this book have discerned that it uses the Western Jin dynasty as its backdrop.

Because I primarily conceive plots based on history, my writing speed is slower. Additionally, harem novels inherently contain many daily life scenes, so their pacing naturally cannot compare to many popular books on the market; this I must admit. I've always tried to find an excellent balance between the two, but I can only say there's still a long way to go, and I hope to improve in this area in the future.

Let's talk about the issue of harem novels again. Many people constantly confuse them, equating harem novels with explicit erotica. In reality, the "clean web" campaigns primarily target the latter. Harem novels simply feature more female protagonists; they don't necessarily mean they are lewd or vulgar!

Why should liking harem novels be considered an original sin? "A fair lady is a good match for a gentleman"—isn't that human nature? From my observations over the years, friends and acquaintances who have many female confidantes in real life are completely uninterested in harem novels because they are already living a "harem" life in reality. Conversely, those who are introverted and simple in real life are often more inclined to read harem novels, because they uphold their principles, responsibilities, and morals in real life. Are they not allowed to let loose a little in fiction?

Here, I must say that my previous book was my first time writing, and sometimes I accidentally let myself go. I need to reflect on that. So, for this book, I've been very careful in this regard. While it's a harem novel, the boundaries must be controlled. You should have noticed that any mention of romance or intimacy in this book is only briefly alluded to, without explicit descriptions.

Therefore, readers who enjoy harem novels truly don't need to feel inferior. As a writer of harem novels, I don't feel there's anything shameful about it. As long as everyone abides by laws and regulations in real life and appropriately vents some negative emotions by reading novels, they might even face life more positively and optimistically in reality.

Given the current situation, harem-oriented novels already face a difficult struggle for survival. Readers who enjoy this genre need to unite even more and not look down on themselves, as that would make things even harder.

Finally, shamelessly, I hope that one day, when harem novels are mentioned, many people will remember my name. Haha.