Chapter 629: Conspiracy Web

Zu An was startled, he rose abruptly, and looked cautiously towards the sound, only to see that the beautiful figure was no longer on the silk ribbon.

He instinctively looked down and saw Yun Jianyue sprawled on the ground, rubbing her buttocks. Her long, cascading hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly flustered.

He looked at the still-swaying silk ribbon above, then back at her on the ground. A slight smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, as if he understood something.

“If you dare to laugh, you’re dead!” Yun Jianyue glared back at him, her eyes full of menace.

However, her face was burning with embarrassment. It was utterly humiliating, especially after she had so confidently declared just moments ago that she would never fall. Now, her words had come back to bite her. As the venerable leader of the Sacred Cult, appearing so disheveled in front of a junior was mortifying. She was so embarrassed that she almost wanted to sink into the ground.

“Don’t worry, I’ve had rigorous training. I usually don’t laugh, unless… I can’t help it. Hahahahaha…” Zu An couldn't suppress his laughter.

Yun Jianyue: “…”

Rage points from Yun Jianyue +233, +233, +233…

Her face stiff with indignation, she said coldly, “If you’re so capable, why don’t you try it and see if you fall?”

Zu An shook his head. “I’m a daydreamer; I can’t achieve that pure, clear state of mind. So I won’t bother making trouble for myself.”

Yun Jianyue: “…”

She recalled that he had specifically warned her about it earlier, yet she had thought she would be fine.

“I refuse to believe in such nonsense!” she snorted, and with a light tip of her toe, she lay back down on the silk ribbon. Mid-way, her body swayed slightly, but she managed to lie there steadily without falling.

Zu An said, “Your spiritual essence is damaged. Forcing yourself to stay awake like this will make it difficult for your injuries to heal.”

Yun Jianyue’s heart stirred. She was indeed forcing herself to stay awake; otherwise, falling again would be even more humiliating. In fact, lying on the silk ribbon a second time, she understood why he had said this sleeping method required a pure and clear mind. Although she had reached the Grandmaster realm, her spiritual essence was damaged this time, and her thoughts were too scattered to maintain the calm needed to sleep there. It was manageable when she was awake, but once she fell asleep and her body lost control, she would easily tumble off.

Seeing her silent, Zu An knew she couldn't bring herself to admit it just yet. So he said, “I’m going to sleep first. If you can’t hold on later, just come to the bed. We can sleep on opposite sides, each minding their own business. We’re people of the Jianghu; there’s no need to be bothered by such minor details.”

After speaking, he didn’t wait for her reply, simply rolled over, and continued to sleep.

Yun Jianyue was momentarily stunned, and her resolve wavered. In these critical times, if she didn't get enough rest at night, her damaged spiritual essence would recover even slower. Why should she suffer just for the sake of a little pride? Besides, what could this guy possibly do to her? He liked Hong Lei, and she was still his senior. Moreover, she wasn't completely defenseless. If he truly harbored any ill intentions, she could instantly make him regret ever being born.

With that thought, she made her decision.

However, she couldn't bring herself to get into bed immediately. So, she lay there a while longer, waiting. Only when she heard his breathing gradually steady, indicating he had fallen asleep, did she quietly dismount the silk ribbon.

Approaching the bed, she saw that he was sleeping on the inner side, leaving most of the bed for her. Yun Jianyue’s expression shifted between various emotions, but eventually, she lay down beside him, naturally keeping a considerable distance, with no contact whatsoever.

She took a deep breath, calming her turbulent emotions, and said coldly, “I don’t care if you’re truly asleep or pretending. If your hand comes over, I’ll chop it off. If your foot comes over, I’ll stomp on it. Do you hear me?”

Her only reply was Zu An’s snoring.

Only then did Yun Jianyue uneasily close her eyes. Her spiritual essence was severely damaged, and she desperately needed rest; she simply couldn't hold on any longer. She quickly drifted into slumber.

Meanwhile, Cheng Xiong was in no mood to sleep. With bloodshot eyes, he investigated the assassination attempt on Kuning Palace. Such a major incident had occurred in the palace, and he knew that if he couldn't uncover anything, the Emperor would likely use it as an excuse to get rid of him. He dispatched men to search the palace for any remaining assassins, while also summoning the guards who had been on patrol, questioning them about any unusual observations. He instructed them not to overlook even the most insignificant details, determined to find every clue.

After questioning team after team of soldiers, someone timidly spoke up: “When we were on patrol earlier, I think I saw two Embroidered Uniform Guards coming out of Gold Medal Agent Eleven’s residence.”

“Gold Medal Agent Eleven?” Cheng Xiong frowned. Why was it him again? Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if realizing something, and he immediately pressed, “Are you sure there were two Embroidered Uniform Guards?”

It was common knowledge that the Embroidered Uniform Guards were highly sensitive individuals; they rarely showed their true faces even to each other. If they needed to discuss matters, they would go to their official office in the palace, which was specifically designated for them. They would certainly not invite another Embroidered Uniform Guard to their private residence.

“Yes, I’m certain. The other Embroidered Uniform Guard was smaller in stature. Everyone was speculating that Gold Medal Agent Eleven might have a 'cut sleeve' tendency and brought a slender subordinate to fool around with, hehe.” The guard chuckled, relieved his own superior didn't share such a habit, always taking delight in others' misfortunes.

“Wait, no, I saw that the other person’s uniform also seemed to be that of a Gold Medal Agent, not a subordinate, right?” another guard asked, puzzled.

“Is that so? I didn’t pay much attention; their Embroidered Uniform Guard outfits all look pretty similar.” The guards murmured among themselves, discussing whether the person they saw was a subordinate or another Gold Medal Agent.

Cheng Xiong, however, grew more excited with every word. This Agent Eleven was indeed problematic! But having suffered a setback previously, he didn’t act rashly this time. Instead, he hastily summoned guards from all palace gates and questioned them one by one.

Eventually, he learned that shortly after the assassin incident at Kuning Palace, two Embroidered Uniform Guards had indeed exited the palace gates. One was carrying a gold token, while the other, hiding behind him, went unnoticed. Because the Embroidered Uniform Guards were always mysterious and generally feared, no one had paid much attention.

After receiving all this information, Cheng Xiong finally smiled. “Now, let’s see where you’ll run!”

Zu An had no idea that a vast web of conspiracy was being woven around him; he was currently sleeping soundly.

Next to him, Yun Jianyue was sleeping even more soundly. However, she suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, feeling Zu An turn over with a sly grin on his face, then slowly reach out to touch her. She sneered inwardly, preparing to sever his limbs the moment his hand reached her, to teach him the consequences of offending the Sacred Cult leader.

But for some reason, she suddenly found herself utterly weak, her eyelids impossibly heavy. She couldn't muster any of her cultivation to retaliate. In that moment of daze, his hand was already upon her. She was furious, almost exploding, and struggled desperately. But for some unknown reason, she found it incredibly difficult to exert any force.

“Don’t resist,” she seemed to faintly hear him say. “The more you resist, the more excited I get.”

Immediately after, she felt his hand slide into her dress. Her body stiffened, and then she abruptly opened her eyes. The morning light streamed in through the window. She immediately realized it was morning and that everything she had just experienced was a dream. *How could I have such a shameful dream?*

Since achieving great mastery in her cultivation, her spiritual essence had been stable, and she hadn't dreamt since. She figured it must be because her spiritual essence was damaged during yesterday's battle with the Emperor, causing her to dream. Yet, instead of dreaming of the battle, she had dreamt of *that man*, which was entirely unexpected.

“It must have been him acting improperly towards me in the middle of the night!”

Furious, she instinctively turned to look beside her, about to unleash her wrath, and then she froze completely. To her astonishment, she found them locked in a tight embrace. The crucial detail was not that Zu An was holding her, but that *she* was actively clinging to *him*. She was wrapped around him like an octopus, with one long leg draped over his waist.

Yun Jianyue: “…”

She knew she had always been a restless sleeper; otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen from the silk ribbon in the middle of the night. But she never imagined she could be *this* restless. What was even more infuriating was that, given it was early morning, a man's vitality was typically robust. And now, something firm was pressing against her lower abdomen, its prominence distinctly felt even through her clothes.

“No wonder I had such a dream!” Yun Jianyue erupted in fury, immediately kicking the guy off the bed.