Chapter 666: Two Faces

Zu An was restless. In the palace, fraught with dangers, he dared not be careless.

Although his cultivation was quite good, there were countless individuals in the palace who surpassed him. Moreover, many were skilled at concealing their presence, so it was normal for him not to detect others with his energy sense.

He immediately activated the Jade Cong's ability, communicating with nearby small animals, and used their perspectives to observe the area within ten yards.

Other than the occasional patrolling guards, there was no one else around… Wait, Zu An suddenly spotted a familiar face around the corner, several yards away—a plump eunuch.

“Is it him?” Zu An’s brows furrowed instantly. This was Eunuch Wen, the emperor’s attendant.

Normally, Eunuch Wen always smiled when speaking to anyone, and his plump, kindly appearance made him seem very amiable. However, he now wore a gloomy expression, completely unlike his usual benevolent persona. Could this be his true face?

A chill ran down Zu An’s spine. He realized he had truly been deceived by the eunuch’s cheerful facade.

He had initially thought Prince Qi, having suffered a setback, had sent someone to follow and retaliate against him. Instead, it was someone from the emperor’s side. Could the emperor have been tracking him all along?

No, with the emperor’s terrifying divine sense, there would be no need to send someone to track him. Moreover, this feeling of being followed was new; it had only started after he offended Prince Qi. Wait, could Eunuch Wen be Prince Qi’s man?

The thought instantly startled Zu An. Eunuch Wen was the emperor’s trusted attendant; if even he had been bribed by Prince Qi, it spoke volumes about Prince Qi’s frightening influence.

But if that were the case, wouldn’t it make the emperor seem rather foolish? With his power, how could he not know if someone close to him was compromised? That seemed impossible.

Then he remembered the movies and TV shows from his past life, where the least likely suspect often turned out to be the real culprit… Various thoughts flooded his mind, leaving his head in a muddle.

Just then, Eunuch Wen straightened his clothes behind the corner, then rubbed his plump cheeks, revealing his usual amiable smile once more.

After turning the corner, he looked at Zu An with a mix of surprise and delight. “Oh, Master Zu, I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Zu An managed a strained smile. Knowing the eunuch had two faces, it was difficult to respond as casually as before. “Ah, Eunuch Wen. What can I do for you?”

Eunuch Wen smiled. “His Majesty wishes to see you. Please come to the Imperial Study, Master Zu.”

Although the sun was shining warmly on him, seeing the eunuch’s smiling face sent an inexplicable shiver down Zu An’s spine. “Thank you, Eunuch. I’ll go at once.”

“Please, Master Zu!” Eunuch Wen said, still smiling.

Zu An bowed and then followed him towards the Imperial Study.

After several encounters with the emperor, he was no longer as afraid as before. He figured the emperor still needed him to handle several important matters and would, at most, use imperial tactics to discipline him, but wouldn’t truly harm him. It was this smiling, seemingly benevolent Eunuch Wen, whose true nature seemed hidden, that Zu An felt he needed to guard against.

Should he quietly ask the emperor later to confirm if Eunuch Wen was truly Prince Qi’s man? As soon as the thought emerged, Zu An dismissed it. What if Eunuch Wen was sent by the emperor to monitor him? Asking would only expose himself.

Even if Eunuch Wen truly had ill intentions, Zu An had no proof. As the saying goes, “outsiders shouldn’t interfere between intimates.” Having served the emperor for so many years, Eunuch Wen undoubtedly had the emperor’s trust. If Eunuch Wen retaliated later, it would be extremely troublesome. Therefore, it was better not to expose him yet. Currently, Eunuch Wen didn’t know that Zu An was aware of his true nature, which gave Zu An an advantage. Once revealed, that informational edge would be lost.

“Master Zu, are you preoccupied today?” Just then, Eunuch Wen’s cheerful voice came from beside him. “You seem much more subdued than usual.”

Zu An’s heart tightened. Had the eunuch seen through him? He quickly smiled and explained, “Being summoned by His Majesty always makes one a bit apprehensive.”

“I see,” Eunuch Wen said, looking relieved. “Actually, Master Zu, there’s no need to worry too much. His Majesty seems to be in a good mood today.”

“Thank you for the tip, Eunuch.” Zu An casually slipped him two hundred-tael silver notes. It was best to appease such a cunning old fox first.

Upon seeing the money, Eunuch Wen’s smile widened even further, his eyes narrowing to slits.

They arrived at the Imperial Study. Eunuch Wen waited outside while Zu An entered. The emperor was casually reading a book on his throne, looking quite relaxed.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Zu An bowed.

The emperor hummed in acknowledgment, then slowly put down his book. “You’ve already released the assassin from the imperial prison?”

“I fulfilled my duty.” Zu An secretly grumbled to himself, *Isn’t he just stating the obvious? His divine sense was present back then.*

The emperor nodded with satisfaction. “Do the Demon Sect members suspect anything?”

“They shouldn’t. I shifted the blame onto Prince Qi…” He then proceeded to explain his plan, which was… well, nine truths and one lie.

“You are indeed shrewd. This way, the prison staff won’t suspect anything afterward, and the information won’t leak out.” A faint smile appeared on the emperor’s face. *This fellow, having risen from the common ranks, is far more useful than many formally educated ministers. Most others wouldn’t have handled this so splendidly.*

Zu An quickly added, “But after I left the imperial prison, I accidentally ran into Prince Qi. He became suspicious of the Demon Sect members disguised as guards. In a critical moment, I had no choice but to trick him, saying that the guard captain, Liu Chenyu, had been summoned by Your Majesty…”

The emperor chuckled. “Who would have thought that fellow, my second brother, normally so resourceful, would be completely outwitted by you today.”

Zu An’s expression was odd. He knew they were brothers, the emperor the eldest, Prince Qi the second, but hearing him refer to the prince as “second brother” sounded strange. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, he quickly said, “This was just a petty trick of mine. Prince Qi was caught off guard, that’s why he fell for it. He’ll know I was lying once he investigates later.” At this point, he opportunely revealed a worried expression. *Sigh, after scheming with these old foxes in the palace for so long, I’m almost becoming one myself.*

The emperor waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t need to worry about that. I will arrange everything properly.”

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried Prince Qi might investigate Liu Chenyu’s whereabouts, but since the emperor said he would handle it, there would definitely be no problem.

The emperor pondered for a moment, then spoke, “Now that you’ve offended Prince Qi so thoroughly, how will you accomplish the first task I assigned you?”

Zu An explained, “Prince Qi is very suspicious and incredibly cunning. If I were to directly show him favor and give him a fake secret manual, he would become suspicious. So now, I’m doing the opposite: making him believe he obtained a genuine manual through his own efforts, which will make him more likely to practice it.”

“Hmm, good, that makes sense.” The emperor nodded. Based on his understanding of his brother, Zu An’s description was accurate.

Zu An suddenly remembered something and quickly said, “Your Majesty, Prince Qi just struck me three times. I’m worried he might have used some malicious technique, like the Soft Bone Palm, to leave a hidden force in my body, causing me to die mysteriously after some time. Could Your Majesty please examine me? My personal life and death are minor; I’m only concerned it might delay Your Majesty’s mission.”

The emperor paused, only realizing what the Soft Bone Palm was after hearing Zu An’s description. His expression grew somewhat solemn. “Come here and let me see.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Zu An rejoiced inwardly. With the help of the world’s most powerful expert, even if Prince Qi had placed some restriction on him, it could be easily removed.

The emperor observed him for a moment, then suddenly moved, lightly patting Zu An three times. “There, it’s done.”

Zu An was overjoyed. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Then the emperor sneered, “Don’t rejoice too soon. Prince Qi does not possess the kind of restrictive technique you described. On the contrary, I happen to. Your words just now reminded me, so I specifically placed a restriction on you. This way, you’ll be even more dedicated to the tasks I assign.”

Zu An: “???”

***

Happy May Day, everyone! I wonder where you all went to have fun. I, unfortunately, am stuck running between home and the hospital, absolutely exhausted. I’m afraid this will be the only update today. Normal updates will resume starting tomorrow.