Chapter 705: Shameless to Such an Extent

According to Yun Jianyue, he was a half-step Grandmaster, not yet truly reaching the full Grandmaster level. However, even a half-step Grandmaster was far beyond what Zuan could contend with at his current stage.

There had to be a limit to challenging opponents far above his rank. This person was an unknown number of levels beyond him. If it were a woman, he might try pulling out another "rich woman's pleasure toy," but with a man, what was the point of even trying?

Despite this, he didn't despair and quickly came up with an idea. He retrieved a set of women's clothing from his Glazed Treasure Pearl; he kept some of both Pei Mianman's and Chu Chuyan's clothes.

He recalled the Crown Princess's figure and chose not to use Pei Mianman's clothes, fearing they would be too ill-fitting.

The Crown Princess was startled to see him suddenly produce a dress. *How could this man carry women's clothes with him? Is he a pervert?* she wondered.

She quickly reacted, shaking her head. "It's useless," she said. "I have so many maids and palace women who help me dress every day, and everything I wear is officially recorded. If I change clothes now, I won't be able to explain it, and it will only confirm Concubine Bai's false accusation."

Zuan irritably shoved the dress into her arms. "Stop with the nonsense," he snapped. "Just put it on!"

"You!" The Crown Princess's eyes reddened. She thought, *Normally, no one would dare speak to me like this. Now that I'm disgraced, even you're bullying me.*

Zuan had no time to worry about her feelings. Seeing her slowly take the dress, he grew impatient and instantly swept the quilt from her body into the Glazed Treasure Pearl.

The Crown Princess's body was abruptly exposed to the air. She was immediately filled with anger and anxiety, and tears welled in her eyes.

Rage points from Bi Linglong +555+555+555...

Zuan grabbed the dress and threw it over her. "Someone's coming," he urged. "If you don't want to be seen like this, put it on now!"

The Crown Princess was nearly furious, but given the situation, she could only suppress her emotions. She kept telling herself that he had already seen her naked in bed, so being seen again was no big deal. The critical thing was to ensure no one else saw her.

Ordinarily, she relied on numerous maids to help her dress. She had never realized she could dress so quickly; she was fully clothed in just a few breaths.

Throughout the process, she bit her lip so hard that faint traces of blood appeared at the corners of her mouth, a clear sign of her agitated state.

While she was dressing, Zuan retrieved the guards' bodies he had just stored, stripped them of their armor, and put it on himself.

The Crown Princess's face flushed slightly at the sight of his exposed body, and she quickly averted her gaze. A thought crossed her mind: *Did he intend to impersonate a palace guard? What good would that do? He'd be easily exposed.*

By then, Zuan had finished changing. He then pulled out a thin, rubbery object and began to apply it to her face.

The Crown Princess instinctively recoiled. "What is that?" she asked.

"A mask," Zuan quickly explained. "It can disguise you as someone else." Without waiting for her to object, he pulled her closer and swiftly pressed the mask onto her face, ensuring it fit perfectly and seamlessly with her skin, leaving no trace of a flaw.

Hearing that it would conceal her face, the Crown Princess stopped resisting and instead tilted her head, cooperating with him.

As his hand moved across her face, she trembled slightly, but she remained silent throughout.

Once he had finished with her, Zuan put on a mask himself, instantly giving him a common, unremarkable face.

These masks were among the items confiscated earlier from Chen Xuan of Black Wind Village. He hoped they would help him overcome the current predicament.

After quickly tidying up the surroundings, Zuan suddenly stiffened. He immediately wrapped his arm around the Crown Princess's slender waist, pulling her tightly against him, and simultaneously lowered his head, following her enticing red lips to kiss her.

The Crown Princess was utterly stunned. *He actually has the nerve to take advantage of me at a time like this?* she thought.

Rage points from Bi Linglong +814+814+814...

After a moment of complete blankness, she instinctively began to struggle frantically.

At that moment, Zuan quickly whispered in her ear, "Don't move, cooperate with me. Zhu Xie Chixin is coming. Whether we survive this calamity depends entirely on this! Absolutely do not reveal any of your cultivation later!"

As long as one didn't attack or emit any energy fluctuations, it was difficult for ordinary people to discern their cultivation level.

Hearing his words, the Crown Princess stiffened. She was an exceptionally intelligent woman, and though he hadn't had time to explain the plan's details, she already had a faint understanding of it.

As expected, she stopped resisting and instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.

This time, Zuan was surprised. He hadn't expected the Crown Princess to be so cooperative. This woman truly possessed an unyielding inner strength.

He continued to kiss her red lips. He could feel her body's initial stiffness, but it quickly softened.

If not for her obvious inexperience, Zuan might even have suspected her of being well-versed in such matters.

Initially, he had only intended to put on an act, but as the kiss deepened, he found himself getting carried away.

The Crown Princess's heart pounded wildly. With her noble status, when had she ever experienced such intimacy with a man?

*Is this what kissing feels like?*

At first, she thought she would despise his advances, but for some reason, when the kiss truly began, she felt no discomfort whatsoever. His movements were gentle and considerate, making her feel as if she were bathed in a warm spring breeze.

Moreover, currents seemed to spread through her body—a sensation she had never experienced.

*Damn it, why is he so skilled at this?*

*Does he spend every day at home passionately kissing Miss Chu?*

*Of course. Given his lustful nature, why would he waste a single moment after marrying a stunning beauty like Miss Chu...*

She was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, with a bang, she felt a flash of light. The surrounding rockery had been split open by a palm strike.

She looked up to see Zhu Xie Chixin, his expression grim, staring at her with a group of Embroidered Uniform Envoys.

Her heart was pounding in her throat, and only one thought echoed in her mind: *It's over, it's all over...*

Zhu Xie Chixin was a trusted confidant of the Emperor, and his cultivation was unfathomable. Being discovered by him meant everything would be exposed.

At that moment, Zuan's arm, still around her waist, gently patted her, signaling her not to be nervous.

The Crown Princess finally caught her breath. *Right, we're still wearing masks,* she thought. *Hopefully, we can deceive them.*

*But being caught like this, isn't that also a capital offense?*

Zuan, however, feigned extreme shock and fear, recoiling slightly. "Lord Zhu... Zhu Xie!" he stammered.

Zhu Xie Chixin was known to everyone in the palace, so calling out his name wouldn't expose their disguise.

The Crown Princess was utterly astonished. His acting was truly superb; he perfectly mimicked someone caught in an illicit affair, portraying fear, panic, and embarrassment with startling realism in that single moment.

Zhu Xie Chixin's eyes swept over the pair for a moment before he immediately frowned. "How audacious!" he bellowed. "To dare commit such a sordid act within the palace!"

In his eyes, it appeared to be a guard and a palace maid caught in an affair. He knew that even though they were just palace maids, all women in the imperial palace were essentially the Emperor's personal property. There was always a chance the Emperor might take a liking to a random palace maid and grant her favor on the spot.

Therefore, a palace maid's chastity was paramount. Normally, even eunuchs and palace maids sharing meals was a serious offense, let alone a male guard engaging in a physical relationship with one.

*Did this guard wish for his entire clan to be executed?*

"Lord Zhu Xie, have mercy, have mercy..." Zuan's face turned ashen. He seemed to lose all strength, collapsing to the ground, uttering only meaningless pleas.

The Crown Princess immediately adopted a terrified expression and, mimicking him, also collapsed to the ground.

She secretly admired him, thinking, *This man is quite clever to avoid kneeling.*

Zhu Xie Chixin had no time for such trivialities. He asked in a deep voice, "Have either of you seen... seen any sign of the Crown Princess?"

"The Crown Princess?" Zuan quickly shook his head. "We haven't seen her. We just heard all the commotion outside and hid here, worried about being discovered... Lord Zhu Xie, please have mercy! It was this woman who seduced me; it had nothing to do with me!"

The Crown Princess, beside him, instantly widened her eyes. *Could this man actually be this shameless?*