Chapter 814: Still Have No Shame

Bi Linglong was startled; she hadn't expected them to be so resolute. She let out a soft sigh. They had all grown up together, and while there was no love involved, they shared some degree of affection. Reaching this point was something none of them had wanted.

However, she quickly regained her composure. She looked at Zu'an and asked, "What did they mean by their last words just now?"

Zu'an fell into contemplation. Gao Ying, who was not far away, said, "It was probably just a curse born of resentment. Only a limited number of people entered this time, and Shi Tong and his group have already been exposed. It's impossible for Prince Qi to have hidden other experts among us. If that were the case, we might as well all slit our own throats."

Bi Linglong nodded. "That's right. Everyone we brought in this time was carefully selected, and each person underwent a strict review. The possibility of Shi Tong sneaking in was already extremely low. It's impossible for other experts to have infiltrated as well. After all, artifacts that can conceal one's cultivation are not easy to find."

Zu'an secretly nodded. "I hope what you say is true." What they said did make sense. The emperor and the top experts of the Crown Prince's faction weren't fools; how could they allow such a massive loophole?

Gao Ying smiled, a rare sight for him. "And even if there's a problem, with Sir Zu here, it will naturally be resolved with ease." Zu'an had just effortlessly killed Shi Tong, a peak eighth-rank expert. Gao Ying couldn't imagine any danger that Zu'an couldn't handle.

Bi Linglong had a similar thought. She looked at Zu'an and said, "Thank you."

Zu'an smiled. "Now you know you didn't trust the wrong person, right?"

Bi Linglong's face flushed slightly. This was a secret only between the two of them. Earlier, she had earnestly asked him if she could trust him. He had replied yes, but truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure in her heart. He probably sensed her feelings too.

The two gazed at each other. A subtle, unusual atmosphere gradually filled the air.

"Cough, cough..."

Gao Ying's light cough came from beside them. "Brother Pei is fading fast." In truth, he wanted to say that he was also close to collapsing. *You two are still gazing at each other lovingly, as if we don't exist.*

Bi Linglong instantly snapped back to reality. She blushed and hurried over to check.

Zu'an also followed. Pei You had just been struck by Shi Tong. His chest was visibly caved in, and he was clearly severely wounded. The fact that he was still alive and conscious was a testament to his solid cultivation and strong will.

Bi Linglong quickly took out several pills and gave them to him. His complexion did become a little rosier, but his injuries showed no signs of improving.

"His injuries are too severe, I'm afraid..." Bi Linglong couldn't help but feel a little despondent. He had been injured trying to save her, yet she had previously doubted his loyalty. It was a pity he hadn't reached the seventh rank yet; otherwise, with the recovery abilities of a seventh-rank cultivator, he could at least have saved his life.

Zu'an squatted beside him and examined him. Suddenly, he asked, "Are you from the Pei family? Do you know Pei Mianman?"

Pei You was startled, but he still replied weakly, "Yes... she's... my cousin. When we were children... I even taught her a few moves..." He didn't understand why the other person suddenly asked this. If not for Zu'an's lingering prestige from defeating Shi Tong, the dying Pei You wouldn't even have bothered to answer such a strange question.

Zu'an nodded. Only then did he take a pill from his pocket. "Try taking this."

Bi Linglong couldn't help but say, "I just gave him the Imperial Hospital's most potent wound medicine..." The implication was clear: as the Crown Princess, the medicine she carried was naturally the finest royal wound medicine. If her medicine couldn't cure him, then anyone else's would be even more useless.

Zu'an smiled. "Just try it." He fed the pill into Pei You's mouth, then channeled his primal qi into Pei You's body, helping him absorb the medicine's potency, and simultaneously nourishing his damaged internal organs, sternum, and other parts.

Pei You tried his best to circulate his remaining primal qi to cooperate with Zu'an. A moment later, he opened his eyes in surprise. "It seems to be working. Sir Zu, your medicine is truly miraculous."

Bi Linglong was astonished. She quickly checked his pulse through his sleeve. She felt that the injuries inside his body had actually stabilized. And judging by the recovery speed, as long as the treatment continued, his life would be saved.

"It's good that it's working." Zu'an also breathed a sigh of relief. This medicine was the Jade Marrow Resurrection Pill, obtained from Ji Dengtu. It was said to have the effect of bringing people back from the dead. He had used it a few times himself and felt it was only second to a powerful red potion he obtained from the system. Such a precious elixir—he had originally received twelve of them from Ji Dengtu, and only six remained now. Naturally, he couldn't waste them carelessly. That's why he asked about his relationship with Pei Mianman. If their relationship wasn't good, then he would have had to apologize. In fact, he still had another powerful red potion. As long as the person still had a breath, no matter how severe the injury, it could bring them back. However, he wouldn't use such a life-saving item on someone with whom he had no significant connection.

He then went over to Gao Ying. Relatively, Gao Ying's injuries were slightly lighter, so Zu'an took out some spiritual medicine that Chu Youzhao had prepared for him earlier and had him take it.

"Thank you!" Gao Ying quickly sat down to meditate and regulate his breath. His aura gradually solidified and stabilized.

Bi Linglong came before Zu'an. She looked at him with some curiosity. "Where did you get this medicine? Why is it even better than the Imperial Hospital's?"

"From a lecherous middle-aged doctor." Zu'an was actually a bit surprised himself. He had thought Ji Dengtu was just a miraculous doctor in the Mingyue City area. He hadn't expected Ji Dengtu's medical skills to be even better than those of the imperial physicians in the palace. That made Ji Dengtu's background worth pondering.

"Huh?" Bi Linglong's expression became strange. She thought, *Birds of a feather really do flock together.* Hearing it was from a lecherous middle-aged man, she lost interest in inquiring further.

She then hurried to wake up the others in the camp. These people had been drugged by the Gu brothers and couldn't be woken by normal calling. However, she had prepared thoroughly for this secret realm expedition and had brought the corresponding antidote. She first woke up the Crown Prince's guards, then they proceeded to wake up the rest of the people.

Soon, Zhao Xi, Meng Pan, Liu Xian, and others woke up. They were all greatly alarmed when they saw Pei You, and each of them adopted an attacking stance. However, they were stopped by a figure. The severely wounded Pei You couldn't withstand even one blow from them.

"Zu'an?" Everyone clearly saw the figure, and they grew even more astonished.

Bi Linglong stepped out in time to stop their aggressive actions. She gave a brief account of what had just happened.

"I told you the Gu brothers looked shifty and weren't good people," Zhao Xi grumbled.

Meng Pan, standing nearby, sneered. "When did you say that? Back then, you were suspicious of Sir Zu."

Zhao Xi became annoyed. "Weren't you the one who led the effort to drive Sir Zu away?"

Seeing the two of them about to start fighting again, Bi Linglong snorted coldly. "Look at the time, and you're still fighting amongst yourselves? If Sir Zu hadn't arrived in time today, we would have already been killed by the Gu brothers and Shi Tong."

"Shi Tong? He came too?" The group was greatly alarmed. They quickly looked around as if facing a formidable enemy. In the capital, everyone knew Shi Tong was a peak eighth-rank expert; he was not someone they could handle.

At this moment, Pu Duandiao walked over, carrying Shi Tong's body. "Crown Princess, what should we do with Shi Tong's body?"

"Throw it into the wilderness for the dogs to eat," Bi Linglong said coldly. Clearly, what had just happened had thoroughly disgusted her.

Seeing Shi Tong's corpse, everyone was petrified. They asked tremblingly, "Who could have killed Shi Tong?"

Bi Linglong looked at Zu'an. Her gaze was exceptionally gentle.

Gao Ying's injuries had now recovered considerably. He opened his eyes and said, "Of course, it was Sir Zu..." He then described how Zu'an had decisively defeated Shi Tong. Though he wasn't usually eloquent, he narrated it vividly, even exaggerating Zu'an's prowess beyond what was actually displayed.

"What?" The group's jaws almost dropped to the floor. Learning that Zu'an was so powerful shocked them even more than knowing Shi Tong had been killed. Shi Tong had been a peak eighth-rank expert for many years. So, what realm was Zu'an in now?

It was Liu Xian whose attitude changed the fastest. He immediately said, "From the moment I first saw Sir Zu, I thought he was remarkably handsome and extraordinary. And now I see he truly has hidden depths. My admiration for Sir Zu is truly like a surging river, endless and continuous."

Zhao Xi, standing nearby, was speechless.

Meng Pan was also speechless.

*Goodness, do you have no shame?*