Chapter 987: Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

"What do you need me to investigate?" Zu'an's tone was grave. Although it wasn't as serious as "two kings cannot rule one kingdom," Gold Medallion Embroidered Uniform Envoys rarely met. The fact that the other party had initiated a meeting clearly indicated it was no small matter.

Unfortunately, his mind was entirely focused on how to rescue Qiu Honglei, leaving him no energy for the concerns of Gold Medallion No. 7.

Of course, since the other party had spoken, he couldn't refuse. He could only listen for now and then delegate the follow-up to Xiao Jianren and others, dealing with it himself when he had more time later.

Gold Medallion No. 7 opened his mouth, hesitated, and then said, "I have some theories, but no evidence yet. I need to investigate further before I can say more."

Zu'an sensed his hesitation. Clearly, the other party didn't fully trust them, and the matter at hand was likely of great importance. Without concrete proof, it could easily put Gold Medallion No. 7 in a precarious position.

In this world, unlike later eras where a single online post could ruin someone's reputation, there were too many powerful figures who could not be provoked. The law explicitly stipulated that falsely accusing princes or high officials without evidence was a serious crime, potentially leading to the confiscation of property and even the extermination of one's entire clan.

"Does this involve the Prince of Yan?" Zu'an had initially not wanted to get involved, but if it concerned the Prince, he would see if there was an opportunity to use it to rescue Qiu Honglei.

Gold Medallion No. 7 gave him a deep look. "No, and don't make wild guesses, or you could easily bring trouble upon yourself."

"If you won't tell me what it is, how can I help?" Seeing the other party being so secretive, Zu'an spread his hands, already intending to wash his hands of the matter.

To his surprise, Gold Medallion No. 7's next words nearly made him jump: "Help me rescue the Demonic Cult Saintess."

Zu'an: "???"

Though inwardly ecstatic, his expression darkened. "What do you mean? Do you know that colluding with the Demonic Cult is a grave crime, punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the clan?"

Could this guy be trying to test me?

"Of course I know that, but I have no connection to the Demonic Cult. I'm not trying to rescue her; I need to verify something," Gold Medallion No. 7 explained.

"This matter involves too much; I'm afraid I cannot participate. Considering we are both Gold Medallion Envoys, I won't report you. Take care of yourself." Zu'an was internally a thousand times willing, but he couldn't grasp the other party's true intentions, so he absolutely dared not agree easily.

As expected, Gold Medallion No. 7 realized that without revealing something, the other party likely wouldn't help. He sighed and said, "To be frank, I need to apprehend the Demonic Cult Saintess and personally interrogate her about certain matters."

Zu'an asked curiously, "Isn't she currently at the Prince of Yan's mansion? The Prince's people have already interrogated her, and she'll soon be transferred to the capital. Why do you insist on questioning her yourself? Could it be... you don't trust the Prince of Yan?"

A hint of surprise flickered in Gold Medallion No. 7's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected Zu'an to be so well-informed, knowing even these details, and immediately had a much-improved impression of him. "Once I've interrogated the Demonic Cult vixen and confirmed my theories, I'll tell you everything. This is an immense merit, which I'll share with you, but also a colossal disaster. A single misstep could lead to ruin, so I hope you understand."

"This..." Zu'an still feigned reluctance. "But this matter is too dangerous. The escort for the Demonic Cult Saintess will surely be filled with masters."

Gold Medallion No. 7 said, "You can rest assured about that. I won't let you take the risk. I'll go and create a diversion, drawing the attention of the escort team, and you can use that opportunity to take the Demonic Cult Saintess away."

Zu'an was overjoyed. This was practically a gift from heaven.

"But what if you use this opportunity to frame me?" Zu'an still didn't dare to lower his guard.

"We didn't know each other before, and Gold Medallion Embroidered Uniform Envoys each guard their own region, rarely having any conflicting interests. Why would I frame you?" Gold Medallion No. 7 glanced at the trembling Xiao Jianren in the corner. "The reason I haven't let this fellow leave is precisely to have an extra witness to put your mind at ease, isn't it?"

Xiao Jianren's face twisted into a pained expression. He wished he had heard nothing from beginning to end. Being involved in a storm that even a Gold Medallion Embroidered Uniform Envoy found dangerous meant he would surely be crushed by the slightest touch.

With the conversation reaching this point, Zu'an nodded and said, "Alright, I can help."

He had intended to rescue Qiu Honglei anyway, so having an extra helper was certainly beneficial.

Gold Medallion No. 7 cupped his hands in a salute. "Good. I'll owe you a favor for this. In the future, as long as it's not something like rebellion, and within my capabilities, I will help you once."

Xiao Jianren, standing by, showed a look of surprise. This was an incredibly weighty promise. Notably, Gold Medallion No. 7 hadn't specified "violating imperial law," implying he could even assist with such matters.

It was clear how much trouble this matter was causing him, to be willing to make such a significant vow.

At this thought, Xiao Jianren began trembling again, wondering if these two powerful figures would silence him after the fact.

At this, Zu'an cupped his hands. "You're too kind. When should we act?"

Gold Medallion No. 7 replied, "I still need to investigate their escort route and other intelligence. I'll notify you when I have information."

Zu'an pointed to Xiao Jianren. "If you can't find me then, just send a message to him."

Xiao Jianren was immediately flattered, thinking, "Lord Eleven truly values me, entrusting such important matters to me."

Gold Medallion No. 7 had no suspicions. It was normal for Gold Medallion Envoys to be elusive, so having a messenger like Xiao Jianren was convenient.

Nodding to both of them, Gold Medallion No. 7 pushed open the window and vanished into the night, making no sound, which clearly indicated his formidable cultivation level.

"Lord Eleven..." After Gold Medallion No. 7 left, Xiao Jianren began to speak but then hesitated.

Zu'an patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't silence you. I'm not that kind of person."

Xiao Jianren finally breathed a sigh of relief. As an Embroidered Uniform Envoy, he was accustomed to deceit and intrigue, yet for some reason, he inexplicably trusted Zu'an's words.

After reassuring him, Zu'an quietly departed. Instead of returning to his room to sleep, he went into the city and, using the information provided by Xiao Jianren, located the Demonic Cult's hideout.

He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket; he still needed to contact Yun Jianyue first.

The hideout was a liquor store, naturally closed in the dead of night. Without hesitation, he broke in.

He quickly subdued the relevant personnel: the liquor store owner and two shop assistants. Without wasting words, he separated them and began interrogating them on how to contact their superiors.

At first, they refused to speak, but Zu'an's aggressive approach was backed by confidence. He immediately summoned Daji. The cultivation levels of these individuals were generally low, and with Daji's enchanting "Bewitch the World" skill, she could accurately enthrall anyone.

To his surprise, after a long time of questioning, he found that they were mere low-level members who didn't know how to contact the Demonic Cult's higher-ups.

Instead, higher-ups would send someone periodically to collect intelligence, a purely one-way contact. Their methods were extremely secretive; even the people in the liquor store didn't know who picked up the information.

The critical point was that the last information pickup was three days ago, and the next would be at least ten days away. Zu'an couldn't wait that long.

He had Daji erase their memories of the day, then knocked the individuals unconscious. Zu'an could only reluctantly return to the envoy's ship.

Not long after, Sang Hong returned with his people. He motioned for Zu'an to come and discuss. "I just met with Prefect Zhang. He was initially reluctant to take on this assignment, but with my intervention, pressure from the Prince of Yan's mansion, and other local officials eager to claim some credit, they all urged him to accept the task. In the end, he agreed."

"He's worried about unforeseen complications if too much time passes and the Demonic Cult reacts, so he'll escort the prisoner away tomorrow noon."

Zu'an was startled. "Tomorrow noon?"

Gathering forces for the Prefect's mansion in just half a day was an extremely tight schedule.

"Precisely. Prefect Zhang will make a grand show of visiting the injured Prince of Yan at his mansion, using the opportunity to transfer Qiu Honglei from the mansion's dungeon to his own carriage. Then, he'll escort her out of the city. This way, the Demonic Cult won't realize Qiu Honglei is no longer at the Prince of Yan's mansion. By the time they react, the escort team will already be a thousand li away, making it too late for the Demonic Cult to organize a rescue." Sang Hong's admiration was evident as he spoke. "That Prefect Zhang is quite a character; to devise such a method in such a short time."

"That's truly impressive," Zu'an said, a headache beginning to form. If there were no Demonic Cult members to help create a diversion, could he and Gold Medallion No. 7 alone rescue Qiu Honglei from so many people?

"Who will be in charge of the escort?" Zu'an wanted to seize the opportunity to gather more intelligence, hoping to increase their chances for tomorrow.

"It will be Yang Sheng, the Commandant of Yi Commandery, a master of the ninth rank, early stage. Also accompanying them is Liao Ling, the City Lord of Yi Commandery, a master of the seventh rank, peak stage. I'm not very clear about the other generals, officers, and guards." Sang Hong watched Zu'an as he spoke, seemingly cautioning him to be careful.

Zu'an knew that a Prefect was the highest administrative official of a commandery, while a Commandant was the highest military official, similar to a division commander in his previous world. "Why do the cultivation levels of Yi Commandery's officials seem higher than those of the same rank in other commanderies and counties?"

It was known that ordinary commandery prefects and commandery commandants were usually only of the eighth rank, and city lords of the seventh rank. Yi Commandery's situation was clearly unusual.

Sang Hong looked towards the distant Prince of Yan's mansion. "That's a long story. The region of Yi Commandery is quite unique..."