Chapter 991: The Number One Charm Mage

Everyone was stunned. The soldiers and officers from the Governor's Manor knew how powerful City Lord Liao was. His awe-inspiring sword energy was incredibly potent, and many bandits couldn't withstand a single blow from him; the recent encounter with the men in black had proven this.

But what was happening now? How could the City Lord's immensely powerful sword strike be caught by just two fingers?

Was the opponent a Grandmaster?

Even though the person was masked, it was clear he was a young man. How could there be a Grandmaster so young?

Captain Yang Sheng was also terrified. As Liao Ling's colleague, he knew his cultivation level best; he himself would have to retreat far away from a sword strike unleashed by Liao Ling. How could it have been taken so easily by someone else?

Furthermore, he noticed that Liao Ling's face was flushed crimson, clearly using all his strength, yet the sword still couldn't advance an inch.

When did the Demonic Sect get such a formidable young person?

Golden Token Seventh's eyes nearly popped out. Earlier, he had roughly sensed the opponent's cultivation level, around the sixth rank. He had always thought he was the type who relied on intellect and had been worried about his safety, but it turned out he was this fierce?

The key was that he himself believed he couldn't have parried Liao Ling's sword strike. Was the opponent's cultivation level higher than his own? How was that possible!

Only Qiu Honglei gazed at the man in front of her with tender affection. At this moment, her eyes saw no one else, only that familiar back.

Even though he was masked, she recognized him at first glance by his familiar aura and presence.

She wasn't particularly concerned about his cultivation level. Whether high or low, he was her beloved.

What truly made her heart pound was that every time she was in danger, he would rescue her without regard for his own safety. It was true in the palace, and it was true again now.

Her charming peach blossom eyes had become as gentle as water, and she felt her heart was melting.

Zu An finally moved. With a flick of his index finger, the opponent's sword blade let out a mournful wail and trembled incessantly.

He took the opportunity to embrace Qiu Honglei's slender waist and swiftly leaped into the distance, disappearing into the mountains and forests in the blink of an eye.

Liao Ling raised his sword before him, feeling utterly lost. He sensed that his opponent had held back just now; otherwise, that flick would have shattered his sword instantly.

This was what puzzled him most: Why would a Demonic Cultist spare him? He cultivated the Awe-inspiring Sword; his life's intent was entirely in his sword. Though breaking the sword wouldn't result in his death, it would severely damage his foundation, making it difficult to recover for decades.

Meanwhile, Qiu Honglei nestled in Zu An's embrace, reaching up to remove his mask. She looked up at the man beside her, her voice incredibly soft and charming: "Brother Zu, you're amazing!"

Zu An nearly fell from the air. Sure enough, she was a Demonic Enchantress; just a few simple words could stir a man's emotions.

"How about a kiss as a reward?" Zu An teased.

"Okay!" To his surprise, Qiu Honglei readily agreed. Immediately, a soft, warm kiss landed on his lips, but it was like a dragonfly touching water, quickly gone.

Seeing Zu An about to kiss her back, she giggled and evaded him.

Zu An was quite annoyed: "Why do you act so distant after being apart for a while?"

Qiu Honglei giggled: "You know that my cultivation method, the Heavenly Demonic Enchanting Sound, is special and requires me to remain pure."

Zu An was speechless.

"A kiss won't break your purity."

"If you were that amazing, you'd be invincible," Qiu Honglei said, shaking with laughter. "Oh, actually, Master had a talk with me later. She said that for men, what they can't get always causes unrest, and once they get it, they won't cherish it anymore. I think she has a point."

"Sister Yun is messing with me!" Zu An felt a bit exasperated. He really wanted to pin Yun Jianyue down and spank her, but considering their respective strengths, he could only think about it.

"Pah!" Qiu Honglei spat. "You call my Master 'Sister,' so do you want me to call you 'Uncle'?"

"You can call me Daddy too."

"You rascal~"

Qiu Honglei's eyes glimmered with moisture. As a woman from the Demonic Sect, how could she not understand the implications of those words?

After some playful banter, they arrived at a secluded and safe place. Zu An set her down and asked curiously, "Honglei, why were you caught by Prince Yan?"

This was what puzzled him most. Qiu Honglei had always been very clever, and her cultivation wasn't weak. She usually handled most tasks with ease. If something was truly beyond her capabilities, Yun Jianyue wouldn't possibly let her take such a risk.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Qiu Honglei's face, but she still replied: "In recent years, Cloud County has continually claimed that the Prime Stones transported to various regions were plundered by our Holy Sect. While we do sometimes plunder some, it's clearly not as much as they claim. So I specifically came to investigate which force was impersonating us and doing this."

"Yi County is a northern transportation hub, and Prime Stones sent south from Cloud County pass through here. That's why I came here to investigate. Soon after, I fell into an ambush. Prince Yan even made a personal appearance. We were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses, and even I couldn't escape."

"Could it be that Prince Yan's Manor plundered Cloud County's Prime Stones and then framed your sect?" Zu An asked, frowning. "If that were the case, it would truly be a monstrous crime. Once reported, how many heads would roll?"

To his surprise, Qiu Honglei shook her head: "Although I'd very much like it to be him, based on my previous investigations, it seems the Prime Stones transported from Cloud County already had issues before entering Yi County. Furthermore, according to our inside intelligence, someone apparently notified Prince Yan's side in advance, which allowed him to ambush us so precisely. Clearly, someone behind the scenes wants to use Prince Yan to eliminate us."

Zu An's heart skipped a beat: "Are you saying that Cloud County created the deficit themselves, then framed you, and then secretly notified Prince Yan's Manor to ambush you?"

"I have no proof," Qiu Honglei said, a bit distressed. "But there's definitely something wrong with Cloud County."

Zu An fell into deep thought. He naturally knew there were problems in Cloud County. At first, he only thought it was a sibling rivalry over family property and titles. Now, it seemed the issues were far more serious.

It was important to consider how enormous the amount of Prime Stones Cloud County claimed was plundered each year. Where had this massive deficit gone?

Such a vast amount of resources would be enough to support an army.

Just then, Qiu Honglei looked at him curiously: "I heard you're heading to Cloud County this time?"

"That's right." Zu An briefly explained his mission, omitting details unsuitable for the Demonic Sect.

"That Yu Yanluo was once the most beautiful woman in the world; don't let her enchant you," Qiu Honglei said with a chuckle.

"Do I look like that kind of person?" Zu An said sternly.

"I think you are," Qiu Honglei's bell-like laughter rang out. After they bantered for a while longer, her expression turned serious, and she said: "I'm not joking with you; you really need to be careful of this woman. She is definitely not simple, not as frail and kind as she appears."

Zu An was startled: "What do you mean by that?"

Qiu Honglei seemed to be choosing her words carefully: "You should know that both Master's and my cultivation methods are related to charm arts. But even reaching my current level, I still occasionally, unintentionally, reveal a certain allure that makes men associate us with... well, beds. But Yu Yanluo is different. She's the kind of woman who makes a man feel love at first sight. Men develop affection for her, not lust."

"Perhaps others don't realize it, but we who practice charm arts are particularly sensitive to this. She has reached the highest realm of charm arts, even surpassing my Master."

"Higher than Sister Yun?" Zu An was surprised. Yun Jianyue was already a Grandmaster, and she had mastered the Heavenly Demonic Enchanting Sound.

"Not in terms of cultivation, but in her mastery of charm arts," Qiu Honglei explained. "Furthermore, according to our investigations, Yu Yanluo seems to have close ties with the Demon Race."

Zu An fell silent. It was truly difficult to associate that fairy-like woman with a femme fatale. But Qiu Honglei wouldn't speak idly, especially when it came to charm arts, as they were experts in that field.

Could Yu Yanluo really be a master of charm arts?

Thinking of the fluttering feeling he got every time he saw her, Zu An was no longer so sure.

Qiu Honglei sighed softly: "Brother Zu, remember this: the prettier a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive. You must be very careful."

Zu An laughed: "What about you? Will you deceive me?"

"Then, if one day you discover I've deceived you, will you hate me?" Qiu Honglei stared intently at him, her starry eyes shining brightly.