Chapter 994: People Comparing Themselves Leads to Frustration

Tang Tian'er tilted her head and asked, "The only death that needs to be silenced is Sun Ji's. But the killer who murdered Sun Ji has already been found, and people from the Sun family have even testified. It has nothing to do with you, so why would I be afraid of being silenced?"

Zu'an said indifferently, "Women who are too smart aren't always lucky; otherwise, they might die without ever knowing how."

Although he hadn't killed Sun Ji, he couldn't stop Sun Xun from misunderstanding.

Feeling his killing intent, Tang Tian'er immediately panicked. "Are you really going to kill me? We've shared some intimacy, after all."

Zu'an neither confirmed nor denied.

The less he spoke, the more flustered Tang Tian'er became. This man was completely different from any she had encountered before. Whether they were old or young, highly cultivated or not, she had always been able to manipulate them, but this man was truly unfathomable. From the very beginning, he had toyed with her.

Sensing the cold atmosphere in the room, Tang Tian'er bit her red lips and quickly said, "How about this? I can buy my life with information. You must know that the Carefree Pavilion is always well-informed and privy to many secrets."

"I don't believe this man is impervious to both flattery and threats. I'll give him an out first. Even if he's made of iron, I can still melt him."

"Oh," Zu'an glanced at her. "Then who is the owner of the Carefree Pavilion?"

Tang Tian'er's smile instantly froze.

"What? Don't you know many secrets?"

"Sir, aren't you making things difficult for me? Our boss is so mysterious; no one in the world knows who they are, and even if they did, they wouldn't dare to say. Besides, how could a mere subordinate like me come into contact with someone at the boss's level?" Tang Tian'er knelt on the bed, tugging at his sleeve playfully. "Sir, please ask another question. I promise I'll be able to answer."

"Then do you know what happened with the Demonic Cult earlier, and why they used the highest-level signal flare to summon everyone?" Zu'an asked.

Tang Tian'er's face fell. "Sir, you just said it was the Demonic Cult's highest level signal. How could an outsider like me possibly know? If you give me a few months, perhaps I could uncover some clues."

Zu'an snorted. "You don't know this, you don't know that. What good are you then?"

Feeling the chill in his tone, Tang Tian'er felt a current run through her body, making her tremble involuntarily. However, she ignored her physical reaction and quickly said, "I have a piece of information here that I'm sure you'll be interested in, sir."

"Tell me," Zu'an leaned leisurely against the headboard, noncommittal.

Tang Tian'er spoke quickly, her voice still sweet and pleasant despite her haste. "I heard that you are going to Cloudmount Prefecture to investigate the disappearance of the Duke of Cloudmount..."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at him. Seeing no expression on his face, she continued, "You must be careful, sir. The situation in Cloudmount Prefecture is very complex, and from what I know, there seem to be signs of the demon race there."

"Demon race?" Zu'an frowned. Ever since the great war between humans and demons, where the demon race was defeated, those who remained within the Great Zhou territory either became slaves or concealed their identities, daring not to expose themselves. This was the first time he had heard of them causing trouble.

"That's right, some people in Cloudmount Prefecture are colluding with the demon race. As for who exactly, we don't know," Tang Tian'er looked at him worriedly. "Sir, when you go, I don't know who you will investigate, but you must prepare in advance. Perhaps the person you investigate will have demon race forces behind them. If they are cornered, it could be dangerous for you."

Zu'an suddenly understood. No wonder Kong Nanwu specifically gave him one of her hairs—ahem, no, a peacock feather—when he left the capital. She must have known about the situation in Cloudmount Prefecture long ago. Was she worried that her demon compatriots might harm him, or was it a mark to remind the demons to eliminate him?

Recalling their interactions, he preferred to believe it was the former.

"Sir, can you spare my life now?" Tang Tian'er's big eyes blinked, a look few men could refuse.

"Don't use charm arts on me. I've seen much more powerful ones than yours," Zu'an said calmly.

Tang Tian'er quickly waved her hands. "No, no, this is my genuine feeling. I wouldn't dare use any charm arts."

She was also puzzled. Although she had faced life-and-death situations before, it had never been like this. When she realized he might actually kill her, she became nervous, and her body felt very abnormal. She hadn't had time to think just now, but now that she had composed herself, she felt so ashamed. She had actually been... by his mere words.

She carefully observed the marble-like features of the man's face, and her cheeks unconsciously flushed.

Zu'an couldn't help but glance at her. This woman's behavior was a bit strange.

"Sir~" Tang Tian'er crawled closer, beginning to use her captivating charm again.

Just then, a commotion came from outside. "A'Zu, I'm telling you, today was so frustrating. From now on, we're not going to Carefree..."

As he spoke, the door was pushed open from outside, and Pei You and Gao Ying walked in, grumbling. They froze when they saw the scene in the room. "...Pavilion anymore..."

From their angle, Zu'an was casually sitting on the headboard of the bed, while a graceful woman was leaning over his waist. Although they couldn't see what she was doing, they were all men, and everyone knew what that implied.

They couldn't see the woman's face clearly, but just by looking at her slender, graceful back and her incredibly tiny waist, they knew she was definitely a great beauty.

And she was skilled in playing instruments and singing—definitely a top-tier temptress.

"We apologize for the interruption..." The two retreated in unison, thoughtfully closing the door.

Zu'an's face darkened. "Wait!"

Pei You and Gao Ying's expressions immediately turned odd. Did Brother Zu have such a peculiar癖好, needing someone to watch while he did *that*?

At this moment, Tang Tian'er also looked up, naturally tucking her messy hair behind her ears, and bashfully wiped the corner of her mouth.

Zu'an: "..."

*What the heck is with wiping your mouth like that?*

"Tang..." Pei You and Gao Ying's eyes widened. They had recognized Tang Tian'er; after all, she was the most beautiful and radiant flower in the entire Carefree Pavilion, unforgettable once seen.

But she had just been serving Zu'an in his room like that...

Even Gao Ying felt a pang of jealousy. Their eyes turned sour as they looked at Zu'an.

"Ahem," Zu'an couldn't be bothered to explain the mess. "What's wrong with you two? Didn't you go to the Carefree Pavilion to have fun? Why are you back so early?"

"Speaking of which, it's infuriating!" Pei You said angrily. "After we arrived at the Carefree Pavilion, we thought we could walk around freely with your jade token and enjoy VIP treatment. Who knew some cursed person stole the jade token, making the people at the Carefree Pavilion think we were impostors?"

Zu'an couldn't help but glance at Tang Tian'er, who acted as if nothing had happened, returning his gaze with a pair of crescent-moon eyes.

Gao Ying next to him couldn't help but complain, "It's all your fault for being careless! You didn't even notice your jade token was taken, making me lose face with you in the pavilion."

"How was I supposed to know there would be a thief in the Carefree Pavilion? Don't let me catch that thief, or I'll make them pay dearly!" Pei You gritted his teeth, clearly genuinely angry. After all, he went there to show off, but instead of showing off, he became a laughingstock for other guests. How could he regain his dignity?

Zu'an was a bit surprised. Pei You was a sixth-rank expert and certainly very careful. To silently take the jade token from him, Tang Tian'er must be quite the master thief.

"Brother Zu is living the good life," Pei You and Gao Ying lamented in unison, their voices laced with envy.

They had their jade token, enjoyed no services, but lost a lot of face, making endless wasted trips.

Meanwhile, Zu'an just had to stay home, and the most beautiful woman from the Carefree Pavilion willingly came to offer the most attentive service. Comparing themselves to him was truly infuriating.

Zu'an also felt like laughing. If they knew the culprit was right in front of them, he wondered what their reaction would be.

At this moment, Tang Tian'er tidied her clothes and got off the bed. She sweetly said, "I'm truly sorry that the Carefree Pavilion's reception was inadequate today and caused you two gentlemen distress. Please accept this. I don't have the authority to issue jade tokens directly, but holding this card will allow you to enjoy a certain number of free services at Carefree Pavilions in various locations in the future..."

She had completely shed her previous seductive demeanor, now appearing like the dignified auction host she had been earlier.

The two accepted it and saw it was a small card made of glazed material. They were overjoyed. "Thank you, Miss Tang!"

Tang Tian'er smiled, her eyes gently looking at Zu'an. "Since you two are Brother Zu's friends, you are naturally Tian'er's friends as well."

The two immediately felt a pang of jealousy, instantly understanding that she was giving them this out of respect for Zu'an. To have such a beautiful and understanding confidante truly made them want to cry with envy.

"Brother Zu, we won't disturb you any longer. We'll head back now." Gao Ying and Pei You winked at each other as they left, carefully closing the door behind them.

After the two left, Tang Tian'er knelt before him again, her large, watery eyes blinking pitifully as she asked, "Brother Zu, I didn't embarrass you just now, did I?"

----

Sometimes a few days ago, updates would be after midnight, then sometimes during the day. After that, many readers would complain that I stopped updating...

Aren't updates after midnight and during the day still on the same day?

I can only say that everyone must be a night owl, staying up too late and subconsciously treating midnight as the previous day.