Chapter 996: Hongmeng Energy's Unexpected Effect

"What do you mean by 'like this'?" Zu An was baffled. And what was with her shy expression? He had a feeling her "like this" wasn't quite proper.

"Just like this," Tang Tian'er said, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Heal my injuries this way."

Zu An was speechless for a moment. "I heal you when you're injured. Am I supposed to heal you even when you're not hurt?"

"You could always seriously injure me first each time," Tang Tian'er said matter-of-factly.

Zu An: "???"

This girl seemed quite normal and fresh-faced; did she really have masochistic tendencies?

Noticing his expression, Tang Tian'er realized he had misunderstood and quickly said, "It's not what you're thinking. It's mainly... it's mainly just very comfor... very comfortable."

"Comfortable?" Zu An nearly laughed. "Are you sick? You find it comfortable to be seriously injured?"

"Oh, it's not about being injured, but about healing. When you heal me..." Tang Tian'er squirmed slightly. "My whole body feels so warm... it's an experience I've never had before."

Zu An was stunned. He wasn't dense; he just hadn't considered it that way before. Now, seeing her flushed cheeks and her hesitant, suggestive gaze, wasn't this something he had seen before with Chu Yan and the others?

Could it be that healing others after reaching the fourth level of the Primordial Chaos Scripture had this kind of effect?

In his previous life, he recalled a certain blue pill that was initially researched for heart disease, but its side effects were found to cause men to... well, something. So its primary use shifted from treating heart disease to saving male compatriots instead.

Zu An was utterly bewildered. Why had he never noticed this effect of the Primordial Qi before?

What would happen if he had to heal men in the future?

The thought of a grown man giving him suggestive glances sent shivers down his spine.

Tang Tian'er took his hand and placed it on herself, saying plaintively, "You stopped again."

Zu An: "..."

Why did he feel like he was at a disadvantage?

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Master Zu, Master Sang has returned. He requests your presence to discuss something."

Given Sang Hong's relationship with Zu An, he could have come directly to him. However, officialdom had its rules. With so many people on the ship watching, it would be inappropriate for Sang Hong, who held a higher rank, to personally go to a subordinate's room, as it might provoke speculation.

"Alright, I'll be right there." Zu An told Tang Tian'er, "Your injuries are almost healed."

"You don't need to rush me, I'll leave on my own. I don't want to see any imperial envoys anyway." Tang Tian'er pursed her lips, still seemingly unsatisfied. "Don't forget our agreement."

Zu An: "..."

Tang Tian'er flashed a sweet smile, then flew directly out the window, quickly disappearing into the night.

"What excellent light-body kung fu!" Zu An couldn't help but exclaim. No wonder she had easily taken Pei You's jade pendant earlier and could infiltrate his vicinity so silently.

After Tang Tian'er left, Zu An went to Sang Hong's room. He had expected other officials from the delegation to be there, but only Sang Hong was present.

"Pour yourself some tea." Sang Hong didn't stand on ceremony with him. He was hanging his winter cloak on a screen and changing into some casual clothes.

It seemed Sang Hong had called for him right after returning. Zu An sat down at the table. "I heard you went to the Prefect's mansion, Uncle?"

"Yes, things are in an uproar at the Prefect's mansion," Sang Hong said, approaching and exhaling a visible breath. "The escort team for the demoness of the Demonic Cult was ambushed, you know."

"I know a little," Zu An replied modestly.

"When Yang Sheng, the Yijun commander, returned, he mentioned two masters and a large group of black-clad individuals. One was a ninth-grade expert, whose cultivation was even higher than his own. The other was even more mysterious; his cultivation level couldn't be discerned, but he managed to catch a full-force sword strike from Liao Ling, the City Lord of Yi City, with just two fingers." Sang Hong glanced at Zu An. "I've met Liao Ling; he's already broken through to the eighth-grade, and he cultivates his sword with righteous qi, making his sword energy extraordinarily potent, far stronger than other experts at his level."

Zu An feigned surprise. "There's someone in this world who can catch his sword with two fingers? Could it be the Demonic Cult Master?"

Sang Hong rolled his eyes, clearly disdainful of Zu An's exaggerated acting.

"No, it was a man, and he seemed very young. From their description..." Sang Hong paused, observing Zu An. "He seems to be around your age."

Zu An chuckled. "To be able to catch a swordsman's sword with two fingers, that's my dream too."

Sang Hong sighed. "These young people now truly ride the waves, one after another, it's unbelievable. When I was your age, my cultivation was only at the fifth or sixth grade."

The Suidan River is a large river within the Great Zhou territory. The delegation had been traveling north along it earlier.

"Naturally, it's thanks to the guidance and support of elders like you, Uncle," Zu An said modestly.

Sang Hong smiled. Many things were understood between them without needing to be stated explicitly. "Compared to those two mysterious masters, the Prefect's mansion is more concerned about something else: they suspect there's a traitor within their ranks."

"A traitor?" Zu An had actually already guessed what was going on.

"Precisely. Otherwise, the Prefect's mansion only finalized their plans in the middle of the night, and purposely set off in a hurry the very next morning to avoid attention. Yet the Demonic Cult was still fully prepared and ambushed them. What else could it be but a traitor?" Sang Hong sneered. "They even asked me if I had told anyone about the plan."

After saying this, he gave Zu An a meaningful look. "Of course, I denied it. Everyone in our delegation is here; how could we possibly orchestrate such a large-scale event? At the very least, that ninth-grade master couldn't have been on our side."

Zu An chuckled awkwardly. "Uncle, your insight is truly profound."

In truth, Sang Hong naturally knew that Zu An was involved in the incident, but he also understood that Zu An was by no means the main force, and the leak from the Prefect's mansion had nothing to do with him.

"So, did the Prefect's mansion find anything?" Zu An asked curiously.

Sang Hong shook his head. "They did find a subordinate official, but unfortunately, he had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment when they found him."

Zu An frowned. "I'm afraid he was silenced."

"That is certainly a possibility," Sang Hong said with a solemn expression. "Yijun is more complicated than we imagined."

Remembering what Qiu Honglei had mentioned earlier, Zu An tentatively asked, "I heard that the primal stones sent from Yunzhong Commandery to the imperial court frequently disappear near the Yijun border. Has the court found any clues?"

Sang Hong shook his head. "The imperial court has indeed taken notice of this matter, but His Majesty is currently preoccupied with other affairs and doesn't have the resources to address it for the time being."

Zu An understood. Clearly, the emperor's current energy was focused on his struggle with Prince Qi. If it weren't for dealing with the Yu family, who supported Prince Qi, he likely wouldn't have sent them to Yunzhong Commandery to investigate the disappearance of the Duke of Yunzhong.

Zu An recalled that the Duke of Yunzhong had already gone missing when he first transmigrated to this world, which showed how long it had taken for an investigation to begin.

He then thought of the vague remarks made by the seventh-ranked Golden Token holder and couldn't help but ask, "Could Prince Yan... be involved?"

"Shh!" Sang Hong's expression changed slightly. He specifically glanced outside the door before whispering, "Criticizing a prince without cause is a capital offense. If it's escalated, it could lead to serious trouble."

Noticing Zu An's expression, he continued, "I generally understand what you mean, but these matters are unrelated to our current mission. The waters in Yijun are too murky; there's no need for us to get involved."

"You are right, Uncle," Zu An bowed. Indeed, Prince Yan's affairs had little to do with him; his only concern was Qiu Honglei.

However, Qiu Honglei had her master looking out for her. Being caught once was already an accident; if they were caught again... neither she nor her master were that foolish.

Sang Hong nodded in satisfaction. "For the next few days, make sure everyone stays on board. Tomorrow, I'll deal with the Yijun officials, and the day after tomorrow, we'll depart early in the morning to continue our journey."

"Understood!" Zu An finally understood why Sang Hong had wanted no dealings with the Yijun bureaucracy from the start. Indeed, even a slight involvement could easily lead to being trapped.

As Zu An was leaving the room, Sang Hong suddenly called out to him. "I heard you had a woman staying overnight in your room? Young people should still take care of their health."

Zu An immediately broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as if he'd been caught at a nightclub by his father-in-law. "Uncle, you've misunderstood. She just came to see me about something and has already left."

Sang Hong waved his hand with a smile, signaling for him to leave. He didn't say anything, but his expression clearly showed disbelief.

Zu An felt quite exasperated. After all, the man's daughter was supposed to have children with him. Although they weren't actually in a relationship, it felt a bit inappropriate to be involved with other women outside.

But he hadn't done anything!

The problem was, he couldn't even explain it.

Zu An returned to his room, feeling dejected. He had been on the move for the past few days, barely sleeping, and had just expended a lot of energy healing Tang Tian'er. Now, with a moment to rest, he felt sleepiness wash over him.

But as he lay on the bed, feeling the lingering warmth in the bedding and smelling the rich, sweet scent of a young woman, he found himself unable to sleep...