Chapter 997: Unexpected Acquaintance

For the next two days, Sang Hong occasionally visited the Prefectural Mansion and the Yan King's Residence, expressing his concern and sympathy for his colleagues. However, when it came to doing anything specific, he skillfully evaded it completely.

On the third day, the envoy's large ship officially set sail to continue its planned journey. Whenever he had free time during the journey, Zu An would find Daji to be his model, practicing his painting skills according to the methods in "A Thousand Faces." Unfortunately, no matter how Zu An tried, he never again received any Rage points from her, leading him to even wonder if the previous Rage point was just a figment of his imagination.

Encouragingly, however, his painting skills improved visibly. As a cultivator, his control and application of power were incomparable to ordinary people, and his strong mental power allowed him to learn things with remarkable efficiency. From initially drawing Daji to look like someone with Down syndrome, he could now manage to draw her about seventy to eighty percent accurately. Yet, every time Zu An looked at the real Daji and then compared her to his painting, he couldn't help but sigh, realizing that even with superior painting skills, it would be difficult to capture her true beauty.

The large ship sailed north for a period, after which the delegation disembarked and continued their journey westward on horseback. Yunzhong Commandery, located in the northwest, had no direct waterways. After traveling west for a long time, they finally entered the territory of Yunzhong Commandery. Unlike other commanderies, Yunzhong Commandery was sparsely populated and vast, its area several times larger than several southern commanderies combined.

The scenery here was significantly different from before. First, they passed through a vast Gobi Desert, truly desolate with only rocks; let alone trees, even a blade of grass was a rare sight. Fortunately, the group consisted of court elites with strong cultivator physiques, and they also had guides dispatched by the local government. Although the journey was arduous, there were no significant dangers.

The only minor incident was encountering a group of ignorant horse bandits. Presumably, the area was so impoverished that it forced them to take risks, launching a night raid to plunder supplies from the convoy. However, they did not anticipate that this group was different from ordinary soldiers. Zu An and Sang Hong didn't even need to intervene; Gao Ying and Pei You, along with the Imperial Guards, quickly dealt with them. Each guard felt unsatisfied, as they had been on the road for so long and finally had an opportunity to prove themselves—and earn military merits.

Only Sang Hong, afterward, thoughtfully examined the horse bandits' weapons, as many of them were standard military issue. He and Zu An discussed it, concluding that either these horse bandits had previously plundered a small contingent of imperial troops and stolen the weapons, or someone had resold these weapons on the black market. If it were the latter, the problems in Yunzhong Commandery would be significant. However, both understood that worrying about these matters now was futile; they could only investigate them thoroughly once they reached Yunzhong Commandery.

After leaving the vast Gobi Desert, the scenery became less desolate, and they occasionally encountered scattered small towns along the way. Continuing westward, grasslands and valleys appeared before them. Naturally, being winter, the grasslands were already withered, and white snow covered everything. Most of the delegation members were from the capital and had never seen such scenery before, finding it novel and interesting. Even Sang Hong often genuinely admired the magnificent scenery here, introducing to everyone along the way how these places were once the territory of the Demon Race centuries ago. Through the diligent rule of successive human emperors, they were gradually reclaimed from the Demon Race and transformed into a paradise for humanity, his voice filled with pride.

Zu An, however, was unaware of this historical connection. Gazing at the boundless expanse of land, he wondered if the Demon Race would truly be content to lose this fertile land forever. Gao Ying and Pei You, meanwhile, often urged Zu An to compose a poem. Having experienced the benefits in the capital before, they hoped to have their names included in new verses, which would surely immortalize them. Zu An flatly refused them. They were all grown men and familiar companions; who would he be showing off for?

His current focus was entirely on improving his painting skills. Whenever they set up camp, he would occasionally take Daji out into the wilderness to sketch. Perhaps inspired by the beauty of nature and Daji's captivating allure, he felt his painting skills improving by leaps and bounds, seemingly close to meeting the requirements of "A Thousand Faces."

After another half a month or so, the group finally arrived at Yunzhong City. Having seen only small towns along the way, everyone was initially a little unaccustomed to the sight of the towering city walls in the distance. The scale of Yunzhong City appeared considerably larger than the previous Yi City. However, this was understandable. Yunzhong Commandery was rich in elemental stones, truly wealthy enough to rival a nation, and it served as the political, economic, and military hub of the vast northwest. Thus, it was naturally prosperous and magnificent.

Officials from Yunzhong Commandery had already received word and were gathered outside the city to welcome them.

"Welcome, Imperial Commissioner and your delegation!"

Three people led the welcoming party. The one in the middle was Zuo Su, the Prefect of Yunzhong Commandery. Zu An mused that the man's corpulent appearance strongly resembled typical corrupt officials from his previous life. However, his attention quickly shifted to the man with the small mustache standing beside Zuo Su. This man was tall and slender, with sharp brows and bright eyes, but his two delicate mustaches, nails, and eyebrows were clearly meticulously groomed. While he could be described as refined and handsome, he exuded an overall sense of greasiness.

Zu An's interest in him, of course, wasn't romantic; it was because he had met this man before in the valley outside Mingyue City. At that time, he only knew him as Second Master Jian, Yu Yanluo's uncle by marriage, but now he understood his true identity. It turned out he was Jian Taiding, the acting Military Governor of Yunzhong Commandery's Governor-General's Office!

Yunzhong Commandery was located in the northwest and frequently suffered incursions from the Demon Race. In other commanderies, military affairs were handled by a Commandant, like Yang Sheng of Yi Commandery earlier. However, Yunzhong Commandery had a higher-level Governor-General's Office. Jian Yanyou, the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery, served as the Governor-General, responsible for maintaining security in Yunzhong Commandery and repelling invading Demon Race forces from the border. After the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery went missing, his brother, Jian Taiding, who was originally the Chief Clerk of the Governor-General's Office, temporarily assumed the role of acting Governor-General.

Zu An recalled that such an important figure had come to Mingyue City so discreetly, without even alerting the local officials or Duke Chu Zhongtian of Mingyue City. The first time he met Jian Taiding, Zu An's cultivation was still very low, and he couldn't discern much. Now, upon closer inspection, he noticed the man's restrained aura and divine gleam in his eyes, suggesting he was likely a Grandmaster. The Emperor truly thought highly of him, sending him here to deal with the Jian family. Although Sang Hong was the chief imperial envoy, he was only an eighth-rank official. The only high-level martial artist in the delegation was Gold Token Eleven, and that was Zu An himself!

At this thought, Zu An couldn't help but disdain Chu Zhongtian. Both were dukes, yet look how impressive the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery was, with a Grandmaster for a younger brother. However, Chu Chuyan seemed to have told him that Chu Zhongtian had suffered severe injuries years ago, causing his cultivation level to drop; otherwise, he wouldn't have been bullied by the imperial court in such a manner.

With Sang Hong leading the way, Zu An didn't need to engage much in pleasantries; a simple smile and nod sufficed. Through their introductions, Zu An's gaze settled on another man: a dignified, upright-looking middle-aged man who was Pei Shao, the City Lord of Yunzhong City. His official rank was secondary; the crucial point was his surname, Pei. Judging by how warmly Pei You conversed with him, it was clear this was Pei Mianman's father, whom Pei You had mentioned before.

"Big Manman, I'm finally going to see you." As he gazed at Yunzhong City in the distance, Zu An's eyes grew exceptionally eager. He had lost contact with her for a long time since their last parting.

The imperial envoy delegation was welcomed into the city by numerous officials and led by dedicated personnel to settle into the official guesthouse. The other officials dispersed, planning to prepare a welcoming banquet at the Prefectural Mansion that evening.

Sang Hong soon privately summoned Zu An. "I just met Jian Taiding. What's your impression of him?"

"He doesn't strike me as someone who flaunts his abilities," Zu An replied, recalling what he had just seen. "Even though he's clearly a Grandmaster, he stood below the Prefect. If he isn't truly loyal to the imperial court and afraid of overstepping, then he harbors ulterior motives for great trouble."

"Alas, I thought the same," Sang Hong said, his eyes filled with worry. "I don't know if Gold Token Eleven can handle him. I just asked Xiao Jianren, but he claimed to know nothing, not even whether Gold Token Eleven had arrived in Yunzhong Commandery."

"I think he should have arrived," Zu An said with an awkward smile. "By the way, could we contact the local Gold Token Embroidered Uniform Envoy? If we had someone to team up with, it would surely be much easier."

Sang Hong shook his head. "I already asked Xiao Jianren. There are no other Gold Token Embroidered Uniform Envoys in Yunzhong Commandery, because Gold Tokens are only stationed in vassal kingdoms. The situation here in Yunzhong Commandery is unique, so no Gold Token was assigned."

Zu An thought to himself that it seemed the Emperor was more concerned about rebellion from imperial relatives.

After discussing for a while, Zu An took the opportunity to suggest going out to visit Yunzhong Commandery and familiarize himself with the environment. Sang Hong nodded. "My presence draws too much attention. We'll work one openly, one secretly. I'll attract attention here at the guesthouse, and it would be good for you to investigate the case discreetly."

Zu An's expression was strange; his main reason for going out today was to meet Pei Mianman. Because of Sang Qian, he found it difficult to tell the truth and could only give a vague agreement.

After leaving the guesthouse, Zu An walked down a secluded alley, and his appearance quickly changed significantly. Through his cultivation journey, while he couldn't yet perfectly disguise himself as a specific person, it was no longer difficult to slightly alter his appearance using "A Thousand Faces." This meant he no longer needed to wear his previous human-skin mask.

The City Lord's residence was easy to find. Seeing the large characters "Pei Mansion" above the main gate, Zu An's heart grew even more excited. Of course, entering through the main gate in his current identity was out of the question. He circled around, found a weak point in the defenses, and quietly flew inside. With the Jade Cong providing a transparent map, the Bright Mirror concealing his energy fluctuations, and the Great Wind skill allowing instantaneous movement, the City Lord's residence, despite its tight security, was practically unguarded in his presence.

As Zu An searched for Pei Mianman's room, Pei Shao's voice suddenly echoed from a distant corridor: "Young Master, you've traveled a long way. My apologies for not coming to greet you sooner."

"Young Master?" Zu An squinted his eyes. It seemed he had encountered an old acquaintance.