Chapter 998: Mysterious Swordsman

Zu'an lightly pushed off the ground, silently leaping onto a large nearby tree. From amidst its dense canopy, he gazed into the distance.

A group of people slowly emerged from around the corner at the end of the corridor. The leader was none other than City Lord Pei Shao, whom Zu'an had previously encountered outside the city. Pei Shao was speaking to a young man walking beside him. While not outright fawning, Pei Shao's demeanor was marked by a broad smile and courteous words, clearly indicating the young man's significant status.

Zu'an observed closely: the young man was richly dressed, with gold and jade threads adorning details like his cuffs and collar. He was undeniably handsome and dashing, yet his eyes held an inexplicable arrogance.

"It's fine," the young man said, "you're going to greet the imperial envoy, after all. I intended for this visit to be low-key; I didn't want too many people to know." As he spoke, he suddenly frowned and unconsciously shifted his foot. His gait had been intermittently unnatural from the start, and each time this happened, a shadow of gloom flickered in his eyes.

Pei Shao clearly noticed this and asked with concern, "Has the heir sustained an injury? Our manor has a number of potent elixirs that might aid your recovery."

"What kind of elixirs does Prince Qi's manor *not* possess?" the young man retorted, rolling his eyes. "It's merely a lingering effect of a minor injury, nothing serious." Despite his words, his tone was tinged with irritation, revealing that he was far from as calm as he pretended to be.

Zu'an inwardly chuckled. This individual was, of course, Zhao Zhi, the heir to Prince Qi. *He* truly was a lucky star, providing an immediate "welcome gift." The discomfort in Zhao Zhi's leg was clearly a lingering effect from when Zu'an had broken it. Though it had healed, it evidently still caused a dull ache whenever the weather turned windy or rainy. Given the harsh cold of the current northwestern winter, this sensation would naturally be even more pronounced.

Zu'an glanced to the side. A few feet behind Zhao Zhi, an old man followed closely, his silver hair neatly combed. His sharp gaze continuously swept the surroundings, as if guarding against hidden enemies. This, too, was an old acquaintance: Han Fengqiu, a guest elder of Prince Qi's manor and a peak ninth-rank master. Zu'an mused that being a guest elder in Prince Qi's manor seemed rather unfortunate. Several of the most renowned guest elders had been annihilated in the West Quanqiu secret realm, leaving Han Fengqiu as the sole survivor. Zu'an wondered if he felt any anxiety about his solitary status.

Pei Shao immediately understood that this injury was likely a sore spot for Prince Qi's heir that he preferred not to discuss. Secretly regretting his earlier abruptness, he naturally refrained from further questions, instead saying, "With the esteemed Prince and the heir's capabilities, even the gravest injuries are surely no issue."

Zhao Zhi replied distractedly, then glanced to the side. "By the way," he said, "I've long heard of Miss Pei's renown. Why haven't I had the pleasure of meeting her yet?"

Hearing this, Zu'an's eyes narrowed. *This* fellow was after Da Manman? "Young man," he thought, "you're treading a dangerous path!"

"Someone has already been sent to fetch her," Pei Shao replied.

Just then, a maid hurried over. "Master," she reported breathlessly, "the young lady refuses to come out. She says she's in seclusion and doesn't wish to see anyone."

Pei Shao's smile froze. "Useless girl!" he snapped. "Go and fetch her again!"

"Yes, sir!" The maid looked distraught, but seeing her master's anger, she dared not argue and quickly turned to leave.

Pei Shao then explained to Zhao Zhi, "My daughter was rather spoiled by her mother in recent years, making for a regrettable spectacle for Your Highness. I hope you'll overlook it."

Zhao Zhi waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine," he said. "After all, the main purpose of this trip isn't to meet her..."

Although Zu'an was curious to hear what they planned to discuss, it seemed insignificant compared to Pei Mianman. Watching the maid's retreating figure, he quietly followed her.

In the distance, Han Fengqiu seemed to sense something and turned to look at the large tree where Zu'an had just been concealed.

"What is it?" Zhao Zhi asked curiously, noticing Han Fengqiu's unusual behavior.

"Nothing," Han Fengqiu replied, though a strange feeling lingered in his heart. He had momentarily sensed a fleeting shadow, yet upon closer inspection, there was nothing. "Am I imagining things?" he wondered. He quickly dismissed his suspicions, however. He had been thoroughly scanning the surroundings. Given his current cultivation, fewer than a handful of individuals in the entire Yunzhong Commandery could elude his senses, and those were all prominent figures. It was highly improbable that any of them would infiltrate Pei Shao's residence. "I must simply be overly stressed lately," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Zu'an followed the maid into the inner courtyard, his brows gradually furrowing. It was puzzling; as the eldest daughter, Da Manman's residence seemed unusually remote. No wonder he hadn't been able to locate her earlier.

The maid soon arrived at a dilapidated small courtyard. Compared to the gilded splendor of other residences within the city lord's manor, this place truly deserved the description "dilapidated." Yet, its quiet seclusion offered a serene, almost otherworldly ambiance.

"Miss, Miss!" the maid called, knocking persistently on the door. "The Master insists you come out, no matter what!"

"I'm not going!" A familiar voice, still as sweet and melodious as ever, emanated from within the room. However, a subtle weariness seemed to underscore her words.

"Da Manman!" Hearing that familiar voice, Zu'an could no longer suppress his yearning. He strode purposefully towards the entrance.

"Who dares to trespass into a maiden's quarters, you rodent!" Just then, a cold snort echoed from nearby.

Simultaneously, Zu'an felt an urgent premonition of danger and quickly leapt several yards to the side. A gleaming cold sword had already plunged into the spot where he had just stood. Zu'an secretly wiped a bead of cold sweat. If he had been even a moment slower, he would likely have been impaled.

Earlier in Yi Commandery, he had effortlessly parried a sword strike from Yi City's lord with just two fingers. However, facing *this* particular sword, the thought of catching it never even crossed his mind; his sole instinct was immediate evasion.

"Oh!" The assailant was clearly surprised by Zu'an's agility. Yet, the sword in his hand paused not an instant, continuing its attack fluidly, like a phantom's strike, darting towards him. Staring at a sword as swift as a falling star, Zu'an's sense of alarm intensified. He had encountered skilled swordsmen before, but this individual's swordsmanship was arguably the finest he had ever witnessed.

As he performed the Grand Wind teleportation to instantly shift dozens of yards away, he simultaneously summoned Hundred Chirps to launch a mental attack, aiming to disrupt his opponent's next move. The phantom of Hundred Chirps shrieked and lunged towards the man, who merely chuckled, "Drink today, for tomorrow we fret." The man passed directly through Hundred Chirps, and its phantom shimmered and dissipated into nothingness.

Zu'an's heart sank. This person was at least a Grandmaster; his spiritual consciousness was far more condensed than Zu'an's, rendering Hundred Chirps' mental attack completely ineffective. Crucially, the opponent's swordsmanship was astonishingly precise, perfectly timing his attacks for the moment when Zu'an's old strength had waned and new power had yet to fully surge.

With his current cultivation, Zu'an had virtually no limits on how often he could employ Grand Wind. However, there was a brief cooldown of a few seconds between consecutive uses. Most people wouldn't even detect this, and given the extreme speed of his teleportation, even if they did, they couldn't seize such a fleeting opportunity. This opponent, however, was different. Though his body still lagged behind, his sword moved faster than he did, reaching Zu'an in an instant.

Sword Control Art?

With no time to think, Zu'an instantly summoned his Tai'a Sword. In a flash, he exchanged over a dozen blows with the flying blade, parrying every one of its intricate and peculiar angles.

"Oh?" It was now the assailant's turn to be surprised. Though he hadn't used his full power, having every single one of his sword techniques parried was utterly unprecedented.

Zu'an now got a clear look at his opponent: a scruffy middle-aged man with a few curls on his forehead and a perpetually sleepy expression. A large, teal-colored gourd was slung diagonally across his back, and a strong scent of alcohol emanated from him, noticeable even from a distance. Despite the freezing weather, he wore only a thin layer of clothing, stained darkly with what appeared to be either old wine or grease. His pants hung loosely, and he wore a pair of worn-out straw sandals on his feet. He was utterly disheveled. For an ordinary person, such attire would immediately suggest a dirty, foul-smelling beggar. Yet, this man was different; faint traces of youthful handsomeness were discernible in his features. However, his overall aura now was one of profound desolation and weariness.

As Zu'an scrutinized the man, the man likewise scrutinized him. Having been caught off guard moments earlier, Zu'an's shirt had been sliced open across the chest by a surge of sword qi. Though he remained unharmed, the cut exposed the skin beneath. At that moment, the slovenly middle-aged man's gaze suddenly fixated on the flame-shaped pendant around Zu'an's neck, and his eyes narrowed intently.

"Assassin!"

Just then, a commotion erupted nearby. The significant disturbance caused by their fight meant that if the city lord's guards failed to react, they might as well buy tofu and smash their heads in. Numerous guards converged on their location, among them several remarkably swift figures, clearly masters from the city lord's manor. Even from other parts of the city, the auras of powerful experts could be sensed converging on this spot.

The slovenly middle-aged man cast a deep, lingering gaze at Zu'an, then with a mere flicker of his form, vanished into the distance. Zu'an's brow furrowed slightly. Under these circumstances, seeing Da Manman was clearly out of the question for today. Given his current identity, he had no desire to clash with the city lord's guards, so he departed in the opposite direction.