Zu An was alarmed. He didnât know whether Qiu Honglei was just using Yu Yanluoâs words to tease him, or if she really had lied to him about something. But pursuing that now was meaningless, and he knew the textbook answer to such a question.
He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, saying, âHonglei, I trust that you wonât do anything to harm me. If there really were ever a time where you had to lie to me, it would definitely be because you had no choice, so of course I wouldnât hate you. If you really do encounter anything thatâs hard to deal with, talk to me and we can work it out together.â
âBig brother Zu, youâre the best!â Qiu Honglei leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly. She pressed her face against his chest, saying, âDonât worry, I definitely wonât hurt you.â
Zu An thought to himself, There really was something after all. But since she wasnât willing to talk about it, there was no need for him to ask about it. After knowing each other for so long, they shared at least that amount of trust. He reached out his hand and gently caressed her hair in consolation, saying, âYou donât need to feel too much pressure. If you ever feel guilty at all, just make it up to me in the future.â
âHow do you want me to make it up to you?â Qiu Honglei looked at him curiously.
Zu An moved over to her ear and said quietly, ââ¦Call me daddy.â
Qiu Honglei pouted playfully. But her eyes lit up, then she said in a seductive tone, âSure~â
Zu An lowered his head and looked at her beautiful face. He raised her pretty chin and gently moved down for a kiss. Qiu Honglei slowly closed her eyes. Her eyelashes flickered gently. Her heart was pounding like crazy.
â¦
Suddenly, an arrow screamed out of the distance, and a burst of dazzling fireworks erupted overhead.
Their lips separated. Qiu Honglei looked in the direction of the fireworks. Her expression immediately changed and she said, âThatâs the sectâs emergency order. I need to hurry back. Big brother Zu, I really donât want to leave you.â
Zu An couldnât help but frown, replying, âIf we part now, who knows when weâll be able to meet again?â
âWho knows? It might not be so long.â Qiu Honglei blinked charmingly. âAh! This is bad, this is bad. I finally managed to control my feelings, but now everything is being ruined again. I have to go back and go into seclusion, or else I wonât be able to keep up with you anymore!â
Zu An said seriously, âI donât care if your cultivation is high or not. I can also protect you.â
âYou might not care, but I do! Otherwise, if the other girls end up bullying me, I canât just come to you, right? Also, only if I perfect my technique can the two of us⦠the two of usâ¦â Qiu Honglei suddenly became bashful. She stomped her feet, then turned around and left, almost as if she were running away. She only left behind a faint fragrance in the air.
Zu An had a knowing smile on his face. However, he became a bit depressed when he remembered Heavenly Devil Temptationâs negative effects. What kind of stupid technique was that Yun Jianyue teaching anyway?
He suddenly realized something. He sensed that someone was approaching and put on his mask again. Soon afterward, a small figure quickly arrived. It was Golden Token Seven.
âWhere is she?â Golden Token Seven asked. He naturally knew it was Golden Token Eleven. However, he didnât see Qiu Honglei even after looking around.
âSomeone saved her and took her away just now,â Zu An said without skipping a heartbeat.
âThat person was able to seize her from you? Donât tell me it was Yun Jianyue?â Golden Token Seven was shocked. He had seen just how terrifying this personâs cultivation was just now.
Zu An shook his head, saying, âIt wasnât. It was another Devil Sect expert. I couldnât defeat all of them, and they didnât continue to fight zealously either. They took her and left.â
Golden Token Seven nodded inwardly. He had only brought up Yun Jianyue as bait. If Golden Token Eleven really had said it was Yun Jianyue, he would instead become suspicious. Yun Jianyueâs status is special. She is a glorious grandmaster, after all! No matter how strong you are, arenât you still just an ant in front of a grandmaster?
If you managed to survive an encounter with her, you would either be lying about meeting Yun Jianyue, or you would have known Yun Jianyue beforehand, and thus been colluding with the Devil Sect.
He sighed and said, âIt was as I suspected after all.â
âWhat do you mean?â Zu An quickly asked. He had always been curious as to what the other man was suspicious about.
Golden Token Seven shook his head, saying, âItâs a pity that we werenât able to capture the Devil Sectâs evildoer, or else I would have proof. I canât tell you my suspicions yet. If something ends up happening to me, tell the chief commander what happened here over the last few days. He should be able to understand what exactly happened.â
Then, he cupped his hands and left without waiting for Zu Anâs reply. âI owe you a favor. Iâll definitely return it when I can,â he said. His voice echoed through the valley, but his figure had already disappeared.
Zu An mocked him inwardly. Why are you setting that kind of flag for yourself? Looks like I wonât be getting that favor.
But he was more worried about Qiu Honglei. The Devil Sect had fired an alert arrow, so the situation was definitely dire. He wondered what exactly had happened. He rushed over, but there was already no one there. He even used the Jade Badgeâs ability to look around, but he didnât find anything either. Helpless to do anything else, Zu An could only return to the envoy ship in heavy spirits.
â¦
By the time Zu An got back, it was already getting dark. He just happened to return as Gao Ying and Pei You knocked on his door. He quickly jumped in through a side window. Daji looked over in alarm when she heard the activity. But when she saw that it was him, she completely relaxed.
âYouâve worked hard,â Zu An said. Even though he knew she had no soul, he still gave her a smile before opening the door. Dajiâs eyes flickered as she looked at his back, but that glint quickly disappeared.
Zu An opened the door and deliberately said in a displeased tone, âDidnât I tell you I was cultivating and to not disturb me?â
âYouâve already cultivated for a whole freaking day!â Pei You gestured with his eyes. âHub of Freedom, you coming?â
Zu An was completely speechless, asking, âDid you not have enough fun last night?â
âYou even have the nerve to say that?â Pei You was now the one who sounded annoyed. âI was at that critical moment when I heard something happened on the third floor. We had to stop halfway because we were worried about you!â
Zu An felt a bit apologetic when he recalled the twoâs loyalty the previous night. He said, âIâm really not in the mood today. How about you two go? Iâll pay this time.â
âThereâs no need. Just lend us that jade token. I heard we can play for free with it.â Pei You finally told him why they had come.
Zu An laughed and asked, âWith your family backgrounds, do you really care about this bit of money?â
âThatâs different. He still hasnât experienced what it feels like to play for free. Also, the Hub of Freedomâs jade token isnât something anyone can have. Thatâs a symbol of status! He just wants to show off a bit.â Gao Ying ruthlessly exposed Pei Youâs thoughts.
Zu An chuckled and tossed the jade token over, saying, âHave fun, but I donât recommend getting close to that Tang Tianâer. Sheâs a bit dangerous.â
âIâm loyal to my friends!â Pei You held the jade token so carefully he looked scared that it might fall. Even Gao Ying couldnât help but glance over a few times. That legendary thing was something everyone who had ever visited the Hub of Freedom coveted. He said, âDonât worry, that Tang Tianâer is your woman; sheâs our sister-in-law. How can we go and mess with her?â
Zu An couldnât help but laugh. He had really wanted to tell them that Tang Tianâer was a thorny rose, and that with her wit, sheâd immediately be able to tell that they were pretending to be him. That was the real reason why he didnât want them to approach her. They had completely misunderstood what he was saying, but there was no need to explain either.
Either way, that jade token didnât matter too much to him. It was only good for buying some special medicines and goods from the auction; he didnât have any interest in the other services.
âRight, where is Sir Sang?â Zu An looked in the direction of Sang Hongâs room. He had many things he wanted to discuss with him.
âSir Sang was invited by the governor manorâs people. I reckon he wonât be back here for a while.â That was also the reason why the two of them had suddenly decided to go out again. They left impatiently after telling him that.
â¦
Zu An returned to his room after seeing them out. He saw Daji sitting by the window; the moonlight outside fell on her body, covering her in a silver veil. She really was ridiculously beautiful.
âDonât move, Iâm going to draw something for you,â he said. The first requirement for cultivating âFace of a Thousand Identitiesâ was to have extraordinary artistic talents. With such a great model in front of him, wouldnât it be a waste not to practice?
Daji seemed to be a bit surprised, but she didnât refuse. She continued to sit there, as if agreeing to his request.
Zu An picked up a pen and began to move it across the paper. A while later, he finally lowered the pen, saying, âAlright, Iâm done.â
Daji looked towards him, her gaze seemingly expectant.
Zu An brought the paper over and held it in front of her, remarking, âMy drawing is a bit abstract, but that just means that I have a lot of room for growth, right?â
He chuckled in embarrassment. It was because the drawing on the paper had thick brows, and the eyes were crooked. The facial features looked as if they belonged to someone with Down syndrome. In short, apart from the hair and clothes resembling Daji a bit, everything else was absolutely garbage. One would barely be able to tell the drawing was a woman.
Dajiâs eyes immediately widened. Zu An laughed and exclaimed, âYour eyes are finally showing some expression!â
You have successfully trolled Daji for +2!
Zu An was stunned. He had actually got Rage points from her? Donât tell me she already has a soul?
He was about to ask when a figure darted in through the window, thrusting a dagger at Zu An.