"Alright, alright, don’t get so angry. I was just joking around. I actually don’t believe you could even win over someone like the crown princess anyway,” Zhao Xiaodie said, apologizing with a big smile. “Big brother Zu, you’re not really going to leave, are you? Our group will definitely be bullied a lot without your protection…” As she spoke, she looked as if she were about to cry.0
Zu An said impatiently, “You're the glorious daughter of King Qi Manor, so who would dare bully you?”1
“That was before,” Zhao Xiaodie said, suddenly looking dejected. “As they say, a fallen phoenix might be less than a chicken…”0
Zu An was used to seeing her m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic tendencies and her teasing shenanigans. Now that he saw this side of her, he did feel a bit of pity.0
“Don’t worry. King Qi hasn’t been convicted of any crimes yet, and he is still a part of the royal family. No one wants the crime of committing blasphemy against the royal family on their name. Additionally, I'll a.s.sign someone to protect you,” Zu An said seriously. “I need to return to the capital to arrange some things first, though. Otherwise, by the time I trudge along with this group and arrive at the capital, the dust will have already settled and it won’t be easy to change many things anymore.”0
Zhao Xiaodie was smart as well and understood what he was saying. Her clan’s situation was only going to get worse back in the capital. If they couldn't join in the official discussions early on, it would be too late. She said, “Then I’ll have to trouble big brother Zu to set out first. I'll look for you after I arrive at the capital.”0
Zu An nodded, then left to call over Zhang Zijiang and w.a.n.g Bolin. He said, “Make sure to protect the princess for the rest of the trip. Don’t allow anyone to trouble her.”0
“Understood!” Zhang Zijiang and w.a.n.g Bolin responded. They asked, “Sir is leaving?”0
Zu An said with a nod, “The crown princess has summoned me urgently back to the capital.”0
Zhang Zijiang and w.a.n.g Bolin sighed in relief and remarked, “The crown princess truly regards sir highly.”0
They still had accusations of negligence against them. What they were scared of the most was their unknown prospects. Now, however, the ascent of the crown prince was the most likely result. At that point, the crown princess would become the empress. The crown prince was slow-witted, so most things would be taken care of by the princess. As her trusted aide, Zu An would naturally achieve meteoric success in his career. That way, perhaps they wouldn't even be blamed as much for what happened and could even ride that wave of success.0
After clearing up some details with the two of them, Zu An looked for Bi Qi and saw that he was standing right in front of Zhao Yuan, not letting him leave that spot at all. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Then, he said to the two of them, “Gentlemen, the crown princess has summoned me to return to the capital and told me that she has something urgent to discuss. I fear I must depart ahead of everyone.”0
Zhao Yuan frowned, while Bi Qi’s eyes lit up and he said, “That’s good too. Hurry along then; let’s not dilly-dally.”0
The Liu clan brothers and Meng Yi had deliberately kept Bi Qi back at Violet Mountain through a court order, so he'd been forced to stay behind and investigate, unable to abandon this duty. However, Zu An hadn't been factored into those people’s plans. Now, he was the perfect variable to stir up the capital.0
Zhao Yuan could only harrumph when he heard Bi Qi's agreement. “Since the crown princess has something she wants to talk to you about, I wouldn’t dare to stop that.”0
Zu An chuckled. He bid them farewell, then looked for Xie Daoyun. At first, she was really happy to see him, but when she heard that he was going to leave, she immediately became sad.0
Zu An actually found that quite cute. He asked, “What are you still staring blankly for? Pack up your stuff and come with me.”0
“Together?” Xie Daoyun asked, feeling shocked and happy.0
“You don’t want to? Then you can just follow this main procession,” Zu An said, although he definitely wouldn’t feel at ease leaving her here.0
Zhao Xiaodie’s ident.i.ty was special. Before King Qi was convicted, no one would dare to touch her. However, Xie Daoyun was different. She didn’t have the protection of the royal family, and she had also been a partic.i.p.ant in the secret dungeon this time. If Zhao Yuan or anyone else had seized her for interrogation, that would be really bad.0
“I do, I definitely do!” Xie Daoyun quickly said. Her usually quiet and gentle face had turned red, and her words almost sounded like a response to a marriage proposal.1
When she saw his surprised expression, she quickly calmed down and said, “I don’t have any luggage to pack, so let’s go already.”0
Zu An nodded. Then, the two of them quickly left together on horseback.0
As he watched them leave, Bi Qi remarked with a pensive expression “This brat seems to be a bit perverted. There always seem to be different women at his side. Then again, that kind of person is the easiest to control. I can just tell Linglong to find some more beautiful women to win him over so he completely becomes a part of our Bi clan.”10
…0
Meanwhile, after Zu An and Xie Daoyun sprinted a certain distance, he tugged on the reins and said, “Little sister Ling’er, traveling by horse is too slow. Let’s fly back instead.”0
“I don’t know how to fly,” Xie Daoyun said, although she looked expectantly at him, her face red.0
Zu An smiled and said, “No problem, I’ll carry you.”0
After saying that, he took out the Wind Fire Wheels. Even though with his current cultivation, he could fly on his own, it would still exhaust a lot of energy and wouldn't be as efficient. As he stepped on the Wind Fire Wheels, he naturally reached out his hand to Xie Daoyun.0
A flicker of hidden bitterness flashed across Xie Daoyun’s face. 0
Is big brother Zu pretending or does he really not know? How can a proper lady let a man touch her so willfully, let alone be carried like this?0
However, that thought only remained in her head for an instant before disappearing. She quickly jumped toward him in high spirits. When his hand smoothly wrapped around her waist and she felt the heat from his hand, her heart began to pound.0
She was quickly taken up into the clouds, where cold winds roared past them. Even so, for two cultivators, that bit of cold was nothing. Furthermore, endless warmth entered her body from big brother Zu, so she felt nice and warm. It was as if there were electricity running through her. As she looked at the tranquil sea of clouds around her and the endless golden sunlight cast over her body, in that instant, Xie Daoyun felt more blessed than ever before. She reflexively put her arms around his waist and gently leaned her head against his shoulder. She wished the moment would last forever.2
Sigh, if I had known it would be like this, I would have been a bit more proactive back at Bightmoon City. Now, there are so many women at big brother Zu’s side, so how am I going to insert myself now?1
Still, he was previously the Chu clan’s drafted son-in-law, while I couldn't do things like this with my status back then either…0
“Right, little sister Ling’er, I’m really sorry about that night,” Zu An suddenly said. Actually, a kiss wasn’t that big of a deal, but Big Manman had been hiding under the table and helping him… If she found out, she would definitely be upset, so it was best to say that now.0
“I’m the one who should be apologizing…” Xie Daoyun began as she lowered her head, her face even redder than an evening sunset. “What happened that night? I already forgot.”0
She really didn’t know what she had been thinking back then. She had actually taken the initiative to kiss him, as if she were possessed!0
Ah… There are already so many women at his side, and yet I still did something so embarra.s.sing. I wonder how big brother Zu sees me now…1
The two both tried to avoid talking more about that topic, so the matter was soon dropped. Zu An then tried to change the topic to cultivation and other interests. With that, the tedious trip became a bit more exciting.0
…0
After a few more days, the two of them finally arrived at a small town on the capital's outskirts. The sky was already getting dark, and the city gates were already closed.0
Zu An decided to stay the night outside and enter the next morning. The first reason was that they were travel-worn, as the two of them had only found a few caves and treetops to get a bit of rest in. They hadn't even gotten a single complete night of sleep. Zu An was fine, but it was a bit hard for Xie Daoyun’s body to handle. The second reason was that the city gate was closed. Perhaps because of the major events that had taken place recently, Zu An could sense that there were many more defensive formations activated than usual. Triggering one of those formations while trying to fly in at night would bring a lot of unnecessary trouble.0
When she saw the distant capital city outskirts, Xie Daoyun said with a sigh, “We’re finally home.”0
After staying in the academy for a long time and being doted on by her master and the other teachers, she already viewed the academy as a home. There had been danger around every turn in the secret dungeon, followed by the danger of interrogation when they returned to Violet Mountain. Neither of those places made her feel as safe and comfortable as the capital.0
Zu An smiled. The proverbs really had hit the nail on the head. 'Neither a gold house nor a silver house are better than my own doghouse.' But where was his own home? Perhaps because he was a transmigrator and he had quite a few lovers, it was hard for him to pick one area as his home. Not even his marquis manor in the capital brought him any such feeling. If he really did have to pick one, only the Sang manor felt a bit warmer.0
He wondered how Zheng Dan was doing. There was also Sang Qien. A few months had already pa.s.sed. Considering the time, the child in her belly… It would already be about time, right?1
They arrived at the best tavern in town. As soon as they entered through the door, Xie Daoyun’s eyes immediately lit up. She exclaimed, “What pretty flowers!”0
Zu An followed her voice when he heard that and saw a large amount of brilliant flowers blooming along the courtyard wall. They looked like j.a.panese roses, but also like firecrackers. They gave off a lively and festive feeling. The air also had a faint flower fragrance that was neither too gaudy or glamorous; rather, it was quite refreshing.0
He remained on guard for a while, but after secretly using some ki, he didn’t discover any signs of poison. He sighed in relief, thinking, I really am overthinking things.1
No one had known he would arrive today, so how could they have prepared anything in advance?0
They quickly found a small, secluded courtyard. After having a meal, the two of them returned to their respective rooms to take a bath. The bathing area was a bit more unique than those of ordinary taverns, as expected of a town close to the capital.0
Zu An was lying in the bath and enjoying the hot water when he suddenly opened his eyes. He could hear sweet and tempting breaths from next door that sounded as if they were suppressing some kind of emotion. He was startled and called out, “Little sister Ling’er, did something happen?”1
Strange… My divine sense has always been watching the surroundings. She's clearly alone in that room…