Chapter 1000: The Unexpected Effect of Primordial Qi

"What do you mean by 'like this'?" Zu'an was bewildered. What was with her shy expression? He couldn't shake the feeling that her "like this" wasn't entirely proper.

"Just like this," Tang Tian'er's cheeks were flushed. "Heal my injuries like this."

Zu'an was speechless for a moment: "I only heal you when you're injured. Am I supposed to heal you when there's nothing wrong?"

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

Zu'an: "???"

This girl looked so fresh and normal; did she really have masochistic tendencies?

Noticing his expression, Tang Tian'er realized he had misunderstood and quickly explained, "It's not what you think. It's mainly... mainly that it's very comf—very soothing."

"Soothing?" Zu'an almost laughed. "Are you sick? You'd feel soothed after being seriously injured?"

"Oh, no, not the injury, but the healing! When you heal me..." Tang Tian'er squirmed a bit. "My whole body feels warm... It's an experience I've never had before."

Zu'an froze. He wasn't dense; he just hadn't thought in that direction before. Now, seeing her flushed cheeks and her hesitant, suggestive gaze, wasn't this the same look he had seen on Chu Yan and others?

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

In his previous life, those blue pills were initially researched for heart disease, but a side effect was discovered that caused certain... effects in men. So their main purpose shifted from treating heart disease to instead being marketed to "save" their male counterparts.

Zu'an was utterly baffled. Why hadn't he noticed this effect of Primordial Qi before?

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

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

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

Zu'an: "..."

Why did he feel like he was being taken advantage of?

Just then, a knock came from the door: "Master Zu, Master Sang has returned and would like to discuss something with you."

Given Sang Hong's relationship with Zu'an, he could have come directly. However, officialdom had its rules. With so many people on the ship watching, it wouldn't be appropriate for Sang Hong, who held a higher rank, to actively visit a subordinate's room, as it could easily lead to speculation.

"Alright, I'll be right there," Zu'an said to Tang Tian'er. "Your injuries are almost healed."

"You don't need to rush me, I'll leave on my own. Anyway, I don't want to see any imperial envoy," Tang Tian'er said, pursing her lips, still seemingly wanting more. "Don't forget our agreement, okay?"

Zu'an: "..."

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

"What exquisite lightness skill!" Zu'an couldn't help but exclaim. No wonder she had been able to easily swipe Pei You's jade pendant and sneak silently near him earlier.

After seeing Tang Tian'er off, 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 said, not bothering with formalities. He was hanging his winter cloak on a screen and changing into a set of casual clothes.

It seemed he had called him right after returning. Zu'an sat at the table and asked, "I heard Uncle went to the Prefect's manor?"

"Yes, the Prefect's manor is in an uproar," Sang Hong said, approaching and exhaling a cold breath. "The escort convoy for the demon cult's enchantress was ambushed, you know."

"I know a little," Zu'an replied modestly.

"After Yi Commandery's Commander Yang Sheng returned, he mentioned that two masters and a large group of black-clad figures appeared. One was a ninth-rank cultivator, whose cultivation was even higher than his own. The other was even more mysterious; his exact cultivation level couldn't be discerned, but he managed to catch Yi City Lord Liao Ling's full-force sword strike with just two fingers," Sang Hong said, glancing at Zu'an. "I've met Liao Ling; he has already broken through to the eighth rank, and he nurtures his sword with noble qi, making his sword energy extraordinarily powerful, far surpassing others at the same level."

Zu'an feigned astonishment: "Someone in this world can really catch his sword with two fingers? Could it be the Demon Cult Leader?"

Sang Hong rolled his eyes, clearly disdainful of his exaggerated acting.

"No, it was a man, and he seemed quite young. From their description..." Sang Hong paused, examining Zu'an, "he seemed to be about your nephew's age."

Zu'an laughed heartily: "Catching a swordsman's sword with two fingers is also my dream."

Sang Hong sighed: "Today's young generation truly pushes the boundaries like waves on the Suidan River, it's unbelievable. When I was your nephew's age, my cultivation was only fifth or sixth rank."

The Suidan River is a major river within the Great Zhou territory. The delegation had been traveling north along this river previously.

"Of course, it's all thanks to guidance and support from esteemed seniors like yourself, Uncle," Zu'an said modestly.

Sang Hong smiled. Many things were implicitly understood between them, with no need for explicit confirmation. "Compared to those two mysterious masters, the Prefect's manor is more concerned about another matter: they suspect there's a traitor within their ranks."

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

"Exactly. Otherwise, the Prefect's manor only finalized their plans in the middle of the night, and specifically departed in a rush by noon the next day to throw people off their scent. Yet the Demon Cult had already prepared everything and ambushed them. What else could it be but a traitor?" Sang Hong sneered. "They even asked if I had told anyone about the plan."

After speaking, he gave Zu'an a meaningful look: "Of course, I denied it. Our delegation members are all here; how could we orchestrate such a massive operation? At least that ninth-rank master couldn't possibly be from our side."

Zu'an chuckled awkwardly, "Uncle truly has profound insights."

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

"So, has the Prefect's manor found anything?" Zu'an asked curiously.

Sang Hong shook his head: "They did find a deputy officer, but unfortunately, he had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment by the time they found him."

Zu'an frowned: "It was probably to silence him."

"There is indeed that possibility," Sang Hong said with a solemn expression. "Yi Commandery is more complicated than we imagined."

Zu'an recalled what Qiu Honglei had mentioned earlier and cautiously asked, "I've heard that the elemental stones sent from Cloudtop Commandery to the imperial court frequently disappear at the border of Yi Commandery. Does the court have any leads?"

Sang Hong shook his head: "The imperial court has indeed noticed this matter, but currently, His Majesty cannot spare the attention for such things. He won't have the time to resolve it anytime soon."

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

Zu'an remembered that the Duke of Cloudtop had already been missing when he first transmigrated to this world. The fact that it took so long to begin the investigation was telling.

He then recalled the vague statements from Gold Medal Number Seven and couldn't help but ask, "Could Prince Yan... be involved in some trouble?"

"Shh!" Sang Hong's expression changed slightly. He specifically glanced outside the door before whispering, "Disrespecting a prince without cause is a capital offense. If it's blown out of proportion, it could be very troublesome."

Noticing Zu'an's expression, he continued, "I generally understand what you mean, but these matters are unrelated to our current mission. The waters of Yi Commandery are too murky; we don't need to get involved."

"You're right, Uncle," Zu'an said, bowing. How Prince Yan behaved truly had little to do with him; his only concern was for Qiu Honglei.

However, Qiu Honglei had her master looking after her. Being caught once was already an anomaly; if she were caught again... neither she nor her master would be that foolish.

Sang Hong nodded with satisfaction: "For the next few days, ensure that everyone stays on the ship. Tomorrow, I'll deal with Yi Commandery's officialdom, and the day after tomorrow, we'll set off early in the morning to continue our journey."

"Understood!" Zu'an finally realized why Sang Hong had initially wanted no involvement with Yi Commandery's official circles. Indeed, getting even slightly involved made it very easy to get entangled.

As Zu'an was leaving the room, Sang Hong suddenly called out to him: "I heard a woman stayed overnight in your room? Young men should still pay attention to their health."

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

Sang Hong smiled and waved his hand, signaling him to return, but said nothing more. His expression, however, clearly indicated disbelief.

Zu'an felt a pang of awkwardness. After all, Sang Hong's daughter was supposed to have children with him. Although there was no real relationship between them, attracting other women outside seemed a bit... inappropriate.

But he clearly hadn't!

The crucial thing was that he couldn't explain this kind of situation.

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 that he finally had some free time, he felt sleepiness wash over him.

But as he lay on the bed, feeling the lingering warmth in the quilt and the strong, sweet scent of a young woman, he found himself unable to fall asleep...