Chapter 1001: Unexpected Acquaintance

Over the next two days, San Hong occasionally made an appearance at the Prefect’s Mansion and the Prince of Yan’s residence, expressing his concern and sympathy for his colleagues. However, when it came to doing anything concrete, he skillfully evaded all responsibilities.

On the third day, the mission’s large ship officially set sail, continuing its planned journey.

Whenever he had free time during the journey, Zu An would find Daji and use her as a model, practicing his painting skills according to the methods in "A Thousand Faces." Unfortunately, no matter how Zu An tried, he never again gained rage points from her during this period. This even made him wonder if the previous small amount of rage points had been an illusion.

Nevertheless, his painting skills noticeably improved. After all, he was a cultivator now, and his control and application of power were incomparable to ordinary people; moreover, his strong spiritual power allowed him to learn things with double the efficiency. From initially drawing Daji like someone with Down syndrome, he could now manage to make her look about seventy to eighty percent similar. Yet, every time Zu An looked at the real Daji and compared her to his painting, he couldn't help but sigh, thinking that no matter how skilled his painting, it would likely be difficult to capture her true beauty.

After the ship sailed north for a while, the delegation disembarked and continued their journey westward on horseback. Yunzhong Commandery was located in the northwest and 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 vast and sparsely populated, its area several times larger than the combined area of several commanderies to the south. The landscape here was vastly different from before; first, they passed through a vast Gobi Desert, which was truly desolate, with only rocks, and hardly a single blade of grass, let alone trees. Fortunately, the group consisted of court elites and robust cultivators, and local government guides led the way, so although the journey was arduous, there were no significant dangers.

The only minor incident was encountering a group of short-sighted horse bandits; presumably, the area was so poor that it forced them to take risks, launching a night raid to plunder supplies from the convoy. However, they hadn't expected this group to be different from ordinary soldiers; neither Zu An nor San Hong made a move. Gao Ying and Pei You, leading the Feathered Forest Army, dealt with them swiftly. Each of them still felt it wasn't enough, as after being out for so long, they finally had a chance to show their skills, and these were military merits after all.

Only San Hong, afterwards, thoughtfully examined the horse bandits' weapons, noting that many were standard issue military armaments. He discussed it with Zu An, and their conclusion was either that these horse bandits had previously raided a small group of government troops and seized the weapons, or that someone had resold these weapons externally. If it were the latter, the problems in Yunzhong Commandery would be significant. However, both knew that worrying about these matters now was useless; they could only investigate slowly once they reached Yunzhong Commandery.

After leaving the vast Gobi, the landscape became less desolate, and they occasionally encountered scattered small towns along the way. Continuing west, grasslands and valleys appeared before them. Of course, it was winter now, so the grasslands were parched, and everything was covered in white snow. Most of the delegation members were from the capital and had never seen this kind of scenery before, finding it novel and interesting.

Even San Hong often genuinely praised the grandeur of the scenery, introducing to everyone along the way how these places were once territories of the demon race hundreds of years ago, but through the diligent governance of successive human emperors, they were gradually reclaimed from the demons and transformed into a human paradise, his tone filled with pride. Zu An, however, was unaware of this historical connection. Looking at the boundless, vast land, he wondered if the demon race would truly be content to forever lose this fertile territory.

Gao Ying and Pei You, on the other hand, occasionally urged Zu An to compose a poem. Having tasted the benefits in the capital before, they thought that if their names were included in new poems, they would truly become famous for eternity. Zu An refused them without hesitation. The companions were all grown men whom he knew too well; who would he be showing off for?

His current energy was entirely focused on improving his painting skills, and he often took Daji out to sketch in the wilderness whenever they set up camp. He wondered if the beauty of nature and Daji's breathtaking allure had intermittently inspired him, as he felt his painting skills were advancing by leaps and bounds, seemingly close to meeting the requirements for mastering "A Thousand Faces."

In this way, another half a month passed, and the group finally arrived at Yunzhong City. Having seen only small towns along the way, everyone was initially unaccustomed to seeing the imposing city walls from afar. The scale of Yunzhong City appeared significantly larger than even Yicheng, which they had previously visited. However, this was understandable: Yunzhong Commandery was rich in primeval stones, truly wealthy enough to rival a nation, and it was also the political, economic, and military center of the vast northwest, thus naturally prosperous and grand.

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

"Welcome, Imperial Envoy and your delegation!"

Three figures stood at the forefront. The one in the middle was Zuo Su, the Prefect of Yunzhong Commandery. Zu An thought this man's potbellied appearance strongly resembled a typical corrupt official from his previous life. However, his attention quickly shifted to the mustachioed man standing next to Zuo Su. He was tall and slender, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, but his two exquisite small mustaches, as well as his fingernails and eyebrows, were clearly meticulously groomed. While he could be described as refined and handsome, he gave off a somewhat greasy impression.

Zu An's interest in him, of course, wasn't romantic; rather, he had seen this man before in the valley outside Brightmoon City. At that time, he only knew him as Master Jian Er, Yu Yanluo's younger uncle, but now he understood his true identity. He was actually Jian Taiding, the acting Governor-General of the Yunzhong Commandery's Governor-General's Office!

Yunzhong Commandery was located in the northwest and frequently suffered intrusions from the demon race. In other commanderies, military affairs were handled by Commandants, like Yang Sheng from Yi Commandery, but Yunzhong Commandery had a higher-ranking Governor-General's Office. Jian Yanyou, the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery, served as the Governor-General, usually responsible for maintaining the security of Yunzhong Commandery and repelling demon intrusions along the border. After the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery went missing, his younger 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 a significant figure had visited Brightmoon City silently, without even alerting the local officials or Duke Chu Zhongtian of Brightmoon City. When he first met him, Zu An's cultivation was still low, so he couldn't discern much. Now, observing carefully, he noticed the man's restrained aura and eyes gleaming with spiritual light, indicating he seemed to be a Grandmaster. The Emperor truly thought highly of him, sending him here to deal with the Jian family. Although San Hong was the chief imperial envoy, he was only a Rank Eight official. The only high-level martial force in the delegation was Gold Medallion Eleven, and Gold Medallion Eleven was him!

Thinking this, Zu An couldn't help but disdain Chu Zhongtian. They were both dukes, but look how prestigious the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery's family was; even his younger brother was a Grandmaster. However, Chu Chuyan seemed to have told him earlier that Chu Zhongtian had suffered severe injuries in the past, causing his cultivation level to drop; otherwise, he wouldn't have been bullied by the imperial court in such a manner.

With San Hong handling the front, Zu An didn't need to socialize much, only needing to smile and nod occasionally. However, through their introductions, Zu An focused his attention on another square-faced, dignified middle-aged man: Pei Shao, the City Lord of Yunzhong City. His official rank was secondary; the key was his surname, Pei. Seeing how cheerfully Pei You chatted with him, it was clear that this was Pei Mianman's father, whom Pei You had mentioned before.

"Big Manman, I'm finally going to see you," Zu An's eyes became especially eager as he gazed at Yunzhong City in the distance. He hadn't heard from her since their last separation.

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

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

"This person isn't one to show off his abilities. Despite being a Grandmaster, he stood below the Prefect. If he isn't truly loyal to the imperial court, daring not to overstep in the slightest, then he must be someone harboring malicious intent," Zu An replied, recalling what he had just observed.

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

"I think they should have arrived," Zu An said with an awkward smile. "By the way, could we contact the local Gold Medallion Embroidered Uniform Emissary? If someone teams up, it should be much easier."

San Hong shook his head. "I already asked Xiao Jianren. There are no other Gold Medallion Embroidered Uniform Emissaries in Yunzhong Commandery, because only vassal kingdoms have a Gold Medallion stationed there. The situation in Yunzhong Commandery is unique, so no Gold Medallion has been assigned to be stationed here."

Zu An thought to himself, it seems the Emperor is more concerned about royal family rebellions.

After discussing for a while, Zu An took the opportunity to suggest going out to visit Yunzhong Commandery and familiarize himself with the environment. San Hong nodded. "My profile is too high. We'll work one in the open and one in the shadows. I'll attract attention here at the guesthouse, and it's good for you to investigate the case secretly."

Zu An's expression was peculiar. His main reason for going out today was to meet Pei Mianman. Because of Sang Qian, he found it difficult to tell the truth, so he could only vaguely agree.

Coming out of the guesthouse, Zu An walked down a secluded alley, and his appearance quickly changed significantly. After all the cultivation along the way, although he still couldn't perfectly disguise himself as a specific person, it was no longer difficult to slightly alter his appearance using "A Thousand Faces." This meant he wouldn't need to wear his previous human skin mask anymore.

The City Lord's Mansion was easy to find. Seeing the large characters "Pei Mansion" above the main gate, Zu An felt increasingly excited. Of course, entering through the main gate in his current identity was out of the question. He circled around, found a weakly guarded spot, and quietly flew inside. With the jade cong providing a transparent map, the Bright Mirror Platform concealing his primal energy fluctuations, and the Gale ability allowing instant movement, the City Lord's Mansion, despite its strict security, was practically unguarded in his presence.

Zu An was searching for Pei Mianman's room when suddenly, Pei Shao's voice came from a distant corridor: "Young Master, you have traveled a long way. My apologies for not coming out to greet you sooner."

"Young Master?" Zu An's eyes narrowed. It seemed he had run into an old acquaintance.