Chapter 1002: Mysterious Swordsman

With a light tap of his toes, Zu An silently leaped onto a nearby large tree, peering into the distance through its dense canopy.

From around the corner at the end of the corridor, a group of people slowly emerged. Leading them was City Lord Pei Shao, whom Zu An had previously seen outside the city. Pei Shao was currently speaking with a young man beside him. Though not quite obsequious, Pei Shao’s demeanor was filled with smiles and polite words, clearly indicating the high regard he held for the young man.

Zu An observed closely: the young man was dressed lavishly, with details like his cuffs and collar edged in gold thread and jade silk. His appearance was undeniably handsome and dashing, yet an inexplicable arrogance emanated from his eyes.

"It's fine. You're going to meet the Imperial Envoy, after all. I, the Crown Prince, came discreetly this time, not wanting too many people to know," the young man said. As he spoke, he suddenly frowned and unconsciously shifted his foot. Ever since he started walking, his gait had occasionally seemed unnatural, and each time this occurred, a flicker of gloom crossed his eyes.

Pei Shao clearly noticed this and asked with concern, "Has the Crown Prince been injured? My residence has many potent medicines that should help with your recovery."

"What potent medicine could the Prince of Qi's residence possibly lack?" the young man retorted, rolling his eyes. "It's merely the after-effects of a minor injury; it's nothing." Despite his words, his tone was gritted, clearly betraying a lack of the calm he feigned.

[Rage points from Zhao Zhi: 444,444,444…]

Zu An was amused. This was, of course, Zhao Zhi, the Crown Prince of Qi. "This fellow truly is my lucky star," he thought. "He delivers a gift as soon as he arrives." As for the discomfort in the other man’s leg, it was clearly the lingering effect of Zu An having broken it previously. Though it had healed, it evidently still throbbed faintly whenever the weather turned windy or rainy. Given the harsh cold of winter in the Northwest, this sensation would naturally be even more pronounced.

He glanced to the side and noticed an old man following closely a few feet behind Zhao Zhi. The old man had neatly combed silver hair, and his gaze sharply scanned the surroundings, as if guarding against hidden enemies. This was another old acquaintance: Han Fengqiu, the guest elder of the Prince of Qi’s residence and a peak ninth-rank master. Zu An reflected that being a guest elder in the Prince of Qi’s residence seemed a rather bleak fate. Several prominent guest elders had been wiped out in the Xiquanqiu Secret Realm, leaving Han Fengqiu as the sole survivor. Zu An wondered if he felt any panic.

Pei Shao immediately understood that this injury was likely a painful topic the Crown Prince of Qi preferred not to discuss. Secretly regretting his abruptness, he naturally refrained from asking further, instead saying, "With the esteemed Prince and Crown Prince's capabilities, no injury, however severe, could possibly pose a problem."

Zhao Zhi absentmindedly replied with a few words, then looked aside. "By the way," he said, "I've long heard of Miss Pei's esteemed reputation. Why haven't I seen her yet?"

Hearing his words, Zu An’s eyes narrowed. "This fellow is actually after Big Manman? Young man, you're treading a dangerous path!"

"I have already sent someone to invite her," Pei Shao replied.

Just then, a maid ran over hurriedly. "Master," she announced, "Miss is unwilling to come out. She says she wishes to enter seclusion and does not want to see anyone."

Pei Shao’s smile stiffened. "Useless girl! Go invite her again!"

"Yes, sir!" The maid looked distressed, but seeing her master's anger, she dared not argue. She quickly turned and departed.

At this point, Pei Shao explained to Zhao Zhi, "My daughter was rather spoiled by her mother in previous years, which I fear has made a spectacle for the Crown Prince. I hope you will not mind."

Zhao Zhi waved his hand. "No matter," he said. "Anyway, the primary purpose of this trip wasn't even to see her..."

Although Zu An was curious to hear what they planned to discuss, it no longer seemed important 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 his head, looking towards the large tree where Zu An had just been hidden.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Zhi asked curiously, noticing his unusual behavior.

"Nothing," Han Fengqiu replied, though he felt a peculiar sensation. He had just seemed to glimpse a figure flash by, yet a closer look revealed nothing. *Am I merely imagining things?* he wondered. He quickly dismissed these suspicions, however. He had just been meticulously scanning the surroundings, and with his current cultivation, no more than a handful of individuals in the entire Yunzhong Commandery could possibly evade his senses. Moreover, those were all prominent figures; there was no way they would infiltrate Pei Shao’s residence. *It must be that I’ve been too mentally stressed recently,* he concluded.

Meanwhile, Zu An followed the maid all the way to the inner courtyard, gradually frowning as he went. *Logically, Big Manman is the eldest young lady,* he thought, *so why is her residence so remote? No wonder I couldn't find her earlier.*

Soon, the maid arrived at a dilapidated small courtyard. Compared to the resplendent opulence of the City Lord's other residences, this place could indeed only be described as rundown. Yet, its quiet serenity lent it an ethereal, otherworldly charm.

"Miss! Miss!" The maid knocked incessantly on the door. "Master insists you come out, no matter what!"

"I'm not going!" a familiar voice called from inside the room. It was still as delicate and melodious as ever, though a hint of weariness seemed to color it.

"Big Manman!" Hearing the familiar voice, Zu An could no longer suppress his longing and strode inside.

"What rat dares to trespass into a maiden’s dwelling!" Just then, a cold snort sounded from the side. Simultaneously, Zu An felt an immediate warning and quickly leaped several zhang to the side. A gleaming long sword had already stabbed precisely where he had been standing. Zu An secretly wiped a cold sweat; if he had been even a fraction of a second slower, he would likely have been pierced through. Previously, in Yi Commandery, he had effortlessly parried a sword strike from the City Lord of Yi with two fingers. Yet, facing this particular sword, he didn't even consider attempting to block it with his fingers; his first instinct was to swiftly evade.

"Oh!" The opponent was clearly surprised by his swiftness. Yet, the sword in their hand did not pause in the slightest, continuing its thrust towards him with a fluidity akin to a gazelle hanging its horns—untraceable and seamless. Watching the sword, which was as swift as a meteor, Zu An felt a strong surge of alarm. He had encountered skilled swordsmen before, but this individual could almost be called the foremost among all he had ever met.

While activating "Great Wind" to teleport dozens of zhang away, he simultaneously summoned Hundred Chirps to launch a mental attack, aiming to disrupt his opponent’s next move. Hundred Chirps' phantom galloped towards him, screeching. The person laughed heartily, reciting, "Drink today, for today we live; tomorrow's sorrow, tomorrow we grieve." The person passed directly through Hundred Chirps, and the phantom itself dissipated into specks.

Zu An's heart sank. This person was at least a Grandmaster, their soul condensation far surpassing his, rendering Hundred Chirps’ mental attack utterly useless. The crucial point was the opponent’s truly stunning swordplay, perfectly timed to strike precisely as Zu An’s old strength waned and new strength had not yet surged. With his current cultivation, there was no longer a limit to how many times he could use "Great Wind." However, there was a brief cooldown of a few seconds between uses, which most people wouldn’t even notice. Coupled with his incredibly fast teleportation, even if someone did detect that fleeting window, they wouldn’t be able to seize it. But this person was different. While his body remained behind, his sword was even swifter, reaching Zu An in an instant.

Sword control technique?

With no time to think, Zu An immediately summoned his Tai'a Sword. In an instant, he parried over a dozen moves against the flying sword; no matter how tricky or unusual its angles, he blocked each one.

"Oh?" Now it was his opponent's turn to be surprised. Although he hadn't used his full power, it was unheard of for all his sword moves to be completely parried. Zu An now clearly saw his opponent: a scruffy middle-aged man with a few strands of curly hair on his forehead and a sleepy expression. A huge blue gourd was slung diagonally across his back, and a strong scent of alcohol emanated from him, noticeable even from afar. Despite the freezing weather, he was still dressed in thin clothes, which were stained dark, whether from old wine or grease was unclear. He wore loose-fitting trousers and even a pair of worn-out straw sandals on his feet. He was utterly slovenly. For an ordinary person, such attire would immediately bring to mind a dirty, smelly beggar. But this man was different; one could vaguely discern the handsomeness of his youth in his features. Yet, the overall impression he now gave was one of endless melancholy and desolation.

As Zu An observed the man, the man was also observing him. Having been caught off guard, Zu An’s chest garment had been torn open by the sword qi, revealing the skin beneath, though he himself remained unharmed. At this moment, the slovenly middle-aged man’s gaze suddenly fell upon the flame-shaped pendant on Zu An’s neck, and his eyes narrowed intently.

"Assassin!"

Just then, noisy sounds erupted from not far away. The two of them had created such a commotion that if the City Lord's guards still hadn't reacted, they might as well have bought tofu and crashed into it. Countless guards surrounded them, among whom several figures moved with astonishing speed, clearly indicating they were masters from the City Lord’s residence. The aura of masters from other parts of the city was even rushing towards this location.

The slovenly middle-aged man gave Zu An a profound look, then, with a subtle movement, disappeared into the distance. Zu An frowned slightly. Under these circumstances, it was clear he wouldn't be able to see Big Manman today. Given his current identity, he also had no desire to clash with the City Lord’s guards, so he departed in another direction.