Chapter 1051: The Supreme Forgetfulness

The woman before him, dressed in flowing white, had a cold gaze. Unlike Chu Chuyan, her jade-like face exuded a stern authority, a demeanor likely cultivated from her long-standing leadership of a top-tier sect.

With her arrival, the temperature in the entire room seemed to drop several degrees.

Zu An's first thought was of Chuyan, who had also seemed cold at first but was warm on the inside. He wondered if this woman would be the same.

The moment this thought arose, he was startled and quickly reined in his thoughts.

He could only be grateful that this world had no mind-reading abilities; otherwise, if she knew what he had just been thinking, she would surely grind him to dust.

"Your gaze is inappropriate," Yan Xuehen said, her brows slightly furrowing as she cast him a displeased look.

"Ahem, please forgive me," Zu An said, feigning weakness to change the subject, "I'm injured and cannot rise to greet Grand Master Yan."

She wouldn't have come to his room in the middle of the night to discuss romance.

What if she was truly here to kill him? He should pretend to be gravely injured to lull her, then see if he could turn the tables later.

"Grand Master Yan?" Zu An asked. Yan Xuehen snorted, "Given your relationship with Chuyan, isn't it inappropriate to call me Grand Master Yan?"

Zu An's scalp tingled. It seemed she had indeed found out. He tentatively asked, "Master?"

Yan Xuehen: "..."

"Who's your master? Don't make unfounded claims!"

Zu An said innocently, "You are Chuyan's master, and Chuyan and I are husband and wife. If I don't call you Master, what should I call you? I don't want to be seen as someone who disrespects their elders."

Yan Xuehen's brows subtly furrowed. She felt that his pronunciation of "disrespects their elders" was a bit odd, but she merely dismissed it as a dialect difference and didn't dwell on it. "Since you have such a relationship with Chuyan, why are you so intimate with that demonic sect enchantress?" she pressed.

Zu An felt a pang of discomfort. He had imagined countless times the chaotic scenes when his female confidantes met, but he never expected the elder of a confidante to initiate such a confrontation.

He could only reply, "When I was arrested by the imperial court, I encountered many dangers along the way. Fortunately, Miss Qiu risked her life to save me, allowing me to survive safely. Chuyan is also well aware of this."

The implication was that even his wife knew about his relationship with Qiu Honglei, so why was her master bothering herself with it?

Yan Xuehen was displeased. "She saved your life. You could have repaid her in other ways. Did you have to offer yourself? In the end, wasn't it just because she was beautiful that you became infatuated?"

Zu An said earnestly, "How can mutual affection be called infatuation?"

Yan Xuehen said indifferently, "You're certainly good at sophistry. I can't be bothered with these matters of yours. In any case, you and Chuyan have already separated. From now on, you two have no relationship. Whether you want to be with that demonic sect enchantress or any other woman, it has nothing to do with her."

Zu An grew anxious. "Our separation was a forced choice to protect the Chu clan. It wasn't meant to be a divorce. Our feelings are still..."

"Oh?" He was interrupted by Yan Xuehen before he could finish. "If that's the case, who would you choose between Chuyan and that demonic sect enchantress?"

"Uh..." Zu An hesitated, "Can I have them all?"

Although he could say some pleasantries to gloss over it now, if it got back to Qiu Honglei and Yun Jianyue later, it would surely hurt their feelings.

Moreover, seeing Yan Xuehen's antagonistic demeanor towards Yun Jianyue, she would likely—no, she would definitely go and gloat about this to her.

Yan Xuehen: "???"

Rage value from Yan Xuehen: 444444444...

Where did this fellow get the nerve to utter such shameless words in front of me?

Her expression darkened. "Anyway, I never intended for you two to be together," she said, "So, it doesn't matter if you're with that demonic sect enchantress."

Zu An frowned. "This is a private matter between Chuyan and me. Her sect doesn't need to interfere, does it?"

"Of course it does," Yan Xuehen said indifferently. "Our sect's cultivation method emphasizes supreme detachment from emotions. If she wants to reach a higher realm, she must eventually forget earthly affections. Since that's the case, forgetting sooner rather than later will result in less pain. If you truly care for her, you should let her go. True love should complete the other person, not selfishly possess them."

Zu An was speechless. He wondered what was wrong with these sects. The Demonic Sect's "Heavenly Demon Enchanting Sound" required cultivators to remain chaste, and the White Jade Capital also required cultivators to achieve supreme detachment. They might as well all practice the Sunflower Manual.

He quietly looked at her. "Grand Master Yan, have you ever been in love?"

Yan Xuehen: "???"

She briefly glanced at Zu An. "Of course not."

Her tone was calm, as if she were discussing something she cared nothing about.

"If you've never been in love, how can you claim to understand it?" Zu An sighed. "Your explanation just now is too presumptuous. The idea that love requires letting go and completing the other person often comes from shoddy romance novels used to deceive young girls."

A faint blush flashed across Yan Xuehen's fair, jade-like cheeks. That very statement had indeed come from a romance novel.

Her sect's cultivation method required supreme detachment from emotions, but she completely lacked understanding of love. How could she detach from something she didn't even know?

Yet, she regarded all men in the world as nothing, making it impossible for her to personally experience romance.

So, an idea suddenly struck her: she secretly bought most of the romance novels available on the market. By studying the love stories of lovesick men and resentful women, she felt she had understood what love was, making it easier for her to achieve supreme detachment.

Among them, she most highly recommended "Sweet Pet Little Wife: The Tyrannical Sword Immortal's Ninety-Nine Demands for Love," and even specially gave it to her disciple Chu Chuyan, instructing her to study it carefully in her free time.

Of course, she would not admit to these things. Being unintentionally exposed by Zu An, she was so embarrassed she almost wished the ground would swallow her whole.

As a Grand Master, she quickly regained her composure. "I have no interest in discussing these matters with you," she said. "As for you ambushing me earlier, I spared your life for Chuyan's sake. Don't pester her again in the future."

Zu An found this strange. "We openly made a wager just now," he said. "How was I ambushing you? There were so many people present who could testify for me."

Yan Xuehen sneered. "Do you take me for a fool? Although I don't act as recklessly as that demon Yun Jianyue, I wouldn't be bound by a few mere words. If I killed you now, who would know it was my doing afterward? It's still because of Chuyan that I'm showing you mercy. Don't be ungrateful."

Zu An frowned, but knew there was no point arguing this with her. He simply changed the subject and asked, "By the way, I heard that the White Jade Capital has always prided itself on being a righteous sect. So why would it collude with the demon race, helping them transport military supplies? Wouldn't that cause countless human lives to suffer?"

Yan Xuehen's delicate brows slightly furrowed. "Nonsense," she said. "When has our sect ever done such things?"

"Isn't your dear junior brother doing just that?" Zu An said coldly. "He teamed up with Zuo Su, the Governor of Yunzhong Commandery, turning the entire Yunzhong officialdom into a community of shared interests, constantly colluding with the demon race for smuggling. Don't tell me you're unaware?"

Yan Xuehen was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "I've always refrained from interfering in worldly affairs. I'm not clear about these matters, but I will verify them after I return."

Hearing that it wasn't their sect secretly behind it, Zu An couldn't help but sigh in relief. After all, she was a dignified Grand Master who could take his life at any moment; her patience in explaining was already commendable.

"Then I'll trouble Grand Master with it," Zu An said, suddenly remembering something. He pulled a set of expensive cosmetics he had bought from Rouge & Bloom from his embrace and handed them over. "Please take these back, Grand Master."

Yan Xuehen glanced at them, then shook her head. "I don't use these," she said, "and you don't need to flatter me with gifts."

Zu An was speechless.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "These are for Grand Master to give to Chuyan."

Yan Xuehen: "!!!"

Her expression darkened. "I just told you," she said, "Chuyan will have no further relationship with you. Don't disturb her pursuit of the Heavenly Dao anymore."

Rage value from Yan Xuehen: 233233233...

After speaking, she flicked her sleeve and gracefully drifted away, leaving behind only a faint, lingering fragrance in the air as proof of her presence.

Zu An looked at the dazzling array of cosmetics on the table, feeling like crying but having no tears. Should he have given her two sets just now, and she would have accepted them?

Alas, these Rouge & Bloom products were truly unlucky. He had tried to give them to several people in a row, but none had accepted them.

Early the next morning, an Embroidered Envoy came to report, "Sir Zu, the matter you asked me to investigate yesterday has been thoroughly checked."

"What are the results?" Zu An, who had been meditating on the bed, opened his eyes.

"Indeed, just as Sir Zu surmised," the Embroidered Envoy replied.

"You've worked hard." After commending him and dismissing him, Zu An let out a long sigh. "So it is."

Next, he told the others in the guesthouse that he would be going into seclusion to recover from his injuries, and not to disturb him unless necessary.

He had Daji put on his clothes to impersonate him in the room, while he changed into another outfit and quietly left the guesthouse.