Chapter 1077: Paper Bride

Zu An was startled. "Is it that serious?"

Yu Yanluo, standing nearby, nodded. "Indeed. The human and demon races have been at war for so many years that a deep-seated hatred has formed, making it impossible to distinguish right from wrong. If you openly declared what you just said, you would not only be attacked by political enemies in court but also likely be reviled by the common people. The same applies to anyone in the demon race who speaks highly of humans."

Zu An pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm not so arrogant as to delusionally think I can resolve the hatred between the two races. I only seek a clear conscience. For those who consider me a friend, I will welcome them with fine wine; for my enemies, I will meet them with a big stick, regardless of whether they are human or demon."

Kong Qing nodded subtly, understanding that Zu An was intentionally blurring the definition of "friend." Clearly, any demon who got along with him would also become his friend. Kong Qing thought, "No wonder the Princess is interested in this guy; he's not as stubborn and narrow-minded as most humans."

Yu Yanluo, on the other hand, looked at him a few more times, as if seeing him in a new light.

Her eyes showed a hint of joy, but also a touch of worry. Such a temperament could easily be exploited by ill-intentioned individuals, potentially leading to a situation where neither the human nor the demon race would tolerate him, which would be troublesome.

Kong Qing said, "Well, there you have it. Madam Yu, you also do business with demons, and Brother Zu isn't as prejudiced against demons as most people. So we have no points of conflict whatsoever. We should turn enmity into friendship and work together instead."

Zu An chuckled. "You're trying to persuade an imperial envoy to conspire with you. Isn't that a bit audacious?"

Yu Yanluo also stated, "Those with different principles cannot work together. I cannot possibly cooperate with you."

Kong Qing's expression darkened. "Then things will be difficult."

Jian Taiding, standing by, couldn't take it anymore. "Brother Kong, why are you two chatting like old friends? Quickly deal with them before things get complicated. Who knows if they've sent reinforcements here?"

He had been severely injured earlier, almost recovering after taking the Vigorous Sea Dog Pills, only to be severely injured again. Not only did he take the pills in vain, but the potent effects of the medicine combined with his grave injuries left him weaker than ever. Naturally, he didn't want to stay in this cursed place.

Furthermore, seeing Kong Qing trying to persuade them to cooperate almost scared him out of his wits.

What if those two actually agreed? How would he explain himself?

However, he was currently powerless to change anything. Only by returning to Cloud City, where he would have access to more resources, could he confidently contend with Kong Qing. That was why he urged Kong Qing to act quickly.

At this moment, Zu An took the opportunity to send a vital energy message to Yu Yanluo: "Madam, please buy me some time later. I will summon the Emperor's power to deal with them."

Kong Qing was unfathomable, and the several individuals accompanying him all possessed long, sustained auras. Except for the child, each of their cultivation levels was higher than Uncle Ming's. If a fight were to break out against such a formidable lineup, Zu An and Yu Yanluo would be no match for them.

Therefore, his plan was to use his trump card immediately to suppress them.

Yu Yanluo acknowledged with a nod. "Alright, I'll do my best. Hurry."

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of distress in her heart. Each of the opponents seemed to be her equal, and that was without even accounting for Kong Qing, who was a Grandmaster in the late stage.

Although she possessed the formidable skill of the painting world, it was uncertain whether she could withstand the attacks of so many masters.

She estimated that she could only delay their full assault for a maximum of three breaths of time, unless...

Seeing their lips subtly moving, Kong Qing guessed that they were communicating. So he spoke up, "Brother Zu, how about we make a deal? I won't intervene later, and you won't use your imperial decree. How does that sound?"

Although he had left the Zhenyuan Merchant Association early last time, he naturally sensed the immense commotion caused by the imperial decree's summons. Later inquiries had informed him of what had happened.

Zu An was taken aback, never expecting his opponent to make such a request.

Jian Taiding immediately cried out, "Brother Kong, are you insane? Why would you make such an agreement?"

As a Grandmaster, he naturally understood that while the imperial decree was powerful, it had a very long wind-up time.

For a late-stage Grandmaster like Kong Qing, the time it took to summon the imperial decree would be enough for him to kill the summoner several times over. Thus, this condition was clearly a self-defeating move.

Yu Yanluo was also surprised. She had found Kong Qing's attitude towards Zu An strange from the beginning, and now it was confirmed.

Seeing everyone's puzzled expressions, Kong Qing smiled slightly. "Brother Zu, you are a good friend of our Princess, and I don't want us to lose our cordial relations. You won't use the imperial decree, and I won't intervene. You two will fight my subordinates. If you win, I'll leave immediately; if you lose, you agree to cooperate with us. How about that?"

Jian Taiding was both shocked and enraged. "Fine! So this kid has been colluding with demons all along! He spent all day trying to kill me, and I don't know where he gets the nerve!"

Rage value from Jian Taiding: 574574574...

He felt a suffocating sense of injustice. Before, when he did business with demons, he was always cautious, like a thief, while these people stood on their moral high ground, criticizing him endlessly.

And it turned out that all of them were colluding with demons in the end?

What's more, it was with a high-ranking figure like a Princess!

Heavens, what kind of world is this?

Yu Yanluo also cast a strange look at Zu An, muttering to herself, "Princess?"

She never imagined this guy could even have a connection with a demon Princess.

Come to think of it, ever since she met him, he's always been surrounded by all sorts of beautiful women: Ji Xiaoxi from the outskirts of Brightmoon City, and Miss Chu... now even the demon Princess seems to have a deep connection with him, and even her own relationship with him is closer than with other men.

Is this guy just destined to attract women?

Zu An was momentarily confused but quickly realized that Kong Qing was probably referring to Kong Nanwu. It must have been because Kong Qing sensed the peacock feather on him during their last encounter, which explained why he felt Kong Qing treated him differently today. Had Kong Qing misunderstood something?

Kong Qing ignored Jian Taiding's clamor and continued to look at Zu An. "As a good friend of the Princess, you naturally possess insight beyond that of ordinary mortals. Even if you lose, cooperating with us wouldn't be so bad."

Zu An was still pondering when Yu Yanluo spoke first. "Alright, we agree."

"Madam!" Zu An exclaimed in shock. How could she agree to such a thing so casually?

Yu Yanluo shook her head at him and transmitted a vital energy message: "The preparation time for you to summon the imperial decree is too long. I might not be able to withstand all of them attacking together. If Kong Qing doesn't intervene, we still have a chance to fight the others. Let's overcome this immediate challenge first."

"Alright, I'll defer to you, Madam." Zu An smiled at her.

Yu Yanluo's cheeks flushed slightly. She thought, "No wonder this guy is so popular with women; he's truly skilled at charming them."

In truth, given her beauty and reputation, she had encountered more sophisticated flirtation tactics over the years, but those only made her feel awkward and guarded. Only this guy could evoke such feelings in her.

"Hahaha," Kong Qing laughed at this point. "Madam Yu is indeed straightforward. Be careful, my subordinates are no ordinary people. You may not win."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Azure Wolf King stepped forward, a low growl rumbling in its throat, its eyes gleaming with ferocity.

The Night Elf picked up a slender, long sword and licked it with a crimson tongue, radiating a strong killing intent.

The woman in the vibrant red wedding dress first led the child she was holding to a corner and settled him there. Only then did she gracefully walk over to her companions.

Zu An and Yu Yanluo stood side by side.

"Be careful!"

"Be careful!"

Both simultaneously cautioned the other. Hearing each other's words, they couldn't help but exchange a knowing smile.

"Those scoundrels!" Jian Taiding gnashed his teeth from the side. However, he was more concerned about something else: What did Kong Qing mean by this decision? Was he planning to abandon him?

The two sides faced off for a long time before the Night Elf finally lost patience. "I'll go first!"

With that, he vanished into the shadow cast by the Azure Wolf King's massive body. The next moment, he reappeared beside Yu Yanluo, thrusting his sword like a venomous snake with extreme cunning towards her waist, showing no trace of gentleness.

Yu Yanluo calmly activated her Thousand-Mile Mountain and Sea Scroll, forming a protective barrier around herself, instantly enveloping the opponent's body.

In an instant, she had drawn the opponent into the painting world.

However, there was no trace of joy on her face; instead, she let out a surprised sound.

"Watch out!" At that moment, Zu An suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to the side to dodge. Simultaneously, he flicked a finger, deflecting a slender sword that had appeared from another direction.

Yu Yanluo quickly looked at her scroll. There was indeed a Night Elf within it, but a ripple soon spread across the figure, transforming it into a paper cutout.

Jian Taiding watched as his long-admired "sister-in-law" was embraced around the waist by another man, yet showed not the slightest hint of discomfort, as if she were already accustomed to such physical contact. He was so enraged he almost spat blood.

However, being a formidable figure in his own right, he quickly reined in his jealousy and looked towards the woman in the red wedding dress on the other side.

Although he was severely injured and on the verge of death, his Grandmaster's vision remained keen. He naturally saw that the recent attack had come from this woman.

"Transforming paper into a person, and dressed in such distinctive attire, could Your Excellency be the legendary 'Paper Bride'?" Yu Yanluo's gaze toward the woman in the wedding dress immediately became extremely solemn.