Chapter 1131: Sent to the Door

Jiang Luofu watched him intently as she spoke. Seeing that his initial surprise quickly faded into a calm expression, she couldn't help but feel a little surprised herself. "You don't seem worried or scared at all?"

"What's there to worry or be scared about? I'm quite used to things like this anyway," Zu An replied, recalling that Qiao Xueying was an elf and Kong Nanwu was a demon. He truly had grown accustomed to it.

Jiang Luofu assumed he was referring to Yu Yanluo and didn't suspect anything further. She continued, "Third Senior Brother pursued her relentlessly and eventually managed to gravely wound her. However, through a stroke of luck, he later learned that she had never harmed anyone; on the contrary, she had saved many. Coupled with the feelings he harbored for her, he ultimately chose not to kill her, but to let her go."

"After that battle, his faith was shaken. His sword was invincible precisely because of his unwavering beliefs. But with the demon-slaying principles he had always upheld now questioned, his sword lost its sharpness."

Zu An's expression turned odd. He thought of the popular saying from his previous life – 'Women only slow down my sword.' He never expected such a thing to actually happen in real life.

"Ordinarily, that would have been manageable. Given Third Senior Brother's talent, he should have been able to regain his composure with a bit of time," Jiang Luofu said, setting down her teacup with a sigh. "Unfortunately, something else happened later..."

"Due to the injuries she sustained, Pei Mianman's mother lost her ability to defend herself and was gravely wounded while being hunted by her enemies. Although Third Senior Brother arrived in time to save her, she had also been poisoned and passed away not long after."

"Third Senior Brother felt responsible for her death and was consumed by guilt. Coupled with the devastating loss of his beloved, his spirit completely shattered. He then wallowed in despair for many years, with rumors spreading that he had died, until his recent reappearance."

Zu An quickly asked, "Who was it that harmed Mianman's mother?"

Jiang Luofu shook her head. "Those people were of unknown origin, and so much time has passed that I don't know who they were."

Zu An fell into deep thought. Were they human pursuers, or was it the demon race targeting her? More importantly, why did she marry Pei Shao, and did Pei Shao know about her demon identity?

"Huh?" Zu An suddenly realized something. "Wait, how long after her injury was Mianman born? The timing doesn't seem to add up."

Jiang Luofu replied, "She was born before the injury. Mianman was still very young when her mother was wounded by Third Senior Brother."

Zu An was instantly dumbfounded. If he remembered correctly, it was just said that Xiao Yao initially liked Mianman's mother, but at that time, she had already given birth. He liked married women, and ones with children at that? Xiao Yao, with his seemingly upright appearance, was actually this kind of person!

Jesting aside, the problem still needed addressing. "But he clearly knew Yu Yanluo was a junior sister disciple from the same sect, yet he attacked her so ruthlessly. Isn't he afraid of that regret from years ago happening again?"

Jiang Luofu also sighed. "What happened back then is his inner demon. He won't back down."

"So what will you do? You can't just ignore your senior sister, can you?" Zu An wondered if the old fox, the Grand Instructor, had made no arrangements at all.

Jiang Luofu hesitated, then said, "I can help you, but I need something from you."

Zu An was taken aback. "What's going on? She's your senior sister, not mine. How did saving her become my responsibility?"

Jiang Luofu smiled slyly. "As you know, our teacher's disciples span a wide age range, and there are several whose identities even I don't know, and whom I've never met. Yu Yanluo is one of them. Though we are fellow disciples, there isn't any real bond between us."

"Frankly, our relationship certainly can't compare to yours. While I've been traveling in Cloudcounty, I've heard quite a few rumors about you two."

As she spoke, she was also secretly astonished. Yu Yanluo had been renowned for her beauty worldwide for many years, with even the Emperor being one of her admirers, yet she had never truly been close to anyone. Although she always presented a gentle smile, astute observers could discern her aloofness. Only Zu An seemed to have a closer relationship with her than anyone else; now there were even gossip and scandals about the two of them circulating.

While some had noticed their relationship seemed to deepen after the Cloudcounty Duke's return, for most ordinary people, marital affairs lacked significant sensationalism. It was the presence of a third party like Zu An that garnered more attention; anything connected to secret liaisons always had an extra thrill.

Zu An's face darkened. These disciples of the Grand Instructor were truly one stranger than the last. Even Jiang Luofu was so indifferent; no wonder Xiao Yao had no qualms whatsoever when he heard Yu Yanluo was his junior sister.

"What do you want?"

Jiang Luofu's cold, beautiful eyes gazed silently at him. After a long moment, she parted her crimson lips slightly: "The Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix."

"What?!" Even with Zu An's strong will, his expression couldn't help but change dramatically at that moment.

Jiang Luofu sighed. "I know you're very surprised right now. To be honest with you, I was entrusted by someone to obtain this Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix from you."

"Prince Qi?" Zu An said gravely.

"Prince Qi's consort, though it amounts to much the same as Prince Qi," Jiang Luofu said. "They know about our connection from Brightmoon City and hoped to use that relationship to trick the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix from you. I've been troubled by this matter."

"After much thought, I truly didn't want to resort to underhanded tactics to deceive you, so I decided to be direct. That way, no matter the outcome, you won't resent me too much in the future."

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "Principal Sister, do you know what the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix actually means? How could it just be given away so casually?"

"Of course I know. In fact, many people do. Otherwise, you wouldn't have cultivated from an ordinary person to your current level in just one or two years without being captured and studied," Jiang Luofu said, leaning back and re-crossing her legs. "Precisely because of this, more and more people covet the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix. However, out of deference to the Emperor, perhaps only Prince Qi dares to genuinely scheme for it now."

"Zu An, you're a smart person; you should understand the principle that 'a treasure invites trouble.' I'm not sure why the Emperor let you off, but given his temperament, he won't tolerate you indefinitely."

"Rather than facing the Emperor alone in the future, it might be better to let Prince Qi deal with him. Prince Qi has been planning for many years, lacking only personal cultivation. If he could obtain the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix, he could fully contend with the Emperor. The more evenly matched they are in their struggle, the safer you will be, and the higher your value will become."

Zu An said indifferently, "Are you acting as Prince Qi's lobbyist now?"

Jiang Luofu shook her head. "Although the Jiang family is on good terms with Prince Qi, we haven't fully aligned ourselves with them. I'm telling you all this purely because we are friends. Your current situation is truly perilous. Neither the Emperor nor Prince Qi will likely spare you in the future, so you need to make plans."

"You are absolutely free to refuse; I can simply relay your answer to Prince Qi's consort," she said, a hint of worry appearing between her brows. "However, if you do, Prince Qi will consider you a thorn in his side. You've already caused significant damage to many of the factions he painstakingly supported. Had he not been preoccupied with this, he probably would have moved against you long ago."

"The Emperor could also legitimately use Prince Qi's hand to eliminate you, avoiding the reputation of harming loyal subjects."

Zu An couldn't help but exclaim, "Principal Sister, you truly live up to your title as the academy's enforcer. Your persuasive skills are truly top-notch. You've made it sound as if my best option is to hand over the secret manual."

Jiang Luofu leaned forward slightly. "Whether you believe it or not, I genuinely considered this issue from your best interest. I actually received this task a long time ago but never acted on it. It was only recently that I figured out what would truly be most beneficial for you."

"I know my request must disappoint you... Never mind, I'll just reject their offer directly. But you truly need to make plans soon. Neither the Emperor nor Prince Qi is to be trifled with; they will undoubtedly make a move against you before long."

Having said this, she rose to leave, but was unexpectedly pulled back.

Jiang Luofu turned around, her gaze falling on his hand gripping hers, a look of confusion on her face.

Zu An said calmly, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? I never said I wouldn't agree."

With that, he took a scroll from his sleeve and handed it over. "Here's what you want."

Jiang Luofu looked astonished. "You actually agreed?"

In truth, she hadn't held much hope. Although she had genuinely analyzed the situation from Zu An's perspective, she also knew in her heart that no one would willingly hand over such a peerless secret manual to others.

Zu An smiled slightly. "If anyone else had said what you just did, no matter how logical, I would have spat in their face. But Principal Sister, you're different. Anything you ask for, I will give."

He had been wondering how to give the fake Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix to Prince Qi without arousing suspicion. He never expected the prince to come seeking it himself.

Jiang Luofu was first startled. Then, a visible blush spread across her usually stern and cold cheeks, a result of her long tenure as the academy's principal.