Chapter 1267: Who Supports, Who Opposes?

Yan Xuehen and the other women were startled. "You know these ancient characters?"

With their knowledge, they had seen similar characters before, mentioned briefly in some vast ancient texts. There were even experts dedicated to deciphering these ancient scripts, but unfortunately, due to their extreme antiquity, only a few dozen characters had been deciphered so far.

Yet Zu An read them out casually, and it didn't sound like he was making it up at all. The single sentence he uttered sent a tremor through the three women, who felt a profound and mysterious resonance of the Dao. Chanting a few lines after him, they felt greatly enlightened.

Zu An smiled somewhat shyly. "I happened to learn a few through a fortunate coincidence."

"Your luck is truly abundant, and your encounters are so extraordinary, it's quite enviable," Yun Jianyue sighed repeatedly. To become Grandmasters, besides their exceptional talent, opportunities were crucial. Yet, compared to Zu An, they seemed like ordinary people in this regard. Fortunately, Hong Lei had excellent judgment when it came to men, finding a potential talent so early. And she herself had never tried to break them apart. Thinking this, she smugly glanced at Yan Xuehen, musing that the woman who had been so headstrong back then must be filled with regret now.

Yan Xuehen's expression was complex. It was more than just regret; not only had she failed to prevent what happened between him and her disciple, but she had almost gotten herself involved too. Yu Yanluo gazed at her beloved with adoration, wishing the two Grandmasters would praise him more; she loved hearing it.

"These are nothing," Zu An said with a gentle smile. "Meeting you all is the luckiest thing that's happened to me."

Hearing his words and seeing his warm, gentle gaze, the women's hearts collectively skipped a beat. Yun Jianyue couldn't help but quip, "It's a pity there's no male version of Charm Arts; otherwise, if you practiced it, you'd surely bring disaster to the nation." Yan Xuehen nodded in deep agreement. "Could this guy be a male fox spirit?" she wondered.

Yu Yanluo linked her arm through Zu An's, saying sweetly, "My Ah Zu treats people with sincerity, so naturally, he attracts those who genuinely treat him."

"How nauseatingly sweet," Yun Jianyue thought, seeing Yu Yanluo holding Zu An's hand, inadvertently pressing her ample bosom against him until it was slightly distorted. "Female fox spirits are more common, after all," she mused. "Since you know the characters in this book, what does it say?"

Zu An quickly flipped through it. "The contents of this book are extremely abstruse and profound. It's hard to grasp its true essence immediately. Roughly, it seems to be a book about the grand principles of heaven, Feng Shui, and geomancy. According to its descriptions, a minor practitioner can locate ancient tombs, a moderate practitioner can identify mineral veins, and a master practitioner can even alter the forces of heaven and earth, or even the grand patterns of the stars for their own use."

Yan Xuehen's expression turned serious. "This is truly an extraordinary book. There are many talented individuals in the world. I've heard of locating tombs and identifying mineral veins, but those are done by following the natural order, benefiting from existing circumstances. Actively changing the forces of heaven and earth only exists in legends; no one has ever achieved it."

Zu An smiled. "Do you want to learn? I can translate it and teach you later."

"Forget it, I don't want to learn," Yan Xuehen's heart skipped a beat. Coming from White Jade Capital, she was actually quite interested in this kind of knowledge, but she thought, if he were to teach her, wouldn't they have to be in the same room frequently? Who knew what might happen during such close proximity? Half a month ago, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second given such an opportunity, as her heart was as pure as the bright moon. But too much had happened between them recently—various intimate contacts, her body seen twice, and the unbreakable bond of their contract. She dared not be alone with him privately.

"Aren't you most fond of these kinds of things?" Yun Jianyue looked at her strangely. "But that's fine. We are clearly the masters; it makes no sense for a disciple to teach their master. You learn it first. There's no difference between you learning it and us learning it. When we need you later, you'll just be on call."

"On call when needed?" Yu Yanluo's expression was odd. "Why does that sound so strange? Oh dear, I've been with Ah Zu too long; I'm starting to think dirty thoughts myself."

"Alright," Zu An said, putting away *Di Tian Sui Chan Wei*. He figured they might be too proud to admit it, so he could teach them privately later when the opportunity arose.

At this point, Yun Jianyue re-examined the skeleton, pointing to a distinct injury on its back. "Here, even the spine is damaged like this. Coupled with the deformation of the front ribs, it's clear he died from his heart being torn out from behind."

Yu Yanluo's expression changed. "Wasn't this person a Grandmaster-level cultivator? How could his heart be torn out from behind? Was he ambushed?"

"Probably not," Yan Xuehen examined. "He was pursued and killed from behind while trying to escape. The fact that he was running away indicates he fought and realized he couldn't win."

"We just saw how fast the Pangolin clan can flee," Yu Yanluo pursed her lips. "For Old Ancestor Pangolin, with his Grandmaster strength, to be caught and killed while escaping, the killer's power must be terrifying. We are all injured this time, so let's not risk it for my sake. We should go back first."

Yun Jianyue said sternly, "Cultivation itself is an act against heaven's will. One must always strive to be ahead to distinguish oneself; how can we retreat now?"

Yan Xuehen also agreed, "Exactly. Even those younglings of the demon race dare to press forward. If we retreat, it would harm our Dao heart. Sister Yu, don't worry. We also want to explore and see what's truly inside."

Yu Yanluo was touched. Although what the two women said was true, they clearly also intended to help her.

Zu An chuckled, "Don't worry, with me as a meat shield in front, two Grandmasters backing us up, and a Medusa Queen, even if we encounter something truly terrifying, we should still be able to protect ourselves." Inwardly, he prayed continuously, *I'm not setting myself up for failure, I'm just trying to comfort them.*

Just then, faint shouts of surprise and curses drifted from ahead. The group stirred and hurried to follow. Soon, they saw the demon experts cursing and even furiously kicking the walls in impotent rage, as if they had missed out on a fortune.

"What happened?" Zu An asked Princess Soren curiously, who was walking towards them.

She frowned. "We chased that fat Taoist here, but he suddenly burrowed into the wall and disappeared. At first, we thought there was a mechanism, but we eventually realized he used Earth Escape Art to leave. He's likely a descendant of the legendary Pangolin clan."

Just then, another female voice from nearby said, "Hmph, that fat rogue could have escaped with Earth Escape from the start, but he deliberately led us on a chase for so long. He was clearly toying with us."

Seeing Princess Soren so close to Zu An, Princess Changning felt a sense of crisis and seized the opportunity to speak with him. Zu An recalled Yu Yanluo's introduction and, combining it with their descriptions, deduced, "It seems that fat Taoist wanted to use the opportunity to shake you off, but he didn't expect you to pursue him so closely. He only revealed his Earth Escape method out of desperation."

Princess Soren nodded. "Exactly. The Pangolin clan is reviled by everyone; he wouldn't have exposed this ability unless he had no other choice."

Princess Changning was anxious. That woman reacted too quickly and said what she wanted to say first.

Just then, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue's spiritual energy transmissions reached his ears: "Ah Zu, come over here quickly."

Zu An's heart stirred, and he hurried over, finding them gazing intently at a small puddle. Such puddles were common, formed by residual rainwater or seeping groundwater. Just as he was about to ask, his expression suddenly changed, for he sensed something extraordinary about this clear pool of water. It looked ordinary on the surface, but when he probed it with his divine sense, he detected a rich concentration of spiritual energy within. The water's surface rippled without wind, and as it flowed, there seemed to be an interweaving of Daoist rhythms.

"This is Primeval Spirit Dew. It can form Immortal Primeval Stones, even Divine Primeval Stones, preserving objects for ten thousand years without decay," Yan Xuehen said, a hint of fervor appearing in her usually cool eyes.

Yun Jianyue's breathing also quickened. "Among Primeval Stones, Heaven-tier ones are already top-grade. The reason Immortal Primeval Stones and Divine Primeval Stones are so rare and precious is that they are formed from this Primeval Spirit Dew, and they often contain various wondrous things—spirit medicines, weapons, even mythical beasts and humanoid beings are possible."

Zu An's heart stirred. It was like the formation of amber, but these Immortal and Divine Primeval Stones were far more potent than amber.

Yu Yanluo, hailing from a family specializing in Primeval Stones, was also well-versed in this knowledge. "Exactly. If there's enough Primeval Spirit Dew, the current Emperor could even seal himself within it, waiting for a future generation to find a way to resolve the Five Decrepitations of Heaven and Man before being released."

Because they were gathered there, other demon experts also came to look. Most people didn't pay it much mind at first, but among them were many capable individuals, and soon someone recognized it as the legendary Primeval Spirit Dew. One by one, they grew excited and moved to seize it. Zu An waved his hand, and a powerful surge of energy blocked their path. "I'm taking this. Who agrees, who objects?"

***

"Brother Shen!""Mm!"

As Shen Changqing walked along the road, whenever he encountered an acquaintance, they would greet each other or nod. But regardless of who it was, everyone's face was devoid of superfluous expressions, as if they were indifferent to everything. To this, Shen Changqing had grown accustomed.

Because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an organization dedicated to maintaining the stability of Great Qin. Its primary duty was to slay demons and evil spirits, though it also had other auxiliary tasks. It could be said that within the Demon Suppression Division, every person had much blood on their hands. When one becomes accustomed to life and death, they grow indifferent to many things. When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing was somewhat unaccustomed, but over time, he grew used to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast. Those who could remain in the Demon Suppression Division were either powerful experts or individuals with the potential to become experts. Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category. The Demon Suppression Division was divided into two professions: Suppressing Envoys and Demon Extermination Envoys. Anyone entering the Demon Suppression Division began as a Demon Extermination Envoy, the lowest rank, then gradually advancing, eventually hoping to become a Suppressing Envoy.

Shen Changqing's predecessor was an apprentice Demon Extermination Envoy within the Demon Suppression Division, the lowest level among them. Possessing the memories of his predecessor, he was also very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.

It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop before a certain pavilion. Unlike the other grim and austere places in the Demon Suppression Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, presenting a different kind of tranquility amidst the blood-soaked division. At this moment, the pavilion's main door was open, with people occasionally entering and exiting. Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

Upon entering the pavilion, the atmosphere abruptly shifted. A scent of ink mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted over, causing his brow to furrow instinctively, but it quickly smoothed out. The scent of blood on everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was almost impossible to wash off.