Chapter 1536: Ambush

"What's wrong?" Zu An's heart skipped a beat. Could she have discovered what just happened between him and the Little Demon Empress? He wondered if it was the scent of the Little Demon Empress's perfume on him, or some other smell.

"Why is there no elemental energy fluctuation around you? You look no different from an ordinary person," Yu Yanluo said, looking at him with a worried expression.

Zu An couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Here she was, so concerned about him, and he was thinking such inappropriate thoughts. "Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just that my cultivation method is a bit special..."

After listening to his explanation, Yu Yanluo still seemed uneasy. She even checked his pulse and felt that his body was indeed fine before she finally relaxed. "Your cultivation method is truly remarkable. If anyone underestimates you in the future, they'll likely suffer a great loss."

Zu An chuckled. "What you said makes me want to feign weakness to surprise others."

The two chatted for a while, and Yu Yanluo's attention returned to the manor. "I just went to your previous residence to look for you. I heard the Little Demon Empress bestowed a new Regent's Manor upon you, so I came to check. I didn't expect you to actually be here. The Little Demon Empress is really good to you."

Zu An thought, "'Good' doesn't even begin to cover it; they were as intimate as could be. She knew me inside and out, and I knew her secrets."

"But the little prince was entirely supported by you; this is what you deserve." Yu Yanluo sighed with a hint of melancholy. If it were before, it wouldn't have been difficult for her to give Zu An such a manor, as she was considered the richest person in the world. Unfortunately, after what happened to the Yu family, it's probably not so easy now.

"Alright, stop thinking about that. Come on, pick a courtyard you like." Zu An took her hand and led her on a tour of the manor.

"Oh, we're not related by blood or marriage right now, so this might not be appropriate..." Even as she said this, Yu Yanluo couldn't help but get up and follow, her beautiful eyes scanning the surroundings. Women have a natural desire to decorate a new home.

"How can you say we're not related?" Zu An wrapped his arm around her slender waist. "Not long ago, the Great Elf King approached me to discuss the marriage with Xue'er, and I told him I intended to marry you as well."

"Ah?" Yu Yanluo was filled with both surprise and shyness. However, having been the head of the Yu family for so many years, she quickly composed herself. The Great Elf King surely wouldn't be pleased with such an answer, especially considering her unique status...

She let out a soft sigh and said with a complex expression, "There's no need for me to join. After all, I still hold the title of Duchess of Yunzhong Commandery. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to marry you. You should just marry Miss Qiao."

Zu An held her hand. "Don't worry. When the time comes, it will be the Regent and the Medusa Queen marrying. What does that have to do with Madam Yu of Yunzhong Commandery? You don't need to worry too much about anything else."

Yu Yanluo was somewhat swayed by his words, but she remained rational and gently shook her head. "Although the demon and human races are far apart, there are many merchant caravans traveling between them. News wouldn't take long to spread back, and it wouldn't escape the notice of those who pay attention."

"In the eyes of the world, the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery is still alive. If needed, you can still use the resources there under his identity. As the Duchess, I have a natural, righteous title that can help you with certain matters. The world may seem peaceful now, but undercurrents are swirling. We cannot simply abandon the foundation we have in Yunzhong Commandery."

"That would be too unfair to you," Zu An frowned.

"It's not unfair at all. I don't want to be completely tied to the demon race either; I still hope to return to the Yu family someday. I think this arrangement is quite good as it is," Yu Yanluo reassured him. "Oh, stop thinking about all this. Quickly, take me to choose a room."

"If that's the case, then let's not get married for now. We can discuss it when the situation becomes clearer." Feeling Yu Yanluo's thoughtful consideration, Zu An thought to himself that he must have accumulated immense blessings to have such good fortune.

Yu Yanluo was a little worried. "But wouldn't that mean the Elf Princess..."

"Don't worry, Xue'er isn't in a hurry. She's still quite young," Zu An said, then led her inside to choose rooms.

Seeing the exquisite and serene rooms inside, the worry between Yu Yanluo's brows gradually dissipated.

While some families rejoiced, others despaired. Currently, Sang Hong was in great distress.

To buy time for Zu An's return, he had racked his brains on the journey, deliberately slowing down the envoy's return to the capital.

He encountered bandits and brigands, and even played the role of an upright official, hearing grievances and judging cases for the common people in the prefectures they passed through.

As a result, the capital could no longer tolerate it. The emperor was furious, dispatching officials to question him and ordering his immediate return to the capital.

Thinking of the barely contained rage in the imperial decree, Sang Hong secretly smiled bitterly, wondering what punishment awaited him upon his return to the capital.

However, his own situation was a minor matter; Zu An's continued absence was the major concern.

What kind of crime was it to collude with the demon race?

The only good news recently was a message from his manor, stating that his daughter-in-law, Zheng Dan, was pregnant.

Previously, Yunzhong Commandery was too far away, and its major factions were in disarray. There were also disruptions from demon cults and rebels along the way, causing several family letters to be lost.

He, of course, knew that it wasn't Zheng Dan who was pregnant, but Qian'er. This arrangement was made to avoid suspicion and to conveniently claim that it was Sang Qian's posthumous child.

"I finally haven't become a sinner of the Sang family." Tears streamed down Sang Hong's face. He felt that all his efforts during this period had been worthwhile, and his daring gamble hadn't resulted in a loss.

"It's a pity I can't contact Ah Zu." He had previously tried to contact him using a scrying mirror, but for some reason, he hadn't been able to get through.

Now that the emperor had dispatched a special envoy to supervise his prompt return to the capital, it was no longer convenient to use the scrying mirror within the envoy's party, lest the emperor's spies discover that Ah Zu was among the demon race.

"Lord Sang, that's Can City ahead," a guard soon reported, pointing at the distant city walls.

Sang Hong frowned. Silkworms eat mulberry leaves; this city's name wasn't very auspicious. However, he quickly chuckled to himself. The city was named for its skill in raising silkworms and producing silk. Besides, it wasn't far from the capital; what could possibly go wrong right under the emperor's nose?

Soon, the local official of Can City came to welcome the imperial envoy's party, explaining that the city was small and couldn't accommodate so many people at once. Sang Hong understood, as this wasn't the first time they'd encountered such a situation on their journey. He therefore ordered the accompanying Imperial Forest Guards to set up camp outside the city, while he himself entered with a few dozen retainers.

Gao Ying remained in Yunzhong Commandery to continue serving as the county magistrate, maintaining the local balance of power.

Pei You, fearing that Gao Ying alone couldn't handle the various factions in Yunzhong Commandery, also stayed behind to help.

Of course, Sang Hong was highly skeptical. That fellow was probably lingering in Yunzhong Commandery's brothels and couldn't bear to return, as family rules were stricter in the capital, allowing less freedom.

Xiao Jianren, Dai Laoqi, and Chen Laoba, who were Embroidered Uniform Envoys, had also returned earlier to report for duty. They belonged to the Embroidered Office and couldn't leisurely wander with the main group.

After a warm welcome dinner, Sang Hong, slightly tipsy, returned to his lodging.

He was normally a cautious man and wouldn't drink so much, but today, upon hearing the news of his daughter's pregnancy, the great burden that had weighed on his heart finally lifted, and in high spirits, he had a few extra drinks.

He slept soundly until midnight when he was suddenly awakened by noise outside. He looked out the window and saw flickering flames and smelled burning smoke in the air.

"Fire!" He immediately reacted, hastily threw on some clothes, and rushed out.

Soon, members of the envoy's party emerged one after another. Many were still asleep, and others rushed in to wake them. The inn staff frantically fought the fire, and the entire scene was in chaos.

Watching the raging inferno, Sang Hong suddenly sobered up considerably. Such a fierce fire could not have been natural!

As an expert in schemes and stratagems, the hairs on his body immediately stood on end.

"Go, get out of the city!" He urgently called his subordinates to break out. As long as they linked up with the army outside the city, they would be safe. To deal with a team of several hundred elite Imperial Forest Guards would require mobilizing a large army, which was impossible so close to the capital.

Just then, a large group of masked archers and crossbowmen appeared around the inn. A hail of arrows shot forth, and many people in the courtyard immediately fell.

As Sang Hong was about to attack the archers, a black spatial rift suddenly opened diagonally behind him. A slender, pitch-black sword, like a venomous snake, thrust towards a vital spot beneath his ribs, moving with lightning speed!