Chapter 1575: Entrustment

Kong Nanwu smiled, seeing Zu An's wary expression. "I want... a new *Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio* story. *A Chinese Ghost Story* is good, but I'm too familiar with it now; it lacks novelty."

"That's all?" Zu An was stunned. He had been worried her request would be difficult, but he never expected it to be surprisingly easy.

"Don't think it's simple, young master," Kong Nanwu reminded him as she saw him relax. "After all, a story like *A Chinese Ghost Story* is something an ordinary person would be lucky to write even once in their lifetime. Please don't just give me any random story."

At this, Nan Xun, standing nearby, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Since the young master can write *A Chinese Ghost Story*, he is no ordinary person. I'm sure such stories come easily to him."

Seeing the two women and the fox gaze at him expectantly, Zu An secretly wiped a bead of sweat. He thought, if it weren't for the wisdom of his predecessors, how could he have come up with another brilliant story so quickly?

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then this time, I'll tell you the story of *Painted Skin*. Once upon a time..."

He didn't follow the original *Strange Stories* version exactly, but incorporated elements from the movies *Painted Skin 1 & 2*, as these young women were more interested in love stories.

As expected, after the story, Nan Xun and the little fox were weeping profusely. Kong Nanwu was relatively calmer, but her eyes were red, indicating she was deeply moved.

"That female ghost was so pitiful. She gave everything for love, but all the tragedy fell upon her, and she gained nothing," Nan Xun said, wiping her tears. As she was, to some extent, a ghost herself, she naturally empathized more with the character.

Kong Nanwu frowned. "I actually think that female ghost was a bit too... 'green tea'. Is that what the word means?" She asked Zu An for confirmation, having learned the term from him. After receiving an affirmative reply, she continued, "She knew he was a married man, yet she insisted on clinging to him and used tricks to interfere."

As a high-ranking princess of the Peacock Royal Clan, if she were to marry, she would undoubtedly be the primary wife, just as she was almost the Crown Princess previously. Thus, she inherently felt a sense of caution towards those who would be "the other woman."

Nan Xun immediately looked displeased. "It's not as bad as you make it sound. She was just doing it for love."

At this point, the little fox spoke in a soft voice, "I think the male protagonist was bad. He already had a wife, yet he was involved with other women."

Hearing her words, the women in the room involuntarily turned to look at Zu An, making his scalp tingle. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Actually, the male protagonist was still quite decent. He maintained his composure, and even when he thought his wife was a demon, he didn't abandon her. He even purposefully blinded himself to prove he wasn't someone who valued looks..." Kong Nanwu paused here, looking at Zu An with a strange gaze and a faint smile. "Young master, do you also think the male protagonist was too scummy, and unconsciously beautified him a bit?"

Zu An said dejectedly, "The male protagonist in my story isn't based on me..."

He explained for a long time, but although the three women verbally believed him, their expressions clearly indicated they "understood," leaving him with a profound sense of helplessness.

A moment later, Kong Nanwu brought up Zu An's trip to Purple Mountain. Clearly, as a well-informed person, she was aware of the court's appointment. "Young master, this trip to Purple Mountain will likely be tumultuous. I've received news that many martial artists are heading there, their purpose unknown."

Zu An was startled. "Where did you get that information?"

He was, after all, the Regent of the Demon Race, a position considerably higher than hers. He hadn't received any news, so how could she?

"I've been among humans for a while now; I've certainly gained some things," Kong Nanwu said casually, though a hint of pride was evident on her face.

Zu An didn't press her for details about her intelligence network. "Thank you for the warning, Miss Kong."

At the same time, he found it strange. What was going on? Why would even those in the martial arts world dare to get involved with Purple Mountain?

One should know that the empire had gathered most of the world's elites. While there were masters among those who roamed the pugilistic world, compared to the vast court, they were like ants trying to shake a tree. Normally, they would be too busy avoiding trouble.

Kong Nanwu picked up a wine pot nearby and poured two cups. She handed one to Zu An, her fair wrist and delicate hand peeking from her sleeve, complementing the jade cup holding the wine. "A small cup of wine, to wish you a safe and successful journey, young master."

"Thank you!" Zu An took the cup and drained it. At the same time, a doubt arose in his mind: Aren't peacocks green? Why was she so fair-skinned?

After arranging various matters in the capital, Zu An set off for Purple Mountain with a detachment of Imperial Guards and skilled craftsmen prepared by the Ministry of Works.

Emperor Zhao Hao clearly attached great importance to this trip, dispatching a larger and more distinguished contingent than the previous mission to Cloudridge Commandery.

Not only were there more people, but two deputy generals of the Imperial Guards were also assigned to accompany him.

The older one, a dark-skinned man with a reddish complexion, was named Wang Bolin. He always wore a grim expression, as if everyone owed him money.

The slightly younger one was Zhang Zijiang, who always had a smile for everyone. However, an occasional glint in his eyes revealed that he wasn't as gentle as he appeared.

Although they expressed themselves differently, Zu An could sense the animosity in both of them.

This was not surprising. Both were shrewd and capable individuals in the Imperial Guards, having served as deputy generals for many years, their competence and prestige widely recognized.

Ordinarily, they engaged in open and covert struggles, each striving to stand out and become the new Imperial Guard Commander.

Who would have thought that after years of rivalry, Zu An would be parachuted in and given the position?

If he had come from an esteemed noble family and already possessed great prestige, it might have been acceptable. But he was young, even younger than many new Imperial Guard recruits.

Moreover, he came from a humble background, and it was rumored he had once been a live-in son-in-law?

So, although Zu An had been gaining prominence in the past two years, both men were fundamentally unconvinced by him.

With this common "enemy," the two arch-rivals surprisingly developed a rare sense of mutual appreciation. This, in fact, was thanks to Bi Linglong. When she learned that both deputy generals were accompanying Zu An to Purple Mountain, she specifically warned him about the intricacies of the situation; otherwise, how could Zu An have so clearly understood their general psychology?

"Even though Linglong has been sulking lately, she still cares about me a lot," Zu An thought, a slight smile playing on his lips as he recalled Bi Linglong's tsundere refusal to admit her concern despite being angry.

"Brother Zu, who are you thinking about now, smiling so lasciviously?" At that moment, someone slapped him on the shoulder. A face with a silver mask appeared before him. Though masked, those glistening, peachy eyes, more enchanting than a woman's, could only belong to Xie Xiu.

Looking at Xie Xiu, who was more handsome than many women, Zu An maliciously wondered if the young man wasn't afraid of being taken advantage of by someone one day.

"Xiu'er, why do you have time to see me off? Did your female fans follow you?" Zu An still clearly remembered Xie Xiu's female fans from their last trip to the Imperial Academy.

Xie Xiu shivered, looked around, and then whispered, "Don't be so loud. I snuck out."

"You still came to see me off even under these circumstances, you're truly a good brother," Zu An said, glancing around, a little surprised not to see that quiet and elegant figure.

"Stop looking, my sister isn't here," Xie Xiu rolled his eyes.

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. "Is your sister busy with cultivation lately?"

Xie Xiu shook his head. "Besides seeing you off this time, I have something to ask of you. My sister took on a mission recently, and it also seems to involve a trip to Purple Mountain. She left a few days ago..."

He gave a rough explanation, though he didn't know many details as Xie Daoyun's trip was confidential. "Although my sister's cultivation is good, her experience in the pugilistic world is too shallow. While she's not a recluse, she's always associated with people of similar backgrounds in Brightmoon City, and everyone knew she was the City Lord's daughter, so they wouldn't dare act recklessly. After coming to the capital, she's mostly stayed in the academy's back mountain, rarely interacting with anyone. Now, she's traveling alone..."

"So you're worried something might happen to her in the pugilistic world?" Zu An burst out laughing. "I didn't realize you had a sister complex!"

"What's a sister complex?" Xie Xiu asked blankly, then shook his head and continued, "Your journeys are close, that's why I specifically came to ask you to look out for her. I wanted to go with her, but that old geezer Black-and-White is acting crazy lately and piled a ton of tasks on me, leaving me no time to leave the capital. If anything happens to my sister, how will I explain it to our parents?"

Zu An's expression became strange. "What a filial and respectful young man, indeed..."

"Don't worry, your sister is also a good friend of mine. I'll naturally take good care of her," he promised, patting his chest. He thought, what a coincidence; he hadn't expected Xie Daoyun to also be going to Purple Mountain.

"Just ensure her basic safety; don't take *too* good care of her," Xie Xiu suddenly became wary. "Otherwise, taking care of her *into bed* would be bad."

Zu An's face darkened. "Do I look like that kind of person?"

Xie Xiu examined him carefully, then nodded solemnly. "Yes, you do!"