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Chapter 1576: Despair

"What kind of person is Brother-in-law?" A young man with red lips and white teeth rushed over upon hearing the commotion. It was none other than Chu Youzhao.

Zu'an couldn't help but sigh. Both were handsome youths, but Youzhao seemed more adorable. Xie Xiu, after all, was a male.

Murong Qinghe, with her honey-colored skin, was always inseparable from Chu Youzhao. At this moment, she too was secretly appraising Xie Xiu, her brows slightly furrowed. Recently, star-chasing had become popular among the young ladies and noblewomen in the capital. They described his handsomeness as unparalleled, and some girls even confessed that falling for him had given their lives meaning and made them face life more positively.

Yet, after seeing him a few times, she felt he wasn't as handsome as her 'Brother Chu,' and even Brother Zu was more dashing. Why were those girls so obsessed?

It wasn't the first time Xie Xiu and Murong Qinghe had met. The first time, seeing how beautiful she was, he had tried to get closer to her.

However, once he learned that she was deeply in love with the Chu family's heir and that they were constantly together, he immediately dropped the idea.

Apart from the fact that the Xie and Chu families often crossed paths, he personally only liked girls who were devoted to him. Wives of others or other people's girlfriends were anathema; he couldn't understand what kind of pervert would be into such things.

Their eyes met for only a moment before quickly separating, each dismissing the other as a potential romantic interest.

As several handsome men and beautiful women stood together, many onlookers gazed their way. Xie Xiu, worried that his identity might be revealed and attract fervent attention from some girls, bowed to Zu'an. "Brother Zu, I entrust my sister to your care. Also, please don't be *too* caring."

With that, he put his mask back on, blended into the crowd, and disappeared.

Chu Youzhao asked sensitively, "Why is his sister entrusting herself to you?"

With his sister not around, he felt he had to protect his brother-in-law and prevent any seductive temptresses from "stealing a bite."

Zu'an briefly explained what had just happened. Murong Qinghe was puzzled. "Miss Xie comes from a scholarly family and is unfamiliar with the dangers of the world, so she should indeed be looked after. But why did he tell you not to be *too* caring? Who makes such a request?"

Zu'an immediately broke into a cold sweat. How could he possibly say that Xie Xiu was worried he might 'care' for his sister *into bed*? He quickly made up a casual excuse to gloss over it.

Finally, as the group started to urge them on, Chu Youzhao reluctantly waved goodbye to Zu'an.

Murong Qinghe looked at Chu Youzhao with some confusion, thinking, "Brother Chu usually acts so manly, but why does he always seem like a young girl whenever he sees Brother Zu? And isn't his relationship with his brother-in-law a bit *too* good?"

Suddenly, a thought struck her, startling her: "Could Brother Chu actually like men?"

Once this idea surfaced, she became incredibly conflicted. She wanted to ask but dared not. In the end, she could only console herself by thinking that Brother Chu was still young and had a natural admiration for heroes. Brother Zu was indeed much more capable than the young masters in the capital, and given his status as Brother-in-law, it was only natural for him to admire him.

Zu'an, naturally unaware that his relationship with Chu Youzhao had been misinterpreted, returned to the contingent. Deputy General Zhang Zijiang said with a smile, "Lord Zu, your friends certainly come from illustrious families. Truly enviable."

Wang Bolin, standing nearby, snorted, clearly believing Zu'an had only secured his position through such connections.

Sensing the subtle hostility from both of them, Zu'an merely chuckled dismissively, not bothering to explain himself. As someone facing opponents like the Demon Emperor and Zhao Hao, he couldn't be bothered by such trifles.

Along the way, the main contingent headed towards Purple Mountain. Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang approached Zu'an several times to discuss the travel plans and arrangements.

"You two are seasoned military commanders," Zu'an replied politely. "You must be quite familiar with these details. Let's proceed according to your plans."

Seeing his apparent lack of input, Wang Bolin grew increasingly contemptuous of him. Zhang Zijiang initially maintained superficial respect, but after a few days, he noticed that Zu'an offered no ideas at all, leaving all decisions, big or small, to the two of them. Furthermore, Zu'an now showed no signs of qi fluctuations, appearing just like an ordinary person, which also led Zhang to feel scorn.

"This Zu'an might have had some ability before, but he must have recently suffered an injury that severely damaged his cultivation. He's only in this position because of his connections with friends and family. Unfortunately, our Great Zhou Dynasty has always valued strength, and misfortune is sure to follow when virtue doesn't match one's position."

The change in their attitudes did not escape Zu'an's notice, but he paid them no mind.

In his view, specific tasks such as setting up camp along the way, or even repairing the palace and eliminating safety hazards upon reaching Purple Mountain, were not things he needed to worry about. The truly dangerous elements were something these two had not even realized.

After several days of travel, a scout from the vanguard suddenly reported fierce fighting in a valley dozens of miles to the southwest. The combatants were not government forces but likely bandits or rebels.

Zu'an said, "Since they are bandits, let the local authorities handle them. We have important business to attend to; let's not delay our main mission."

Because Zhao Hao was his hypothetical enemy, Zu'an was not keen on making enemies of these anti-imperial forces. Especially with his connection to Yun Jianyue—if he remembered correctly, her demonic sect also had a rebel army—it would be disastrous if they inadvertently clashed.

To his surprise, Zhang Zijiang solemnly stated, "As the Emperor's personal guard, we have a duty to assist the nation. Since we've encountered them, how can we simply avoid them?"

The Imperial Guards typically remained in the palace. Though their name sounded impressive, they rarely had opportunities to utilize their skills or earn merit. This trip to Purple Mountain was merely a formality; after all, the Emperor was invincible, and only a fool would dare to plot against him.

In his opinion, the mission to Purple Mountain was standard and wouldn't earn them significant merit.

However, suppressing a group of rebels along the way would be a different matter entirely. Although the empire was generally peaceful at the moment, the rebellion led by Lu Sanyuan remained unsubdued, causing rebel forces across various regions to subtly grow like spreading wildfires, a source of constant headache for the court officials.

If he could suppress a rebel group and earn a great merit, his standing might rise significantly. Even if Zu'an had already secured the position of Imperial Guard Commander, he could still become an officer in other brother units like the Tiger Guards or Cavalry.

Zu'an said gravely, "We have an important mission at hand. The enemy's strength is unknown. Acting rashly, and potentially delaying our journey or missing our deadline, would be a grave offense."

At this, Wang Bolin sneered, "What major issue could a mere band of rebels cause? If Lord Zu is worried, I, Wang, am willing to lead fifty Imperial Guards to suppress the enemy."

Without waiting for Zu'an's approval, he personally mustered fifty Imperial Guards close to him and headed directly towards the western valley.

Seeing this, Zhang Zijiang immediately grew anxious. If Wang Bolin claimed all the credit, wouldn't he be left with nothing?

So he also assembled fifty Imperial Guards. "Lord Zu, please rest here for a moment. I, Zhang, will be back shortly."

With that, he likewise spurred his horse and galloped off, fearing to fall even half a step behind Wang Bolin.

By now, the entire Imperial Guard also sensed the unusual behavior among the higher ranks. Seeing the two deputy generals so openly disrespecting their commander, who appeared powerless to stop them, the guards' gazes towards Zu'an became peculiar.

Only those who had accompanied Zu'an to Yunzhong Commandery were filled with indignation, but their numbers were too few within the entire Imperial Guard to change the overall situation.

Zu'an's expression remained calm as he looked towards the valley in the southwest, thinking, "This is all I can do. I hope those righteous rebels can fend for themselves."

Meanwhile, in that southwestern valley, a delicate and refined figure was fleeing in utter disarray. The mountains and plains were teeming with rebels, who seemed to have taken some strange medicine, relentlessly pursuing her and refusing to stop until they captured her.

Feeling her depleted vital energy, a flicker of despair crossed her face.

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