Chapter 1581: Treasure Emerges

Fantasy

Zu'an didn't know the emotional drama unfolding in the young woman's heart. Seeing her lost in thought and silent, he asked somewhat nervously, "Is it not working?"

He hadn't sustained any spiritual injuries recently, so he wasn't sure if the Spirit Spring of Yu Mountain would be effective for such wounds.

"No, oh wait, yes, it worked, and surprisingly well." Xie Daoyun first shook her head, then immediately nodded. For a moment, she found it strange; her thoughts were usually very clear, so why was she so flustered today?

"Good, as long as it worked," Zu'an sighed with relief.

Xie Daoyun glanced at him, her heart skipping a beat when she saw his gentle gaze upon her. She quickly lowered her head, her face feeling hot.

After a moment, she finally gathered her courage and was about to speak when Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang approached, escorting several captured rebels. "General, we've caught a few alive. They seem to hold a considerable rank among the rebels."

The situation had just been chaotic, and some unlucky individuals hadn't managed to escape and were apprehended by the re-mobilized Imperial Guards.

Both men felt ashamed and embarrassed, so they wanted to do something to redeem themselves. They quickly sorted through the captives, selecting a few minor leaders and bringing them before Zu'an.

Zu'an found their drastic change in attitude amusing but didn't embarrass them. "You've both worked hard."

"Not at all, not at all!" Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang sighed in relief. They had been quite apprehensive just moments before, fearing he harbored resentment and wouldn't forgive them. Now, seeing his attitude, it seemed their past grievances were forgotten.

A sudden wave of shame washed over both men. Lord Zu'an's cultivation was god-like; they were no longer on the same level. How could he possibly bother with their petty grievances? They had been too narrow-minded.

Zu'an turned his attention to the captured rebel leaders. "Why were you pursuing Miss Xie?"

The minor leaders looked at him with terror. Just moments ago, he had effortlessly wiped out so many of their brothers. Compared to him, the notoriously cruel "Blood-Hand Butcher" from legends was like a mere novice.

"Replying, Your Excellency, at first, we received reports from our subordinates that a beautiful woman had beaten them in a town. Since we're all from the same mountain, we naturally had to stand up for them."

Once one started, everyone scrambled to explain:

"Who knew that the brothers we sent later got beaten again? We thought, 'How could this be tolerated?' At the same time, we became curious. Where did this woman... no, this heroine come from, being so formidable? So more people went to investigate, only to suffer losses again. Consequently, more and more people rushed there upon hearing the news, partly to avenge our brothers, and partly to witness her abilities..."

Wang Bolin, standing nearby, sneered, "More like you heard Miss Xie was beautiful, didn't you?"

Xie Daoyun's face flushed slightly, and she looked a little embarrassed and annoyed. These rebels had certainly caused her a lot of trouble over the past few days.

"This... that's also true..." Seeing Zu'an's sharp gaze, the men dared not hide anything. "In our line of work, the most common topics of discussion, besides money, are women. We've never seen such a beautiful lady... *cough*, such a beautiful young woman as Miss Xie before, so many people became interested."

"But we absolutely didn't participate in that initially! We only followed the First and Second Bosses here later."

"That's right, that's right! We were just hanging back and didn't even charge forward. Before we knew it, everyone ahead of us was gone, and we were so scared rigid that... you caught us."

Hearing them try their best to clear themselves, Zu'an asked, "Isn't it a bit overkill for your entire army to deploy just to deal with a single woman?"

"It seems the First Boss took a liking to her and ordered her to be captured alive. As his subordinates, we naturally had to obey," the men explained, speaking over each other. They reasoned that the boss would take all the blame, making them innocent subordinates.

At this point, Zhang Zijiang interjected, "I've heard a lot about Scarred Yang, but never any rumors about him being fond of women. He probably wants to capture Miss Xie not for romantic reasons, but because he covets her identity as a runemaster. A skilled runemaster can significantly enhance an army's power."

The rebel leaders suddenly understood. "I knew it! Our boss usually isn't into that kind of thing. I wondered why he insisted on this woman this time. We just thought it was because she was too beautiful, and she happened to pique the commander's interest."

Another leader immediately corrected him, "Of course, this young lady is as beautiful as a celestial being. It's only natural that we would misunderstand the boss's intentions."

These rebels were accustomed to flattery, and their back-and-forth praises came naturally, much to Xie Daoyun's embarrassment.

After listening, Zu'an pondered for a long time before suddenly asking, "One more question. Your Twin Dragon Mountain territory isn't here; it's quite far away. Why are so many of you present in this location?"

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang were startled. They had similar doubts just moments ago, but they had quickly dismissed them. Now, thinking carefully, it indeed seemed suspicious.

The leaders exchanged glances, then shut their mouths, no longer as talkative as before.

Seeing this, Zu'an's face darkened. "Interrogate them separately."

Often, interrogating criminals together yields no results. But once they are separated, the "prisoner's dilemma" effect takes hold, and it becomes much easier to extract the desired information.

At this moment, Xie Daoyun spoke up, "No need for such trouble. I have Truth Talismans. Once I put them on, they'll answer whatever is asked."

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang's eyes widened instantly. They thought, 'As expected of Master Yan's disciple, she even possesses the legendary Truth Talismans.'

Xie Daoyun, however, knew her own situation well. Truth Talismans were indeed precious, but their use was highly restricted: the target's cultivation must not be high, and they must not be skilled in spiritual power. Yet, the talisman itself was incredibly difficult to produce, making it quite impractical and rarely useful in everyday situations.

She happened to have a few of them because her teacher had previously made her practice making talismans by attempting the extremely difficult Truth Talismans.

Seeing this, the rebel leaders were greatly alarmed and quickly said, "No need for such trouble, we'll tell you, we'll tell you..."

Confessing now might still result in leniency, but if the information was extracted by force like this, they would have no chance to atone for their misdeeds.

The men, speaking over each other, roughly explained the situation: the Twin Dragon Mountain rebels were not actually headed here but rather to Yi Commandery. It was said that Lu Sanyuan, the leader of the underworld, had sent out "hero invitations" across the land, claiming that a great treasure would emerge in Yi Commandery and inviting everyone to participate in the event.

"Lu Sanyuan!"

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang were both greatly astonished. This man was the most formidable force among all the rebels in the land, a major concern for the Emperor and the court. They hadn't expected to reel in such a big fish this time.

Zu'an was no stranger to Lu Sanyuan. His rebel forces seemed to have clashed with government troops once before, back when Zu'an was being escorted back to the capital.

What he cared about now was another point: "A great treasure emerging?"

Was there truly a great treasure, or was "great treasure" a metaphor for Zhao Hao?