Chapter 1599: Old Stories

Even though the person was masked and dressed in a night-suit, their graceful figure still gave them away, especially their long legs, which were even more prominent in the tight outfit.

"What is Zhang Zitong doing here?" Zu An wondered. It wasn't particularly impressive to recognize her just by her legs. In his previous life, some gentlemen online could identify people by their chests, or even by their voices, which was truly admirable.

Seeing him lost in thought, Zhang Zitong instinctively pushed the dagger forward. "As long as you cooperate, I won't harm you. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Zu An recognized her, but she had no idea the person in front of her was Golden Eleven.

"Alright," Zu An said with a slight smile, "but please don't push it any further; it's about to go in."

Zhang Zitong's face flushed, and she instinctively pulled the dagger back. *Is this guy flirting with me?*

*But his smile was really nice…*

If Xiao Jianren, Old Dai Seven, or Old Chen Eight had spoken to her like this, she would have most likely gotten angry. However, this person in front of her found it hard to upset her.

Just then, a commotion came from nearby, and a squad of guards rushed in their direction.

Zu An gently pushed, making Zhang Zitong squat down.

As an Embroidered Envoy, Zhang Zitong had seen all sorts of people. But their current posture enraged her, making her think he was trying to take advantage of her.

Rage points from Zhang Zitong +404404404…

"Who are you?" an old man's voice came from nearby. Only then did she realize he was using his body to shield her, and she wondered what nonsense she had been thinking.

Immediately, her entire body tensed up, and she didn't even dare to breathe.

Zu An looked back and saw an old man with grayish-white hair standing a short distance away, looking at him warily.

The man was extremely thin, looking almost like a skeleton, and he had a somewhat gaunt appearance.

His aura was faint, like that of an old man at the end of his life.

However, his eyes were exceptionally bright and sharp. Upon closer inspection, his eyes seemed to contain endlessly swirling vortices, giving the illusion that one could fall into them at any moment.

Additionally, there were patterns painted with oil on his face. These patterns converged at his glabella, subtly forming a vertical eye. Though this eye was closed, it gave off a sense of danger.

Zu An was secretly startled, thinking, *Could this be Mr. Huo?*

He calmly replied, "I am a guest invited by the Prince of Yan. We just made a bet to see who could find the assassin for the Prince of Yan first, which is why I'm searching around here."

"A guest?" The old man seemed surprised. Just then, a guard whispered something in his ear, apparently confirming Zu An's identity.

The old man nodded slightly. "Then, may I ask if this distinguished guest has discovered anything? The assassin just fled in this direction."

"Did they run this way?" Zu An put on a look of deep regret. "It seems my luck is bad, otherwise I would have already won this bet."

The old man scrutinized him, while secretly extending his aura to scan the room. Only when he detected no one else did he nod. "Guest, please return to the banquet as soon as possible. That assassin is very dangerous."

After speaking, he immediately led his men to continue the search.

After they had left, Zu An looked down at Zhang Zitong, who was still squatting. "Alright, they're gone."

"Gone?" Zhang Zitong was surprised, not expecting it to be so easy to get through. "That old man is very cunning. He might just be pretending to leave, planning to turn back and catch us off guard."

Zu An shook his head. "He really didn't find you. Get up, or do you prefer squatting in this position?"

With his aura concealing her, the old man couldn't have seen her unless he came right up to her.

Zhang Zitong's face flushed, and she sprang up with a 'whoosh'. "Who likes squatting like this!"

Then, she asked with some confusion, "Why did you help me?"

She wasn't stupid; she immediately realized he was actively helping her, and not under duress.

Zu An didn't want to explain the intricacies to her, so he casually said, "Because you're pretty, and your legs are long. I've always been one to cherish and protect beautiful women."

Zhang Zitong immediately felt embarrassed. Normally, if someone spoke to her like that, she would just think of them as an annoying scoundrel. But this person in front of her said it so naturally that she seemed to sense an inexplicable sincerity.

"May I ask your esteemed name, young sir? I will surely repay your kindness for saving me today." Zhang Zitong clasped her hands in salute.

"My surname is Wu, and my given name is Laogong. Remember it well," Zu An replied casually.

"Wu Laogong?" Zhang Zitong was startled. She thought, *This person is so handsome, but his name is a bit… unimpressive.* "Thank you, Young Master Wu. We will meet again."

With a tip of her toe, she vanished into the night sky.

Zu An didn't escort her any further. After all, she was a Silver Embroidered Envoy. If she still got caught after he had helped her to this extent, she might as well buy a piece of tofu and smash her head against it to die.

Meanwhile, after successfully escaping the Prince of Yan's mansion, Zhang Zitong couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. She looked back at the brightly lit mansion, and the handsome smile came to her mind. She wondered, "Who exactly is this Wu Laogong? How can he be invited as a distinguished guest by the Prince of Yan, and even help me…"

"Hmm, anyone invited by the Prince of Yan must be someone important. When I get back to the office, I'll check the records, and I should find out who he is."

"The name Wu Laogong is also quite unique. Huh?"

She mumbled the name to herself a few times, and finally realized. Her face instantly turned bright red.

Rage points from Zhang Zitong +233233233…

Inside the mansion, Zu An saw the string of rage points in the system background, and couldn't help but chuckle. "This girl doesn't seem too bright," he thought. "It took her this long to realize."

But if she were truly sharp, she wouldn't be so foolish as to break into the Prince of Yan's mansion alone to look for clues about Mr. Huo.

"Did something good happen? You're smiling so happily." At that moment, a cool voice sounded from behind him. Chu Chuyan stood beneath the plum blossoms, her skirt fluttering, graceful and charming.

Even though they were married, he was still amazed every time he saw her. Zu An's smile grew even wider. "Of course I'm happy to reunite with you all here."

"Us?" Chu Chuyan asked, her face full of suspicion.

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He quickly replied, "When I fought alongside Sect Master Yan in the Demon Imperial City, we became friends. Of course, I'm happy to see her too."

Chu Chuyan was relieved, but then immediately said worriedly, "A'Zu, I know your character, but you absolutely must not have any improper thoughts about Master. For so many years, Master has never shown any leniency towards men. If she finds out, she'll definitely strike you down with a sword, making sure you can't commit any more mischief in your next life."

Zu An's expression was strange. He thought, *Your Master didn't give me a sword strike; instead, I gave her a jab…*

"I don't think Sect Master Yan is so unapproachable after all," Zu An seized the opportunity to inquire. "For example, Guan Chouhai from the Lihentian Sect seems to have been constantly courting her, and she doesn't seem to dislike it."

"How can you even say that?" Chu Chuyan exclaimed. "You offended the Lihentian Sect so badly before, I was worried sick about you. I was afraid Sect Master Guan would make a move against you, and was even wondering how to ask Master to help you." Remembering what happened during the banquet, Chu Chuyan still felt a lingering fear.

"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of that Guan fellow," Zu An took her hand, finding it cool, soft, and extremely comfortable. "Besides, your Master and I are comrades-in-arms, after all. She wouldn't just stand by."

"So that was your plan all along. And here I was, worried about you!" Chu Chuyan playfully chided him. If anyone else had been there, they would have been utterly shocked, as she was usually cold and distant to everyone, and no one had ever seen such an endearing and naive side of her.

"You still haven't told me about Guan Chouhai and your Master," Zu An asked, his face full of curiosity.

"What else could it be? Sect Master Guan has just been pursuing Master," Chu Chuyan said, a little excited to talk about gossip. "Back then, Sect Master Guan's talent was astonishing. In his teens, he was already designated as the next leader of the Lihentian Sect, and even had a chance to become the foremost figure among the Nine Daoist Sects. He was also handsome, refined, and amiable. At that time, countless young women, not just from the Lihentian Sect but also from other sects, were infatuated with him. Some even caused scandals by trying to throw themselves into his arms in the middle of the night, only to be rejected."

"What happened next?" Zu An asked, now feeling tense. Such a devoted and charming man, he thought, *Surely few women in the world could resist him.*

"There was no 'next'," Chu Chuyan shook her head. "Master just didn't like him. At first, she politely advised him against it, but instead of listening, he became even more persistent. So Master simply ignored him. Now I even suspect that Master's cold nature and her refusal to give any man an easy time might have been triggered by this incident."

Zu An was startled. He thought, *That's actually quite possible.*

Just then, a light cough from nearby startled both of them. They turned around and saw Yan Xuehen, her eyes containing a hint of displeasure.