Chapter 1638: Impossible Mission

Mr. Huo spun around, startled, and saw an Embroidered Uniform Envoy sitting on the windowsill. The envoy's attire was strikingly different from the others; upon closer inspection, the patterns on it were dark gold.

"A Gold-Medal Embroidered Uniform Envoy!" Mr. Huo's pupils contracted sharply. Given his status, he was naturally aware of the Gold-Medal Envoy's formidable reputation.

"I've come to ask you a few questions this time. I hope you'll cooperate," Zu An said, as if stating something utterly commonplace.

Mr. Huo chuckled. "You ask, and I'm supposed to answer?"

While ordinary people might indeed fear the Embroidered Uniform Envoys, someone like him was destined to operate on the fringes of darkness, and with Prince Yan's backing, why would he be afraid?

"This is merely to inform you; you have no right to refuse." Zu An glanced at the other Embroidered Uniform Envoys. Their expressions were constantly shifting, but apart from being unconscious, everything else seemed normal. They appeared to be dreaming, and having nightmares at that.

Mr. Huo burst out laughing, as if he had heard a hilarious joke. "You should have attacked with them just now. Then, perhaps, I really might have fallen."

Now, one-on-one, he feared no one. Moreover, the man before him showed no significant elemental energy fluctuations, suggesting he was likely among the weaker Gold-Medal Envoys.

"No need," Zu An said indifferently. In truth, he mainly wanted to experience the opponent's mental attack, so he wouldn't be caught off guard if he encountered another expert in that area later. Additionally, he was curious if the opponent had the ability to subdue Gold-Medal Number Seven.

"Arrogant!" No sooner had Mr. Huo spoken than the pattern on his forehead instantly came alive, forming a vertical eye that gazed at Zu An with an eerie glow.

Zu An's vision blurred, and the quaint, antique setting of Ruyi Inn vanished. Instead, he was surrounded by towering skyscrapers, roads teeming with all kinds of vehicles, and the distant rumble of subway trains and light rail.

Pedestrians jostled past each other. Women were dressed in cool, fashionable attire, while men… well, they were comparatively less concerned with their appearance.

On a large electronic screen of a nearby shopping mall, various celebrity advertisements played in rotation. Among them was his favorite Little Dragon Maiden from his previous life...

This dreamscape was truly powerful; it could even conjure this?

Zu An sighed. "This world is truly nostalgic. If I hadn't prepared beforehand, I might genuinely have gotten lost in it completely."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he drew his sword and, with a swing, unleashed a torrent of sword qi. The entire world before him began to shatter, and immediately afterward, the antique Ruyi Inn reappeared before his eyes.

At the same time, Mr. Huo's eyes were filled with terror. He clutched the eye on his forehead, blood seeping between his fingers, while his other hand trembled as he pointed at Zu An. "You... who exactly are you?"

The power of that single sword stroke had directly shattered the dreamscape he had created. What level of cultivation was that? When did Gold-Medal Embroidered Uniform Envoys gain such an ability?

Zu An simply flicked his finger, and several streams of vital energy struck Mr. Huo, completely subduing him. "Now it's my turn to ask the questions."

Mr. Huo's eyes darted around. "Sir, there must be some misunderstanding. I am a guest advisor in Prince Yan's mansion. I usually abide by the law and haven't done anything wrong."

"Don't try to use Prince Yan to intimidate me." Zu An gave him an indifferent look, his gaze so sharp it made Mr. Huo's eyes sting.

A chill ran down Mr. Huo's spine. The man before him was truly unfathomable. "May I ask what questions you wish to pose, Sir? I... I will certainly tell you everything I know."

Zu An smiled. "I still prefer your defiant demeanor from earlier."

Mr. Huo hastily forced a smile. "How dare I be defiant in your presence, Sir?"

"How exactly did Gold-Medal Number Seven die?" Zu An suddenly asked.

Mr. Huo first froze, then his expression subtly changed before he replied, "I'm curious about that too. In fact, not just me, even the Prince has been curious and has been investigating how Gold-Medal Number Seven died."

Zu An's face darkened. "It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."

Mr. Huo quickly said, "Sir, I'm truly not lying to you."

"If you don't speak, I'll resort to torture," Zu An said coldly.

"What do you want me to say?" Mr. Huo felt like crying but had no tears. At the same time, his eyes secretly darted around, clearly believing there were no torture instruments in such surroundings.

Without further ado, Zu An directly activated the "Yi Ku Experience Card" on him.

It's not always a knife that stabs you in the back; heart-wrenching wails aren't always from pain; what one shoulders isn't always responsibility; and what one learns isn't always a lesson! Effective on males, it makes them experience the perspective of an abused female, causing them to shout 'Yi Ku Yi Ku.' Ineffective on those without sexual experience...

While the Embroidered Uniform Envoys' interrogation methods were more professional, there wasn't time to go back, and it was uncertain if Prince Yan had spies there.

As for this old man, he deserved it. Since he had such peculiar preferences, Zu An decided to let him experience what it felt like to be bullied.

"Ah!" Mr. Huo shrieked. In his mind, several burly men suddenly appeared, each pinning his hands before yanking down his trousers...

"Yi Ku Yi Ku!"

Not long after, Mr. Huo lay trembling on the ground, uttering various incoherent words.

Zu An was momentarily stunned. Was this guy so weak? Did he... finish so quickly?

He then deactivated the skill, looking at the old man curled into a ball on the ground. "Can you speak now?"

Mr. Huo shakily touched his buttocks, then quickly recoiled his hand as if burned. An unnatural flush colored his face. "Sir, I'm truly not lying to you."

Zu An's expression darkened. "It seems you haven't had enough yet."

He then activated the Yi Ku Experience Card again.

"No... Ah!"

Another scream echoed.

Zu An glanced over, finding the sight rather unbearable. He walked to the window to get some fresh air, and after a moment, asked again, "Can you speak now?"

"I don't know what to say."

"Yi Ku Experience Card!"

After another pause, Zu An asked again, "How about now?"

"I won't say it, absolutely not!" To Zu An's utter surprise, Mr. Huo's attitude grew increasingly stubborn. "If you've got the guts, do it again!"

Zu An's expression immediately turned utterly strange. Seeing the man's gradually enjoying expression, he wondered if he was trying to endure it, or if he was actually asking for it.

Remembering what Mr. Huo usually did to young girls, a flicker of disgust crossed Zu An's face.

He stopped activating the Yi Ku Experience Card. Instead, he raised his hand, and a small black hole faintly appeared in his palm. "Last chance. If you don't speak, I will drain all your cultivation and then throw you onto the street."

Feeling the suction from Zu An's palm, a hint of terror flashed across Mr. Huo's face. "I'll talk, I'll talk!"

In this world, nothing was more important than cultivation. Cultivation brought golden houses, cultivation brought beautiful women...

Once he became a cripple, Prince Yan would certainly abandon him, and combined with the enemies he had made over the years, he would truly rather die than live.

More importantly, once a person had tasted the view from the mountaintop, they would be unwilling to stay at the foot of the mountain.

Seeing the man coldly staring at him, Mr. Huo swallowed hard and quickly said, "Gold-Medal Number Seven was investigating Prince Yan's military supplies. Prince Yan desperately wanted to get rid of him."

"Prince Yan's military supplies?" Zu An's heart jolted. No wonder Gold-Medal Number Seven had been so grim back then; it concerned a powerful prince, and he wouldn't dare report it without evidence. "Be more specific!"

Once he started speaking, Mr. Huo lost all his previous reservations. "Over the years, Prince Yan has secretly raised private soldiers and recruited many experts. To do this, he needed to spend vast sums of money. So, he has been secretly trading with the demon race, smuggling the court's military supplies and some controlled items to them, in exchange for wealth and precious minerals, medicinal herbs, and other goods from the demon race. Some time ago, Gold-Medal Number Seven seemed to have uncovered some clues. Prince Yan was furious about this in private and vowed to eliminate him."

Zu An suddenly understood. Back in Yunzhong Commandery, he had found traces of Prince Yan's involvement with the Flying Horse Merchant Guild.

Now, combining all the information, it seemed that the smuggling operations in Yunzhong Commandery at that time belonged to Prince Qi's faction. Prince Yan wanted to use a borrowed knife to eliminate Prince Qi's influence and replace him. However, just when he was on the verge of success, Zu An ruined it. No wonder Prince Yan held such a grudge against him.

As for Gold-Medal Number Seven, discovering all this must have been horrifying. After all, a prince colluding with foreign powers and raising private armies clearly suggested preparations for rebellion. Thus, he dared not reveal it before obtaining solid evidence, as a false accusation against a prince would lead to a catastrophic charge of confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan.

Unfortunately, it never occurred to him that Prince Yan would strike first!

"How many private soldiers has Prince Yan raised?" Zu An continued to ask.

Mr. Huo shook his head. "I don't know. These are top-secret matters, and as a guest advisor, I don't have access to much information."

"Are you truly ignorant, or pretending to be?" Zu An activated his Gourmet's Sky-Devouring Art and moved closer to Mr. Huo's head.

Feeling his cultivation faintly threatening to burst from his body, Mr. Huo was terrified. "I truly don't know, but I do know that Prince Yan has a ledger. It contains records of his smuggling activities with the demon race and also related personnel registrations."

"Where is this ledger?"

"It's in a secret room behind Prince Yan's study. It's filled with traps and mechanisms, so no outsider could possibly get their hands on it."