Chapter 1655: Secret Room

**Novel**

Not only Yun Jianyue, but also Wang Wuxie and the other sect masters stared wide-eyed at Zu'an. Over thousands of years, the Grand Daoist Competition had been held countless times, but a scene like this had never occurred before. It was well known that the chief disciples of each sect were already elites among elites; to reach that status, they not only needed exceptional talent but also paramount luck. Those who made it to the later stages of the finals possessed even more astonishing luck. With everyone evenly matched, it was considered impossible for one person to receive byes throughout the entire competition, from start to finish.

Given that such an event had never occurred in history, suspicion naturally fell upon this draw. Yet, throughout the entire drawing process, numerous eyes had been fixed on it. How could anyone tamper with it without being discovered? The only anomaly was that each time Pei Mianman drew her lot, Zu'an would give her a strange pill to consume.

"It's just a healing medicine," Zu'an said with a shrug, thinking how ungrateful the woman was, considering he had previously assisted Kongming Island.

Yun Jianyue frowned, remaining silent as she pondered what methods he could have possibly used. Unfortunately, despite her usual self-proclaimed brilliance, she was unable to unravel the mystery this time.

"'Hand over that pill you just gave her so we can examine it for any trickery,' Guan Chouhai snorted. Although Li Hentian no longer had any contestants advancing to the next round, this young man had crossed him on several occasions. Normally, a sect master like him wouldn't pay any mind to a minor conflict with an ordinary young man. Yet, for some unknown reason, every time he saw Zu'an, an inexplicable sense of irritation arose within him, as if the young man had stolen something precious.

Wang Wuxie shared the same sentiment. While Zu'an's strength had earned his respect, their interactions over the past few days had revealed that he simply didn't like him. The world was indeed strange; often, people would instinctively dislike someone upon their first meeting, without being able to pinpoint the reason.

"'I don't have any more,' Zu'an immediately refused. 'That pill is quite precious, and I only possessed one.'"

"'Then what are its approximate ingredients and effects?' Guan Chouhai pressed on. 'There are plenty of alchemy experts present who can provide a fair assessment.'"

Zu'an's expression turned serious. 'Sect Master Guan, don't you think it's incredibly rude to inquire about the formula of someone's spiritual medicine?' In this cultivation world, things like cultivation manuals, array formations, or medicinal formulas were often closely guarded secrets of a sect or family.

Guan Chouhai's face flushed with awkwardness. He had indeed spoken too hastily. He quickly clarified, 'I merely wished to understand the secret behind how you enabled Miss Pei to receive a bye three times.'

Zu'an smiled. 'Do you honestly believe that consuming this elixir could make her draw a bye? Does such a thing as a 'Lucky Pill' truly exist in this world?'"

"'You!' Guan Chouhai was momentarily stunned, then realized others were looking at him with expressions usually reserved for an imbecile. His aged face flushed with embarrassment.

At that moment, Master Huoling spoke with annoyance. 'Are you quite finished? Last time, when Manman won her match, you all jumped out to question it. Now she's drawn a bye, and you're questioning that too. What, are these advantages reserved only for a few of your sects? Is it an overstepping of bounds for others to obtain them?'"

"'Master, you're overstating things,' Wang Wuxie and the others quickly interjected, wiping cold sweat from their brows. They certainly couldn't bear such an accusation.

Ultimately, with no concrete evidence to be found, they had no choice but to accept the outcome: Pei Mianman received byes all the way to the finals.

Soon, disciples from various sects dispersed, replaying the thrilling details of the day's competition in their minds. However, the most debated topic was the miraculous streak of Pei Mianman's three consecutive byes, with widespread speculation on whether Zu'an had indeed assisted her. Some believed he hadn't, reasoning that the two were strangers, so there was no reason for him to take such a huge risk. Moreover, with so many top masters observing, any trickery would surely have been exposed. Others, however, were convinced he had. They speculated that Zu'an, seeing Pei Mianman's striking beauty and ample figure, wanted to use the opportunity to exploit her, coveting her body—how base!

"'He's absolutely infuriating!' Yun Jianyue fumed. 'Others might be clueless, but I know for a fact that brat pulled some strings.' Even after returning to her room and drinking two cups of clear tea, her lingering anger remained.

Qiu Honglei pursed her lips, a smile playing on them, as she refilled the cup. 'I didn't see you this upset back at the Golden Summit.'"

"'That brat possesses a special ability to sense people's anger; wasn't I just trying to avoid exposing my identity?' Yun Jianyue muttered discontentedly. They had shared so many adventures that she had some understanding of his capabilities.

"'Alright, Master, I'm the one about to compete, and I'm not even this upset,' Qiu Honglei said, moving behind her to massage her shoulders. 'Besides, how could he possibly tamper with anything under everyone's watchful eyes? Weren't you right there watching too? Could he really have hidden it from you?'"

"'For anyone else, perhaps not, but that brat has created far too many miracles; he definitely has his methods,' Yun Jianyue snorted. The thought of him exchanging glances with that buxom woman earlier at the Golden Summit filled her with an inexplicable annoyance."

"'Oh, Master, the Zu you speak of seems quite omnipotent,' Qiu Honglei chuckled. 'I hadn't realized he was so powerful.' Naturally, the higher her lover's standing in her master's eyes, the happier she became.

What was said casually was taken to heart. Yun Jianyue was startled. 'I'm not just worrying about your competition,' she quickly corrected. 'By the way, don't just focus on the matches these past few days. How is the investigation progressing?'"

Qiu Honglei's smile faded. 'Over the past few days, I've been visiting various places and discovered...'

Yun Jianyue listened, nodding slightly, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

Meanwhile, the entire Daoist Sect wondered what methods Zu'an had employed. Pei Mianman, naturally, was no exception. She knew perfectly well her injuries had healed; thus, Zu'an giving her a 'healing' pill clearly served another purpose. It was evidently related to the lottery draw. Her curiosity gnawed at her, so she seized an opportunity to quietly ask Zu'an, 'Zu'an, how exactly did you do it?'

Zu'an smiled faintly. 'I just told you the truth,' he said. 'That item is called a Lucky Pill, but none of you believed me.'"

Pei Mianman gasped in surprise. 'Does such a miraculous item truly exist in this world?'

"'Do you recall when I won 7.5 million taels at the gambling house in Brightmoon City?' Zu'an's lips curved into a slight smile.

'That was because of this too?' Pei Mianman, who had naturally been aware of the city-wide sensation at the time, and the pervasive speculation about how he achieved it, was astonished to learn the answer today. Seeing him nod, Pei Mianman's eyes curved into crescent shapes. 'Zu'an, you are truly wonderful to me!' Were it not for the numerous disciples from other sects nearby, she would have already thrown herself into his embrace.

Yan Xuehen, who had also been curious about how Zu'an accomplished this, had intended to feign a casual passing to inquire. However, upon witnessing the affectionate scene between the two, she immediately turned and walked away.

Rage value from Yan Xuehen: 555555...

Wang Wuxie had initially planned to seize an opportunity to speak with her. However, seeing her face darken considerably, he couldn't help but swallow, not daring to approach and risk her wrath. Why was Fairy Yan so angry? Could it be because Baiyujing's contestant hadn't reached the finals this time? But that was Li Changsheng's disciple...

Zu'an was startled by the sudden surge of rage value he detected, and quickly turned to look, only catching a glimpse of Yan Xuehen's retreating figure. Just then, a cold snort reached his ears. Master Huoling had appeared beside him, her gaze fixed warily on Zu'an. 'Lord Zu,' she warned, 'Manman's grand competition is imminent. Do not disturb or distract her.' With that, she pulled Pei Mianman away.

Zu'an was left speechless. This old spinster was acting like a disciplinary dean from his past life, needlessly complicating things for both him and Manman. Resigned, he returned to his residence. He had originally intended to seek out Yan Xuehen to gauge her mood, when suddenly, his expression shifted. He pulled out the Golden Token of the Embroidered Envoy. A line of text appeared on it, indicating that Yi Prefecture had located the secret room where the Yan King's Manor ledgers were kept. He promptly left a note instructing Xie Daoyun and Zhang Zijiang on a few matters, then swiftly descended the mountain and set off towards Yi City.