Chapter 1666: The Number One Backer in Heaven

The King of Yan stood his ground, not moving an inch. With a casual grab, his hand seemed to blot out the sky like a dark cloud, enveloping the Embroidered Uniform Guard contingent.

Zu An snorted and met the attack with a direct palm strike. With a deafening boom, nearby houses shook, and the terrifying claw shadow of the King of Yan dissipated into nothing.

Everyone around was stunned. While the golden-badge Embroidered Uniform Guards were legendary for their power, this seemed almost too incredible.

Could someone really withstand a Grandmaster's strike? Perhaps the King of Yan hadn't used his full power... The King of Yan, however, was now filled with doubt and surprise. He certainly hadn't used his full power just now, but to seize such an important ledger, he had exerted at least 70% of his strength. He had thought that would be more than enough to deal with a golden-badge Embroidered Uniform Guard, as he was well aware of their average capabilities.

Yet, when their palms met, he felt the primal energy of his grab being sucked away, as if a balloon had been pricked by a needle.

He suspected it was a life-saving technique; after all, golden-badge Embroidered Uniform Guards were not to be underestimated. So, he struck again, vanishing from his spot. This time, he dared not be careless and attacked with almost his full might, determined to reclaim the ledger from Zu An's grasp.

The terrifying pressure made it impossible for those around to even breathe, let alone evade. Xiao Jianren wanted to rush forward to help, but his body felt as if it were fixed in place, completely uncontrollable.

Governor Zhang's expression changed drastically. He had never expected the King of Yan to unleash his full power. Although his own cultivation was not low, there was still a considerable gap compared to the King of Yan.

He hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not step forward to help. Everyone believed this golden-badge Guard was doomed and would pay the price for his recklessness, but then he suddenly raised his hand.

The King of Yan was startled. How could this man still move so quickly under his immense pressure? And what kind of technique was this? It seemed utterly unrecognizable.

Just as he was about to cripple the raised hand, he caught sight of the golden badge in Zu An's palm. A legend suddenly flashed through his mind, and his pupils contracted instantly.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards investigated all corners of the realm. Their cultivation wasn't particularly high, so why did all officials in the empire fear them like tigers?

It was because they could directly appeal to the Emperor! Legend had it they could even summon the Emperor to act on their behalf. However, he reassured himself that summoning the Emperor reportedly required a lengthy ritual. That amount of time would be enough for him to snatch the ledger from Zu An dozens of times over.

He could even consider whether to take the life of this arrogant golden-badge Guard. But just then, an even more terrifying pressure suddenly emanated from the golden badge.

The King of Yan's previous aura had been terrifying enough, but compared to this new presence, it was like the difference between a firefly and the sun and moon.

A golden apparition appeared in mid-air, radiating an immeasurably vast imperial aura. Those who had barely managed to withstand the King of Yan's pressure now dropped to their knees, trembling.

"You... you..." Even the King of Yan's hair stood on end from fright. He simply couldn't fathom how Zu An had managed to summon the Emperor so quickly.

Only Zu An remained calm in the field, standing firm and gazing at the apparition in mid-air, which was an exact likeness of Zhao Hao.

Back in Brightmoon City, when he first witnessed Zhao Hao's ability, he had merely been awestruck. But now, having grown so much and especially having learned descriptions of realms beyond Grandmaster from true top experts, he had a much deeper understanding of the apparition in the sky.

Was that Zhao Hao's Yin Soul or Yang Soul? Although he didn't fear the King of Yan, why should he fight when there was a free enforcer available?

He had previously defeated Elder Xu of the Pure Void Manor on Purple Mountain. Since Elder Xu was a Grandmaster, and Zu An's cultivation wasn't vastly inferior, it could still be somewhat explained.

But if he were to fight the King of Yan to a standstill, the trouble would be immense. The King of Yan was a genuine, seasoned Grandmaster!

In that scenario, it would be impossible for him to remain low-key. Emperor Zhao Hao would undoubtedly view him with extreme suspicion, and attracting the attention of such a terrifying entity was not a good thing.

"What is it?" The apparition of Zhao Hao in mid-air slowly opened its eyes, scanned the entire scene, and then its gaze fell upon Zu An.

Zu An pointed to the King of Yan nearby. "The King of Yan is planning a rebellion!" Zhao Hao frowned, his gaze settling on the King of Yan.

The King of Yan nearly spat out a mouthful of blood and glared furiously at Zu An. "Nonsense! How am I planning a rebellion?" In front of the Emperor, he didn't even dare to refer to himself as "this king."

[Anger value from the King of Yan: 444,444,444] Zu An snorted, "I am a golden-badge Embroidered Uniform Guard personally appointed by His Majesty, tasked with patrolling the realm on behalf of Heaven. How is your attack on me any different from treason?" The King of Yan hastily retorted, "I wasn't attacking you! I merely wished to reason with you because of your prior reckless words."

"Reason? You must mean destroying evidence, then?" Zu An raised the ledger in his hand. The King of Yan's heart sank. Zhao Hao asked, "What exactly is going on?" Zu An replied, "This ledger contains evidence of the King of Yan colluding with the demon race, smuggling military supplies, and raising a private army."

"It's a false accusation! He found some inexplicable ledger from who knows where and is trying to frame me! I've been diligently guarding this region for His Majesty for years; I would never harbor any disloyal thoughts!" The King of Yan simultaneously cried out his grievances. He knew that at this moment, he absolutely could not admit anything if he wanted even a glimmer of hope.

"Oh?" Zu An smiled.

"If that's the case, then why did Your Highness suddenly erupt and attack me directly, trying to snatch this ledger from my hands?"

"It was merely because you casually slandered a vassal king, and I wished to teach you a lesson. There was no attempt to destroy evidence." The King of Yan's reaction was swift; he felt he had never reacted so quickly in his entire life. Cold sweat streamed down his back as he faced Zhao Hao's piercing gaze. Even though it was just an apparition, the pressure was enough to make him gasp for air.

Zhao Hao no longer looked at Zu An but turned to Governor Zhang. "Zhang Jie, you tell me, what exactly happened?" Zhang Jie's expression flickered between hesitation and resolve. At this point, if he supported the King of Yan, the golden-badge Guard would likely be finished; if he supported the golden-badge Guard, the King of Yan would be finished.

However, once he supported the golden-badge Guard, there would be no turning back. He would have completely alienated the King of Yan. If this incident failed to definitively prove the King of Yan's guilt, he would face the King of Yan's brutal retaliation.

After much deliberation, his gaze became resolute. "Reporting to Your Majesty, these past years, as your humble official in Yi Commandery, I have indeed heard some rumors regarding the King of Yan..." Although he had declared his support for the golden-badge Guard, he didn't commit entirely. He didn't explicitly state that he had discovered the King of Yan colluding with demons to rebel, thus leaving himself room to maneuver if any unexpected developments occurred in the future.

"Zhang Jie, you scoundrel!" The King of Yan was both shocked and enraged. It was clear that Zhang Jie had set a trap today.

Zhao Hao's expression darkened. "First, detain the King of Yan. Zhang Jie, you are to cooperate with the golden-badge Guard in investigating the relevant evidence of his crimes."

"Your humble servant obeys!" Zhang Jie was overjoyed. His long-time rival had finally fallen. In contrast, those from the King of Yan's mansion looked as if they had lost their parents. Although they were loyal to the King of Yan, if only the golden-badge Guard or Zhang Jie had been present, they would have certainly protected the King of Yan and fought their way out.

But with the Emperor's manifestation, they completely lost the courage to resist. For so many years, Zhao Hao's status in the hearts of all people in the empire had been god-like, invincible!

The King of Yan's expression shifted; he seemed to be preparing for a desperate struggle. After all, it wasn't Zhao Hao's true form that had appeared, so he might still have a chance... The moment this thought arose, the apparition in the air subtly glanced at him. His hair stood on end, and he immediately knelt to the ground in despair, "Your subject has been wronged! I await the court to clear my name!" Zu An winked at Xiao Jianren and Zhang Zitong. "What are you waiting for?" Only then did the others snap out of their stupor and rush over with soul-binding ropes to shackle the King of Yan.

Even though he was a Grandmaster, once bound by the soul-binding ropes, he couldn't unleash his cultivation. The group was still somewhat dazed, unable to believe they had captured the King of Yan, who had dominated a region for so long.

Zhang Jie, however, remained relatively clear-headed and signaled his subordinates to cooperate in apprehending the King of Yan's accompanying attendants.

Otherwise, these people would cause trouble later. Seeing the King of Yan secured, Zhao Hao nodded slightly, then addressed Zu An, "Come here. I have something to ask you." Zu An followed him to a distant courtyard. The massive head in mid-air transformed into a golden light, eventually taking on Zhao Hao's form. Aside from appearing somewhat shimmering and translucent, he was essentially indistinguishable from the real Zhao Hao.

Zu An secretly clicked his tongue. He hadn't expected Zhao Hao could use this ability in such a way. No wonder it was said that Earth Immortals could travel thousands of miles in a single night with their spirit. He wondered if the real Zhao Hao's power in the palace was diminished at this moment.

"How is the renovation of the palace on Purple Mountain progressing?" Zhao Hao asked casually, standing with his hands behind his back.

"Everything is proceeding in an orderly fashion," Zu An replied, knowing full well that wasn't what Zhao Hao truly wanted to ask. He added,

"However, with the recent Grand Competition of the Nine Daoist Sects, masters are gathering on Purple Mountain. I was concerned they might pose a threat to Your Majesty?"

"Are they worthy?" Zhao Hao scoffed with a dismissive smile after hearing this. Zu An inwardly thought, *This guy is quite a show-off, almost as good as me.*

"Continue to observe. I'll take my leave now." As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Hao's golden figure vanished. Zu An, meanwhile, muttered to himself, "By Imperial Decree, sanctioned by Heaven..." Almost instantly, Zhao Hao's figure reappeared, looking at him with a rather displeased expression.

"Do you know how many Embroidered Uniform Guards never dared to summon Me once in their entire lives?" Zhao Hao tried to maintain his composure, but the murderous glint in his eyes was impossible to hide.

[Anger value from Zhao Hao: 666,666,666] It should be noted that ordinary Embroidered Uniform Guards were typically not authorized to summon the Emperor. They were usually granted imperial edicts only when undertaking special missions.

Even then, many would ultimately choose not to use the edict. Firstly, the edict itself carried sufficient deterrent power, and secondly, they didn't want to leave the Emperor with an impression of their incompetence.

Golden-badge Embroidered Uniform Guards, however, were different. They didn't need an imperial edict; their golden badge alone gave them the chance to summon the Emperor. Of course, the Emperor needed to specially empower the badge before they left the capital.

Zhao Hao recalled that he had only been summoned a few times over many years, but this young man had already summoned him several times, and this time, he had even done it twice in quick succession!

For a moment, he even felt as if he were being made a fool of.

"I simply wanted to check if there were any restrictions on this summoning," Zu An said with a sincere expression. "Otherwise, if a situation like today's arose again, I would feel quite uneasy without Your Majesty's intervention."

"Do not summon Me unless it's a truly urgent matter! Let this be the last time!" Zhao Hao scoffed coldly, his figure vanishing instantly.