Chapter 1667: Another Underlying Situation

The commotion was so immense, with even the Emperor making a personal appearance, that important officials from Yi City rushed to the scene. Among them were Yang Sheng, Commander of Yi Commandery, Liao Ling, Lord of Yi City, and other mid-to-high-ranking officials.

Naturally, some uninformed officials from the Yan Kingdom also arrived, their faces blanching upon seeing the King of Yan apprehended.

Zhang Xie, however, seized the opportunity and quickly brought them all under control, giving them no chance to escape.

The only regret was the absence of the Crown Prince of Yan and Sun Xun, the Prime Minister of Yan, who were reportedly away on official business.

When Zu An returned to the courtyard, everyone’s perception of him had dramatically shifted.

While his identity as a Gold-Badge Embroidered Envoy was certainly intimidating, many present were powerful regional figures who weren't easily cowed.

Yet now, with his apparent ability to summon the Emperor at will, who wouldn't be truly intimidated by him?

It was previously rumored that Embroidered Envoys could summon a divine presence, but the accompanying ritual was notoriously complex. No one had ever seen such a casual summoning before.

Furthermore, the "saint" he summoned was distinctly different from those summoned by other Embroidered Envoys. Intelligence gathered elsewhere suggested that such a summoned entity was typically an emotionless phantom, appearing only to unleash a destructive attack before vanishing.

This time, however, it seemed as though the Emperor's true self had descended!

"Lord Eleven is truly both wise and courageous to have apprehended the King of Yan so swiftly," Zhang Xie remarked, giving a thumbs-up and realizing he was involuntarily flattering him.

Others quickly joined in with compliments, and even the usually aloof Liao Ling regarded him with a newfound deference.

Having just met Zhao Hao, Zu An was not in a good mood and found their flattery less gratifying than usual.

He instructed Zhang Xie to oversee the imprisonment of the implicated individuals, while he sought an opportunity for a private audience with the King of Yan.

Although this was not entirely standard procedure, his immense prestige currently deterred any challenges.

The normally imperious King of Yan, now bound by the Soul-Binding Rope, resembled an old man on the verge of death. He sat silently in the corner, appearing as if he could decay at any moment.

Upon Zu An's entrance, the King of Yan raised his head, a flicker of malevolence in his eyes. "Very well, very well," he sneered, "I never imagined that I, who spent my days hunting geese, would ultimately have my eyes pecked out by one."

Rage value from Zhao Li: +555,555,555…

"From the moment you colluded with the demon race and plotted rebellion, you should have foreseen this day," Zu An stated coldly.

A strange feeling washed over him after he spoke. Here he was, the esteemed Regent of the Demon Race, the little Emperor's foster father, and the little Demon Queen's lover, accusing others of colluding with demons?

Though he had previously instructed the little Demon Queen to suppress any news regarding his connection to the Regent, the vastness of the demon realm meant the imperial court would inevitably uncover the truth eventually.

The King of Yan merely grunted. With no one else present, he saw no point in futile explanations.

Zu An collected his thoughts. "I'm here to ask you one thing: How did you kill Gold-Badge Number Seven?"

The King of Yan cast a cold glance at him. "What, is the charge of rebellion insufficient? Do you wish to frame me for yet another crime?"

"We are all reasonable people," Zu An said calmly. "Is there any point in quibbling now?"

"Heh," the King of Yan sneered. "I thought you were far more astute. So you've always believed I killed Gold-Badge Number Seven?"

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "It wasn't you?"

"Of course not," the King of Yan replied, a glint in his eye. He seemed to have gleaned some interesting information from Zu An's last remark, and his mood gradually settled. "Given the circumstances, there's no need for me to deny such a trivial matter."

Zu An frowned. Indeed, compared to crimes such as colluding with demons or plotting rebellion, the murder of Gold-Badge Number Seven seemed insignificant.

Yet, it was hard to say; the first two charges might not be fully substantiated, making it plausible he still wouldn't admit to killing Gold-Badge Number Seven.

Sensing Zu An's disbelief, the King of Yan continued, "True, Gold-Badge Number Seven has been a constant nuisance to me for years. I utterly detest him and have indeed entertained thoughts of eliminating him. However, his identity is too sensitive; he was directly dispatched by the Emperor to be His Majesty's eyes in Yi Commandery. Harming him would be an act of open rebellion, and I am well aware of such grave implications."

"Nevertheless, all current evidence seems to point directly at you," Zu An said, meeting his gaze.

"You captured Mister Huo, didn't you?" the King of Yan suddenly realized, speaking with resentment. "That man is good for nothing but botching things up."

The crucial point was that he was typically eccentric and reclusive, sometimes disappearing for days on mysterious errands.

When Mister Huo had initially departed, the King of Yan had assumed it was business as usual and thought little of it, only now realizing that something had gone wrong.

"Nothing to say now?" Zu An sneered. "Gold-Badge Number Seven died silently because he was struck by a mental attack."

"So you suspected me because of Mister Huo," the King of Yan realized with a start.

"You had the strongest motive, and you command a mental expert like Mister Huo. Who else could it be?" Zu An said, maintaining a calm demeanor while his mind churned with various hypotheses.

"Since you've apprehended Mister Huo, did he confess to killing Gold-Badge Number Seven?" the King of Yan scoffed.

Zu An frowned slightly. When Mister Huo was captured, he hadn't seemed to confess to this, had he? The conversation had then shifted to the grievances between Gold-Badge Number Seven and the King of Yan, leading everyone to search for the ledger containing evidence of the King of Yan's rebellion. Everything had seemed to fall into place quite naturally...

Seeing his silence, the King of Yan snorted. "I naturally knew I would be the prime suspect after Gold-Badge Number Seven's death, so I specifically dispatched people to investigate the case myself."

"Oh, you sent someone to investigate?" Zu An was genuinely surprised now. "Who did you send?"

"That, I cannot tell you," the King of Yan replied enigmatically.

Zu An frowned slightly, unsure whether the King was merely being evasive or genuinely held back information.

Still, this did connect several prior details.

"There's one thing I don't understand," the King of Yan resumed, his expression utterly bewildered. "You should have investigated the Leisurely Tower at first. Why did you turn back and investigate me instead?"

A thought struck Zu An. "So, you bribed that Embroidered Envoy."

Tang Tian'er had been led to investigate the Leisurely Tower based on the traitor's description, but the traitor could never have imagined Zu An knew Tang Tian'er.

"Was that Embroidered Envoy silenced by you afterward?" Zu An inquired. Xiao Jianren and his team had searched extensively, even investigating the envoy's hometown, yet no trace was ever found.

"Someone did try to silence him, but it wasn't me," the King of Yan said with a smile, apparently having figured something out.

"Where is that person now?" Zu An pressed, sensing the traitor was not as simple as he seemed.

"You refuse to tell me why you didn't investigate the Leisurely Tower but returned to investigate me instead, so why should I tell you anything?" the King of Yan retorted, refusing outright.

Zu An frowned. This matter was too sensitive; Tang Tian'er was his friend, and he had no desire to involve her.

"Although I don't know why you were unwilling to investigate the Leisurely Tower, I will offer you this advice: the Leisurely Tower is highly likely involved in the death of Gold-Badge Number Seven."

The King of Yan said with a smile. Having seemingly come to terms with some matters after the initial shock of his detention, his demeanor had visibly relaxed.

Zu An proceeded to ask him more questions, but the King remained stubbornly silent, much to Zu An's frustration. He truly wished he could use a "storage experience card" to provoke a reaction.

After considerable hesitation, he decided against it and instead turned to leave the cell.

He summoned Zhang Zitong and Xiao Jianren, instructing them to work with Zhang Xie and other officials to verify the ledger's details and secure all relevant human and material evidence.

Both were quite excited; this was a major case that, if successfully concluded, would earn them several years' worth of merit.

Zu An then conferred with local Yi Commandery officials, including Zhang Xie, Yang Sheng, and Liao Ling, instructing them to hunt down the King of Yan's remaining loyalists and swiftly apprehend the Crown Prince of Yan, Sun Xun the Prime Minister, and other key figures.

After relaying his instructions, he departed swiftly, his mind consumed by numerous doubts requiring verification.

Immediately after leaving the Prefect's mansion, a sudden intuition made him abruptly turn and look in a certain direction.

A figure slowly emerged from behind a large tree. Dressed in black, the familiar silhouette and ethereal aura unmistakably belonged to Yan Xuehen.

"Sister Yan!" Zu An's previously agitated heart instantly found peace.

"I wasn't worried about your safety," Yan Xuehen said, a hint of awkwardness in her tone. "I merely sensed the Emperor's pressure and couldn't help but come out of curiosity."

Zu An let out a soft sigh. "You finally came. I was almost killed by the Emperor just now."

As he spoke, he feigned weakness, closed his eyes, and swayed as if to collapse.

A gasp sounded nearby, and then he felt himself nestled against a soft body.

"What's wrong?" Yan Xuehen asked, her face etched with anxiety, as she simultaneously checked his pulse.

Her expression quickly shifted, and she pushed him away. "You tricked me again!"

Rage value from Yan Xuehen: +333,333…

Zu An, however, wasn't pushed away. Instead, he clung to her like sticky toffee, embracing her.

"Let go of me immediately!" Yan Xuehen struggled more fiercely, but ultimately refrained from unleashing her Grandmaster power, fearing she might accidentally harm him.

Zu An sighed. "Sister Yan, both before and just now, it's clear you care for me. Why keep deceiving yourself?"

"Who cares for you? I told you I sensed the Emperor... mmmph!" Before she could finish, her words were stifled by a pair of ardent lips.

Her beautiful eyes widened in an instant, and her mind went utterly blank.

After a moment, she finally regained her composure, pushed him away, and, flushed with both shame and anger, exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing!"

As she spoke, she instinctively glanced around her.

"Don't worry, there's no one else here," Zu An said, smiling as he watched her. The sight of the "iceberg" tinged with blush was truly a beautiful scene.

"This is rude? Then what do you call what we did before?" Zu An asked, his gaze unwavering.