Chapter 1674: Sacrificing the Flag

Initially, Zu'an felt a surge of betrayed anger upon seeing the words at the bottom of the black pool. When he later discovered that Jiang Zhong had been bribed, he instinctively connected the two events, assuming the turtle demon and Prince Yan were in league.

However, according to Yun Jianyue, Prince Yan was not the one who killed Gold Medal Number Seven, significantly lowering the possibility of the turtle demon and Prince Yan collaborating.

When he first sought out the turtle demon, it was completely unprepared. Furthermore, had he not possessed such keen eyesight, it would have remained undiscovered, hidden beneath the water.

Considering this, the likelihood of it being deliberately placed there to mislead him was very low. Therefore, the information it provided to save its life was likely truthful, as it had no reason to conceal anything for anyone else at that moment.

The turtle demon had mentioned a woman disposing of Gold Medal Number Seven's body there, and that event had indeed occurred.

But why did that woman utter such a strange remark?

If she was disposing of a body, why would she wish for others to discover it quickly?

And who exactly was this woman?

A sudden thought struck Zu'an: could it truly be Tang Tian'er?

However, he quickly became confused again. The turtle demon hadn't clearly seen the woman's appearance. The reason he thought of Tang Tian'er was because Jiang Zhong had mentioned that Gold Medal Number Seven had contacted her multiple times before his death, and Jiang Zhong, in turn, had been bribed by Prince Yan...

It seemed everything had returned to square one.

Zu'an felt something flash in his mind, yet he couldn't quite grasp it.

At that moment, Yun Jianyue spoke up, "A'Zu, there's a question I've been meaning to ask you."

"What?" Zu'an replied, regaining his composure and looking at Yun Jianyue beside him.

Yun Jianyue hesitated for a moment, seemingly choosing her words carefully. "From my past interactions with you, I've observed that you're not particularly loyal to the Emperor. In fact, I sense that you regard Zhao Hao as a potential adversary. Given this, why are you currently working for him? Both our Holy Sect and Prince Yan are focused on opposing the Emperor. As the proverb states, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Why are you making things difficult for Prince Yan, thereby losing a potential ally?"

She paused, her expression complex. "Furthermore, your decision to bring troops to Purple Mountain to help Zhao Hao eliminate security threats makes me feel that everything you are doing is utterly meaningless."

Zu'an's expression turned serious. "Sister Yun, you're mistaken. While Prince Yan harbors rebellious ambitions, he wouldn't dare rebel against Zhao Hao, even if he had ten times his current courage. If I'm not wrong, he's doing all of this to rebel against the Crown Prince after Zhao Hao's death. Therefore, when it comes to opposing Zhao Hao, he cannot cooperate with me and certainly cannot be an ally."

"Sister Yun, you are different. You're someone who truly dares to defy Zhao Hao, even attempting an assassination within the palace. That's why I admire you greatly, and we have a good relationship."

Hearing him recount this past event, Yun Jianyue recalled the days she spent hiding in the palace, and a rare, gentle smile graced her face.

"As for many of the things I'm doing now," Zu'an continued, "I'm simply accumulating opportunities."

"Accumulating opportunities?" Yun Jianyue was momentarily puzzled, not quite understanding. Typically, one seeks opportunities; what did "accumulating opportunities" even mean?

Zu'an offered no explanation. Instead, he steered the conversation to a more casual topic. "By the way, Sister Yun, I heard your competition with White Jade Capital is happening these days. Why haven't you made an appearance?"

Yun Jianyue offered a knowing, half-smile. "What, are you gathering intelligence for your little girlfriend?"

His face flushed. "I'm equally concerned about Honglei. Honestly, I don't want them to fight at all. No matter who loses, it will be difficult. Both are equally dear to me."

"Both are equally dear?" Yun Jianyue was exasperated but also amused. "You really are outrageous, making such shamelessness sound so utterly justified!"

Rage value from Yun Jianyue: 666,666...

Zu'an couldn't help but protest, "What else am I supposed to do? Should I really support one of them defeating the other?"

"You won't even say something nice in front of me that favors Honglei. I suppose you're the same when facing Ice Stone Woman and her group. At least you have some conscience," Yun Jianyue's expression softened slightly. "However, these past few days, you've been exchanging glances with Ice Stone Woman's disciple and that large-breasted woman from Biluo Palace, which has truly upset Honglei."

It took Zu'an a moment to realize she was referring to Pei Mianman, and he inwardly mused that this woman certainly loved coining nicknames for people.

He quickly retorted, "I didn't know your identities back then, but I still felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, and I even helped you several times!"

"That's more like it. I thought your tastes had changed," Yun Jianyue laughed.

Zu'an was speechless.

After a round of teasing, Yun Jianyue finally spoke with a serious expression. "I have my own arrangements regarding the agreement with White Jade Capital. However, since you also have a good relationship with them, telling you would only put you in a difficult position. I could have easily invented an excuse to mislead you, but I chose not to. I'm telling you directly that I cannot disclose it, and I hope you can understand."

Zu'an paused, then fixed his gaze on Yun Jianyue, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"What are you looking at? Are you angry?" Yun Jianyue asked, surprised.

"No," he replied, "I just find a unique, uninhibited beauty about you." Zu'an couldn't help but reflect that her personality and Yan Xuehen's were such complete opposites, it was no wonder they were sworn enemies.

"Stop flattering me. I'm not fooled by such tactics," she said, though the subtle joy in her eyebrows betrayed her true feelings.

The two conversed as they traveled, soon arriving near Yi City. Given that her identity made a public appearance inconvenient, Yun Jianyue landed first.

Zu'an also changed into the uniform of an Embroidered Envoy before continuing his journey towards Yi City.

From afar, he saw banners everywhere and dense formations of soldiers, creating an ominous feeling, like dark clouds pressing down on a city about to be overwhelmed.

Yi City's gates were tightly shut, and its walls were lined with garrison soldiers. The officials of Yi Commandery, led by Zhang Jie, all appeared tense. They understood that in a true battle, their regular garrison troops were no match for the enemy's seasoned field army.

Crucially, Prince Yan's faction held significant influence within the city. If a coordinated attack from both inside and outside were to occur, how could a city as large as Yi City possibly be defended?

Therefore, Zhang Jie was shouting various appeals from atop the walls, urging the opposing side to calm down and claiming there were misunderstandings.

Unfortunately, his efforts had no effect.

At that moment, from within Prince Yan's army formation outside the city, Prince Yan's heir, Zhao Huang, sat astride a tall horse. He waved his hand, and the drums of his army erupted. A surge of murderous intent radiated from the troops as they advanced slowly and with heavy steps toward Yi City. To those on the city gates, the sound of their marching was like a death knell.

Xiao Jianren, Zhang Ziqiong, and other Embroidered Envoys also arrived on the city wall, their identities dictating their responsibility to assist in defending the territory.

As the vast, dark army approached, the hearts of the envoys pounded. Accustomed to facing only a handful of experts, they had never witnessed a battlefield scene like this, where individual combat power was almost negligible. If a real battle erupted, perhaps every breath would be their last.

A sense of despair also crept into their hearts. Where was Sir Eleven? Why had he not appeared yet?

Still, they knew that even if Sir Eleven were to arrive in this situation, it would be of no avail.

Zu'an, meanwhile, was observing Prince Yan's army. After being in this world for such a long time, this appeared to be his first direct encounter with a battlefield scene.

Neither the Chu family's private army in Mingyue City nor the Imperial Guards he had led in recent days had, strictly speaking, engaged in actual battlefield combat.

Prince Yan's army was indeed worthy of its reputation, having long battled foreign tribes and rebels. The tangible killing intent emanating from them would make many cultivation masters tremble with fear, preventing them from unleashing their true power.

Their strict formations, excellent armor—every detail suggested a superiority even beyond the Chu family's private army in Mingyue City.

He also observed numerous cannon-like devices within Prince Yan's army, each intricately engraved with various runes, clearly a fusion of the cultivation world and firearms.

Blue light flickered around Yi City's walls, indicating that defensive formations had been activated. However, it was unclear how long the dispirited garrison troops could hold out.

Zu'an did not delay further. Once a real battle commenced, it would be exceedingly difficult to halt.

War is cruel; regardless of the outcome, it is always the common soldiers and civilians who suffer.

"Stop!" He flew directly above Prince Yan's army formation. With his current cultivation, a single shout was enough to reverberate across every corner of the battlefield.

Prince Yan's army quickly spotted him, and a formation of soldiers swiftly raised their crossbows and aimed.

Gazing at the dark gleam on their shoulders and the shimmering runes on the arrows, Zu'an's eyelids twitched. If such an army were to concentrate its fire on him, even with his current abilities, he would have to temporarily retreat.

On the city wall, Xiao Jianren and Zhang Ziqiong were instantly overjoyed. "It's Sir Eleven! Sir Eleven has arrived!"

Through numerous past experiences, they had developed an inexplicable trust in Gold Medal Eleven, as if his mere presence instilled a sense of stability.

Prince Yan's heir, Zhao Huang, raised a hand, halting his subordinates' volley. He had clearly recognized Zu'an. "Sir Eleven, I'm genuinely surprised you dare to appear before me."

Many onlookers indignantly declared, "Your Highness, this is the man who conspired to frame Prince Yan!"

Zu'an's expression remained calm. "Your Highness, Lord Sun, do you understand the nature of your actions today? Rebellion is punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan."

Zhang Jie and the others on the city wall couldn't help but wipe cold sweat from their brows upon hearing this. This Gold Medal Eleven was truly audacious; how dared he provoke the other side at such a crucial juncture?

As expected, Zhao Huang's face twitched. "I don't know what our ultimate fate will be, but I assure you, your outcome today will not be favorable."

Rage value from Zhao Huang: 444,444,444...

Sun Xun, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke. "We are here merely to seek justice for Prince Yan and secure his release. If Sir Eleven can persuade Zhang Jie to free Prince Yan, it would be beneficial for everyone."

Naturally, one played the 'good cop' and the other the 'bad cop.'

Zu'an, however, shook his head. "If we were to concede to your demands simply because you raised an army and coerced us, then everyone else would follow suit. Wouldn't that plunge the world into utter chaos?"

Zhang Jie and the others on the city wall exchanged peculiar glances. Even if what he said was true, it wasn't something to declare publicly.

Such an unsparing refusal left the other party no room for dignity.

As expected, Zhao Huang was enraged. "In that case, today, we will use you, the prime culprit, as a sacrifice to consecrate our banner!"

Rage value from Zhao Huang: 666,666,666...

With a wave of his hand, countless arrows, already aimed at Zu'an, shot forth. Glowing blue and imbued with destructive intent, they covered every possible corner he could evade into.