Chapter 1715: At the Foot of the Mountain

Zu'an rolled his eyes. "Am I really the type to betray my master?"

Mi Li thought for a moment and realized he had a point; she had just said it casually.

The two chatted for a while longer about various recent events and matters related to his cultivation.

"Brother Zu'an!" Just then, a graceful figure on a magnificent roan horse galloped quickly towards them. With her long legs and slender waist, she controlled the tall horse with great skill, truly looking like a valiant female general radiating heroic spirit.

"Another woman looking for you," Mi Li said, rolling her eyes, and vanished instantly.

"Sister Qinghe, Brothers Qin!" Zu'an cupped his hands in greeting. Besides Murong Qinghe, the two Qin brothers had also come along.

The brothers returned the gesture, their gazes towards him quite complex.

It was Murong Qinghe, ever outspoken, who asked, "Brother Zu'an, I heard you're the Regent of the Demon Race?"

Zu'an was momentarily stunned. "Has the news spread so widely that even you know about it?"

"It's really true?" Murong Qinghe exclaimed, her pretty face filled with shock.

It wasn't just her; even Qin Guangyuan, who had always prided himself on his composure, was utterly flustered.

And the more frivolous Qin Yongde had a blank, dazed look on his face, too stunned to speak.

It should be known that they came from the Qin clan, arguably the most prominent family in the Great Zhou Dynasty. With such a background, they were considered the most elite young masters in the capital's social circles.

Initially, when they viewed Zu'an, their "brother-in-law," it was with a condescending scrutiny, and even a hint of disdain in their hearts.

Although Zu'an later displayed astonishing talent, their impression of him merely improved somewhat, and they certainly didn't feel inferior or look up to him.

But now, upon learning that he was actually the Regent of the Demon Race, they truly felt inferior. When the gap between two parties is too vast, they couldn't even muster any jealousy.

"It was just a stroke of luck, nothing major," Zu'an said modestly.

"Nothing major?!" Murong Qinghe pestered him to explain how he became the Regent. Because of Chu Youzhao, she and Zu'an were quite close.

Moreover, with Chu Youzhao not present, she reverted to her usual tomboyish self, accustomed to military life, almost throwing an arm around Zu'an's shoulder.

The Qin brothers were equally curious and eagerly joined in the questioning.

Left with no choice, Zu'an began to tell them about the Demon Race.

At the same time, he learned from them that a commotion had recently erupted in the capital. Some ministers had once again submitted memorials, stating that as a prince, Prince Qi should rightfully leave the capital for his own feudal land and should no longer remain in the capital.

On previous occasions, Prince Qi's faction had fiercely argued with the Emperor's faction over this issue, each citing scriptures and historical precedents. However, now their forces were severely depleted, and their morale was clearly not as strong as before.

Prince Qi himself also spoke, once again agreeing to go to his feudal land. This time, after accompanying the Emperor for the Fengchan ceremony, he would go directly to his feudal land and not return to the capital.

The Qin brothers sighed, feeling that an era had passed, and were filled with worry about the future.

After all, the Qin family belonged to Prince Qi's faction. Now that Prince Qi was leaving the capital, it signified his failure in the struggle for the throne, meaning the Qin family would likely face retribution later.

Several days passed like this, and the party arrived at Yi City. King Yan had already led people out of the city to welcome them.

The Emperor and his entourage followed into the city and privately gave King Yan a thorough reprimand. After all, the previous incidents he caused were truly outrageous.

King Yan appeared sincerely contrite but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since the Emperor was willing to scold him like this, it proved that the matter had been put behind them.

As expected, the Emperor subsequently imposed a few minor punishments on King Yan's residence and also made some personnel adjustments in Yi County's officialdom, without truly doing anything significant to King Yan's residence.

The ministers also understood the Emperor's intentions, and none were so foolish as to speak out.

Zu'an observed with a detached eye, feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat strange. It was rare to see such harmony between Prince Qi's faction and the Emperor's faction.

Mi Li's voice sounded. "This is quite normal. Both Prince Qi and the Emperor are currently trying to deal with each other, and the moment of truth is approaching. At such a critical juncture, they naturally cannot afford to offend another powerful force, otherwise it would be troublesome if that force sided with the other."

Zu'an secretly mused, "Indeed, when one is powerful, they are sought after and courted everywhere."

Just then, an official suddenly came to report urgent military intelligence. It turned out that the main force of the rebel army had been discovered near Yi County, led by Lu Sanyuan.

There were many rebel factions across the land, but Lu Sanyuan's was paramount. It was said that he had intricate ties with the Demonic Cult. Not only was his personal cultivation exceptionally high, but he was also skilled in military tactics, causing the imperial army much suffering over the years.

Zhao Hao immediately ordered King Yan to suppress the rebellion. King Yan replied with difficulty, "Reporting to Your Majesty, as far as I know, this time it seems there's more than just Lu Sanyuan's rebel force. Bandits and outlaws from all over the land are gathering in this vicinity, as if some rare treasure is about to appear here. Previously, during Governor Zhang Xie's rebellion, our King Yan's residence suffered heavy losses in troops and generals during the chaotic battle. Now, relying solely on the forces within my residence, it's feared we might not even be able to handle that demon Lu Sanyuan alone, let alone so many other outlaws."

Zu'an recalled the scene when he had rescued Xie Daoyun earlier. Indeed, bandits from all over the land were gathering in this area. He wondered who had spread that rumor.

Zhao Hao inquired about the intelligence from the relevant officials, confirming that King Yan's words were not false. So he ordered Left Guard General Lü He to lead the troops of the capital's Six Battalions to go and assist King Yan in suppressing the rebellion.

He understood King Yan's little scheme, which was to seize the opportunity to bring Yi County's local troops under his command as well. But how could King Yan be allowed to command both forces simultaneously?

Prince Qi then stepped forward to advise, "Imperial Brother, the Six Grand Battalions are primarily for Your Majesty's safety. Now that the main force is being deployed, I fear it might be inappropriate."

Zhao Hao smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, Prince Qi. However, even without the Six Grand Battalions, there are still Right Guard General Guo Zhi and Court of Imperial Entertainments Minister Murong Tong's men, which are sufficient to cope. Furthermore, with My cultivation, why would I need protection?"

Prince Qi bowed. "Imperial Brother is right. It was my overthinking."

At this point, the Liu brothers, Liu Yao and Liu Guang, both offered to share the Emperor's burden and go together to suppress the rebellion. It turned out that in their view, the main force of the capital's Six Grand Battalions would easily deal with those rebels, and there was simply no better opportunity to earn military merits.

Moreover, their official positions were precisely the direct superiors of the Six Grand Battalions, so requesting to join the battle at this time was both reasonable and logical.

Zhao Hao pondered for a moment, then agreed.

Only King Yan and Lü He both frowned. Those two blockheads were more likely to mess things up than achieve anything, and they feared they would become a liability. However, given the other party's noble status, they couldn't refute.

Thus, the Liu brothers departed with half of the main army.

The remaining people continued their journey towards Purple Mountain, and after a few days, finally reached its foot.

Zu'an gazed at the golden peak hidden among the clouds, his heart filled with worry. He wondered if Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei were still on the mountain. If Zhao Hao were to discover them, they would truly have nowhere to run.

And what about Chuyan and Manman? He wondered if they had emerged from the Daoist Sect's secret realm.

And where was Sister Yan now...?