Chapter 1732: You Shouldn't Have Come

Seeing Xie Daoyun's frail figure trembling in the cold wind, the other women exchanged strange glances. This girl was truly too naive; even now, she still couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation. Yet, in this situation, despite her obvious weakness, she still dared to speak up for Zu An. Her courage was truly astonishing, especially considering that not long ago, Grandmasters were effortlessly crushed by Zhao Hao. If he were genuinely provoked, a single glance would be enough to turn her to dust.

What exactly did Zu An do to earn such unwavering loyalty from her, that she would dare to defend him even now? This guy certainly has an incredible knack for attracting women.

Rage points from Yun Jianyue: 111111111...Rage points from Qiu Honglei: 111111111...Rage points from Yan Xuehen: 111111111...

Feeling this flood of rage points, Zu An's scalp tingled, but more than that, he was deeply moved. He truly hadn't expected Xie Daoyun to take such an immense risk to plead for him, knowing that if she were branded as his accomplice, she would likely not escape retribution and might even implicate her entire family.

"Such efforts?" Zhao Hao was somewhat surprised. This young girl seemed quite clever; why was she being so foolish? "Is this brat truly eliminating hidden dangers here, or is he deliberately burying them for me?" Zhao Hao glanced at the nearby site where the altar had long since vanished. "He investigated for so long, yet he couldn't discover so many explosives hidden on this mountaintop?"

Although Xie Daoyun's body still trembled, her tone was much calmer than before. "Your Majesty," she said, "when Sir Zu investigated, the Golden Summit Arena hadn't even begun construction. He was later transferred and has remained by your side ever since. Surely the matter of the explosives cannot be blamed on him?"

Zhao Hao chuckled. "Can't blame him? So, should I blame myself instead?"

"This brat has long harbored rebellious intentions. Just now, he was trying to profit from the chaos. If I continue to feign ignorance, how will I rule my subjects in the future!"

Hearing the chilling intent in his voice, Xie Daoyun's face turned pale. She wanted to say more, but Zu An stopped her. "Ling'er, there's no need."

Ling'er?

The three women nearby instantly pricked up their ears. He's even calling her by her nickname? How intimate. Although this was certainly not the right moment for jealousy, the three women couldn't help themselves.

Rage points from Yun Jianyue, Qiu Honglei, Yan Xuehen: 666666...

Zu An looked helpless, but he still prepared for battle. Although his opponent was powerful, surrendering without a fight was not in his nature. Unexpectedly, Zhao Hao seemed to ignore her, looking instead directly at Xie Daoyun, his gaze filled with appreciation. "Young lady, who are you? I seem to sense the aura of the Academy."

Xie Daoyun curtsied slightly and revealed her identity to him.

"So, you are the daughter of Xie Yi, the City Lord of Brightmoon. Indeed, a tiger begets no dog-children. Now that you are a disciple of Yan Xiangu, I imagine your future achievements will not be inferior to your father's." The more Zhao Hao looked at her, the more he admired her. This woman was learned and sensible, outwardly gentle, yet exceptionally insightful and courageous deep down. For all these years, he had only seen a similar temperament in Bi Linglong. If not for Bi Linglong already being there, she could have been a perfect consort for the Crown Prince.

At the thought of Bi Linglong, he suddenly frowned and looked at Zu An. "What exactly happened in the secret realm where the Crown Prince underwent his trial? What else are you and the Crown Princess hiding from me?" Although Zu An and Bi Linglong's explanations back then were flawless, he hadn't truly believed them. After all, his Yang God was present within the Crown Prince; how could it have been so carelessly destroyed? Judging by the Emperor's tone, did this brat also have an illicit relationship with the Crown Princess?

Yun Jianyue, Yan Xuehen, and Qiu Honglei looked at Zu An. At this moment, they didn't even feel like being angry; instead, they felt a strange sense of admiration. Just how many more secrets was he hiding from them?

Hearing him bring this up, Zu An clearly understood that Zhao Hao no longer intended to play games with him. Today's situation clearly wouldn't end well. While secretly transmitting a message to the women, warning them to prepare for battle, he feigned confusion as he replied, "Didn't I report everything that happened before to Your Majesty in full detail? Why do you ask this?"

Zhao Hao snorted coldly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered something and abruptly turned to look at Xie Daoyun. "Why did you come to Purple Mountain?"

Xie Daoyun was startled but still recounted her mission in full detail.

"Yan Xiangu sent you to investigate Purple Mountain's formations?" After her reply, Zhao Hao's expression subtly changed, as if he had just realized something.

Zu An, however, suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and many previous doubts clicked into place. So he spoke directly, "Since you've been here for so long, why not show yourself?"

The women nearby looked at him blankly, not understanding who he was addressing. In contrast, Zhao Hao was on high alert, his gaze fixed solemnly on a certain direction.

At that moment, a rift suddenly opened in mid-air, and a figure slowly stepped out. The person had silver hair, and though advanced in age, it was clear he had been a handsome man in his youth. Crucially, this person possessed an otherworldly demeanor, not as overtly oppressive as Zhao Hao's aura, yet no one dared to underestimate him, for an unfathomable sense emanated from him.

"Grand Libationer?" Xie Daoyun was dumbfounded, having never imagined seeing this person at this time and place. Not just her, even Yan Xuehen was somewhat stunned. As the earthly representative of White Jade Capital, she had met the Grand Libationer several times, and they could be considered to have some acquaintance. However, she hadn't expected to see him here.

Yun Jianyue, on the other hand, looked tense, and secretly transmitted a message with her vital energy: "Ah Zu, the situation isn't good. Later, you take Honglei and leave. I'll cover you. If one of us can escape, it's a blessing." Given her usual fearless nature, uttering such disheartening words proved that she had lost all confidence. If it were just Zhao Hao alone, with their combined strength, they might still have a minuscule chance. But with the Grand Libationer added, there was truly no hope at all. Even if one person escaped, it would be an immense stroke of luck amidst misfortune. Unlike Yan Xuehen, Yun Jianyue, hailing from the Demonic Sect, considered the Grand Libationer an adversary, so she naturally and subconsciously viewed him as an enemy.

Zu An, however, comforted her. "It may not be as pessimistic as you think."

Yun Jianyue was startled, not yet understanding what he meant, when she saw the Grand Libationer look at Zu An in confusion. "My concealment was such that even the Emperor might not have known. How did you see through it?"

Zu An smiled slightly. "I just guessed. Perhaps I'm just lucky." Of course, he wasn't just guessing. Over the years, he had gathered a lot of information but had never been able to connect it all until just now, when Xie Daoyun mentioned that Master Yan of the Academy had sent her, and Zhao Hao's expression became abnormal; then he finally understood many things. Of course, his deductions in such haste weren't entirely perfect, and he hadn't even fully thought them through. But with Zhao Hao's threat imminent, he could only make a tentative bluff, and unexpectedly, it actually worked, drawing the person out.

Seeing that he was unwilling to speak, the Grand Libationer didn't press him but instead looked at Zhao Hao on the other side.

"You shouldn't have come!" Zhao Hao's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression far more solemn than when he had faced Prince Qi just moments ago.

"Yet, I came." The Grand Libationer sighed, a complex emotion—mixed with weariness, regret, and determination—flashing in his eyes.