Chapter 1883: Also Offended Qin

Fantasy Novel

"Who's there!" General Liu whirled around. He hadn't detected anyone approaching, not from start to finish.

"Brother-in-law!" Chu Youzhao exclaimed, surprised and overjoyed to hear the familiar voice.

"Big Brother Zu," Murong Qinghe's eyes, previously filled with despair, also brightened.

Zu An slowly walked forward. For some reason, the purple-armored guards automatically parted ways wherever he passed.

"Youzhao, don't be afraid. Your brother-in-law is back," Zu An said with tenderness. With the massive changes in the Qin family lately, compounded by the Murong family's troubles, the young girl must have been living in fear every day.

"Brother-in-law, boo-hoo," Chu Youzhao's eyes reddened, and she immediately threw herself into his embrace.

Murong Qinghe, standing nearby, had a strange expression. Chu Gege (Brother Chu) was excellent in every way, but sometimes his personality was a little too... delicate. He always seemed like a little girl whenever he was in front of his brother-in-law.

However, remembering how Chu Gege had just protected her, more bravely than any man, a shy smile appeared on her face.

To be treated by him like this, her life was worth it...

Feeling Chu Youzhao's slender body trembling slightly in his arms, Zu An gently stroked her hair to comfort her.

At this moment, Prince Jin's men regained their composure. General Liu snorted, "I wondered who it was. So it's Lord Zu."

Zu An looked up at him. "Excuse me, who are you?"

The general's face stiffened. He knew Zu An, but Zu An didn't know him, which made his face burn a little. However, he also knew that he wasn't as famous as the other man in the capital, so he introduced himself, "I am Liu Jinxin, the Captain of the Guards for Prince Jin's Residence."

"Never heard of you," Zu An said casually, then continued to comfort Chu Youzhao.

"You!" Liu Jinxin's face darkened. "I hope Lord Zu will not obstruct us from arresting imperial fugitives."

Liu Jinxin was furious.

Zu An finally raised his head slightly. "Fugitives? Are there any here? How would I know?"

Liu Jinxin's eyes flared with anger. "The Emperor was assassinated at Purple Mountain Golden Summit. Murong Tong, as the Minister of the Imperial Clan, was responsible for the Emperor's security. His dereliction of duty led to the Emperor's demise, which is naturally an enormous crime. Not only did the Murong family refuse to cooperate with the investigation, but they secretly helped Murong Qinghe escape. What is that if not a guilty conscience? The imperial court has already issued an arrest warrant for them, and Chu Youzhao harboring a fugitive is naturally an accomplice to the same crime!"

Liu Jinxin was even more enraged.

Zu An simply said, "Oh. I understand. You may leave."

Liu Jinxin's breath hitched. "Did you not hear me clearly? They are imperial fugitives! I'm here to arrest them!"

Zu An shielded Chu Youzhao behind him and slowly said, "If I'm not mistaken, you are merely Prince Jin's guards. You have no authority to make arrests. That's the duty of the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Minister of Justice, or the Colonel Director of the Retainers. May I ask if your Prince Jin has recently been appointed to any of these positions?"

Liu Jinxin's face darkened. "It is everyone's responsibility to apprehend imperial fugitives. Furthermore, Prince Jin is the current Emperor's younger brother and one of his most favored sons. His desire to avenge his father stems from filial piety. Our Great Zhou Dynasty governs by filial piety; even if this were discussed in court, it would still be a commendable act."

Zu An said coldly, "Are you suggesting that simply because of the Emperor's favor, you can disregard imperial laws and abuse private power?"

Liu Jinxin could no longer contain his anger. "Lord Zu, I respect you as a prominent official of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, belonging to the same faction as our Prince Jin. That's why I've been speaking to you politely. Is your current behavior your personal action, or does it represent the Crown Princess's intention?"

Liu Jinxin's fury intensified.

Zu An calmly replied, "Such a minor matter doesn't require troubling the Crown Princess."

"So, it seems Lord Zu is stubbornly intent on harboring a fugitive?" Liu Jinxin breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't the Crown Princess's command, he wasn't afraid of Zu An; he represented Prince Jin.

"Whether they are fugitives or not is still debatable. Why are you constantly condemning them?" Zu An didn't bother to waste any more words on him. "If you want to take them, have the Minister of Justice come find me."

Liu Jinxin chuckled. "Lord Zu, who do you think you are? Is Prince Jin's order inferior to the Minister of Justice's? If you want to protect them, can you alone stop so many guards?"

In the past, Zu An's cultivation seemed quite impressive. Later, it was rumored that after a trip to the Demon Race, his cultivation was crippled, whether due to severe injuries or some other reason.

He had specifically probed him just now and indeed found no spiritual energy fluctuations from the other party, as if he were an ordinary person.

Hmph, he wondered where Zu An got the guts to obstruct their arrest. Did he really think he could act so recklessly just because he had the Crown Princess's favor? Even the Crown Princess had to give their Prince Jin some respect.

At this moment, Zu An walked over to Murong Qinghe. His hands gently brushed over her, and unknowingly, the chains fell away, freeing her at last.

"Qinghe, it's alright now," Chu Youzhao said excitedly, pulling her hand. She thought to herself that with her brother-in-law here, there was nothing he couldn't do.

Her cheeks flushed slightly from holding hands, Murong Qinghe quickly regained her composure. She hurriedly grabbed the long spear she had cast aside, preparing to fight alongside Zu An.

Seeing this scene, Liu Jinxin didn't get angry; instead, he laughed. "Good, good! Zu An has privately released an imperial fugitive, a heinous crime! Men, seize him! If they resist, kill them without mercy!"

He had deliberately allowed Zu An to release Murong Qinghe, so that even if the matter was brought before the imperial court later, he would still be in the right.

As for Murong Qinghe's combat prowess, although her cultivation was decent, she was still young. He, on the other hand, was a peak eighth-rank expert and had no fear of her attack.

A collective roar erupted around him, and the guards lunged at the group.

Murong Qinghe was about to act, but Zu An stretched out his hand to shield her behind him, then looked at the charging purple-armored guards. "Scram!"

An invisible sound wave spread out. The guards, who had been like wolves and tigers, immediately screamed repeatedly, clutching their heads and rolling on the ground in agony, their weapons scattered everywhere.

The Demon Race's Lion's Roar, best for group attacks!

Chu Youzhao's eyes lit up, curving into crescents as she smiled. "Brother-in-law is amazing!"

Murong Qinghe's eyes also sparkled with brilliance. She had fought these Prince's Residence guards several times before; each had decent cultivation, and they even had combined attack formations. She never expected them to be defeated in a single encounter, without Big Brother Zu even needing to make a move.

Liu Jinxin also stared dumbfounded at the scene before him. Then, with a grim expression, he looked at Zu An. "So, Lord Zu has been hiding his true capabilities. No wonder he was so confident just now."

He figured Zu An must have some cultivation method to conceal his aura. Although the sound wave technique just now was a bit uncomfortable to hear, it would be difficult to truly injure him. It seemed that even if this Zu An had some strength, it was limited.

As soon as he finished speaking, he drew his long saber and walked step by step toward Zu An, his eyes radiating murderous intent.

The capital was currently shrouded in shifting political winds, with many princes vying for the throne. Prince Jin, due to his physical condition, was destined to have no future.

That person had hinted before that if he could...

Hmph, he would first use this legitimate reason to eliminate Zu An. The Crown Prince's side would lose a major general, and afterward, no one could hold him accountable.

His mind made up, his vital energy locked onto Zu An. As he walked forward step by step, his fighting spirit steadily climbed to its peak. He knew that this single strike of his saber would be enough to destroy any enemy before him.

To his surprise, Zu An didn't even spare him a glance. Instead, his gaze fell on the bloodstain at the corner of Chu Youzhao's mouth. "He hit you just now?"

Chu Youzhao instinctively nodded, then quickly shook her head. "Actually, it's nothing serious. I just got hit by his palm during the conflict, it's nothing major."

She had just led her household servants, trying to keep them out, and it was only after suffering a disadvantage in a brief skirmish that she was forced to retreat all the way here.

However, she sensed something amiss in Zu An's tone and, fearing he might impulsively injure the other party, she deliberately shook her head.

Although this General Liu was detestable, he was still the Captain of the Guards for Prince Jin's Residence. If anything happened to him, it would completely offend Prince Jin, and she was worried about bringing unsolvable trouble to her brother-in-law.

Just then, Liu Jinxin roared, "Die!"

The feeling of being underestimated made him exceptionally furious. Did this Zu An think he was an Earth Immortal?

A colossal saber light slashed down towards their heads. Not just Zu An, but Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe would also be cleaved into a bloody mist by this single strike.

Feeling the devastating saber aura, Murong Qinghe's face drastically changed. She instinctively grabbed her long spear, but how could a strike from a peak eighth-rank expert be something she could contend with?

Just then, Zu An slowly raised two fingers, and the terrifying saber aura suddenly vanished.

It turned out the saber was gently held between two fair, clean fingers.

Liu Jinxin's face turned beet red. He exerted all his might, yet couldn't budge his saber an inch. Only then did he understand how terrifying his opponent was.

He hastily said, "Lord Zu, this is a misunderstanding..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he watched helplessly as his own saber suddenly flipped back, carrying the very saber aura he had just unleashed – terrifyingly familiar and filling him with dread.

The next second, a head flew skyward, and the headless corpse staggered a few steps in the courtyard before collapsing with a thud onto the ground.

The purple-armored guards from the Prince's Residence stared at this scene, utterly terrified.

Zu An was protected by a defensive aura, so he wasn't splattered by the gushing blood.

But at this moment, both Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe's faces were pale. It was over. By killing the Captain of the Guards from Prince Jin's Residence, Big Brother Zu would also become an imperial fugitive.