Chapter 1957: Unknown Danger

Concerned for Ji Xiaoxi’s safety, Zu An held nothing back, soaring straight into the sky towards Copper Mountain.

His swift departure quickly caught the attention of many in the capital.

“As expected of the Regent King; he vanished in the blink of an eye.”

“Isn’t there a no-fly formation within the capital? Why does it have no effect on him?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Punishment does not extend to high officials’? Those rules are only for us common folk.”

Various prominent families in the capital also gazed at the sky, their minds filled with questions.

“He left so urgently. Could something major have happened in the imperial court? But I haven’t heard of any recent incidents.”

“It’s best if that troublemaker leaves the capital and never comes back.”

Inside Kunning Palace in the imperial compound, Eunuch Lu respectfully greeted the Empress from behind a curtain. “Your Majesty, the Regent King just seemed to fly out of the capital in a hurry.”

“I know,” the Empress replied languidly, waving her hand. With Zu An’s cultivation, she naturally had no worries about his safety.

Eunuch Lu withdrew from the room, somewhat surprised. He thought to himself that the Empress usually paid the most attention to intelligence, yet when it came to Zu An, she seemed so open-minded and at ease.

Indeed, when a man is strong enough, a woman’s tolerance for him also increases significantly.

Recalling the Empress’s utterly comfortable and languid expression just moments ago, Eunuch Lu felt both a pang of sorrow and a thrill. Her Majesty must have been extremely happy today on the academy’s back mountain.

In the East Palace, Rong Mo, chirping by the window, rushed to inform the Crown Princess. “Miss, miss, the Regent King seems to have flown out of the capital! So fast!”

“Understood,” Bi Linglong replied listlessly. At this moment, her mind was entirely consumed by the grievances between the Bi family and Zu An’s previous generation, leaving no room for other thoughts.

Rong Mo paused, thinking, *Miss usually cares most about news concerning Master Zu. What’s wrong today that even news of Master Zu can’t pique her interest?*

Zu An, meanwhile, sped like the wind and quickly arrived at the Copper Mountain Range.

It was close to the capital, so the distance wasn't far.

The mountain was said to have gotten its name because the Suidan River, flowing through it, made several bends here. The rushing water would strike the mountain rock, producing sounds like a copper gong.

Of course, the official government record stated the mountain was named for its abundant copper ore.

However, after over a thousand years of mining, the copper ore was nearly depleted, and the imperial court had abandoned the mines here.

Many old mine shafts remained on the mountain, accumulating rainwater over time to form small lakes.

Perhaps due to the rich mineral content, the water in these lakes was exceptionally clear and translucent. From a distance, they looked like chunks of sapphire.

Shadow Moon Lake was the most beautiful and largest among them, but it lay deep within the Copper Mountain Range, rarely visited by people.

At the foot of Copper Mountain lay a small town. It appeared more desolate than usual, and though it wasn't yet dark, there were hardly any people on the streets.

Zu An didn't give it much thought; after all, this wasn't a modern city from his previous life, so there weren't as many people.

Just as he was about to fly past, he suddenly noticed a few individuals dressed in embroidered robes, seemingly also heading into the mountains.

He let out a soft exclamation and landed directly in front of them.

“Who’s there!” The group, who had been chatting and laughing, were startled. They immediately drew their weapons and watched him warily.

“Your vigilance is commendable,” Zu An nodded in satisfaction. These individuals wore distinctive embroidered robes and iron masks, clearly identifying them as Embroidered Envoys.

He didn't have time to change back into his Grand Commander uniform. In any case, his current official status was sufficient to command them.

“R-Regent King?” One of the Embroidered Envoys recognized him and quickly saluted. The others were also startled. Who in the capital was currently the most influential figure? None of them were unaware, and they quickly followed suit, fearing they had offended him with their earlier actions.

Zu An, who had intended to show his waist token to prove his identity, paused in surprise. “You know me?”

“We’ve seen your portrait,” they replied with apologetic smiles.

Zu An: “…”

*Those damned profiteers! They’ve spread my portraits everywhere. I need to send someone to investigate thoroughly, to find out who has such widespread influence.*

Initially, he thought it was the greedy merchants in the capital, but he immediately realized that wasn't right.

Logically, there should be some difference between a portrait and a real person. Moreover, none of those merchants in the capital had ever met him. Even if they had seen him occasionally, it would be difficult to draw a lifelike portrait from memory alone. The fact that these Embroidered Envoys outside the capital could immediately recognize him from a portrait indicated that the portraits were extremely accurate, which could only be achieved by someone very familiar with his appearance.

*Could it be someone from the imperial court?*

However, worried about Xiaoxi, he didn't have time to ponder further. “Why are you here? Has something major happened nearby?”

It was well known that matters requiring the dispatch of Embroidered Envoys were never trivial.

Their presence on Copper Mountain—could it be related to Xiaoxi’s danger?

When the conversation turned to official business, the Embroidered Envoys’ expressions became serious. “Your Majesty, something strange has indeed occurred on Copper Mountain recently.”

“The local villagers here often go into the mountains to gather firewood and sell it in the capital early in the morning. But recently, none of those who entered the mountains have returned.”

“You must understand that those who enter the mountains are all woodcutters who have lived here for generations. They are very familiar with the mountain paths and know where the dangers lie, so they only gather firewood on the mountain’s periphery and never venture deep into its core. If only one family hadn’t returned, it could be dismissed as an accident, but with so many people missing, the town is in a panic, and everyone says the mountain is haunted by monsters.”

Zu An asked in a deep voice, “Which family first spread the rumor of monsters?”

The Embroidered Envoys were somewhat surprised, not expecting the Regent King to ask such a professional question, as that was also where they began their investigations.

“An old woodcutter named Zhang from the west side of town. He claimed to have seen some monsters in the mountains and fortunately survived by hiding in a tree hollow,” replied the leading Embroidered Envoy. “Later, the government sent a team of constables to investigate. They first sought out Old Man Zhang and had him lead them to where he saw the monsters.”

“Considering Copper Mountain is close to the capital, and the elite troops of the Imperial Army sweep and clear Copper Mountain every year to ensure no powerful fierce beasts are present, those constables should have been sufficient to handle various everyday situations. But an unexpected turn occurred: that group of constables also went into the mountains and never returned.”

Even for Embroidered Envoys, who typically handled the most difficult and dangerous cases, they felt a chill down their spines when speaking of this.

Zu An nodded silently. He had been a bit puzzled earlier, thinking that merely a few missing woodcutters wouldn’t warrant the dispatch of Embroidered Envoys. It turned out an entire team of constables had also disappeared.

“Do you have a general idea of where these so-called monsters are causing trouble?” Zu An mused, suspecting this matter was likely connected to Xiaoxi’s predicament.

“Roughly in this area,” the Embroidered Envoy said, pulling out a map and drawing a circle. “Old Man Zhang has always been bold, and with a map left by his father, he often ventured deeper into the mountains to collect fresh mushrooms and rare medicinal herbs to sell. It was during one of these mushroom-gathering trips that he encountered those monsters.”

Zu An glanced at the map, noticing the location wasn’t far from Shadow Moon Lake. “Did he say what those monsters looked like?”

He wondered if some members of the demon race had come here.

The Embroidered Envoys shook their heads. “We did not receive any related intelligence. Old Man Zhang might have told the constables, but since they are all missing now, we have no way of knowing.”

Zu An nodded. “Then be careful in your investigation. Prioritize your own safety if you encounter danger, and promptly contact the Embroidered Tower in the capital to call for reinforcements.”

He certainly wouldn't act with these individuals; he needed to quickly search for Xiaoxi’s whereabouts, and they wouldn’t be able to keep up.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” The Embroidered Envoys had originally felt apprehensive about this mission. However, the Embroidered Envoys had always maintained strict military discipline; even if they faced danger, they had to press on, needing to uncover valuable intelligence.

With his verbal order, they could retreat if they encountered any danger without being held accountable by the Embroidered Tower, which greatly increased their chances of survival. Naturally, they felt deeply grateful.

Zu An nodded slightly, then tipped his toes, soaring into the air and flying deep into Copper Mountain.

After flying for a while, the forest below grew denser and denser. In many places, trees and vines completely obscured the sun, making it difficult for humans to traverse.

A layer of white mist enveloped the mountain forest, and the deeper he flew, the thicker the mist became.

“Hmm?” Zu An gradually sensed something amiss. This mist was too thick, far exceeding the usual mist found in mountain forests.

Moreover, this mist seemed to have a function of obstructing spiritual perception; even he had to lower his altitude to clearly investigate the situation below.

Zu An stood atop a large tree, surveying his surroundings, then took out his Jade Cong to communicate with nearby animals.

Although he used the Jade Cong less now as his spiritual perception grew stronger, in many special situations, it proved to be even more effective.

Sure enough, he quickly established a connection with the small animals in this mountain forest: sparrows, wild boars, rabbits…

Countless pieces of information appeared in his mind, as if he were reading the thoughts of these “native inhabitants” at that moment.

Soon, he felt that these animals seemed to be filled with fear. The fear was like an intangible thing, or perhaps the animals’ minds couldn’t describe what the fear specifically was, but he only felt a sensation of purple.

Clearly, what frightened them was related to the color purple.

Immediately afterward, his mind stirred, and he seemed to perceive useful information.

His figure flashed, already disappearing into the distance, leaving only the slightly swaying treetop where he had stood moments before.

He soon arrived near a small lake. This was not Shadow Moon Lake but rather a small pond formed by some unnamed abandoned mine pits near Shadow Moon Lake.

By the water’s edge was a deserted campsite, appearing to have been recently used.

He crouched down, looking at some pale yellow powder around the campsite perimeter. This was dragon feces; back in the mountains outside Bright Moon City, Ji Xiaoxi had scattered this to ward off various fierce beasts.

*It seems she really did come here!*

He meticulously examined the traces at the campsite, and his experience as an Embroidered Envoy made him adept at such things. He quickly formed a preliminary understanding.

There were no signs of struggle here, suggesting that the people at the campsite had not attacked Xiaoxi.

The tent was left unsheltered, and campfires, pots, and bowls were overturned, indicating that these people had hastily evacuated, as if fleeing from something terrifying.