Chapter 2003: Extinction Killing

Zu An knew there was some truth to her words. For days, she had tried every method she could think of but failed to find any trace of Yun Jianyue. Given Yun Jianyue's cultivation, even if she were ambushed, escaping shouldn't be difficult, and she would have contacted him by now. However, there had been no news from her, suggesting that, as Qiu Honglei suspected, she was trapped somewhere, leading to a stalemate. The rebels couldn't break in, and Yun Jianyue couldn't escape. But if those rebels were truly cornered, they might resort to a 'fish-dies-net-breaks' scenario, destroying the place. Yun Jianyue might never get out, and he couldn't risk that.

“Also, I haven't been able to trace Lu Sanyuan and his conspirators during this time, and I don't know who exactly is colluding with him. Only at the wedding will almost all the important figures of the cult be present, making it easier to catch them all at once,” Qiu Honglei said.

“But I can't really let you marry that Fang Long, not even for show,” Zu An said gravely.

Qiu Honglei smiled sweetly, “That's simple. Couldn't someone take my place?”

Zu An's heart stirred. “You mean that person?”

Qiu Honglei nodded, and they exchanged knowing smiles.

“But there's a problem now. You just burst in, and those female disciples saw you. Even if we killed them, Lu Sanyuan and the others would notice something amiss.”

Zu An chuckled. “Don't worry, that's easy.”

With that, he walked to the door and let the women inhale the Forgetful Rosemary. Qiu Honglei couldn't help but ask, “What kind of medicine is this?”

Zu An explained the Forgetful Rosemary to her, which made Qiu Honglei chide playfully, “How do you carry so much of this medicine? It's a pity you didn't join the Yin-Yang Sect.”

Zu An's old face flushed. “I just research their medicinal properties. Isn't this exactly the kind of situation where this medicine is needed?” As long as the dosage was controlled, it wouldn't make the women's desires uncontrollable, and it would also make them forget what had just happened.

Qiu Honglei snorted. “Anyway, don't use this on other women.”

Zu An burst into laughter. “So, you mean I can use it on you?”

A hint of coquettishness flashed across Qiu Honglei's face. “You don't need to use this on me.”

Suddenly, her eyes glinted, noticing Daji standing quietly not far away. She couldn't help but exclaim, “Although it's not the first time I've seen her, she is truly so beautiful, so beautiful, and I always feel a familiar aura from her.” Then, her tone abruptly changed. “You're not allowed to do anything strange to her.”

Zu An retorted exasperatedly, “Am I that kind of person?”

“With a lady this beautiful, I don't believe you haven't been tempted,” Qiu Honglei snorted.

Zu An wisely avoided continuing the topic with her. After discussing the plan again, he quickly departed.

Without Daji's control, the dazed guards in the courtyard gradually regained their senses. Their expressions were somewhat bewildered, but seeing that the Saintess was still in her room, they all breathed a sigh of relief and didn't think much further.

After Zu An left the courtyard, he remained somewhat unconvinced. He quietly searched all around Qiu Pond, first to imprint the entire layout of the Demonic Cult's headquarters into his mind, and second, to try and find traces of Yun Jianyue. He unleashed his vast divine sense and also used the power of the Jade Cong to enlist nearby small animals to help with the search. Unfortunately, after searching three times, he still found no trace of Yun Jianyue. If it weren't for Qiu Honglei's red-glowing yellow talisman indicating that Yun Jianyue was indeed in Qiu Pond, he would have suspected she had already left. Having no other choice, he could only return to the Yin-Yang Sect first.

Of course, before returning, he transformed back into Fang Biao's appearance and, once again, to his great shame, found an unlucky victim to use the Loli Voice Changer on.

“Damn it, this disguise job is inhumane,” Zu An grumbled to himself as he returned to Fang Biao's courtyard.

“Mas... Master!” Seeing him return, Zhang Zitong joyfully came to greet him.

Zu An retorted impatiently, “There are no outsiders here; just call me 'Sir'.”

“No, what if I get too used to it in daily life and accidentally blurt it out in front of others? That would be disastrous,” Zhang Zitong said seriously.

Zu An frowned slightly but let her have her way. He had to admit, hearing such a long-legged beauty call him 'Master' repeatedly was quite appealing.

“Did Master gain anything?” Zhang Zitong asked.

Zu An, of course, didn't reveal everything but told her about the task she needed to perform on the wedding day.

Zhang Zitong listened patiently. “Master, don't worry, I will definitely complete the mission.”

“You also need to be careful; there are many experts within the Demonic Cult,” Zu An reminded her.

Hearing his words of concern, Zhang Zitong felt a warmth in her heart, and her gaze towards him softened even more.

After discussing the serious matters, the room suddenly fell silent, and both felt an awkward atmosphere.

“It's getting late. You should go next door and get some good rest,” Zu An prompted.

To his surprise, Zhang Zitong didn't move her feet. Instead, she whispered, “Master, have you forgotten? With a lecher like Fang Biao, how would he let a beauty like me leave?”

Zu An was somewhat speechless. “In his current persona, he's just finished his 'eighteen spring flings.' How could he still have those thoughts?”

Zhang Zitong's face flushed slightly. “Even... even if he's physically tired, he would still hold a woman while sleeping. It's a silent boast.”

“You seem to know a lot about debauched scoundrels,” Zu An said, somewhat surprised.

“In the past, when apprehending ruthless outlaws, I dealt with many such people, so I understand their nature,” Zhang Zitong said with a sigh. Back then, because of her beauty, she was often sent out to lure enemies out. With excellent equipment and the cooperation of her colleagues, she had always been successful. She never expected to almost fall into Fang Biao's hands this time. It was all because that medicine was too potent.

Zu An hummed in acknowledgment. “Then stay here. You can sleep in the bed later.”

Zhang Zitong's heart thumped. What did Sir Eleven mean? He was actually letting her sleep with him? Should she refuse, or...? Before she could decide, she subconsciously blurted out, “Okay.”

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Fang Hu's mocking voice drifted in from afar. “Third Brother, Second Brother has come to see you!” No sooner had his voice faded than he impatiently appeared at the doorway, a strong scent of alcohol wafting from him. Although he claimed to be visiting his third brother, his gaze wasn't on Zu An at all. Instead, he greedily eyed Zhang Zitong, thinking, 'Those legs are really something; they could probably squeeze a man to death.'

“Third Brother, why don't you go for a walk? I've had too much to drink and want to rest here for a bit,” Fang Hu hiccuped, waving his hand at Zu An as if ordering a servant.

A hint of anger flashed across Zhang Zitong's face; she could naturally see through his intentions. This fellow even openly tried to snatch his own brother's woman—truly scum among scum.

Zu An said indifferently, “You're the one who should leave, aren't you?”

“Oh ho, you little brat, are you itching for a beating?” Fang Hu's face instantly fell. “If you don't know your place, don't blame your big brother for not giving you face.” As he spoke, he pressed closer to Zu An, an intimidating aura beginning to emanate from him. He knew his third brother was nothing more than a paper tiger; if they truly fought, he could easily defeat him with one hand. Since he didn't know his place, he would play with his woman right in front of him today! The thought was even a little exciting.

Hmm, usually by this point he'd be showing fear, so why was he so calm now? Wait, why was there suddenly another woman in white in the room, and so beautiful? My heavens, she was practically a celestial being descended to earth... As he watched, his eyes completely lost focus, and he became dazed, standing rooted to the spot.

Zhang Zitong, standing by, couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion. Sir Eleven's maidservant was truly remarkable, effortlessly controlling the arrogant Fang Hu. Crucially, she was also so beautiful, so beautiful it was despair-inducing; one couldn't even feel jealousy. My legs should be longer than hers, though. It's a pity she's wearing a dress, so I can't compare.

Unaware of her sudden, strange competitive urge, Zu An directly questioned Fang Hu, “Do you know where Cult Master Yun is?”

“Shouldn't Cult Master Yun be in the Enchanted Sound Pavilion?” Fang Hu replied, somewhat confused.

Zu An frowned slightly. It seemed Fang Hu was unaware of the rebellion. This was likely an operation by Lu Sanyuan and a few other high-ranking officials. He then proceeded to ask more questions, gaining a deeper understanding of some current intelligence within the Demonic Cult.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “By the way, some mysterious people came to see your father earlier. They had a secret discussion for a while. Do you know who they were?”

Fang Hu nodded. “They seemed to be from the Shadow Pavilion.”

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected the Shadow Pavilion to be involved.

“What did they talk about?”

“I'm not sure of the specifics, but it seemed they wanted my father to help them find someone. I don't know who that person was, though.”

After hearing this, Zu An's brows furrowed slightly. Was the Shadow Pavilion also looking for Yun Jianyue? Did the Yin-Yang Venerable not tell them the truth, or did he not know Yun Jianyue's whereabouts either? Otherwise, why would they need to search for her? Initially, he had suspected the Yin-Yang Venerable of conspiring with Lu Sanyuan, but now he was less certain.

He continued to ask a few more questions, but unfortunately, there was no more meaningful information. So, Zu An casually tapped Fang Hu's forehead. Fang Hu's body trembled, his eyes became unfocused, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Zhang Zitong, standing by, was startled. “You just killed him like that?”

“Such trash only harms others by remaining in the world,” Zu An said, waving his hand casually. The White Lotus True Flame erupted, instantly reducing Fang Hu's body to ashes.

“Won't there be problems? He is, after all, the Yin-Yang Sect's second young master,” Zhang Zitong said with some concern. Along the way, she had gained some understanding of the situation within the Demonic Cult: the Yin-Yang Sect's core disciples were all sons of the Yin-Yang Venerable, holding extraordinary status within the sect.

“It's fine,” Zu An said with a calm expression.

Zhang Zitong was about to say something more, but then she reconsidered. Never mind a mere second young master of the Yin-Yang Sect; even if the Yin-Yang Venerable himself came, Sir Eleven, as the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Envoys, had nothing to fear.

Meanwhile, in another courtyard of the Yin-Yang Sect, a young man with a distinctive hooked nose was cultivating in his room. Soon, a subordinate rushed in to report. After listening, he slowly opened his eyes. “So, Second Brother went to bully Third Brother again. Hmph, I'd like to see just how beautiful that Silver-Ranked Embroidered Uniform Envoy is, to make Second Brother lose control like that!”