Chapter 2020: No, You Have Come Just in Time

Qiu Honglei had imagined a myriad of possibilities: her master locked in a fierce battle with an enemy, or perhaps critically wounded and in urgent need of assistance, or even that A'Zu had already rescued her.

What she never anticipated, however, was seeing her master and A'Zu engaged in a fierce, hand-to-hand struggle.

Her master was truly beautiful; even as a woman, Qiu Honglei found herself captivated. Her perfect body shimmered as if bathed in the hues of a sunset, a veritable masterpiece of creation.

Her long, cascading hair, now wet and plastered to her skin, only enhanced her languid allure.

Her most beloved master, intertwined with her most cherished lover, seemed utterly blissful, everything melting into a seamless union.

In that instant, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, her entire body turning icy cold.

She felt neither disappointment nor anger, as if all emotional sensation had simply ceased within her.

With a calm expression, she said, "I'm sorry, I seem to have come at the wrong time."

With that, she turned and departed.

"No, you've come at just the right time," Zu'an began, wanting to sound as dashing as Handsome Jiao, but found the words impossible to utter.

He and Yun Jianyue were dumbfounded. They had imagined countless scenarios for their secret being revealed, but never in such a compromising and awkward manner.

Zu'an felt a pang of chagrin. Yun Jianyue had been far too severely injured, and he'd had to concentrate fully on mending her meridians; the slightest misstep would have ruined everything.

Additionally, some of the defensive formations he had set up were specifically configured not to activate against those close to him, preventing accidental injury.

Thus, he only detected Qiu Honglei when she was already nearby, but by then, it was too late.

Yun Jianyue's mind, meanwhile, went utterly blank. In that instant, she wished she could simply die.

The suddenness of the situation struck her with such powerful force that her entire body trembled.

Zu'an gasped. In that moment, it was as though countless... Even if he were forged from iron, he couldn't have endured it.

Overwhelmed with shame and indignation, Yun Jianyue quickly cried out, "Honglei, don't misunderstand! I was simply struck by Fangzhong He's poisoned palm; A'Zu was merely saving me."

Qiu Honglei paused for a moment, but then resolutely walked away.

Ashamed and anxious, Yun Jianyue quickly pushed Zu'an away. "Go! Chase her!"

At a time like this, the young man was still dithering.

Zu'an hesitated, then shook his head. "Your healing is at a critical juncture; I can't risk ruining it now."

"But..." Yun Jianyue seemed about to protest further, but he had already silenced her.

"First, I'll heal you, then I'll go find Honglei." Zu'an's rationality ultimately prevailed. He knew that if he left now, Yun Jianyue's injuries would likely worsen, potentially leading to her death, and then he would truly regret it too late.

But what about Honglei...

Alas, it's truly difficult to satisfy all demands in life. Even if one were invincible, many things still remain beyond one's control.

After what had just transpired, the spiritual spring felt much colder and more desolate; the joyful sounds and laughter of moments before were completely gone.

"I truly am a terrible master," Yun Jianyue murmured. Usually, she was incredibly strong-willed; even when enduring the gravest injuries or greatest injustices, her resolve was like iron. Yet, at this moment, a line of clear tears involuntarily traced a path down her cheek.

"It's not your fault. I'm the scumbag," Zu'an sighed.

"You were also trying to save me..." The more Yun Jianyue spoke, the more depressed she became. Clearly, no one was truly at fault, yet why had everyone been hurt so deeply?

The two grew even more silent, the usual passion between them completely absent.

Another hour passed, and Zu'an finally healed Yun Jianyue.

Yun Jianyue didn't bother to dress herself, hurriedly pushing Zu'an out. "Quickly, go after Honglei!"

Zu'an grunted in acknowledgment, hastily pulled on his clothes, and set off in the direction where Qiu Honglei had vanished.

He pursued her for hundreds of miles, using his vast divine sense and the psychic jade *cong* to search everywhere along the way. Alas, her tracks were elusive; he couldn't find her anywhere.

He knew she was deliberately avoiding him, so he had no choice but to return to Chouchi first.

Inside the Holy Sanctuary, the main hall of the Demonic Sect, Yun Jianyue was distractedly handling various sectarian affairs.

Earlier, while healing, Zu'an had briefly recounted the day's events. She had initially lamented how a formidable figure like Lu Sanyuan could meet such an end, and at the same time, finding out Zu'an had impersonated her to quell the entire assembly gave her an inexplicable thrill. She had even pestered him to transform into a woman again for her to see, though of course, this "improper" request had been sternly rejected by him.

However, after the recent incident, all these matters now seemed utterly devoid of interest.

It had to be said that Honglei was truly capable. She had previously managed the aftermath in an orderly fashion, having even thoroughly considered how to investigate and guard against parasitic demonic possessions from other worlds. Yun Jianyue merely needed to make a few appropriate additions.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She gestured to her subordinate elders to continue refining the details of their action plans, and then she rose from her seat and departed.

Having witnessed "her" heroic bearing as she quelled the entire assembly earlier, no one in the Demonic Sect dared defy her. In fact, they even felt these trivial matters should not trouble her.

Everyone, highly motivated, soon engaged in heated discussion.

Yun Jianyue hurried out of the Holy Sanctuary and quickly spotted Zu'an alone by a pillar. Her expression immediately turned a little bitter. "Where's Honglei?"

"I didn't find her," Zu'an replied, his voice subdued, as he briefly explained the areas he had searched.

Yun Jianyue sighed. "I also sent people to search just now, and we didn't find her either. Honglei knows Chouchi extremely well; if she wants to hide, no one will find her. And, barring unforeseen circumstances, she should have already left Chouchi and returned to the real world."

Zu'an concurred with this assessment. The outside world was vast, and with her deliberately hiding, finding her would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"After I've settled the sect's affairs, I'll go out with you to search for her." Yun Jianyue had barely finished speaking before shaking her head. "No, I can't go with you. We'll each search on our own."

Zu'an was taken aback. "Why not?"

Yun Jianyue gave him an exasperated look. "Think about it. If Honglei sees us going around together, do you think she'd show herself to meet us?"

Zu'an fell silent at her words.

Seeing her haggard appearance, Zu'an couldn't help but say, "You've just recovered from a severe injury. Don't use your vital energy for at least a month, or I might not be able to save you again."

"I understand," Yun Jianyue replied.

Zu'an knew that she was, after all, the renowned Demonic Sect Leader, and thus found it difficult to press her further.

Yun Jianyue seemed to realize her tone had been a little brusque, and then said, "I've invited your little girlfriend to the courtyard next door. It's getting late; you should rest early."

Zu'an was completely baffled. "What little girlfriend?"

"The one with long legs. A chaotic and murky place like the Yin-Yang Path isn't suitable for women." Yun Jianyue's tone held a hint of annoyance. If it weren't for that fellow Fangzhong He, she wouldn't be in such a passive position. She also wondered how Honglei was doing now.

"That's just a subordinate of the Embroidered Uniform Guard," Zu'an said, somewhat speechless.

"Alright, alright, a subordinate then." Yun Jianyue was no longer interested in arguing the point and departed, heavily preoccupied.

Zu'an had intended to call out to her, but the hand he had raised slowly lowered. After that incident, not only had Honglei left him, but he also vaguely sensed that Yun Jianyue was drifting further and further away.

When he put on his mask and returned to his courtyard, Zhang Zitong was already waiting anxiously by the door. "My lord, what exactly is your relationship with that Cloud Demon... *cough cough*, I mean, Cloud Sect Leader?"

Zu'an said coldly, "Didn't anyone tell you when you were an Embroidered Uniform Guard that the more secrets you know, the easier it is to be silenced?"

Zhang Zitong stuck out her tongue. "That Cloud Sect Leader is truly impressive! I later heard from others that she single-handedly quelled the rebellion of the sect's top experts and even defeated terrifying demons from another world. She's truly a hero among women; I completely idolize her! For a woman to achieve such a level, her life is certainly not lived in vain."

Zu'an remained silent.

I can hardly tell her that the woman she's talking about is actually me, can I?

"My lord seems to be in a bad mood?" Zhang Zitong finally noticed something amiss with him.

Zu'an, burdened with his own worries, sighed at her words. "It seems I accidentally lost a very, very important person today, and it's quite likely I'll lose another one very soon."

Zhang Zitong blinked. "With your current abilities, My Lord, wouldn't it be easy to simply find that person?"

"What if I can't find her?"

"Is there anyone in the world the Embroidered Uniform Guard can't find?"

"Those matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Demonic Sect. And now that the Demonic Sect Leader is your friend, you can certainly have her help you search."

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"Go away, I want some peace and quiet."

"Those two important people must be women, right? I never thought someone of your status would be ensnared by love. I wonder what kind of women could win your favor, My Lord. Hmm, I'll go back and write a novel called 'Forbidden Love: The Embroidered Uniform Guard Grand Marshal and the Demonic Sect Leader's Affairs.' What do you think of that, My Lord?"

Zu'an whirled around, a glint of coldness in his eyes.