Chapter 226: Despair

Upon hearing his words, Qin Wanru was startled. She never expected the petty thief who broke into the mansion in the middle of the night to be an Eighth-Rank master!

Unfortunately, it was too late for regret. She had already launched her attack, and retreating mid-move was impossible.

"I'm doomed!"

A thought flashed through Qin Wanru's mind.

Shi Lezhi quickly met her, punching her palm. Fearing exposure of his identity, he refrained from using any special techniques or moves, relying only on the most basic Eighth-Rank power.

"Ah!" Qin Wanru cried out, feeling a surge of immense power. She was sent flying backward, landing hard on the ground.

"That's it?" Zu An's jaw nearly dropped. He had seen her scold Chu Zhongtian, a renowned Eighth-Rank master, into submission, so he assumed she must also be at least Eighth-Rank.

Perhaps she had even intentionally stayed in the background to let her husband be Moonbright City's top master, out of consideration for his reputation.

Yet, the higher his expectations, the greater his disappointment. She was sent flying with a single move?

She was far too weak!

Seeing Qin Wanru struggle to get up, clearly not dead, Zu An secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly waved at Shi Lezhi: "Hey, old man! Come chase me if you dare! An esteemed Eighth-Rank master like you has been chasing a mere Third-Rank like me for so long and still can't catch up. I'm ashamed for you!"

Shi Lezhi: "..."

Rage from Shi Lezhi +1024!

He finally understood why his normally composed young master had lost his temper multiple times in front of this fellow. This guy was simply infuriating.

"You bastard! When I catch you, I'll rip off your limbs one by one and turn you into a human swine for proper torture!" Shi Lezhi roared, his face darkening as he reached out to grab Zu An's head.

With his full power unleashed, he left only an afterimage, appearing almost instantly beside Zu An.

Qiao Xueying's face turned pale with fright, but it was too late to run.

Fortunately, Zu An was prepared. He summoned "Great Wind" again, instantly propelling himself dozens of yards away.

Now that his cultivation had increased, he could summon "Great Wind" more than once a day, unlike before, and the distance it covered each time had significantly grown.

Unfortunately, it was still not enough to escape an Eighth-Rank cultivator. Once his three uses of "Great Wind" were exhausted, he would be at their mercy.

Shi Lezhi, behind them, had the same thought. As an Eighth-Rank master with extensive knowledge, his initial surprise gave way to the realization that Zu An must be using some special secret technique.

Such a skill surely couldn't be used indefinitely; otherwise, Zu An would have long vanished. All Shi Lezhi had to do was wait for the skill to run out, and then he would be caught.

The thought of the commotion caused in the Chu mansion because of Zu An made Shi Lezhi's teeth itch with anger. He vowed not to let Zu An die so easily later.

As the two disappeared into the distance, Qin Wanru shakily rose. She was somewhat surprised, having expected to be severely wounded. However, the opponent seemed to have deliberately held back, merely pushing her far away, making her appear disheveled on the surface.

There was no substantial damage, but her internal energy flow was disrupted by the attack, leaving her body sore and weak, making it difficult to regain combat strength quickly.

Thinking of Zu An's recent actions, a thought struck her: Could he have intentionally led the enemy away, worried about her safety?

Her expression softened a bit at the thought. Then, realizing he was in danger, she quickly went to alert the mansion's defense forces.

Meanwhile, Zu An, dragging Qiao Xueying, kept shouting for Mi Li: "Empress Sister, Empress Sister, come out quickly! Help!"

Yet, no matter how he called, Mi Li remained silent.

"Did she fall back into a deep sleep after guiding me with the needles?" Zu An's soul nearly fled his body. Often, his recklessness stemmed from having various trump cards; not to mention the cheats provided by the Keyboard System, Mi Li's presence was an even greater ace.

But at this critical moment, his ace was nowhere to be found!

Just then, he noticed Qiao Xueying, whom he was pulling, slowing down. He quickly turned to look at her and saw her face was as red as a cooked shrimp, with glistening tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

"What's wrong?" Zu An asked urgently.

"Shi Lezhi drugged me. He planned for me to serve Shi Kun," Qiao Xueying said, biting her lip tightly, her breathing ragged.

Half a month ago, she greatly admired Shi Kun, and had he asked, she would have willingly complied without any need for drugs. But after witnessing his true colors in the secret realm, when he abandoned her as a human shield to escape, she had completely given up on him.

Now, being truly abused by someone named Shi would be worse than death.

So she seized an opportunity and desperately ran. She didn't know why, but she instinctively ran towards the Chu mansion. Perhaps it was because she had lived there for many years and had an emotional attachment, knowing Chu Zhongtian could save her from Shi Lezhi.

Or perhaps it was something else...

Learning of her predicament, Zu An: "..."

He never imagined Shi Kun would retaliate so quickly. Even during the most difficult times when exposing Shi Kun, he had refrained from letting Qiao Xueying come forward to testify, precisely to prevent this.

Yet, he had still underestimated Shi Kun's lack of integrity. Not only did Shi Kun seek revenge so swiftly, but he also resorted to such vile methods.

What's more, Shi Lezhi, an esteemed Eighth-Rank master, showed no masterly decorum whatsoever. To drug a young junior girl?

He was worse than a beast!

Qiao Xueying's body grew progressively weaker and more limp. She could no longer keep up with his pace, causing Zu An to stumble and both of them to roll onto the ground together.

Shi Lezhi wouldn't miss such an opportunity. He pushed off the ground, and a large hand instantly reached for the two of them. A terrifying pressure enveloped them, rendering them immobile.

The immense pressure made it hard for Zu An to breathe, let alone summon "Great Wind." Suddenly, a thought sparked, and he blurted out, "What are you looking at?!"

"What's it to you?!"

The words left Shi Lezhi stunned. Why had he suddenly said that?

He had never said those words before, nor had he even heard them!

No, wait. He had heard them before, during the grand family competition between the Chu and Yuan clans. At a critical moment in that fight, Zu An had suddenly said, "What are you looking at?", and Yuan Wendong, as if possessed, had replied, "What's it to you?", subsequently losing the match and being crippled.

At the time, everyone thought Yuan Wendong was an idiot for making such a foolish mistake at such a crucial moment.

But now Shi Lezhi finally understood: Yuan Wendong wasn't foolish; Zu An possessed a special skill!

But how could such a peculiar skill exist in the world?

Shi Lezhi was full of doubt, but he was certain of one thing: he had to report this matter when he returned, to prevent his young master or other members of the Shi clan from falling victim to this move in the future.

Meanwhile, Zu An seized the momentary lapse in the pressure caused by Shi Lezhi's distraction. He summoned "Great Wind" and, holding Qiao Xueying, darted dozens of yards away.

Qiao Xueying was now in a semi-conscious state, clutching Zu An's collar tightly. "Kill me quickly," she pleaded.

"Huh?" Zu An thought, *Are you delirious with fever?*

"Kill me quickly, or if I fall into the Shi family's hands, I'll face endless humiliation," Qiao Xueying said swiftly, clinging to her last sliver of consciousness.

Zu An shook his head. "I'm always gentle with women. How could I kill you? Don't worry, I'll definitely save you."

"How can you save me now?!" Qiao Xueying mumbled, vaguely seeing Shi Lezhi getting closer. Despair filled her heart.