Chapter 419: Embroidered Uniform Envoy

Hearing his words, Zu'an couldn't help but feel confused. His first thought was that this guy must be trying to frame him.

"I've never even been to the capital, let alone stolen anything from the emperor."

However, his expression suddenly changed as he recalled the previous conversation between Wei Dan and Old Man Mi. It seemed that Old Man Mi had once received the emperor's command to lead a group of people to search for the *Phoenix Nirvana Scripture*. After finding it, he grew greedy, killed the remaining people, faked the appearance of a complete annihilation, and then went into hiding under an assumed name.

Unfortunately, there are no secrets under heaven. The palace still tracked him down and sent Wei Dan to investigate.

But Wei Dan was already dead at that time, and he hadn't known I had learned the *Phoenix Nirvana Scripture* before. Could he have used some method to inform the palace before his death?

Or was it something else entirely?

For a moment, he wasn't entirely sure, only reacting when the soldiers approached him.

Sang Hong, with his vast family business and many considerations, chose not to resist. But Zu'an, a transmigrator who subconsciously had no concept of imperial authority, naturally wouldn't surrender merely at the sound of an imperial decree.

Seeing several soldiers approach with shackles to restrain him, he flickered his body and dodged away.

King Liang narrowed his eyes. "How audacious! To dare to defy an imperial edict! The Chu family truly has boundless courage!"

Concerned about implicating the Chu family, Zu'an said in a deep voice, "I am myself; the Chu family is the Chu family. Don't try to smear them with your baseless accusations."

King Liang sneered, "You do have some backbone, but it's a pity you insist on being a rebellious traitor who defies imperial decrees!"

Just as he was about to give the order, Xie Daoyun rushed out. "Your Highness, is there some misunderstanding? To my knowledge, Zu'an has never left Brightmoon City in his life, let alone been to the capital. How could he be involved with the emperor or steal anything from His Majesty?"

In fact, everyone present had similar doubts. Zu'an was merely a live-in son-in-law who had only recently gained some prominence. Before that, he was just a street ruffian. How could he possibly be capable of stealing from the emperor?

Even Sang Hong was utterly bewildered. He knew best how formidable the emperor's cultivation was. Forget Zu'an, even he himself couldn't possibly steal anything from him. He simply couldn't understand why these completely unrelated individuals were being linked.

Xie Daoyun's outstanding appearance, coupled with her graceful and remarkably poised demeanor as she spoke earlier, made King Liang unable to resist glancing at her several more times. "And who might this young lady be?"

"This humble girl is Xie Daoyun, and my father is Xie Yi, the City Lord of Brightmoon City." Xie Daoyun bowed slowly, her posture elegant and dignified, making those around her exclaim that this was indeed a true noble young lady.

"So, it's Miss Xie," King Liang's expression softened slightly. He evidently knew that she had once been a candidate for the Crown Princess. "What, is City Lord Xie also planning to side with this imperial fugitive?"

Xie Daoyun hastily replied, "Of course not. I was merely voicing the doubts in everyone's minds. After all, the reason given—that Zu'an stole something from the emperor—is utterly preposterous and difficult to believe. I implore Your Highness, King Liang, to clarify what exactly he is accused of stealing."

Zu'an secretly marveled. Miss Xie truly was a good person. They had only met a few times, yet she was speaking up for him in this critical moment.

Zheng Dan, standing nearby, also looked at Xie Daoyun curiously. Although her best friend usually smiled charmingly at everyone, making them feel at ease, Zheng Dan knew that at heart, her friend was always pragmatic and calculated risks. She simply couldn't imagine her taking such a risk for a man.

However, at this moment, she couldn't care less about anything else. She only wished that more people would speak up for Zu'an.

King Liang snorted. "I apologize, but this matter is highly confidential and cannot be disclosed. Miss Xie, please step aside, or you will be treated as an accomplice to an imperial fugitive."

"Confidential?" Sang Hong narrowed his eyes, appearing deep in thought.

Xie Daoyun looked at Zu'an apologetically. "Ah Zu, I've done my best. My position is sensitive, and I cannot implicate the Xie family."

Zu'an smiled. "Miss Xie, what are you saying? I'm already incredibly grateful that you interceded for me."

His previous experience with Zheng Dan had made him understand that women from influential families had many considerations; their every action could affect their entire clan, making it impossible for them to act on a whim.

Seeing his smile, Xie Daoyun was momentarily stunned. On ordinary days, countless men around her feigned bravery, but when faced with real trouble, they would all reveal their true colors. Yet Zu'an, now an imperial fugitive, could still be so magnanimous. His composure truly commanded admiration.

King Liang waved his hand. "Guards, seize him!"

Given his status, he naturally wouldn't lower himself to personally attack a junior.

However, the recent events made his soldiers wary. Instantly, over a dozen soldiers surrounded Zu'an from all directions. They were skilled in formations and combined attacks, which should be more than enough to apprehend an ordinary cultivator.

"Who dares harm our Young Master-in-Law!" Just then, a troop of red-robed soldiers burst in, surrounding Zu'an and confronting King Liang's soldiers.

"Red-Robed Army?" King Liang immediately recognized their identity and sneered, "I've long heard of the renown of the Chu family's Red-Robed Army. Seeing them today, they truly are extraordinary, daring to openly defy the imperial court!"

A Red-Robed Army captain came to Zu'an's side and quietly asked, "Young Master-in-Law, what exactly is going on?"

The opponent was a prince and had arrived with an imperial edict; the pressure he exerted was completely incomparable to that of Liu Yao. Furthermore, only a small portion of the Red-Robed Army had been brought along this time. If a conflict truly erupted, the situation would likely be unfavorable.

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Zu'an said with a wry smile. "You don't need to worry about me, lest you implicate the Chu family."

The captain replied, "Young Master-in-Law, don't worry. Every man in the Red-Robed Army is a brave man; none of us fears death."

How could their conversation escape King Liang's ears? He couldn't help but sneer. "Excellent! Some people claimed the Chu family harbored rebellious intentions, and I originally didn't believe it. But now, it seems the Red-Robed Army truly intends to turn everything upside down!"

Zu'an quickly said, "You are not to interfere in this matter. Return to the Chu residence immediately and protect the master and madam. That is an order!"

Even Zheng Dan and Xie Daoyun, as women, were unwilling to bring disaster upon their families. As a proud man, how could he implicate others?

After speaking, without waiting for their reaction, he pushed off with his toes and dashed outwards.

While he didn't want to implicate the Chu family, it was also impossible for him to simply surrender!

The moment his body moved, two pitch-black iron chains suddenly appeared before him. They swung incredibly fast, yet produced no sound of air displacement. Especially with night falling, they seemed even more ghostly in the darkness.

Alarmed, he quickly pushed off with his toes, forcibly altering his trajectory to dodge sideways.

But before he could stabilize himself, two more iron chains swung silently, aiming to coil around his feet.

He executed a clumsy roll, dodging them in a very undignified manner.

Then, six more iron chains shot from all directions, targeting his four limbs, waist, and neck, effectively blocking every possible escape route.

Seeing no way to avoid them, Zu'an quickly drew his Taia Sword and struck at the six chains.

Clang, clang, clang!

As sword met chains, sparks burst forth. Despite the sharpness of the Taia Sword, it failed to cut through the chains, merely producing bursts of light in the darkness.

He felt a tingling numbness in his hand, and the vital energy within him surged.

Taking this opportunity, he also got a clear look at his attackers. They were the ten warriors who had been accompanying King Liang. Their attire was distinctly different from that of ordinary soldiers; their sleeves, collars, and hems were embroidered with a unicorn-like pattern. He recalled learning in Shang Liuyu's class that this was the mythical beast Xiezhi, said to possess the ability to discern loyalty from treachery, and good from evil.

Each of these warriors held a pitch-black iron chain, which now swayed, as if poised to strike again at any moment.

King Liang couldn't help but feel surprised. "To be able to evade the Embroidered Uniform Emissaries' Adamantine Demon-Subduing Circle, you truly are somewhat surprising to this king."

"Embroidered Uniform Emissaries?" Sang Qian, standing nearby, also looked on in shock, turning to his father for an explanation.

Sang Hong said in a deep voice, "The Embroidered Uniform Emissaries are secret warriors by the emperor's side. Each possesses extraordinary skills and acts on behalf of the Son of Heaven. Although they are, in a sense, constables, they operate beyond the court's judicial system. The emperor assigned them to King Liang this time. I had thought they were here to deal with my son and me, but it turns out they are targeting someone else entirely."