Chapter 489: Two Birds with One Stone

Sang Hong was heartbroken: "My son had no quarrel with the Blood Clan, so why did he meet such a cruel end?"

Zhu Xie Chixin replied, "The Blood Clan kills without reason. They don't just attack humans; even if they encounter a lone demon, their bloodthirsty nature compels them to strike."

Sang Hong finally understood: ultimately, his son had simply been unlucky to encounter a Blood Clan demon.

"But why are the Blood Clan here?" Sang Qian asked bitterly, biting her red lips.

"They probably don't want the Emperor to achieve immortality either. Since the Demon Emperor has made a move, I must report this to the Emperor as soon as possible," Zhu Xie Chixin replied.

Sang Hong replied, "I want to avenge my son first, and then I'll surrender. I hope you can be lenient, Lord Zhu Xie."

Zhu Xie Chixin said coldly, "No. I am responsible for apprehending all of you and bringing you to justice; I cannot let you go. Besides, you are severely wounded. Even if you found the culprit, you would likely be no match for them and would only sacrifice your life in vain. Guards, shackle him."

Soon, an Embroidered Uniform Guard ran out and shackled his hands with special restraints. Feeling his vital energy suppressed by the shackles, Sang Hong knew revenge was hopeless, and despair welled up in his heart.

"Father!" Sang Qian, standing nearby, noticed tears in her father's eyes. For so many years, her father had been a tall, imposing figure in her heart, always appearing to have everything under control, which inexplicably gave her a sense of security. She had never seen him so helpless.

Seeing the father and daughter's miserable appearance, Zhu Xie Chixin frowned. "Lord Sang, you don't need to worry too much. Since there are remnants of the demon race, if I encounter them, I will deal with them for you."

Sang Hong's worry turned to joy. "Thank you so much, Lord Zhu Xie!"

Zhu Xie Chixin nodded, then ordered his subordinates to shackle Zheng Dan as well. Clearly, he had done his research beforehand, knowing she was Sang's daughter-in-law and one of the designated criminals.

Zheng Dan knew resistance was futile before so many masters, so she quickly looked at Pei Mianman. However, after glancing at Chu Chuyan, who was nearby, she hesitated to speak certain words aloud.

Pei Mianman smiled, guessing her thoughts, and sent a private message with her vital energy, "Don't worry, I'll definitely rescue Ah Zu."

Zheng Dan finally let out a sigh of relief, her lips moving slightly as she mouthed, "Thank you!"

Pei Mianman nodded to her, thinking, *What's wrong with this Zu An? He's attracted so many women, and now I'm stuck mediating for him in front of his wife. How frustrating...*

After the listed criminals were apprehended, Zhu Xie Chixin finally asked, "Where is Zu An?"

"He was captured by the Demon Sect's Saintess and the Eight Great Loose Cultivators. We tried to rescue him from an inn in a nearby town recently, but we failed, and now we don't know his whereabouts," Pei Mianman replied, thinking, *Now, I can only use their power to rescue Zu An. Then, I'll take him away during the commotion. I hope everything goes smoothly.*

"And Prince Liang and Liu Yao?" Zhu Xie Chixin asked.

Sang Qian, nearby, replied, "They were attacked by Lu Sanyuan and his rebel army earlier. The Embroidered Uniform Guards took Zu An and the others away during the chaos, and now we don't know their location."

"Hmph, they're more trouble than they're worth." Zhu Xie Chixin couldn't help but snort, clearly displaying considerable dissatisfaction in his tone.

The others were startled to hear this. Knowing that one of those men was the Emperor's uncle and the other the Empress's uncle, his disrespectful remarks indicated immense confidence.

After confirming the town's direction, Zhu Xie Chixin hesitated, debating whether to head straight there or first contact Prince Liang's forces.

Given that the demon cultists had likely already left the town, more manpower would be needed for a thorough search, making it safer to first rendezvous with Prince Liang and his group.

Pei Mianman, noticing his hesitation, suggested going ahead. "So many cavalry would create too much commotion. It would be unwise to alert the enemy. I'll go to the town first to check the situation."

Chu Chuyan added, "Exactly. I'll go with her; that way, we can look out for each other."

Zhu Xie Chixin nodded. "That's acceptable, but don't say I didn't warn you: if you dare to let Zu An escape, the Chu and Pei families will be equally implicated."

Chu Chuyan and Pei Mianman exchanged glances, each seeing the worry in the other's eyes, but they both agreed, "Understood."

The two women then hurried towards the town, hand in hand. One exquisitely beautiful and ethereal, the other a captivating stunner, their combined silhouettes formed a breathtaking picture. Even the well-trained Tiger Guards and Embroidered Uniform Guards couldn't help but stare in admiration.

Zhu Xie Chixin let out a loud snort, drawing his subordinates' attention back. He then turned to Sang Hong and his daughter. "Tell me in detail everything that happened on your journey, especially how the Embroidered Uniform Guards died."

Before they knew it, night had fallen. At the Four Seas Inn in the town, the Eight Great Loose Cultivators had already procured their supplies and returned to their rooms to rest after dinner.

Qiu Honglei went to Zu An's room. As she intended to find an opportunity to extract the "Phoenix Nirvana Scripture" from him, the other Loose Cultivators had no objections.

However, remembering the rumors of Zu An being a playboy, they worried this young philanderer might act inappropriately towards the Saintess, so they specially stationed a Loose Cultivator on the roof to guard.

Loose Cultivator Bing volunteered. He was already quite displeased with Zu An after the previous battle, and given Qiu Honglei's ambiguous attitude toward him, he absolutely refused to let anything beneficial happen between the two.

He lay on the roof, somewhat smugly with his legs crossed, and pricked up his ears, listening intently to the situation inside the room.

Seeing Qiu Honglei enter, Zu An said with a mischievous grin, "Your sect's hospitality is perhaps a bit *too* generous, wouldn't you say? Not only do you offer company for meals and entertainment, but at night, you even send the Saintess to keep me company and relieve my loneliness?"

Loose Cultivator Bing was speechless.

Rage value from Loose Cultivator Bing: +358!

"This fellow is utterly obnoxious. Once I return to the sect, I'll be sure to tell all the Saintess's admirers. When they hear you've been teasing their goddess like this, they'll surely tear your skin off."

Qiu Honglei rolled her eyes at Zu An. "Sometimes I don't know whether to admire you or scold you. You're in such a predicament, yet you still have the leisure to make jokes."

This guy, honestly... he was so serious and somber when burying those dead soldiers, and now he's all smiles again.

"Living with a smile is still a day, and living with a frown is also a day. Since that's the case, why shouldn't I live every day with a smile?" Zu An shrugged, replying nonchalantly.

Qiu Honglei showed a surprised expression, finally sighing, "You are the most open-minded person I have ever met."

"Actually, I'm not as good as you say," Zu An said, feeling a bit sheepish. "It's mainly because I know you'll protect me. Since you're the Saintess of that sect, your status within it must be extraordinary. With you looking out for me, of course, I'm not scared."

Qiu Honglei shook her head. "My standing in the sect isn't as high as you imagine. Ultimately, this is a world where strength commands respect. I'm too young, and my cultivation is only at the sixth rank. The sect is full of masters, and many don't truly regard me. I only receive their superficial politeness because of my master."

"Therefore, the only way for you to truly establish yourself in the sect is to present the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' to my master."

Zu An snorted. "If I hand that over, I'll surely die even faster."

Qiu Honglei explained, "I understand your concerns, so I've devised a win-win solution: have the Sect Leader take you as a disciple. This would silence those who might accuse the Sect Leader of seizing your 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' while also ensuring your safety. With this new identity, your future development within the sect would be much smoother."

Upon hearing her detailed plan, Zu An realized she was genuinely looking out for him, not attempting to trick him into surrendering the "Phoenix Nirvana Scripture" like others. Although touched, he had no intention of joining the Demon Sect, so he smiled and asked, "Your Sect Leader must be quite the lecher, then?"

"Huh?" Qiu Honglei was taken aback. "Why would you suddenly say that?"

Zu An replied, "Otherwise, why would she take on a female disciple as charming and beautiful as you?"

Qiu Honglei's face instantly flushed crimson. "What nonsense are you spouting? My master is a woman!"

Yesterday, I warned everyone not to look up pictures of lampreys, but many of you went and did it anyway. If you insist on being stubborn, then I'm going to unleash a big move—please, whatever you do, don't vote for me.