Chapter 499: I Have Always Been Pure and Upright

The Mosquito Daoist was startled; the newcomer's cultivation was considerably higher than that of the three previous individuals, likely reaching Grade Seven. Moreover, the timing chosen was excellent. If she had continued her attack, the large-chested woman would have certainly died, but the Mosquito Daoist herself would likely have sustained severe injuries. Having spent years engaged in pursuits, she was highly protective of herself and naturally unwilling to risk severe injury to kill someone. Thus, she immediately withdrew her hand and parried the incoming sword.

In a flash, the two exchanged several moves. However, her opponent was exceptionally cunning, consistently avoiding a direct confrontation and nullifying the Mosquito Daoist's advantage of superior cultivation. Only then did the Mosquito Daoist clearly discern her opponent's appearance: a woman of unbelievable beauty, exuding a cool, ethereal aura from head to toe, as if a fairy had descended to the mortal realm.

The Mosquito Daoist was instantly disheartened. She usually considered herself a beauty, but the women she had encountered today were either more captivating, had significantly larger busts, or possessed a far more ethereal presence than her. She felt completely outclassed. She glared resentfully at Zu An. What was it about this man? He seemed so unremarkable, yet he was surrounded by so many stunning beauties. Could he possess some hidden quality she couldn't discern?

Meanwhile, Zu An, seeing the woman in the ice-blue gown still as cold, proud, and beautiful as he remembered, was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Wife!" It had been several months since their separation; he had only been able to glimpse her occasionally through the audio-visual mirror before, and even that became impossible later.

Hearing his call, Chu Chuyan's stern brows softened considerably. She turned to look at her husband, about to speak, when she suddenly noticed him pressing against her best friend, Pei Mianman, whose chest was somewhat compressed. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly once more. For some reason, Pei Mianman felt incredibly guilty and hastily pushed Zu An away, saying, "Chuyan, you're finally here."

Chu Chuyan’s expression was a half-smile as she remarked, "If I had arrived a little later, I might have missed such a fascinating scene." Pei Mianman's face flushed, and she hastily waved her hand, explaining, "Don't misunderstand; it's not what you think. He was just trying to save me..." Chu Chuyan chuckled, "Mianman, this isn't like your usual demeanor. I wasn't suspicious before, but now I'm genuinely starting to wonder if there's something going on between you two."

Pei Mianman immediately realized that, given her usual passionate and playful nature, she should have seized the opportunity to tease them rather than being so quick to explain. However, her quick wit returned, and she playfully chuckled, "You reminded me; I almost forgot. You and A'Zu are no longer husband and wife, so even if something were to happen between us, it wouldn't be any of your business, would it?"

Chu Chuyan snorted, "Suit yourself. He's no good anyway, and I couldn't care less." Zu An looked hurt. "Chuyan, your words wound me." To everyone's surprise, Pei Mianman, who was standing nearby, directly linked her arm through his, and with a grin, she looked at Chu Chuyan and said, "You heard her!"

Chu Chuyan was startled, wondering if this woman would actually take her words seriously. Considering Pei Mianman's usual bold nature, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. However, since the words were already spoken, she couldn't retract them. She could only glare irritably at Zu An, utterly bewildered by his self-satisfied expression.

Rage value from Chu Chuyan: 233!

Zu An, marveling at the astonishing softness against his arm, was suddenly startled by the rage value notification that appeared in his system. At that moment, Qiu Honglei, standing nearby, wore a peculiar expression. She had keenly sensed the strange atmosphere in the air, and the corners of her lips subtly curved upwards. "Just moments ago, Pei Mianman was questioning me like the legitimate wife," she thought, "but now, facing the true wife, she's as timid as a quail. This is truly amusing." However, Pei Mianman's comment truly reminded her that Zu An was now single, and it would come down to each of them to see who could win him over. A playful smile touched her lips. After all, she had once been the top courtesan of the Immortal's Dwelling; she was a professional at charming men.

At this moment, the nearby Mosquito Daoist snapped back to reality and angrily declared, "One after another! How many women do you have, you brat? Call them all out so you don't waste my time."

Rage value from the Mosquito Daoist: 582!

Seeing the gazes of the other three women suddenly fixed on him, Zu An hastily waved his hand and declared, "Don't even think about sowing discord among us. You should know that I am always pure and upright; how could I possibly have other women?" Pei Mianman rolled her eyes, thinking, "I'll believe that when pigs fly. Did I not see Zheng Dan almost die for you earlier? Should I tell Chuyan about it later?" Chu Chuyan and Qiu Honglei also scoffed, clearly not believing his nonsense. However, his comment about the Mosquito Daoist sowing discord among them still served as a reminder to the women that now was not the time to settle scores with him; they should wait until they had overcome their current predicament.

The Mosquito Daoist seized this opportunity to swiftly rush to Qiu Honglei's side, as the Changxin Palace Lantern in her hand posed the greatest threat. Chu Chuyan quickly swung her sword to intervene. She had quickly assessed the situation: although Zu An had been captured by the Demonic Sect, Qiu Honglei seemed to have been helping him throughout. Moreover, she understood the relationship between the two better than Pei Mianman did; after all, Qiu Honglei had once proactively sought to become Zu An's concubine at the Chu family! Although she felt a touch of displeasure, she could not stand by and watch Qiu Honglei come to harm.

"Thank you!" Qiu Honglei said, looking gratefully at Chu Chuyan after being rescued.

"We're all on the same side; no need for formalities," Chu Chuyan said with a bright smile, before re-engaging in the battle. Qiu Honglei paused, wondering what "on the same side" meant to her opponent. However, she immediately noticed that Chu Chuyan was in a precarious situation. Disregarding her thoughts, she hastily raised the lantern in her hand to assist.

Zu An and Pei Mianman also quickly joined the fray. They knew very well that with the Mosquito Daoist's cultivation level, even with Chu Chuyan's addition, they were still no match for her. Not long after, the light from the lantern in Qiu Honglei's hand suddenly dimmed. She quickly said, "My lantern has consumed too much energy today; it's almost depleted." Shortly after her words, the lantern completely darkened.

The Mosquito Daoist laughed heartily as her speed abruptly surged, and soon, everyone present bore wounds. Pei Mianman, already severely injured, could no longer hold on and was sent flying backward, collapsing to the side. Zu An, serving as the primary tank, accumulated new injuries relentlessly. Even with the continuous healing from the Primal Chaos Scripture, he couldn't withstand the assault. Had the opponent not intended to keep him alive to extract the "Phoenix Nirvana Scripture," he would have died a hundred times over. He, too, was soon struck aside, gasping heavily for breath and unable to stand up for a long time.

Chu Chuyan's heart ached at the sight of him covered in blood. She quickly said, "Mianman, you and A'Zu, hurry and leave here." She didn't suggest finding Zhuxie Chixin, as she believed Zu An going to the capital would be a dead end. Therefore, it was best for the two of them to escape amidst the chaos. As for any future repercussions, she could no longer be concerned. Pei Mianman's brows furrowed slightly, and she didn't reply; in truth, her condition was quite dire, and she barely had the strength to speak.

Zu An, however, refused. "No, how could I abandon my women and flee alone?" The few of them combined were no match for the Mosquito Daoist. If only Chu Chuyan and Qiu Honglei remained, wouldn't they be in even greater danger? Qiu Honglei's heart skipped a beat; she wondered if his use of the word "women" instead of "wife" was intentional.

Chu Chuyan grew anxious. "If you stay, we'll all just die together! Besides, someone will be here soon; you don't need to worry about us..." The Mosquito Daoist interrupted directly, "No one is leaving today!" With that, she intensified her assault, and soon, the ice and snow around Chu Chuyan began to melt. Zu An paused, startled. Someone was coming, but who exactly?

Just then, footsteps sounded, and the rogue cultivators of the Demonic Sect rushed over, exclaiming, "Saintess!" Qiu Honglei was overjoyed. "Quick, help me deal with the Mosquito Daoist!" The others were initially somewhat confused by the presence of Chu Chuyan and Pei Mianman, but seeing Qiu Honglei in mortal danger, they dared not hesitate and quickly joined the battle.

This significantly reduced Chu Chuyan's pressure. She hastily turned to Pei Mianman and said, "Mianman, quickly take him away. Don't you understand the consequences of staying here?" Pei Mianman bit her lip and said, "Alright!" Then, gathering her strength, she pulled Zu An away, saying, "A'Zu, trust us!" Zu An, initially about to resist and refuse, paused in surprise at her words, then followed her deeper into the woods. The rogue cultivators of the Demonic Sect saw this and moved to pursue, but Qiu Honglei immediately stopped them, saying, "Deal with the Mosquito Daoist first!"