Chapter 500

Hearing Qiu Honglei’s words, the other rogue cultivators frowned.

Rogue Cultivator Feng said, "Saintess, our purpose for this trip is to capture Zu An, not to deal with Mosquito Daoist."

Mosquito Daoist's cultivation was too high; several of their companions had already been severely injured previously, leaving them somewhat intimidated. Unless absolutely necessary, they truly didn't want to engage Mosquito Daoist.

Qiu Honglei shook her head. "In the current situation, if you go after Zu An, you'll only be playing into Mosquito Daoist's hands."

Clearly, Chu Chuyan alone wouldn't be able to stop Mosquito Daoist, and her life would be in danger.

Rogue Cultivator Jin questioned, "But even if we stop Mosquito Daoist and end up losing Zu An, what's the point of all this? We might as well just leave."

Clearly, none of them were eager to fight Mosquito Daoist. Rogue Cultivator Jin, for example, had initially been furious and sought revenge because his close friend, Rogue Cultivator Bing, had been drained dry by Mosquito Daoist. However, the recent battle at the inn had left them somewhat fearful.

Qiu Honglei snorted unhappily, "She also tried to steal my Changxin Palace Lantern; are you just going to stand by and do nothing?"

The other rogue cultivators exchanged glances. They knew the Palace Lantern had been bestowed upon her by the Cult Master, and if they stood by and allowed it to be lost, the Cult Master would certainly not spare them afterwards.

"But if we really lose Zu An, we'll also be held accountable when we go back..." Rogue Cultivator Lei said. Though she appeared reckless, she was not foolish.

Qiu Honglei immediately replied, "At that time, I will personally explain to the Cult Master, and I will take full responsibility for anything that happens!"

Seeing her declare this, the rogue cultivators had nothing more to say. They could only continue fighting Mosquito Daoist. Although they had lost a few companions, with Chu Chuyan, who possessed a seventh-rank cultivation, assisting them, their overall strength hadn't significantly decreased.

Chu Chuyan secretly sent a vital energy message to Qiu Honglei: "Thank you!"

She, of course, understood that the other party was doing this entirely for her and Zu An.

Qiu Honglei replied, "Sister, you just saved my life."

As soon as she uttered "Sister," she regretted it. The other party was no longer Zu An's wife, so why was she calling her "Sister"?

Chu Chuyan was also taken aback, and a strange smile appeared on her face.

Compared to them, Mosquito Daoist was greatly annoyed. She had originally hoped that these demonic cultivators would communicate with Qiu Honglei and then give up fighting her, allowing her to easily deal with Chu Chuyan. To her surprise, however, they remained united.

"Since that's the case, then all of you can die!" Mosquito Daoist's murderous intent was fully evident as she charged directly at them.

On the other side, Zu An and Pei Mianman supported each other as they ran into the forest. Both were severely wounded and could barely stand on their own.

After a while, Zu An's Primordial Chaos Sutra began to take effect, healing him. He recovered much faster than Pei Mianman, and eventually, most of her weight was on him.

In a secluded part of the forest, Zu An sat down, holding Pei Mianman, and gave her another Jade Marrow Rejuvenation Pill.

Pei Mianman also took the opportunity to meditate and regulate her breathing. After a while, a trace of color finally returned to her pale cheeks.

"How are you feeling?" Zu An asked anxiously.

"Much better. Your pill is truly miraculous," Pei Mianman sighed. "By the way, you gave me the pill, but what about you?"

She hadn't seen Zu An take any medicine and couldn't help but worry.

"I'm fine. Don't you see I'm much better now?" Zu An said, flexing a muscle to indicate his current state.

Pei Mianman was still uneasy. Her fingers slowly brushed his skin, checking his wounds. Feeling that many terrifying injuries had already begun to heal, her red lips parted wide enough to swallow an egg. "Your body's recovery ability is truly astonishing."

Zu An couldn't help but swallow hard. "Grand Auntie, could you please stop touching me...?"

He was currently holding her; her thin dress couldn't even block the warmth emanating from her soft figure, and the enchanting fragrance from her was enough to make any man's heart race.

"We're already so close, are you still shy about a little touch?" Pei Mianman couldn't help but tease. "You've really recovered..."

She stopped halfway through her question. Her charming, oval-shaped face suddenly flushed, and she quickly scrambled up from his embrace. "Never mind, no need to answer. I know you've recovered."

Zu An wanted to cry but had no tears. This wasn't his fault. If such a beautiful woman were sitting in his arms and he had no reaction, would he even be a man?

Seeing Pei Mianman standing nearby with a flushed face, an awkward silence filled the air. To break the awkwardness, Zu An asked, "By the way, why did you want me to leave?"

At the same time, he worried about Chu Chuyan. Mosquito Daoist was too powerful, and a slight oversight could put her life in danger.

"Are you worrying about Chuyan?" Pei Mianman seemed to read his mind. She explained, "Don't worry, someone will go help her soon."

"Who will help her?" Zu An asked eagerly. He recalled Chu Chuyan mentioning something similar before. Could some pretty boy be coveting her beauty and following her around?

"Look how nervous you are; it's not what you think," Pei Mianman rolled her eyes. "We encountered reinforcements sent from the capital on our way. The leader is Zhu Xie Chixin, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

She then briefly recounted their previous encounter.

Hearing that Sang Qian had been sucked dry into a corpse, Zu An's expression changed. He couldn't help but sigh, "Although so many people died for me due to your failed rescue attempts before, and I wished I could have killed Sang Qian with my own hands, hearing that he died so horribly still makes me feel a bit sad."

Although he hadn't seen Sang Qian's death, he had personally witnessed how Rogue Cultivator Bing died, and the thought of it sent shivers down his spine.

"You're probably thinking about his wife, aren't you?" Pei Mianman snorted. "But you won't be seeing Zheng Dan anytime soon. She and the rest of the Sang family have been re-arrested by imperial forces and might have already been sent back to the capital."

Hearing this news, Zu An felt a bit disappointed. However, he still said, "That's good too, lest her life be in danger if she stays with me."

Furthermore, with the Emperor sending new people this time, it was clear that those who wanted to kill Sang Hong and his son would not succeed again, and Zheng Dan's safety was also guaranteed.

"So you're making me leave now to avoid meeting Zhu Xie Chixin? But then he'll definitely blame you," Zu An suddenly realized.

Pei Mianman shook her head. "It doesn't matter; your safety is more important. The Emperor wouldn't possibly make the Chu and Pei families pay the ultimate price for this."

Knowing they were all thinking of him, Zu An was deeply moved. He took her hand and said, "Big Manman, thank you all!"

Pei Mianman's face flushed, and she pulled her hand back. "Just talk, don't get handsy."

Zu An couldn't help but grumble, "You didn't mind all the hugging and holding just now."

Pei Mianman playfully chided, "What did you say?"

Zu An laughed. "Nothing."

Just then, a cold sneer rang out: "What a pair of adulterers! Your own wife is fighting for her life for you, yet here you are, enjoying yourself with another woman. And you, your best friend entrusted her husband to you, not for you to secretly indulge."

Hearing this voice, Zu An and Pei Mianman immediately turned sharply around, looking at the familiar figure not far away.

"Again? Will this ever end!" Zu An's head throbbed. This Mosquito Daoist was truly a persistent ghost; how long had she been chasing him?

Mosquito Daoist's clothes were tattered, and there were many wounds and bloodstains on her body. It was clear she was not in good condition and must have suffered considerable injuries.

"Where's Chuyan?" Zu An looked behind her, but unfortunately, he saw no one else.

"Of course, she's dead," Mosquito Daoist snorted, a look of satisfaction appearing on her face.

"Dead?" Zu An's head reeled, and he felt unsteady on his feet.

Just then, a dazzling light suddenly flashed across the sky. It looked as if a fiercely burning extraterrestrial meteor was rapidly descending towards their direction.