Chapter 587: The Revenge of the Demon Sect

A faint blush flashed across Murong Qinghe’s wheat-colored skin. She quickly explained, “No, it’s not like that at all. My grandfather wants to host a banquet tonight and would like to invite you and Duke Wei to our residence. I happened to be free, so I offered to extend the invitation.”

Qin Zheng, from the eldest branch of the Qin family, was Duke Cheng, while Qin Se, from the second branch, was Duke Wei. With two dukes in one family, both holding significant military power, the Qin family's prestige was immense.

The Duke of the State (Guogong) was the highest rank among dukes. For instance, Chu Zhongtian's Duke of Bright Moon held a slightly lower title. However, the Chu family possessed actual feudal territory and an army, giving them significantly more real power than ordinary dukes, almost comparable to a Guogong.

Ignoring Murong Qinghe's transparent attempt to conceal her true intentions, Zu An pursed his lips. "Who are you trying to fool?" he thought. "You kept glancing at Chu Youzhao while you were speaking; it's obvious what your purpose is."

"By the way," he mused, "does the Qin family patriarch know about Chu Youzhao's disguise as a man? If he knows and doesn't say anything, letting Miss Murong fall so deeply in love, that's a bit of a betrayal to a friend."

Hearing this, Qin Zheng nodded. "Yes, my second brother and I will certainly be on time for the banquet tonight."

He naturally understood the true reason behind Murong Tong's invitation. As this thought crossed his mind, he subconsciously glanced at Zu An, and a wave of anger surged within him.

The struggle between King Qi and the Crown Prince had initially favored King Qi, but this unexpected turn of events had caused significant losses for King Qi's faction recently, even costing them the crucial position of Capital Commandant!

Rage from Qin Zheng: 724!

Seeing the rage value pop up in his system, Zu An felt a pang of annoyance. He could mostly guess the reason, but was it truly his fault? He felt like a victim himself. This journey to find Chu Chuyan was likely destined to be anything but smooth.

At that moment, Chu Youzhao quickly interjected, "Grandfather, brother-in-law has something he needs to discuss with you."

"Brother-in-law?" Qin Zheng frowned. "What brother-in-law are you talking about?"

Chu Youzhao, still unaware of the tension, quickly introduced Zu An, "It's Zu An, my elder sister's husband..."

Before she could finish, Qin Zheng interrupted, "The Chu family has already issued a letter of divorce, dissolving the engagement with him. What relationship does your sister still have with him?"

Chu Youzhao was momentarily speechless, as, strictly speaking, it was indeed true.

Zu An frowned, but before he could speak, Qin Zheng addressed him again. "Young Master Zu, I hear you presented the *Phoenix Nirvana Sutra* to the Emperor, which earned you the title 'Phoenix Man'?"

While his tone was polite, there was an undeniable air of detachment.

Nevertheless, as Chu Chuyan's maternal grandfather, Zu An patiently replied, "Yes, I did indeed present the scripture to the Emperor some time ago."

Qin Zheng stared intently at him. "Is there truly a method for immortality in this world?"

Zu An replied indifferently, "If you believe, it exists. If you don't, it doesn't."

"If there really was a method for immortality, why would the Emperor spare your life?" Qin Zheng sneered.

Zu An retorted, "Is Duke Cheng questioning the Emperor's parsimony or cruelty?"

Qin Zheng gasped, realizing he had made a grave error in his haste. "That's not what I meant, of course," he quickly clarified. "It's just that the Emperor, as the sovereign, cannot be judged by ordinary moral standards. He must consider the empire's future for generations to come, so certain actions are entirely justified."

Zu An replied, "The Emperor has reviewed the scripture and concluded that while the *Phoenix Nirvana Sutra* is beneficial for cultivation, it does not grant immortality. That's why he let me go."

This was the outcome he had negotiated with the Emperor. After all, being known as the possessor of an immortality method would bring him immense trouble, and dealing with all sorts of "flies" would be an unbearable headache, leaving him no energy to complete his tasks.

"That makes sense," Qin Zheng nodded inwardly. If true immortality were possible, there was no logical reason for the Emperor to spare him. Furthermore, bestowing only the lowest rank of baron indicated that what he offered was not exceptionally valuable.

In fact, earlier news from the imperial palace had corroborated this point: the Emperor had even explicitly decreed that anyone who presumptuously discussed immortality would be executed.

But could this simply be a deliberate ruse by the Emperor to mislead others? He resolved to discuss it thoroughly with Murong and the others that evening.

Observing the fluctuating expressions on Qin Zheng's face, Zu An couldn't help but admire the Emperor's brilliant strategy. The mix of truth and falsehood had clearly bewildered these individuals, leading to all sorts of wild speculations.

Zu An cleared his throat and stated his purpose. "I've come here to take Chuyan home."

Having answered their questions and shown his sincerity, it was now the Qin family's turn.

"Home?" Qin Zheng's expression darkened. "You and Chuyan no longer have any relationship. What home would you take her to? Moreover, this *is* her home."

Zu An's voice also grew cold. "If I'm not mistaken, Duke Cheng severed his father-daughter ties with Chuyan's mother long ago. Strictly speaking, there's not much of a relationship between you either, so how can this be considered her home?"

"You!" Qin Zheng exploded in rage. Holding such a high position and wielding military power, when had anyone ever dared to speak to him in such a manner?

Rage from Qin Zheng: 999!

Zu An remained expressionless. He had endured the Emperor's scrutiny; no matter how formidable Qin Zheng was, could he compare to the Emperor?

"Grandfather, please don't be angry," Chu Youzhao interjected anxiously, trying to mediate. "Brother-in-law, you might not know, but Grandfather has taken great care of us sisters over the years."

Qin Zheng scoffed, "My affairs with my daughter are none of an outsider's business. Furthermore, no matter what, there's still a blood tie between us, which is, of course, different from your situation."

Zu An retorted, "If you truly consider her family, then why have you kept her under house arrest, living like a prisoner here? Can this still be called a home?"

"You!" Qin Zheng was almost provoked to laughter by sheer rage. "Don't you have any idea why I put Chuyan under house arrest? It's precisely because I'm worried she'll get entangled in your affairs and do something foolish!"

Rage from Qin Zheng: 999,999,999...

Seeing the seemingly endless string of rage values flooding his system, Zu An felt quite exasperated. Were all military men this short-tempered?

Regardless, he wouldn't back down now. "If Duke Cheng refuses to release her, I will ask the Emperor to arbitrate this matter."

"The Emperor cannot meddle in our family affairs," Qin Zheng declared, though he hesitated. This young brat had just presented the *Phoenix Nirvana Sutra* and was clearly in the Emperor's favor. If he truly involved the Emperor, Qin Zheng would become the laughing stock of the imperial court.

Suppressing his temper, he said, "It's useless for us to argue here. Let's hear Chuyan's own opinion and see if she is willing to go with you."

After a moment's hesitation, Zu An nodded. "Very well."

If the other party insisted on not releasing her, he couldn't simply force her away. Not only were there countless guards in the enormous Qin mansion, but the old man before him, with his terrifying elemental energy fluctuations, was clearly at the peak of the Grandmaster realm—a formidable opponent Zu An could not hope to defeat.

Soon, Chu Chuyan was brought in. Her expression was visibly haggard; it was clear she had been consumed by worry for Zu An over the past few days, unable to find a solution, which had left her utterly exhausted.

However, the moment she saw Zu An, her eyes lit up with astonishing brilliance. She immediately rushed into his arms. "A'Zu, are you alright?"

Zu An gently patted her trembling body and softly replied, "I'm fine. The greatest challenge is behind us."

Chu Youzhao, standing nearby, widened her eyes. In her mind, her elder sister had always been as cold as ice, embodying the perfect image of a strong, independent woman who single-handedly propped up more than half of the Chu family. Who was this meek, clinging woman before her?

Murong Qinghe also watched the scene with curiosity. Chu Chuyan had always been her idol—a woman in white, brilliant as snow, with extraordinary talent. For years, Murong Qinghe had made Chu Chuyan her benchmark, diligently cultivating with the ambition of surpassing her peer, then gradually catching up and eventually overtaking her.

Yet, to her surprise, their cultivation gap seemed to have widened even further during this encounter. Wasn't it said that cultivation progress slowed down in later stages? She had thought her rank five cultivation was close to catching up, only to find Chu Chuyan was now rank seven.

Why would such a powerful woman behave this way towards a man?

Recalling their previous exchanges, she also realized that Zu An's cultivation was far from the "trash" status rumored. "Hmph," she thought. "Was that Shi family kid blind? Calling a person like that trash?"

Still, no matter how exceptional he was, he couldn't compare to her dear Brother Chu.

Her gaze quickly shifted to Chu Youzhao, and her previously sharp eyes softened into a look of infatuation.

Qin Zheng, seated at the head, couldn't bear to watch any longer. "Your engagement was broken long ago," he snapped. "What sort of decorum is this, embracing like this? You're just making yourselves a laughingstock for outsiders!"

Murong Qinghe started to speak, then hesitated. *Actually, I'm not an outsider either,* she thought. *Sooner or later, I'll be part of Brother Chu's family.*

Chu Chuyan's face flushed slightly. Gently pushing Zu An back a little, she replied, "Grandfather, the previous cancellation of the engagement was because A'Zu was worried about implicating our Chu family. Now that the matter is behind us, our engagement can naturally be reinstated. In truth, for me, the formal engagement holds no meaning, because in my heart, he has always been my husband."

Qin Zheng was momentarily lost in a daze, as if transported back more than a decade. His daughter, Wanru, had argued with him just like this, before ultimately eloping with that Chu fellow without a second thought.

*Hmph,* he thought. *Daughters are nothing but money-sinks.*

He composed himself. "What you think isn't important. What is important is that you are no longer husband and wife, and everyone else knows it. Your actions will bring shame upon both the Chu family and our Qin family."

Chu Chuyan pursed her lips slightly, clearly disagreeing inwardly, but she chose not to argue with her grandfather over this.

Qin Zheng clearly remembered why he had called her out. "You decide for yourself," he said. "Will you stay with the Qin family, or will you go with this wild man?"

Chu Chuyan looked puzzled, so Chu Youzhao quickly rushed over to explain what had just transpired.

After listening, Chu Chuyan replied, "Grandfather, may I speak with A'Zu privately?"

Qin Zheng frowned, then waved his hand, dismissing her.

Chu Chuyan took Zu An's hand and led him out of the study, walking all the way to her own room.

Zu An sighed. "Honestly, I knew your choice without you having to say a word. Someone who values responsibility as much as you do wouldn't simply abandon the Qin family."

Chu Chuyan's face was filled with apology. "I'm sorry, A'Zu. My mother and grandfather severed their father-daughter relationship. Although she never says it, I know she has some regrets. But both of them are strong-willed and unwilling to yield, so it's up to us, the younger generation, to mend their relationship. Over the years, Youzhao has been taken care of by grandfather here in the capital, and the relationship between our two families has become increasingly cordial. If I leave now, all our previous efforts will be wasted, my mother and grandfather's relationship will never recover, and how will Youzhao manage in the Qin family afterward?"

Zu An sighed. "You always think of others, but never yourself. Every time, you're the one making all sorts of sacrifices for your family..."

Chu Chuyan's lips curved into a slight smile. "If it weren't for such sacrifices, how would I have ever met you?"

Given her beauty and cultivation, she could have chosen any outstanding young man from the most prominent families. Yet, for the sake of the Chu family, she had to accept a husband who would marry into their household, which ultimately led her to Zu An.

Initially, she had resigned herself to sacrificing her lifelong happiness, never expecting to meet the right person through such an unexpected turn of events.

Zu An was surprised that she, usually so reserved, could utter such tender words. Unable to resist, he pulled her into his embrace, lowered his head, and kissed her red lips.

Chu Chuyan blushed deeply. "They're still waiting for our answer," she whispered.

"Let them wait," Zu An snorted, and continued to kiss her.

Chu Chuyan reflected on how much she had considered for her family, yet how little for her beloved. Knowing that Zu An had endured much hardship recently, a pang of guilt prompted her to let him have his way.

As the two passionately embraced, in another courtyard in the capital, members of the Demonic Cult were reporting to a captivating and alluring woman. "Saintess," one said, "Master Ding was killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and his residence has been given to another official."

The woman snorted. "The Embroidered Uniform Guards daring to harm our people must pay a price. Send someone to eliminate the new master of Ding's residence. Let everyone know that we are not to be trifled with."

This is today's only update. More will be provided tomorrow.