Chapter 625: Different Paths, Same Destination

She knew he was intentionally teasing her and said coldly, "Honglei is not my personal property; I would never use her as a bargaining chip with you."

"I'm not asking you to trade her; just don't stop her from being with me," Zu'an said. He thought about how many TV dramas featured despicable, authoritarian parents obstructing the protagonists' relationships and certainly didn't want to go through that himself.

Yun Jianyue was truly surprised. "Your relationship has already progressed this far?" she asked.

A shock ran through her. It seemed she had been neglecting her disciple lately; she never expected her to quietly fall for a man.

Zu'an puffed out his chest. "For an extraordinary man like me—handsome, elegant, dashing, chivalrous, and loyal... isn't it perfectly normal for her to fall for me?"

Hearing his long string of adjectives, Yun Jianyue was rendered speechless.

She really wanted to grab a nearby pillow and just smack him in the face with it. The guy was simply too shameless.

A surge of rage filled Yun Jianyue.

Yun Jianyue took a deep breath, calming herself. "I can agree not to stop you, but you must promise me you won't ruin Honglei's innocence," she said.

Zu'an was bewildered.

"If two people are in love, how can that be called ruining her innocence?"

Yun Jianyue sneered, "No matter how eloquent you are, it won't change the fact that you're just lusting after her body."

Zu'an was speechless.

Yun Jianyue continued, "The cultivation method Honglei practices is special. She must not lose her virginity before achieving mastery; otherwise, she won't be able to attain true enlightenment, and the cultivation method will backfire, turning her into a slave to her desires."

Zu'an couldn't help but get angry. "What kind of ridiculous cultivation method is that? How can such an absurd method exist in this world?" he exclaimed.

Yun Jianyue gave him a faint side-glance. "Why not? Isn't this the very method I practice?" she countered.

Zu'an stared at her, dumbfounded. *So this is why you're still a virgin?* he thought.

Yun Jianyue showed no shyness, introducing it gracefully. "The cultivation method of our lineage is called the 'Heavenly Demon's Alluring Sound.' You can probably tell from the name that it's an enchanting technique. You've interacted with Honglei for so long, so you must be aware of the charm she exudes."

Zu'an nodded. He recalled his first meeting with Qiu Honglei, indeed finding her naturally alluring to the point where his first thought was of a bed. As someone accustomed to beautiful women, his self-control was decent; it was the other men at the Divine Immortals' Abode who were truly captivated and lost their minds.

Yun Jianyue continued, "Once she cultivates to a higher realm, she will constantly be plagued by the fires of karma. If she can maintain clear-headedness and reason to overcome these trials, she will achieve the highest realm of the 'Heavenly Demon's Alluring Sound.' Conversely, if she loses her virginity before then, not only will her cultivation regress significantly, but the enchanting technique will also backfire, causing her to feel desire whenever she sees a man. Since you two are in love, I presume you wouldn't want to see her end up like that, would you?"

Zu'an fell silent. He certainly wouldn't want to see Qiu Honglei become like that.

But the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. "What kind of demonic cultivation method is this? You're a demonic cult! Why are you adhering to the same chastity rules as righteous sects? Shouldn't seductive and enchanting behavior be more in line with your temperament?"

Yun Jianyue's expression turned cold. "We are the Sacred Sect. Our doctrine is for all people under heaven to become dragons. 'Demonic Cult' is merely a derogatory term the imperial court uses to slander us."

Zu'an couldn't be bothered to argue with her about it. "Alright, alright, if you say Sacred Sect, then Sacred Sect it is. So, can Honglei just stop practicing your absurd cultivation method? I'll find another one for her."

He had quite a few cultivation methods in his possession now and wasn't worried about not finding one suitable for her.

Yun Jianyue's eyes narrowed. "Are you perhaps planning to teach her the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra?"

All the way to the capital, the demonic cult had sent many people to capture him, all for the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra.

Zu'an was about to explain that the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, a method that involved taking hits, wasn't suitable for her, but then he thought it unnecessary to explain, as he had other methods anyway. "What if I am?" he replied.

Yun Jianyue's expression instantly became intricate. She scrutinized him for a long time before sighing. "You really spare no expense to win a woman's heart," she remarked. "No wonder even Honglei is attracted to you."

If she had known this earlier, there would have been no need for all that trouble; she could have just sent Honglei.

Hearing her lament, Zu'an thought to himself, *If I could have both you and your disciple, it wouldn't just be the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra; I'd be willing to give up anything else too.* Of course, he would never dare to voice such a thought aloud.

Yun Jianyue then asked, "Can the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra truly grant immortality?"

"Hey, how much information have you 'freeloaded' from me? Are you used to doing it now?" Zu'an complained, but still answered, "The immortality promised by the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra is just a gimmick; it's impossible to achieve."

Originally, Yun Jianyue's eyebrows were about to furrow in displeasure, but hearing the latter part of his sentence, she couldn't help but sigh in relief. "That's good, that's good," she said.

As long as the emperor couldn't achieve immortality, nothing else was a big problem.

She didn't really doubt that Zu'an was lying to her, because she had also had such a conjecture before: if the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra truly granted immortality, the emperor wouldn't have let him go.

It was then that she continued, "This Mistress thanks you on behalf of Honglei for your good intentions, but unfortunately, the 'Heavenly Demon's Alluring Sound' is truly special; once cultivation begins, it cannot be stopped unless one breaks through to my current realm."

"Isn't your cultivation method harmful?" Zu'an paced back and forth agitatedly. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "How old are you?"

Yun Jianyue's eyebrows rose. "Are you perhaps tired of living in this mortal world?" she challenged.

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. Even though she was severely injured, the oppressive feeling at that moment made his mouth dry. He seemed to understand: having held back earlier at the rockery, he probably wouldn't get another chance to defeat her.

He quickly said, "I'm not trying to find out your age. I want to know how many years it will take for Honglei to reach your realm, so I can have an idea of what to expect."

Yun Jianyue snorted. "If you truly love her, why would you care about how many years it takes? If you can't wait, it proves you don't love her, which would be a good thing for her."

Zu'an looked at her with pity. "You've definitely never been in a relationship, have you?"

Yun Jianyue immediately flew into a rage. "Are you looking for death?" she demanded.

Zu'an said with a straight face, "Such a naive view of love is clearly armchair philosophy from someone who's never been in a relationship. Emotions can't withstand such tests."

Yun Jianyue's face flushed. She truly had no experience in that regard, but she didn't want to admit it aloud. "Hmph, this Mistress has crossed more bridges than you've walked roads. Do you think I don't see things as clearly as you do?" she retorted.

Zu'an knew she was losing face, so he stopped provoking her. "Alright, remember your promise. Once I find the medicine, you'll agree to our relationship."

Yun Jianyue frowned. "Where will you look?"

Zu'an said, "The Imperial Academy of Medicine, of course. It gathers renowned physicians from all over the world and receives precious medicinal ingredients as tribute from various regions. They might have what you're looking for."

Yun Jianyue's eyes lit up. Although this guy had a glib tongue, he truly hit the nail on the head. There might indeed be what she needed there.

"Hide well here and don't wander off. Wait for me to come back," Zu'an cautioned repeatedly, clearly worried.

"Okay," Yun Jianyue replied subconsciously, but soon her brows furrowed slightly. *Why does this feel like a young wife waiting for her husband to return?* she wondered.

She shook her head, quickly pushing the thought out of her mind.

On his way to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Zu'an grumbled inwardly. *It's a good thing I'm inherently upright. Any other man, seeing such a once-aloof beauty fallen from grace, would surely take the opportunity to take advantage of her.*

At this moment, inside Kuning Palace, General Cheng Xiong, the Left Guard General with a full beard, emerged. His subordinates waiting outside quickly went to greet him. "General, any progress?" they asked.

Cheng Xiong's face was grim. "It was too chaotic then, and the Empress was startled; she can't recall many details. It seems we'll have to start elsewhere."

His subordinates were crestfallen. The emperor was furious this time and had tasked them with investigating the assassin incident at the Empress's palace.

However, the chaos here had started earlier than at the Eastern Palace. By the time the major battle erupted there, the assassins here had already escaped in the commotion. Those who couldn't escape committed suicide, leaving not a single survivor.

Just as they were at a loss, Cheng Xiong suddenly said, "Go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine. If any assassins are still in the palace, they will definitely need medicine for their injuries and might target the Academy."

Everyone else was overjoyed. "The General is brilliant!" they exclaimed.