Chapter 629: Shrink Bone Skill

Just then, Yun Jianyue spoke up: "Go sleep in the bed."

"Huh?" Zu An was taken aback, a little confused by her request.

Yun Jianyue glared at him impatiently: "Didn't you claim to be injured? You're supposed to be resting."

"Oh, right." Zu An got into bed and pulled the covers over himself. This was actually his first time sleeping in the bed since the house had been given to him.

Just then, Yun Jianyue looked at him again: "Your clothes!"

Zu An was bewildered. Yun Jianyue frowned and said, "You seem clever usually. If you're sleeping, how can you sleep with your clothes on?"

Zu An said, "Oh," and took off his outer garment. However, he kept his mask on, as the true face of an Embroidered Envoy could not be revealed in public. After doing all this, he finally came to his senses: "What's the point of this? The main thing is you, big sister. I'm not afraid of being seen."

Yun Jianyue hesitated for a moment, then directly pulled back his covers and slipped in.

Zu An: "???"

Her long hair brushed against him, smooth and delicate like silk. Smelling her faint, elegant scent and feeling her soft body, Zu An finally managed to blurt out, "I think you want my body!"

"Shut up!" A rare blush appeared on Yun Jianyue's fair face, but it quickly faded. He felt her wriggling inside the covers, as if practicing some kind of contortion technique. Her body suddenly became incredibly flexible, seemingly shrinking in size. She tucked herself entirely into his blanket, making it impossible to tell there was an extra person inside.

Zu An was stunned. In his previous life, he had seen women practicing yoga perform all sorts of incredible poses, but now he realized they were nothing compared to Yun Jianyue. Anyone who married this woman in the future would surely experience explosive marital bliss.

"Do you want to die?!" At that moment, Yun Jianyue's gritted voice came from under the covers.

Rage from Yun Jianyue +999!

Zu An's old face flushed, and he awkwardly shifted his legs: "This is a normal physiological reaction, beyond my control. I apologize."

Yun Jianyue: "..."

She turned her head away. *If you did that on purpose, I'd rip you off!* If it weren't for this desperate situation, how else would she resort to such a measure? She knew that if someone came in to search later, hiding behind the half-curtain as before wouldn't work. Zhu Xie Chixin hadn't suspected anything, which was why he hadn't looked closely. But the person outside was clearly prepared; every corner of the room would be searched. Hiding outside the window temporarily wasn't an option either; Zu An had just mentioned that a circle of guards was already surrounding the area. Flipping out the window now would instantly expose them.

And as a result, that brat took advantage of her!

Rage from Yun Jianyue +233233233...

Come to think of it, was he from the Beast Race? Or perhaps a half-beast? But based on his appearance, he seemed entirely human.

Yun Jianyue was, after all, a sect leader; she understood what was at stake. She took a deep breath and calmed her emotions.

At that moment, Cheng Xiong's impatient voice came from outside: "Your Excellency Eleven, if you don't open the door, I'll have reason to suspect you're harboring a wanted criminal and will break in directly!"

Although the room had a protective array, it had a defensive limit and certainly couldn't withstand the bombardment of an eighth-rank general leading a group of masters.

Zu An then pressed the key on the doorplate, and the courtyard gate automatically opened: "General Cheng, search if you must. I just moved in today, so there's not much here. It'll be easy to clear things up."

Cheng Xiong was a little surprised. This fellow actually let them in. Had he truly wronged him? However, he didn't jump to conclusions so quickly. He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to search thoroughly. They were professionals in searching; even a hidden room or cellar in the courtyard wouldn't escape their notice. He himself walked directly towards the main house: "Your Excellency Eleven, please forgive me. I am merely performing my official duties."

Although he harbored suspicions, he maintained a polite demeanor. After all, everyone worked in the palace, and some formalities had to be observed.

"There's nothing to forgive, General Cheng. Please make yourself at home once your search is complete. I was just about to rest and recuperate from my injuries." Zu An struggled to sit up halfway in bed, perfectly fitting the image of someone awakened from sleep.

"So Your Excellency Eleven was sleeping? Didn't you just go to the Imperial Hospital?" Cheng Xiong stared intently at him, hoping to discern something unusual from his expression. Unfortunately, the mask on Zu An's face revealed nothing. He didn't find this suspicious; the true identity of every Embroidered Envoy was highly mysterious, and they never revealed their true faces to others. It was perfectly reasonable for him to wear a mask even while sleeping; in fact, it would be strange if he didn't.

Zu An scoffed, "It seems General Cheng came well-prepared, having investigated quite thoroughly."

Cheng Xiong didn't get angry, merely smiling as he replied, "I have no choice. Since His Majesty tasked me with investigating these assassins, I must naturally do my best and not overlook any clues."

"Has General Cheng discovered anything?" Zu An frowned inwardly, wondering why this man was targeting him. Logically, they had no prior grudges, and he was a Gold-Medal Embroidered Envoy. There was no reason for him to be so disrespectful.

"Those assassins are too cunning; I haven't found anything valuable yet. However, I believe there are still some assassins at large in the palace, though I don't know where they're hiding. But it won't be long before we find them," Cheng Xiong said.

"I wish General Cheng a swift victory." Zu An couldn't help but marvel at how astute this man was, having actually guessed the truth. It was unfortunate that this man was an adversary; that made things difficult.

Cheng Xiong smiled, then suddenly asked, "By the way, I just heard at the Imperial Hospital that Your Excellency Eleven was injured. But earlier in the Imperial Study, I didn't sense any injury on you. Did you perhaps encounter assassins again after leaving the Imperial Study?"

Zu An screamed inwardly, *Did this guy read the script or something?* Of course, he showed no weakness on the surface: "Actually, I was injured by that female assassin's flying sword back in the Eastern Palace. But I had to maintain proper decorum when facing His Majesty, so I suppressed the injury. Later, when I had a moment, I went to the Imperial Hospital to get medicine."

"But I heard the Imperial Hospital didn't give you the medicine; they gave it to the Crown Princess instead," Cheng Xiong said, moving closer to him. "Your Excellency Eleven, do you perhaps need my assistance? Although I am only an eighth-rank official, I believe I still possess the ability to heal others."

"Thank you for your concern, General, but the Crown Princess just gave me the medicine. I'm much better now and only need a few days of good rest to recover completely." Zu An intentionally brought up his connection with the Crown Princess, hoping to make him back off.

As expected, Cheng Xiong's expression changed when he heard "Crown Princess." He hadn't anticipated such a connection between them. However, he was also a ruthless character. Realizing he had already offended Zu An, he thought it better to crush him immediately rather than allow him to use the power of both the Embroidered Envoys and the Crown Princess to seek revenge later.

"Speaking of that female assassin, I still feel a lingering fear. A grandmaster of her stature, acting as an assassin with no regard for her identity, is truly shameless," Cheng Xiong said.

Upon hearing this, Zu An immediately felt Yun Jianyue's body stiffen, clearly indicating her immense rage. Fearing she might lose her composure, he quickly reached out and lightly patted her body, signaling her to calm down.

Yun Jianyue: "..."

*Once my injuries heal, should I chop off this guy's dog paws?*

Zu An then continued along with Cheng Xiong's words: "That female assassin was quite beautiful, but unfortunately, her attacks were too vicious. I almost died by her sword."

Cheng Xiong praised, "It's truly admirable that Your Excellency Eleven could dodge a Grandmaster's flying sword attack. I wonder which cultivation technique Your Excellency practices? The 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' sounds like a fire-element technique, doesn't it?"

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He finally understood that this man was trying to probe if the Flame Blade that saved Qiu Honglei had any connection to him. He said coldly, "The 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' was specifically requested by His Majesty. General Cheng, wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to inquire about it?"

Cheng Xiong's expression changed. "I was too impressed by Your Excellency Eleven's skills and spoke out of turn. Please forgive me."

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily fell upon the blanket covering Zu An.