Chapter 630: Older Sister and Loli Switch

Cheng Xiong’s guards had finished most of their search and implicitly signaled to him that they found nothing. Cheng Xiong fell into thought; the only unsearched part of the entire courtyard was now the bed right in front of them.

He cupped his hands and said, "We still need to search under the bed. Lord Eleven wouldn't mind, would he?"

Zu'an frowned. "General Cheng, what exactly do you mean? Do you think I wouldn't know if someone were hiding under my bed?" As a Gold-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard, not possessing such basic awareness would be a complete joke. For the general to make such a request, knowing their capabilities, truly seemed excessive.

Cheng Xiong chuckled. "We have no ulterior motives. It's just that Lord Eleven is quite injured right now, and your senses might not be as sharp as usual. Perhaps we should help check, so you can sleep more soundly."

The moment he finished speaking, without waiting for Zu'an's reply, he gestured for his men to search.

Several guards lay on the ground, lifted the bed skirt, and began prodding underneath with their swords. Unfortunately, after prodding for a long time, they found nothing. Zu'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking there was no way they'd find anything under the bed. Just then, Yu Jianyue's vital energy transmission whispered in his ear, "Show some anger, or you'll reveal a weakness."

Zu'an's heart jolted, and he instantly realized that if a distinguished Gold-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard allowed these men to ransack his room without any reaction, it would only further prove his guilt.

So he let out a cold snort, flicked his hand, and immediately used the "Gourmand Devouring Heaven Art." The guards who had just stood up felt a surge of immense power, their weapons flew out of their hands and scattered onto the bed.

With a flick of his wrist, Zu'an twisted several long sabers into knots. He said coldly, "Using weapons in my room? Has General Cheng not taught you any rules?"

The guards were drenched in cold sweat and hurriedly apologized. Even Cheng Xiong's pupils contracted. He subtly glanced at the scrap metal on the floor and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "My men were too eager to catch the thief and offended Lord Eleven. Please forgive them."

Internally, his mind was in turmoil. It wasn't that he feared Zu'an's cultivation level, as the vital energy fluctuation Zu'an displayed moments ago wasn't much higher than his own. The problem was that he couldn't discern the nature of Zu'an's technique. He honestly wondered if he could replicate such a feat if placed in the same situation, and he couldn't. He couldn't even tell what elemental affinity Zu'an's ability belonged to.

Zu'an said indifferently, "If you're so eager to catch a thief, then go out and catch one. Why are you wasting time here in my room?"

Cheng Xiong's expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to normal. He gestured for his men to leave. "We have caused much disturbance today. I hope Lord Eleven will not take it to heart." Zu'an remained silent, his face cold.

Cheng Xiong found it somewhat uninteresting and started to leave. As he reached the doorway, he glanced at Zu'an and said meaningfully, "Lord Eleven's attack was so powerful; you don't seem injured at all."

Zu'an replied calmly, "Even if I were injured, what effort would a dignified Gold-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard expend to deal with a few small fry?"

Cheng Xiong's face darkened. Zu'an's words had implicitly insulted him as well. Yet, he was genuinely uncertain, as Gold-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guards were all incredibly mysterious and powerful individuals. He wasn't sure if he could defeat Zu'an.

He unwillingly glanced at the bedding. If Zu'an had truly been much weaker, he might have already pulled back the covers to inspect. However, Zu'an had appeared too strong, so he had to abandon the idea of lifting the blanket.

He secretly reassured himself that the shape of the bedding didn't look like it could conceal an adult; at most, it could hide a child. But how could an assassin who infiltrated the palace be a child?

Furthermore, as soon as he entered the room, he had used his vital energy to sense his surroundings and detected no one else's presence besides Zu'an. That was why he hadn't pressed the issue.

"Could I really have been wrong?" Having found nothing and offended a Gold-Rank Envoy, Cheng Xiong left with his men, his face clouded with gloom.

Zu'an casually pressed a button on the room's "key," and the courtyard gate automatically closed.

This world had its advantages; although it hadn't developed a technological tree, many conveniences from his previous life could be replicated through cultivation knowledge.

The moment he closed the door, the blanket was thrown back, and a petite figure emerged from inside. Seeing Yu Jianyue in her loli form, Zu'an couldn't help but want to pinch her cheeks; she was simply too adorable.

"Do you wish to die?" Yu Jianyue slapped his hand away. Then, she twisted her body a few times, gradually returning to her normal figure, transforming from a cute little loli into a mature and charming older woman.

Zu'an couldn't help but exclaim, "Has anyone ever told you how incredibly cute you are when you shrink?"

A faint blush flashed across Yu Jianyue's face. "Don't you dare tell anyone what just happened, not even Honglei, or I will kill you!"

Zu'an's expression was odd. "So, no one has ever seen you in that form before?"

"That's not entirely true," Yu Jianyue said with a nostalgic expression. "Sometimes, when it gets too boring staying in the cult, I'd secretly sneak into nearby towns in that form to have some fun."

Zu'an: "???" You're the leader of a sect, and a formidable Demonic Cult at that. Isn't that a bit of an odd mindset?

Yu Jianyue immediately realized she had inadvertently revealed something extraordinary. Her gaze instantly turned extremely dangerous. "It seems you took the opportunity to touch me just now?"

Zu'an quickly waved his hands. "Absolutely not! I was just worried that if you heard Cheng Xiong's nonsense, you'd jump out to settle scores with him, and that would be trouble."

Yu Jianyue snorted. "Do you think I'm one of those big-breasted, brainless types?"

Zu'an's expression was peculiar, and his gaze involuntarily drifted to her ample chest. He thought, 'Brainless? Maybe not. But big-breasted? Definitely.'

"What are you looking at?" Yu Jianyue suddenly smiled, but anyone could feel the chill in her smile.

"Nothing at all," Zu'an chuckled, quickly pulling out the Five-Essence Secret Ganoderma. "Take this to heal your injuries quickly." He had already embraced and touched her; it would be ungracious not to give it to her now.

Yu Jianyue frowned but ultimately didn't refuse, taking the jade box. She didn't open it immediately, though, saying, "That Cheng Xiong seems quite hostile towards you. You should be careful; he probably won't just let this go." "Sigh, I don't even know how I offended him," Zu'an lamented, feeling unlucky. Being secretly watched by such a cunning individual was like having a fishbone stuck in his throat.

"Rather than waiting to be attacked, it's better to strike first. Find an opportunity to eliminate him once and for all," Yu Jianyue said coldly.

Zu'an was dumbfounded. In that moment, he realized that this beautiful woman, like the bright moon in the sky, was not some benevolent being, but the infamous leader of the Demonic Cult.

After giving her instructions, Yu Jianyue no longer concerned herself with Cheng Xiong. "Guard me. I'm going to heal my injuries." She then sat cross-legged on the bed, opened the jade box on her lap, revealing the Five-Essence Secret Ganoderma inside.

From a distance, Zu'an felt a surge of abundant spiritual energy wash over him, immediately clearing his mind. He hastily stood on his tiptoes to look, seeing a reishi-like herb lying in the jade box, with visible ethereal mist swirling around it—clearly an extraordinary item.

Yu Jianyue didn't consume it but rather sat in meditation. Before long, a wisp of ethereal mist floating on the surface of the Five-Essence Secret Ganoderma slowly rose and entered her body through her nostrils. A faint blush appeared on her previously pale face.

Zu'an watched, blinking. The way she absorbed the mist was truly like an immortal from the heavens; even healing injuries, she possessed such grace. When would he ever reach such a level?

After about half an hour, Yu Jianyue opened her eyes and casually closed the jade box. Zu'an, who had been idly waiting beside her, was startled. "You're healed so quickly?"

For some reason, he felt a little reluctant for her to recover so fast.

Yu Jianyue shook her head. "It's not that easy. Injuries to the soul require slow recuperation; there's no rushing it. Using the Five-Essence Secret Ganoderma to aid in soul recovery for half an hour each day is already the limit; any more time would be wasteful."

Zu'an's mood instantly brightened. "Haha, then take your time cultivating. You can stay here as long as you like. Oh, by the way, excuse me, I need to go to sleep."

***

I've had some thoughts simmering inside me for a while, and I'd like to take this opportunity to share them. For a long time, online content has been discriminated against by mainstream society. Harem novels, in particular, are at the very bottom of this hierarchy of disdain. With the "Clean Net" campaign, the survival environment for this genre has become even more challenging.

However, there's a segment of the population who dislikes novels that are ostensibly about passionate struggle and hard work, but are in reality filled with selfishness, cunning, and cruelty, where killing to seize treasure is standard practice, wiping out entire families at the slightest disagreement, or destroying clans and nations at the drop of a hat, with protagonists whose hands are stained with millions of lives... Personally, I'm not a fan of this excessive brutality. As readers of my previous book know, the protagonist, after transmigrating, consistently maintained the bottom line of a modern person. For millions of words, he barely killed anyone. Later, due to plot progression, he had no choice but to kill, but his main goal was always to stabilize the chaotic world quickly and allow the common people to live in peace and prosperity.

In truth, this persistence might seem ridiculous. Mainstream online readers prefer decisive protagonists. My protagonist, Little Song, in the previous book, was often criticized by readers for being indecisive.

I've also mentioned before that I don't enjoy reading or writing the repetitive cycle of leveling up, monster grinding, and villain-slapping. I simply want to earnestly depict stories focusing on inner worlds. Because I personally love reading history books, I unconsciously weave historical backgrounds into my works. The setting of my previous book primarily blended the history of the Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Qing dynasties, while some readers of this book have identified its background as being the Western Jin period.

Since I mainly base my plots on historical research, my writing speed isn't fast. Additionally, harem novels inherently contain many daily life elements, so their pacing naturally can't compare to many popular books on the market; I have to admit that that. I've constantly tried to find an excellent balance between these two aspects, but I can only say that there's still a long way to go, and I hope to improve significantly in this area in the future.

Let's also discuss the issue of harem novels. Many people often confuse them, equating harem novels with erotic fiction, when in fact, the "Clean Net" campaign primarily targets the latter.

Harem novels simply feature multiple female protagonists; they don't inherently mean they are obscene or vulgar!

Why has enjoying harem novels become an original sin? "Fair maidens are fitting mates for noble gentlemen"—isn't this simply human nature? From my observations over the years, friends and acquaintances who have many female confidantes in real life are completely uninterested in harem novels because they already live a "harem" life. Conversely, those who are introverted and simple in real life are often the ones who read harem novels more. This is because they strictly adhere to their principles, responsibilities, and morals in real life. Should they not be allowed to let loose a little in fiction?

I must admit here that my previous book was my first, and there were times when I inadvertently let myself go too much, which I need to reflect on. Therefore, I've been very careful with this aspect in the current book. A harem is a harem, but the boundaries must be controlled. You should have noticed that any instances of romance or intimacy in this book are not explicitly described but merely hinted at.

So, to all readers who enjoy harem novels, there's truly no need to feel inferior. As someone who writes harem novels, I don't see anything shameful about it. As long as you abide by laws and regulations in real life and appropriately vent some negative emotions through fiction, you might even face life more positively and optimistically in reality.

Given the current situation, harem-oriented novels already face a tough struggle for survival. Readers who enjoy this genre should unite even more and not look down on themselves, as that would only make things even harder.

Finally, and shamelessly, I hope that one day, when harem novels are mentioned, many people will remember my name. Haha.