Chapter 643: Washing the Face with Tears

At that moment, Zuan's hair stood on end. Locked onto by the killing intent of a half-grandmaster at such close range, there was simply no way to escape.

Although he had fought Yun Jianyue in the Eastern Palace that night, she had not used her full power then, in order to conceal her identity. Later, when he fought her in the rock garden, she had already been severely wounded by the Emperor, and her strength was greatly diminished. This had led him to somewhat underestimate grandmasters. Facing one now, in this moment, he realized the immense gap in power. He even suspected that if the opponent attacked, he would be killed within three moves, even if he used every trick he knew.

Cold sweat streamed down his back, but his reaction was quick. Forcing himself to abandon any thought of resistance, he replied directly, "I don't understand what the Grand Commander is talking about."

Zhu Xie Chixin scoffed, his voice unsettlingly soft. "I've had it investigated. Cheng Xiong didn't suspect you without reason. There were indeed two Gold-ranked Embroidered Uniform Guards who left the palace gate that day. But I know very well that the other Gold-ranked guards all had their own assignments and couldn't have been in the palace at that time."

Zuan's heart sank, but his mouth instinctively began to argue. "That's unfair! Those are just the palace guards' one-sided claims. And they are Cheng Xiong's subordinates, so won't they just say whatever Cheng Xiong tells them to?"

"Is that so?" Zhu Xie Chixin stared at him. "It's easy to determine if you've been wronged. Just show me all your uniforms for inspection. Every Embroidered Uniform Guard's uniform is specially made, with detailed records of its issuance and return. Outsiders cannot possibly counterfeit them; this cannot be faked."

Zuan's breath hitched. He hadn't expected Zhu Xie Chixin to actually want to inspect the uniforms. He had given one of his uniforms to Qiao Xueying to wear; how could he get it back now? How could he explain the missing set? No, any explanation would only arouse suspicion.

Zhu Xie Chixin said, "I recall telling you that your waist token has a small storage space. Embroidered Uniform Guards typically store their belongings in it. Don't tell me you can't produce it now, or that one of them was stolen by someone else."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's waist token was indeed special. It had a one-way mission issuance function and also storage capabilities. The higher the rank, the larger the storage space, but even at its largest, it was no more than one cubic meter. It was utterly incomparable to the terrifying storage space of the Lapis Lazuli Orb.

Feeling Zhu Xie Chixin's aura grow denser, Zuan knew his hesitation had made him suspicious. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "The innocent will prove themselves innocent. I will just take out my clothes for the Grand Commander to inspect." As he spoke, he slowly took out the uniforms, one by one. He took them from his inner garments; the other party couldn't see that he wasn't using his waist token, but rather the Lapis Lazuli Orb.

Seeing Zuan lay out the uniforms one set after another, Zhu Xie Chixin slowly nodded. "Last time, you were issued eight sets of uniforms: four winter sets and four summer sets. Counting what you're wearing, there are seven sets here. Where is the eighth set?" As he spoke, his gaze became incredibly sharp, as if waiting for Zuan to indicate he couldn't produce the eighth set, at which point he would immediately strike.

Zuan swallowed. "Of course, it's here..." He paused, then said, enunciating each word carefully, "The eighth set of the Gold-ranked Embroidered Uniform Guard's uniform is in my waist token's storage space."

Zhu Xie Chixin frowned slightly. *Why is this guy's tone so strange?* But the next second, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, because the other party slowly produced another uniform. He was still somewhat uneasy, so he stepped forward to inspect them thoroughly. They were indeed all Gold-ranked Embroidered Uniform Guard uniforms. These uniforms were specially made in the palace and had many hidden marks that even Gold-ranked Embroidered Uniform Guards themselves couldn't possibly know. Therefore, no one could counterfeit them.

Only then did a smile appear on his face. "Haha, I knew you couldn't possibly collude with assassins. It must have been Cheng Xiong's malicious frame-up."

Zuan immediately felt his body relax. The aura that had enveloped him vanished instantly. He muttered to himself inwardly, *You almost killed me just now, but now you're acting as if you've always believed in me. Damn it, last time at my residence, you acted like you were confiding in me, yet you still turned against me so quickly.*

However, he didn't show any of this. He said with a smile, "It's only right for the Grand Commander to be cautious. As Embroidered Uniform Guards, we certainly cannot overlook any suspicious points. Your subordinate has learned a great deal." The reason he was able to produce this seemingly vanished uniform was because he had just used the "Summon Key" skill. He hadn't expected it to actually conjure an identical garment out of thin air. *This wasn't too big of a bluff, was it? I just hope the backlash won't be too severe later.*

A hint of softness appeared in Zhu Xie Chixin's narrow eyes. *This young man speaks well, and he's sensible and tactful. He truly is a talent.* "It seems that scoundrel Cheng Xiong was indeed framing you. Brother Zuan, is there anything you need help with? Your older brother here will help you get revenge." *Having just suspected him, it's only natural now to return the favor and ease our relationship. This fellow is smart; he'll surely appreciate it.*

Zuan, as expected, put on a delighted expression. "Many thanks, Grand Commander! I actually do have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

"Speak freely," Zhu Xie Chixin said, his gaze softening even further as he looked at Zuan. He also recalled what Zuan had privately revealed to him last time, and naturally didn't want to lose this budding friendship.

"I'd like the Grand Commander to assign a few Embroidered Uniform Guards to keep an eye on Cheng Xiong and his household. I want to know all the detailed information about him." Zuan wanted to deal with Cheng Xiong, but unfortunately, he didn't know enough about him. He needed to first gather some detailed information before seeing if he could use it. He was currently serving as both an Embroidered Uniform Guard and a Crown Prince's Retainer, which left him with little time or energy. How could he possibly have the energy to tail someone? He could only find others to do it. Although he was a Gold-ranked Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was merely a commander without any subordinates. The Emperor had not assigned any subordinates to him, so he could only seek help from Zhu Xie Chixin.

"No problem. Trailing people is what Embroidered Uniform Guards specialize in. I'll send a Silver-ranked Guard with some subordinates to keep watch later." Zhu Xie Chixin agreed immediately. It wasn't a big deal, and he could easily do Zuan a favor. Moreover, if anything substantial was uncovered, he would also get a share of the credit with the Emperor, so why not?

Zuan breathed a sigh of relief. Then, perhaps out of guilt, Zhu Xie Chixin kept him there drinking tea and chatting for a long time, only letting him leave when he felt their relationship had sufficiently eased.

After leaving the Embroidered Building, the smile vanished from Zuan's face instantly. His cheeks became incredibly pale. He could feel a stinging sensation in his brain, and the back of his head felt chilly, as if something had been hollowed out. His entire being was filled with a feeling of nausea and vexation, much like the dizziness and nausea he used to experience in his previous life from playing too many 3D games. He immediately realized this must be the after-effect of using "Summon Key." It had depleted his soul power, causing damage to his spirit.

His breathing grew increasingly rapid. Not wanting others to notice his abnormality along the way, he forced himself to endure and hurried back to his residence. His hands trembled as he took out the key and opened the door. Then a wave of dizziness swept over his mind, and he stumbled forward, falling. *Oh no! I'm probably going to end up with a bruised and swollen face. My livelihood depends on this face!*

*Huh, what is this? So big... so soft...*

He felt himself fall into a warm embrace. His nose caught a refreshing, delicate fragrance. He seemed to hear a startled cry, and then he knew nothing more.

Yun Jianyue was originally in her room, recuperating with her eyes closed. Hearing the commotion outside, she knew Zuan had returned. Initially, she couldn't be bothered. *Would the dignified Holy Sect Leader be like one of those women waiting for her man to come home?* However, she immediately frowned, because she heard Zuan's footsteps were abnormal; he seemed injured. *How could he have gotten injured on this trip? He's even swaying as he walks?* Her expression became serious. She was very familiar with Zuan's cultivation; although his apparent rank wasn't high, his actual combat ability was incredibly abnormal. Even though she had been severely wounded at the time, she was still not someone an ordinary cultivator could handle, yet she had almost been unexpectedly defeated by him. *So, with such cultivation, who could have injured him? Could Zhu Xie Chixin have attacked him?* Thinking this, she could no longer sit still. She hurried out to meet him, as Zuan's safety was now tied to her own. But just as she opened the door, the other party stumbled directly into her arms, his face burying itself straight into her soft bosom.