Chapter 670: Person in the Shadows

I’m holding back a curse word.

At that moment, Zu'an felt a stampede of a thousand alpacas in his mind—a torrent of frustration. "I was so foolish, truly so foolish," he thought. "After dealing with the Emperor for so long, I still hadn't grasped how utterly devoid of integrity he was." If a system could quantify his rage, it would have maxed out then and there.

Seeing Zu'an's expression, the Emperor felt a wave of profound satisfaction. Given his status and cultivation, how long had it been since he'd experienced such pleasure? He cleared his throat, then continued, "However, you needn't worry. This restriction won't activate for a while. As long as you diligently complete the task for me, I will remove it for you afterwards."

Zu'an cursed wildly in his heart. "I'd believe a ghost before I believe you; that rotten old man is terribly cunning," he thought. He knew clearly that even if the task was completed, the Emperor wouldn't easily remove it. He would definitely use it to blackmail him into doing other things, until he no longer had any use. Yet, on his face, he appropriately displayed profound gratitude, bowing and saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction; he simply loved the feeling of controlling people's lives and deaths. "You may withdraw!" he commanded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zu'an replied respectfully, yet he exited the imperial study with a belly full of unsaid curses.

As he passed the main entrance, Eunuch Wen nodded at him with a smile, but to Zu'an, that benevolent smile seemed chillingly sinister. Sigh, he wondered what role Eunuch Wen truly played.

After leaving the imperial study, he didn't return to the East Palace, but instead headed towards Golden Badge Eleven's courtyard. After walking for a while, he frowned again. The unsettling feeling of being followed and watched surged back. He subtly controlled nearby birds to observe the surroundings but saw no suspicious figures. Was he overthinking it? Zu'an scratched his head, thinking he'd been under too much stress lately, almost developing paranoia.

However, he still didn't dare to be careless. He circled around the palace a few times, periodically switching to different animals for surveillance, yet still found no one following or watching him. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and walked towards Golden Badge Eleven's courtyard. He intended to inform Yun Jianyue about Sun Luzhen and his group, and at the same time, try to get her out of the palace.

Although he was reluctant to let such a beauty, like a bright moon in the clouds, leave, the Emperor was too cunning. If he discovered her, they would truly be doomed. After his recent encounter in the imperial study, he dared not risk it even more.

Looking at the courtyard hidden in the distant grove, Zu'an felt a sense of home. The thought of a woman waiting for him there every day was truly wonderful. However, remembering that strange uneasy feeling, to be safe, he didn't go straight in but pretended to walk past. After walking a short distance further and finding nothing unusual, just as he was about to turn back, Yun Jianyue's voice, transmitted through internal energy, reached his ear: "Don't look back, someone is following you."

Zu'an was taken aback. So someone really was following him. Yun Jianyue was, after all, a Grandmaster, and with her injuries somewhat recovered, her spiritual senses were far more acute than his.

"Do you know who it is? Is it a chubby eunuch?" Zu'an asked, transmitting his voice.

"That person is highly skilled in stealth techniques. My injuries haven't fully healed yet, so I can't pinpoint his exact location or see him, but I know he's there." Yun Jianyue's voice was cool and detached, yet held a hint of mature allure, sounding almost like an ear massage. But at that moment, Zu'an had no thought of enjoyment. Instead, his hair stood on end. He had tried various methods to detect any follower on the way, but hadn't found a single trace, which only highlighted how formidable the other party was. He had too many secrets. The mere thought of such a terrifying individual secretly lurking was terrifying.

"How about we lure him out and take him down together?" No sooner had Zu'an spoken than he dismissed the idea. The Emperor was currently in the palace, and any significant disturbance would be difficult to hide from his senses. Once Yun Jianyue made a move, her spiritual aura would be too obvious.

"I have a way. Wait a moment." Yun Jianyue fell silent after speaking, and before long, the courtyard gate creaked open.

Zu'an's eyes widened instantly. What was happening? He looked back and saw a masked Golden Badge Embroidered Envoy emerge from within. "Did another Golden Badge Envoy enter my room to investigate?" Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. But he immediately realized these were his clothes, and the identity of the person was obvious. No wonder Yun Jianyue had specifically asked him for a set of clothes earlier.

Yun Jianyue was tall and slender, and the Embroidered Envoy's attire was designed to conceal identity, so when she impersonated Golden Badge Eleven, there were virtually no flaws to be seen. Zu'an's gaze lingered on her, wondering where her hip-length hair was hidden. As for her figure — the clothes were tightly wrapped, so her true figure wasn't very discernible, but that didn't stop Zu'an from imagining her graceful curves in his mind. The Golden Badge Embroidered Envoy uniform was already very striking, previously worn by men, but now that a woman wore it, it had a unique allure. He mused about the appeal of uniforms, wondering if this was like a scene from a "female investigator" series. A string of terms popped into Zu'an's mind, but he immediately shook his head, realizing it wasn't the time for such thoughts.

At this moment, Zu'an's eyes darted around, and he walked straight towards her: "So it's Lord Eleven! My deepest gratitude for saving the Crown Prince and Crown Princess last time."

Yun Jianyue tilted her head and looked at him, thinking to herself that he was quite the actor. She lowered her voice and grunted impatiently. With her experience in the jianghu, as long as she didn't speak at length carelessly, it wouldn't be easy for anyone to distinguish her gender.

Zu'an cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "It seems Lord has urgent business. I won't disturb you. Please go ahead."

Yun Jianyue nodded, then walked in another direction. She secretly transmitted her voice: "I'll go check the vicinity first to see if I can find the follower."

Zu'an replied: "Head towards the palace gate. I've already rescued Sun Luzhen and his group, so you can use this opportunity to leave the palace as well."

Yun Jianyue was both surprised and delighted; she hadn't expected him to actually succeed in rescuing people from the imperial prison. She was curious how he managed it, but also knew it wasn't the time to discuss it, so she said with considerable concern: "But what about you if I leave? There's a powerful individual secretly watching you."

"You staying wouldn't help me fight, anyway," Zu'an chuckled. "Don't worry, this is the imperial palace, and the Emperor is presiding here. That mysterious powerful individual wouldn't dare act recklessly; at most, he'd just follow me. And you are my biggest secret right now. Once you're gone, I won't fear his tracking anymore."

Upon hearing "you are my biggest secret," Yun Jianyue's expression grew strange. She inexplicably felt a slight flutter in her heart upon hearing those words. But she quickly composed herself: "Alright, I'll leave the palace first. You find an opportunity to come out, and we can talk in detail outside."

Watching the two depart in opposite directions, a figure slowly emerged from the shadow of a large tree. If anyone had been observing, their eyes would have surely popped out, because just moments before, there had only been the tree's shadow, no human presence. This individual seemed to have crawled out of the shadow itself.

"Oh, it's two people! It seems Prince Qi guessed wrong," the person murmured. He looked left and right, hesitated for a moment, then changed direction and pursued Yun Jianyue.

Yun Jianyue's voice also reached Zu'an's ear: "That person is following me."

Zu'an was startled: "Be careful!" At the same time, he wondered secretly. He had thought this hidden individual was after him, but it didn't seem so now. What was their background, and what was their purpose?

Yun Jianyue chuckled softly: "He should be the one to be careful."

Zu'an also realized that Yun Jianyue was, after all, a Grandmaster, even after being injured. The hidden individual probably thought he was fishing, but ended up catching a great white shark.

As the two walked further and further away, they moved beyond the range of energy transmission. Yun Jianyue could continue transmitting her voice, but doing so would expend more internal energy, easily attracting the Emperor's attention, and it was truly unnecessary.

Zu'an continued walking for a while, then quietly turned back and followed. He wouldn't feel at ease until he saw Yun Jianyue leave the palace with his own eyes. Since the unsettling feeling of being followed was gone now, he wasn't afraid of being discovered.

He followed from a distance all the way to Cloud Dragon Gate on the west side of the imperial palace, where he saw Yun Jianyue walking unhurriedly, exuding the aura of a true master with every step. "Perhaps I'll have a chance to let her wear this outfit again in the future..." Zu'an fantasized about many scenarios involving uniform appeal, and an idiotic grin unconsciously spread across his face.

Meanwhile, Yun Jianyue arrived at Cloud Dragon Gate, casually showed Golden Badge Eleven's waist token, and seeing this, the guards hastily let her pass. Golden Badge Embroidered Envoys already held an exalted status, and this one had recently saved the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, making them a favorite in the East Palace. Who would dare offend them?

Just as she was about to leave, a pleasant voice came from nearby: "Wait a moment!"

Underneath Yun Jianyue's mask, her beautiful brow furrowed, and Zu'an secretly groaned. Why did she have to appear at this very moment! Not far away, the jingling of jade pendants could be heard as a woman in lavish court attire, graceful in every movement, slowly approached. Who else could it be but the Crown Princess?