Chapter 750: Doubts Everywhere

"A woman?" Zu An was taken aback. Although her face was veiled, her exquisitely curved figure clearly indicated she was a beauty.

He genuinely couldn't think of any woman he knew who would hide her identity like this to rescue him.

Yun Jianyue?

No, that's not right. If the Demonic Sect Master were truly here, she could easily crush these people with one hand.

Just then, his vision blurred. The familiar grand buildings and clean streets vanished, replaced by a dilapidated courtyard.

The inn where the siege crossbow had been set up was now a crumbling attic within the courtyard. He himself was pinned by the siege crossbow to a low earthen wall, more than half of which had collapsed.

"How did I get here? Wasn't I on my way to the palace? By now, I should be nearing the foot of the imperial city!"

A shiver ran down Zu An's spine. He recalled the moment he was shot by the siege crossbow: as he tried to dodge, a sudden needle-like pain pierced his mind, slowing his movements just enough for the bolt to hit.

Looking back, it seemed a powerful psychic practitioner had created an illusion, guiding him to this location.

Wait, why does this courtyard look so familiar?

As he looked at the somewhat familiar vegetable patch, spinning wheel, and other items, a thought suddenly struck him: wasn't this the home of Xin Rui's mother and brother, which he had investigated previously?

Why would his opponent deliberately lead him here?

However, he had no time to ponder these questions, as several black-clad figures leaped out from the shadows, surrounding the mysterious woman.

Three, seven, five...

There were a total of 15 black-clad figures, two of whom were already lying motionless on the ground, presumably killed by the mysterious woman's earlier actions.

The three at the front included one wielding a golden gourd hammer, short and stout, clearly a brute-force type.

Another was tall and slender, holding a red-tasseled spear; he stood like a javelin, clearly an expert in spear combat.

The third held a golden bracelet in his right hand and a silver one in his left, obviously unusual weapons.

The reason he paid such close attention to these three was that, judging by the aura fluctuations they revealed upon appearing, they were likely Seventh-Rank masters.

However, with such distinctive weapons, it shouldn't be difficult for the Embroidered Uniform Guards' intelligence network to uncover their identities.

Of course, all of this assumed he could survive and return to the Embroidered Tower.

The remaining seven black-clad figures carried gleaming utility knives, their eyes cold and indifferent, a look typically found in seasoned death-sworn warriors who frequently risked their lives.

Their auras suggested they were all Sixth-Rank, and given their long-standing coordination, they likely employed some form of formation.

To deploy such a large force and even use a siege crossbow to ambush him—he must be quite important.

Zu An mused to himself, surely the news of his previous defeat of the Crown Prince of Qi had spread, making them unwilling to underestimate him.

However, it was clear that these people had also been misled by his earlier ruse, believing that some mysterious master had secretly assisted him in defeating the Crown Prince of Qi, rather than him doing it with his true strength. This was why no higher-ranked cultivators had been dispatched this time.

Wait, where was the psychic master who created the illusion for him?

He quickly tried to use the eyes of nearby small animals to observe, but unfortunately, the recent commotion had scared many away. He struggled to control a few small birds, only barely managing to get a clear view of the situation in the courtyard.

There were also many blind spots, making it impossible to find any other hidden figures.

"Who are you?" The black-clad figures watched the mysterious woman warily. The one with the golden and silver bracelets spoke in a deep voice.

The mysterious woman remained silent, instead swiftly observing everyone around her, looking for an opportunity to strike.

The man with the golden and silver bracelets frowned, then waved his hand dismissively: "Kill her! Her corpse will be your reward afterwards!"

The seven Sixth-Rank death-sworn warriors behind him, wielding their utility knives, finally lost their indifference. Their eyes now held ferocity and... desire.

Zu An was speechless. Judging by the excitement of these death-sworn warriors, it was clear this wasn't their first time doing such a thing.

Damn, what a twisted taste; they're all like desiccated corpses.

The death-sworn warriors brandished their gleaming utility knives, attacking the mysterious woman from all directions with extremely close coordination.

The three Seventh-Rank masters, however, stood by, observing the situation with detached indifference.

Back when Zu An used to watch television, what he understood least was why villains always sent their lesser soldiers first, giving the protagonist opportunities to defeat them one by one and suddenly grow stronger in adversity. Wouldn't it be simpler to just kill the opponent outright from the start?

It wasn't until he arrived in this cultivation world that he understood that for cultivators, unless there was a truly vast difference in power, it was very possible to be blindsided and defeated by not knowing the opponent's hidden cards and skills.

Sending subordinates in first to uncover the opponent's skills allows for preparation, making subsequent responses more composed.

As for the lives of subordinates, well, that's just the nature of being a subordinate.

Seeing the death-sworn warriors attack, the mysterious woman twisted her body, gracefully dodging the attacks of the two leading figures. She then swung her palm sideways to deflect the blade of the man in the middle, flowing smoothly to within a foot of him, striking at his vital center.

Zu An nodded inwardly. This woman was top-tier, both in cultivation and combat experience.

Among the women he knew, who possessed such ability and also needed to hide their tracks?

Just as she was about to strike another man down, two utility knives suddenly extended from his armpits—one aiming for her stomach, the other sweeping at her legs—with incredibly tricky angles.

Clearly, this group had a well-practiced formation, capable of protecting comrades by forcing defensive moves.

The mysterious woman seemed to have anticipated this, showing no panic. With a light tap of her foot, she leaped above everyone, which must have been the weakest point in their formation.

Just as her fingers were about to smash several heads, two figures from behind suddenly raised two shields above their heads.

The mysterious woman's delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she still pressed down with her palm.

Runes flashed on the two shields, which were clearly high-quality military-grade items. However, they glowed for only a second before instantly shattering into pieces.

Though the mysterious woman appeared slender and delicate, the power of her palm strike was terrifying.

The death-sworn warriors below grunted in pain, blood seeping from their ears and noses.

The three onlookers exchanged glances, all seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. This mysterious woman's cultivation was astonishingly high.

The crucial question was: who exactly was she, and why was she obstructing their plan?

At this moment, the mysterious woman suddenly shot upwards. It turned out that the instant the shields shattered, the death-sworn warriors behind them had suddenly produced two handheld crossbows and fired.

These military crossbow bolts were inscribed with special runic formations, and their power at such close range was extraordinary. Even she dared not block them directly.

The woman frowned. She had intended to catch these men off guard, but finding them unexpectedly troublesome, she abandoned further attacks. Instead, she moved to Zu An's side, simultaneously sealing the wound on his chest and pulling out the massive crossbow bolt. "Ah Zu, are you alright?"

"It's her?" Zu An's heart stirred. Recognizing the familiar scent and that delicate, melodious voice, he finally knew her identity.

It was Yun Yuqing, the Princess Consort of Wu, with whom he once had a fleeting romantic encounter!

"Who are these people trying to kill me? Why is she in the capital? And how did she happen to be here to save me?" Countless questions swirled in Zu An's mind. Additionally, he was wary of the mysterious psychic expert, whose hiding place was unknown. Planning to surprise the hidden individual later, he pretended to be unconscious and did not respond to her.

"Ah Zu, don't scare me," Yun Yuqing said, her voice trembling slightly as she saw his lack of response. Her fair, tender hand gently caressed his wound, and then a faint purple light appeared, treating the terrible injury.

"Stop her quickly!"

On the other side, the stout man with the large golden hammer, believing he had now discerned the woman's cultivation methods, could no longer hold back. He pushed off the ground with his muscular calves, cracking the earth beneath his feet, and then swung his golden gourd hammer towards the two of them.

Before he even reached them, a terrifying pressure of wind rushed forward, instantly tearing apart the scattered spinning wheel nearby. It was easy to imagine that if either of them were hit by this hammer, they would instantly be reduced to pulp.