Chapter 788: Reveal the cards

At the thought of this, Ma An's breathing quickened, and he paced back and forth in the room, seemingly weighing something in his mind.

"No, this is just my guess," Ma An murmured to himself. "If I report it and it's wrong, it could damage my image in the master's eyes. Hmm, I'll investigate thoroughly first."

He quickly recalled Zu An's recent achievements. If he truly was Gold Medal Eleven, his cultivation would only be higher than what he had revealed. Although Ma An was the Chief Imperial Physician, he wasn't certain of victory against him.

However, he wasn't worried at all. He went to the innermost part of the room, moved a cabinet, and pulled out a dark porcelain bottle from a hidden compartment behind it.

As the saying goes, medicine and poison are inseparable. As a renowned physician, why would he ever need to personally engage in combat to kill someone?

Holding the dark porcelain bottle, Ma An's face broke into a confident smile, as if he had everything completely under control.

After Bi Linglong handed the medicinal ingredients to Zu An, although she still had much more to say to him, she realized that their identities made it inappropriate to appear too intimate, especially within the imperial palace where extreme caution was paramount. So, after giving him a few instructions, she turned and headed towards the East Palace.

Zu An originally considered trying to refine the pills at the nearby White Sand Courtyard, but he worried the commotion might be too great and attract the emperor's attention, which would be troublesome. Therefore, he decided to leave the palace and return home.

However, he hadn't walked far when he suddenly encountered a group of palace maids and eunuchs. Some cleared the path, others held umbrellas, as they slowly walked towards him, escorting a noble lady in palace attire.

The noble lady, in splendid attire, still could not conceal her impressive figure, especially the ample white skin revealed by her low-cut dress and her voluptuous, graceful hips as she walked, which were enough to ignite desire in any man.

However, her status was such that no one dared to harbor any improper thoughts. Even the young eunuchs beside her, despite being castrated, didn't dare to look at her more than once.

An elderly eunuch beside her was an exception. He followed behind the noble lady, his gaze occasionally darting towards her full, rounded hips, sometimes showing eagerness, other times deep regret.

One might ask how much sorrow a person can bear; it is akin to a group of eunuchs visiting a brothel.

"Greetings, Empress!" Zu An recognized the eunuch as Eunuch Lu, and the beautiful lady in front of him could only be Empress Liu Ning.

Eunuch Lu also saw him, and his first reaction was to burn with anger, clearly recalling what had happened that day.

[Rage value from Lu Qi +588588588...]

However, after a moment, he seemed to think of something else, and his anger gradually dissipated, replaced by quickened breathing, reddened eyes, and a hint of satisfaction.

Zu An had been vigilantly on guard against him, so the other party's reaction did not escape his notice.

He was filled with emotion, thinking that Eunuch Lu was truly an extraordinary character; he and Prince Wu would likely have much in common.

At this moment, the Empress saw Zu An, and her sharp, phoenix-like eyes softened slightly. "Oh, it's Sir Zu. I heard the Crown Princess gave you leave, why are you still in the palace?"

Zu An's heart tightened, realizing how well this woman knew his movements. He hastily replied, "I came to the Imperial Hospital to get some medicine."

He dared not say that the Crown Princess had brought him. As a 'sea king' (a slang term for a womanizer), avoiding one woman from knowing about another's existence was a fundamental rule.

She then spoke, "That's perfect. I also have many healing elixirs here that haven't been of much use lying around the palace all these years. Sir Zu has worked tirelessly these days, so they would be perfect for your injuries."

Zu An's heart lifted. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He was currently in need of various medicinal ingredients for alchemy.

"Then come with me back to Kunning Palace," the Empress said, subtly licking her lips. Her usually authoritative, phoenix-like eyes now had a hint of moisture.

Eunuch Lu, standing nearby, had a complicated expression. He finally let out a silent sigh, saying nothing.

Zu An was speechless.

It seemed her offer of medicine and concern for his health were merely pretenses; her true desire was for his body.

Although he wouldn't mind a few "friendly matches" with this beautiful and voluptuous Empress—after all, the experience that night had been incredibly exhilarating—he knew that personal strength was paramount and didn't want to become indulged in beauty.

Furthermore, he now knew that she sought him to absorb his vital essence for her healing, so naturally, he had some reservations.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty," he said. "However, I have urgent matters to attend to outside the palace. I shall visit Kunning Palace another day to apologize to Your Majesty." After speaking, he hastily fled.

"Another day?" The Empress watched his hasty departure with a wry smile. "He talks a big game, but I fear that single night might have exhausted all his courage."

To her, his hasty escape was due to fear of the Emperor discovering their affair, so she didn't mind much. Instead, she pondered how she could find an opportunity later to make him feel at ease and boldly come to Kunning Palace.

So she secretly transmitted a message to Eunuch Lu beside her, asking for advice.

Eunuch Lu's face turned beet red. The idea of helping another man strategize how to "play" with the woman he loved most in his life was truly humiliating and agonizing.

However, the next second, he felt an unusual thrill and anticipation, so he began to secretly discuss with the Empress via spiritual energy transmission, saying, "You could do it like this..."

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the palace when Mi Li's playful voice reached him. "Oh? A beauty invites you, and you actually refuse? That's not like you at all."

Zu An said peevishly, "In your mind, am I the kind of person who neglects important matters for the sake of women?"

"In my mind, you are," Mi Li said, nodding with certainty.

Zu An was speechless.

"Hmph, that Empress is too brazen," Mi Li scoffed, her tone full of displeasure. "To actually invite you to do such scandalous things in broad daylight! For such a woman to be Empress, it simply lowers the overall image of empresses."

Zu An knew she always held a grudge about this and couldn't help but chuckle, "Didn't you say she was just doing it for healing?"

"Is needing to give away her body for healing not worthy of my contempt?" Mi Li snorted, and was about to say more when she suddenly frowned. "Hmm, there's someone hidden in your house."

Zu An's heart warmed. Even though she had said she wouldn't help him anymore and he should rely on himself, she still couldn't resist giving him pointers when something came up.

"Is it a man or a woman inside?" Zu An, feeling lighthearted, couldn't help but ask.

"A man, of course," Mi Li said, rolling her eyes. "What exactly are you thinking about all the time? Sooner or later, you'll die in a woman's bed."

Hearing it was a man, Zu An immediately dropped his smile and became entirely alert.

He entered the house and found that all the maids and servants were gone. He frowned, thinking they had met a terrible fate, but then immediately detected some calm, faint breathing from the side room. They must have been knocked unconscious.

He secretly sneered, thinking, "Seems like a clumsy thief. Knocking out all these servants makes it easy for me to notice something is wrong as soon as I return."

He carefully opened the door, but to his surprise, there was no sudden ambush from behind as he expected. Instead, a figure sat leisurely drinking tea in the room, as if in their own home.

Seeing the other person clearly, Zu An was somewhat surprised. "Sir Ma?"

He truly hadn't expected the Chief Imperial Physician to appear in his home, and in such a manner.

Ma An placed the teacup on the table and smiled slightly. "Sir Zu, you're finally back. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Zu An asked in a deep voice, "Sir Ma, what exactly do you mean by this?"

It seems the defensive array in this house is too low-level; it can't stop true masters. He hoped Xie Daoyun would become a powerful runemaster at the academy so she could install a new array for this courtyard.

"Sir Zu, there's no need to be nervous," Ma An chuckled. "I merely wish to have a chat with you."

Zu An glanced at the slowly burning candle on the table and said indifferently, "Coming uninvited and knocking out the servants doesn't really look like a mere chat."

"Don't worry, they'll be fine after a good sleep," Ma An said. "The main thing is, I imagine Sir Zu wouldn't want others to overhear our conversation."

"What does Sir Ma wish to discuss?" Zu An asked in a deep voice.

Ma An crossed his legs and looked him up and down. "Sir Zu's full of vigor and as strong as an ox. You don't look injured."

"That's none of your concern," Zu An replied. He used the power of the Jade Cong to summon nearby small animals, checking his surroundings for any hidden ambushes, and couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief.

"Even if you don't admit it, I can guess," Ma An continued after a pause. "The medicinal ingredients you requested from the Imperial Hospital today have no healing properties. On the contrary, they are primarily raw materials for refining pills that help with cultivation breakthroughs. I never expected Sir Zu to also be skilled in alchemy?"

Zu An didn't want to waste words with him. "What is your point?"

Ma An wasn't annoyed. "Since Sir Zu wants to refine breakthrough pills, you must be on the verge of a cultivation breakthrough. Everyone in the capital believed that you were able to defeat the Prince of Qi's heir and draw with Han Fengqiu, the Ninth-Rank Guest Elder of Prince Qi's manor, because a mysterious master secretly assisted you. But today, I finally understand: that mysterious master doesn't exist at all. Or rather, that mysterious master is you yourself. Isn't that right, Gold Medal Eleven?"