Chapter 815: Who Gave You the Courage?

Hearing her words, everyone present was startled. Gao Ying and Pei You's eyes lit up, feeling an extra glimmer of hope with Zu An's arrival. However, their eyes quickly dimmed. They believed that even if Zu An had hidden his true strength, he was, at best, only comparable to them. Against Shi Tong, a peak eighth-rank expert, he still stood no chance; the man could crush him with one hand.

Just then, a clear voice sounded. "I didn't realize this play was so entertaining; of course, I had to stay and watch."

"Zu An!" Recognizing the voice, Shi Tong gnashed his teeth, turned around, and his eyes practically spewed fire. Shi Tong's fury was immense. This was the man who had caused his Shi family to be utterly ruined; how could he not hate him?

Zu An chuckled. "Oh, I didn't realize I was so popular! Women call out for me, and men do too."

Shi Tong was speechless.

Bi Linglong was speechless. Why was this guy always so annoying?

Zu An took the opportunity to go to Bi Linglong and helped her sit down. "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine, nothing serious," Bi Linglong said, feeling a warmth in her heart.

Gao Ying and Pei You, standing nearby, wore resentful expressions. They thought, 'The Crown Princess's injuries are the lightest, yet you don't even bother to check on our severe wounds.' But it didn't matter. Against a peak eighth-rank expert, it was only a matter of dying sooner or later.

Seeing Zu An and Bi Linglong intimately together, the Gu brothers were instantly consumed by insane jealousy. "Zu, let go of Linglong!" Gu Heng's fury surged. Gu Xing's fury surged.

Zu An chuckled. "When Shi Tong was about to bully her just now, you two were submissive and timid. Now you're throwing punches at me. If you had dared to protect her in front of Shi Tong, I would have thought more highly of you."

At these words, both men were instantly overcome with shame and embarrassment. They had indeed cowered under Shi Tong's pressure earlier.

Seeing the disdain in Bi Linglong's eyes, Gu Heng became even more agitated. "What are you? How dare you compare yourself to General Shi? Besides, our actions don't need your approval or judgment!" Gu Heng's fury spiked.

Zu An sneered, not bothering to waste words with him. He looked directly at Shi Tong: "How did you manage to sneak in here? They're supposed to test cultivation levels before entering the secret realm."

Shi Tong smiled faintly. "King Qi has an artifact that conceals one's aura, so it wasn't hard to get in. As for the mask, I just killed that Bi family warrior and peeled off his face."

Hearing this, Bi Linglong glared angrily at the Gu brothers. "So you two colluded with outsiders and harmed our Bi family warriors!"

The brothers looked a bit awkward, but Gu Xing was quick to retort. "When have you ever considered us 'insiders'?"

"Exactly. It seems you and Zu An had already planned this, and driving him away earlier was just an act to deceive us," Gu Heng said resentfully. "As expected, the one you truly trust is this scoundrel."

Bi Linglong said coldly, "Fortunately, I trusted him and not you, or we would already be dead and buried."

In the past few days, various scouts in the team had mysteriously disappeared. She and Zu An had privately discussed it and concluded that the culprit must be within their team. Unfortunately, the other party was too cunning and left almost no clues. So, they decided to lure the snake out of its hole. As expected, after Zu An left, the mastermind behind the scenes gradually revealed themselves.

"Are you very pleased with yourselves?" Shi Tong chuckled. "But in my opinion, it doesn't change anything. Originally, I planned to deal with you first, then find Zu An, wherever he was hiding. Now that he's walked right into my trap, it saves me a lot of trouble. I'll just deal with all of you at once."

Bi Linglong's heart sank. Although Zu An had told her to trust him completely, Shi Tong was a peak eighth-rank expert. Moreover, as one of the Empire's six great field army generals, he was certainly not some incompetent person whose power came solely from family resources; his combat ability was top-notch. It seemed their chances today were grim.

She said in a low voice, "Ah Zu, I'll hold him back. You must leave quickly. If possible, take the Crown Prince with you. If that's not possible, just go by yourself, and tell the Emperor what happened here once you're out of the secret realm."

Zu An shook his head. "How could I abandon you and escape alone in such a critical moment?"

Bi Linglong's rationality told her that if both of them stayed, they would surely die. But hearing Zu An's willingness to stay with her, her heart was deeply moved.

Not far away, Gao Ying and Pei You wore strange expressions. Was it their imagination? Why did these two look like a pair of lovers?

The Gu brothers were even more enraged. "Zu, all you can do is spout pretty words. With General Shi here, what difference would it make if you stayed or not?" Gu Heng's fury intensified. Gu Xing's fury intensified.

Shi Tong was pleased by their understanding and tact. He smiled at their words: "Good. Stop delaying. No one leaves here today." As he spoke, he took a step forward. The aura of a peak eighth-rank expert erupted. Everyone nearby turned pale, finding it difficult to even breathe.

Bi Linglong clutched Zu An's sleeve tightly. She had prepared herself to face death. She would fight with Zu An with all her might, and if defeat was inevitable, she would decisively end her own life rather than be humiliated by these vile people.

Zu An patted her hand reassuringly. Then he looked at Shi Tong: "Are all you Shi family members so inexplicably confident? Who gave you the courage to think you've got us cornered?"

Shi Tong's expression remained calm. "I have to admit, you do have some tricks up your sleeve. Even my sixth brother lost to you back then. Truth be told, my sixth brother had too smooth a life and lacked setbacks from a young age, which is why he was so incompetent. However, in the face of absolute power, all your schemes and tricks are meaningless."

Zu An sighed. "Are fights conducted with words these days? I wouldn't mind arguing with a pretty girl, but you're a grown man, so I'll respectfully decline."

Bi Linglong secretly spat. She thought, 'At a time like this, he's still so frivolous.'

"Are you trying to provoke me to find an opening?" Shi Tong was unperturbed. "Unfortunately, you have no idea what the eighth-rank truly means. One can harness the power of heaven and earth; no amount of trickery matters. Make your move, or you'll never get another chance." He stood there with his hands clasped behind his back. Coupled with the oppressive aura emanating from him, the Gu brothers behind him were filled with awe. They thought, 'How magnificent it would be if we reached this realm someday.'

"Don't you dare regret it then!" Zu An smiled, a dazzling smile.

Shi Tong glanced at him indifferently. "Stop with the chatter. Cherish the opportuni—"

He was cut off mid-sentence. Zu An had already moved, appearing almost instantly before him.

"How is he so fast!" Shi Tong was startled. He hastily raised his hand to block, but he was a step too slow. The opponent's iron fist landed heavily on his face. In that instant, the flesh on his face rippled like water. His entire face contorted. He let out a shriek and was sent flying backward. A trail of blood and a few broken teeth lingered in the air.

Zu An retracted his fist, wiping off the blood with a hint of disgust. "That's what you get for showing off. You show off, you get struck by lightning."

Everyone in the arena was dumbfounded. What just happened? Was Shi Tong just sent flying with one punch? In their expectations, it should have been Zu An engaging in various evasive maneuvers while Shi Tong stood unmoving, easily countering him. That would have been logical.

Even Bi Linglong, who had the most faith in Zu An, was shocked. Although she knew Zu An had hidden his strength, she thought he could at most put up a fight against Shi Tong. But this scene before her challenged her worldview.

The Gu brothers were so stunned their jaws almost hit the ground. They rushed to help Shi Tong up: "General Shi, how are you?"

"Get lost!" Shi Tong, humiliated and enraged, pushed the two away. He then quickly stood up and glared fiercely at Zu An. However, his nose was now crooked, his face covered in blood. His missing teeth made his mouth sag a bit. He looked utterly comical.