Chapter 893: Interrogation

Zhuxie Chixin looked into the distance and quietly asked, "Crown Princess, are there any other survivors?"

Bi Linglong shook her head, "No one who was with us survived, but many people were separated before, and I don't know about them."

"It seems there are none then," Zhuxie Chixin nodded. "When we first came in, we only found Gao Ying from the Liu family, Pei You from the Pei family, and two Eastern Palace guards. For some reason, they were all hanging from trees, severely wounded. I've already sent them back to the Imperial Medical Institute for treatment."

Bi Linglong's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you for your trouble, Commander."

She secretly wondered if these people knew anything. However, remembering that everyone had already separated by then, she concluded they shouldn't know what happened later, which put her mind at ease.

Zu An, who was "unconscious," secretly sighed. Those two Eastern Palace guards must be Jiao Sigun and Pu Duandiao. Although their cultivation wasn't high, their luck was truly good; they survived such dangers.

Still, their safety was a happy outcome. He had felt some guilt before for not taking better care of them.

Next, Zhuxie Chixin left some of his subordinates to search the secret realm for other survivors, while he himself escorted Bi Linglong and her group out with the main force. Clearly, finding the Crown Prince and Crown Princess meant his mission was complete; he didn't care whether others were found or not.

At the entrance of the secret realm, a large crowd waited anxiously. Some looked grim, others paced nervously, while a few secretly rejoiced.

Those secretly rejoicing were, of course, from Prince Qi's faction. Given the immense commotion in the secret realm, the Crown Prince and his party were clearly in grave danger, meaning there would be no one left to contend with Prince Qi.

As for the Emperor's other sons, without the status of the eldest legitimate son, they were insignificant in front of Prince Qi.

More importantly, for many years, numerous ministers had rallied around the Crown Prince. Now, changing their allegiance would not be easy.

Oh, the sun was truly glorious today.

Of course, they were seasoned politicians. Although their hearts were overflowing with joy, they outwardly appeared grief-stricken, careful not to give their political rivals any leverage.

Among this group, however, there were genuinely sorrowful individuals. A handsome young man with red lips and white teeth, whose eyes were red and who continuously wiped away tears, was none other than Chu Youzhao.

"Brother Chu, you don't need to worry too much. Brother Zu is a fortunate person and will surely be fine," Murong Qinghe beside him comforted.

A disciple from the Murong family nearby mumbled softly, "A man crying and sniveling at the slightest provocation, it's so effeminate."

"What do you know? Brother Chu is simply sensitive and values relationships deeply. Do you think everyone is as barbaric as you?" Murong Qinghe glared fiercely at the other person, then gently resumed comforting Chu Youzhao.

Chu Youzhao's heart, however, was cold. She had been waiting outside all this time, listening to many people's analyses and speculations about what happened in the secret realm. One point was universally acknowledged: the secret realm seemed to have suffered an apocalyptic disaster. No matter how high her brother-in-law's cultivation was, he was likely in grave danger.

Sharing her worry were the academy members on the other side. Xie Daoyun, her face filled with concern, asked Jiang Luofu, "Teacher Jiang, do you think Brother Zu is still alive?"

Xie Xiu, standing by, opened his mouth. Normally, if he saw his sister like this, he would complain that Zu An didn't have a younger sister and was missing out. But now, he had no mood for such remarks.

Jiang Luofu also had a headache. "You've been pestering me with these questions for days. I don't know either. When it comes to familiarity with the secret realm, no one can compare to Teacher Qiyao. Go ask her."

Xie Daoyun then looked hopefully at Qiyao Guang, who was standing nearby. Qiyao Guang rubbed her hair. "Before, the space inside was chaotic, so I couldn't investigate it. But now the secret realm has reopened, and Commander Zhuxie and his men have gone in. We should have news soon."

Although she had a good impression of Zu An, that was all. After all, they hadn't known each other for long, and their feelings weren't deep. If he died inside, she could only express regret, and her sadness would pass in a few days. Comparatively, she was more concerned with academic questions: what caused the sudden change in the secret realm, if there was a way to prevent it in the future, and what to do if similar problems occurred again.

Seeing this, Jiang Luofu patted Xie Daoyun's shoulder. "Don't worry. He has the discarded piece given to him by Hei Baizi and the Lifeline Talisman you gave him. Even if he encounters danger, he should be able to turn misfortune into good fortune."

Although she offered this comfort, she actually had little confidence herself. After all, what good would those items be in the face of a world's destruction?

Just then, there was a fluctuation of spatial elements at the entrance. Qiyao Guang instantly stood up. "Someone is coming out."

Everyone stared at the entrance, and seeing the movement, they swarmed forward. Fortunately, the Embroidered Uniform Envoys were maintaining order, preventing them from getting too close, lest they try anything covert.

Soon, Zhuxie Chixin and his group emerged. Upon seeing the plump figure, the Crown Prince's faction first froze, then erupted into immense cheers.

To be honest, they had already assumed Zhao Ruizhi was dead. Given the immense commotion in the secret realm, even a Grandmaster would likely face certain death inside; how could a fool like him survive?

During this period, members of the Crown Prince's faction had been disheartened, with some even considering changing their allegiance.

Now, seeing him return safely so suddenly, how could they not be excited?

Meanwhile, the expressions of Prince Qi's retinue changed drastically. Their previous smiles hadn't even faded, and they were utterly shocked. "How is this possible? How could he still be alive!"

Many confidants of Prince Qi's faction actually knew more insider details. Even if the secret realm hadn't collapsed, the Crown Prince should have died inside. How did he manage to get out?

Although his face was weathered and his clothes tattered, showing he had sustained many injuries, he was clearly not in life-threatening danger. In fact, he was even clamoring for pastries from Sanhe Zhai in the capital because he was hungry.

Unlike Prince Qi's faction, who looked as if they had lost a parent, the Crown Prince's supporters were beaming with joy.

Bi Qi, the head of the Bi family, hurriedly walked towards his daughter. "Linglong, are you injured... Huh, your hair?"

If the Crown Prince was alive but the Crown Princess was dead, then the Bi family's hard work for so many years would truly have been in vain, serving only to benefit others.

Bi Linglong shook her head. "I'm fine. I'll explain later, Father."

Bi Qi was about to ask more, but at that moment, Chu Youzhao had pushed her way through. "Where's my brother-in-law? Crown Princess, where's my brother-in-law?"

Seeing her anxious expression, Bi Linglong thought their relationship was quite good, but for some reason, the words "brother-in-law" sounded strangely jarring.

Before she could consider whether to answer, Chu Youzhao had already spotted Zu An, who was being carried out on a stretcher behind them.

"Brother-in-law!" Chu Youzhao cried, running over. The person lay motionless on the stretcher. Was he dead?

Zu An, who was feigning unconsciousness, secretly sighed, noting that his sisters-in-law all seemed quite good, judging by how heartbroken they were crying.

He had initially thought of using a secret voice transmission to tell her he was fine, but realizing her acting skills were poor and she couldn't hide her thoughts, he secretly apologized and abandoned the idea.

On the other side, Jiang Luofu and Xie Daoyun also approached, but they were much more reserved, not wailing like Chu Youzhao. They waited quietly for a response.

At this point, Zhuxie Chixin came over and stopped everyone. "I need to take them back to the palace now. His Majesty has personally summoned them. No unauthorized personnel are allowed near them before that."

Chu Youzhao paused, realized the implied meaning of his words, and immediately burst into laughter through her tears. "My brother-in-law isn't dead?"

Zhuxie Chixin did not wish to answer. It was his duty to keep many matters confidential until the Emperor explicitly authorized their disclosure.

It was Bi Linglong who stepped forward to explain. "Don't worry, his life is not in danger. He just sustained relatively serious injuries while saving the Crown Prince and me."

The eyes of the entire capital were fixed on this spot, and she once again characterized Zu An's actions in front of so many people.

Having spent years in the palace, she could lie without batting an eyelid, and no one around them noticed anything amiss.

Hearing her words, Chu Youzhao's suspended heart finally settled. However, she immediately reacted, "My brother-in-law is so severely injured, and you're not treating him first but taking him to the palace for questioning? Is there no humanity left?"

Zhuxie Chixin snorted coldly, "This is His Majesty's personal decree. Do you have an objection?"

Chu Youzhao was about to say more, but Murong Qinghe quickly stopped her. "Brother Chu, you don't need to worry. The imperial physicians in the palace are far more skilled."

If the other person spoke disrespectfully without thinking, it would cause a huge problem.

During this time, everyone in the capital knew the Emperor was in a foul mood. A few ministers had made minor, insignificant mistakes that would normally be overlooked, but they ended up incurring the Emperor's thunderous wrath, resulting in the most severe punishments.

At this moment, if Brother Chu angered the Emperor, the outcome would clearly be dire.

Fortunately, the reason she gave was very persuasive. Chu Youzhao thought of the skill of the Imperial Medical Institute's personnel and no longer insisted.

Jiang Luofu, Xie Daoyun, and others also breathed a sigh of relief. Given the current situation, it was not appropriate for them to step forward and say anything.

At this moment, the roaring voice of Prince Liang, Zhao Yi, came from nearby, "Where is my son, Zhao Xi?"

"I haven't seen Xian'er either." This was the voice of General Wei, Liu Yao.

"And my Meng Pan isn't here either," Central Secretariat Supervisor Meng Yi also exclaimed.

They watched as people emerged from the secret realm one after another, but they never saw their own family members. One by one, they finally lost their composure.

Bi Linglong opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing. Too much had happened inside; it couldn't be explained in a few words, and many pieces of information couldn't be revealed here.

Fortunately, Zhuxie Chixin came out to block them, then, along with his confidantes, escorted the Crown Prince and his party back to the Imperial Palace.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, Zu An and Bi Linglong separated. After all, as the only conscious survivor—not counting the foolish fat man Zhao Ruizhi—the Emperor would certainly want to question her immediately about the relevant matters.

Bi Linglong was initially quite apprehensive, but as she passed Zu An, she heard his qi transmission, and gradually calmed down.

Not long after Bi Linglong left, someone quickly came to check on Zu An's condition.

The person sat down beside him and gently placed a hand on his pulse, clearly an imperial physician or similar figure.

"How is he?" asked a guard left behind by Zhuxie Chixin.

The imperial physician didn't respond immediately. After a moment of taking his pulse, he spoke, "His internal qi is in complete disarray, and he is very severely injured. He will require long-term recuperation, and even if his injuries heal, such severe damage will affect his cultivation, making it very unlikely he'll ever recover to his peak."

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had indeed managed to deceive them.

With his current cultivation, it wasn't difficult to simulate severe injuries within his body. However, he was still somewhat worried that the imperial physicians' medical skills were too advanced and they might detect an anomaly.

"That serious?" The guard was startled. In this world, cultivation was a person's lifeline. Not being able to recover to one's peak also implied that he would have no room for further advancement in the future.

Although Zu An had various shortcomings, he possessed one significant advantage: his cultivation was exceptionally high for his young age, making him almost unrivaled among his peers. Under normal circumstances, it was a certainty that he would become a Grandmaster in the future, and reaching that level at such a young age meant becoming a marquis or a prime minister might not be impossible.

Unfortunately, all of that was now gone. The world was never short of geniuses, and certainly not of fallen geniuses; talent that couldn't be realized was meaningless.

"I'll prescribe some medicine for him to recuperate. Given Sir Zu's current condition, he must rest completely and avoid engaging in any combat for a long time, otherwise, his meridians could be completely destroyed, leaving him a cripple," the imperial physician advised.

The guard hummed in acknowledgment. Soon, the room became quiet, with only the sound of the imperial physician preparing medicines.

After a while longer, the door creaked open, and Zhuxie Chixin's voice came through: "How is he?"

The guard repeated the imperial physician's diagnosis.

"When will he wake up then?" Zhuxie Chixin couldn't help but frown.

"Three days at the earliest, up to half a month at the latest," the imperial physician replied.

Zhuxie Chixin shook his head. "We can't wait that long. His Majesty needs to question him immediately. Is there any medicine that can wake him up right away?"

The imperial physician hesitated before replying, "There are, but such potent medicine is very harmful to the body, and Sir Zu is already so severely injured. It could potentially worsen his injuries and endanger his life."

"His Majesty is waiting in the Imperial Study. Perhaps you'd like to explain it to him?" Zhuxie Chixin looked at him coldly.

The imperial physician's heart tightened, and he immediately changed his tone. "I'll go prepare the medicine right away. Commander, please wait a moment."

His previous words had been spoken out of a physician's conscience, but he couldn't sacrifice his life for a bit of conscience, could he?

In this man-eating imperial palace, kindness was the most useless thing.

Lying in bed, Zu An cursed inwardly, thinking, *This Zhuxie Chixin, he calls me 'brother' normally, but when trouble arises, he tries to kill me.*

Although the Emperor was forcing this, he wasn't without other options, yet he chose the most brutal and simple one.

Everyone in the capital said Zhuxie Chixin was the Emperor's loyal dog. Now, it certainly seemed so.

Not long after, the imperial physician brought a bowl of medicine. Guards had already helped Zu An sit up, and the physician poured the medicine into his mouth.

However, as soon as the medicinal liquid entered Zu An's body, it was enveloped by his vital qi and slowly refined directly, naturally unable to harm his body.

After a moment, Zu An coughed, feigning wakefulness as if startled by the medicine.

"This... where is this?" Zu An naturally put on an act, looking around in confusion.

Zhuxie Chixin, shedding his cold demeanor, approached with a beaming smile. "Brother Zu, this is the Imperial Palace. How are you feeling?"

The guards and imperial physician nearby kept their eyes downcast, not one of them showing anything unusual.

Zu An secretly sneered. If he hadn't just been feigning unconsciousness, he might truly have been fooled by Zhuxie Chixin's acting at this moment.

He showed no hint of his true thoughts. "My whole body aches, and now my stomach feels like it's burning, I don't know why."

The imperial physician standing by moved his lips, but a sharp glance from Zhuxie Chixin immediately silenced him.

Zhuxie Chixin said, "It might be an after-effect of your injuries. His Majesty is waiting to see you in the Imperial Study now. Why don't we go there first? When we return, I, your brother, will send you some spiritual medicine to help you recuperate properly?"

Zu An forced a smile. "Then thank you, Commander." He then made to get out of bed, but his body swayed as if he might collapse at any moment.

Zhuxie Chixin quickly supported him. "How can you walk on your own with such severe injuries? Someone, carry Sir Zu to the Imperial Study."

"Won't this be disrespectful in front of His Majesty?" Zu An asked, feigning concern.

"No, you saved the lives of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. His Majesty will be too pleased to care about such details," Zhuxie Chixin laughed heartily.

Zu An cursed inwardly, *You know I saved the lives of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, yet here I am, severely injured and lying in bed, forced awake with medicine. Is there no humanity left?*

Soon, the group brought Zu An to the Imperial Study. After his stretcher was set down, even Zhuxie Chixin quietly withdrew, leaving only Zu An and the Emperor in the room.

"Greetings... Your Majesty," Zu An said, trembling as he tried to get up and bow, but failed several times.

"You are severely injured; there's no need for formalities," Zhao Hao said, his face grim. At this moment, he was concerned with other matters and naturally paid no mind to such superficial courtesies.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Zu An said "gratefully," while secretly observing the Emperor.

In the secret realm, the two had fought desperately. The Emperor's previously invincible image in his mind had faded, and now Zu An had the courage and qualification to face him directly.

Zhao Hao frowned slightly. He somewhat disliked that look in Zu An's eyes. For some reason, after this secret realm incident, he instinctively disliked seeing this fellow.

He simply assumed it was because his spiritual clone had died, putting him in a bad mood, and didn't think too deeply about it. He cleared his throat and asked, "I hear you saved the lives of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess?"

"I merely did my best, but unfortunately, my skills are lacking, so they still sustained considerable injuries," Zu An replied.

"Oh, what exactly happened in the secret realm? Tell me in detail, without omitting anything," the Emperor said, sitting upright on his dragon throne, his gaze fixed intently on Zu An.

Zu An thought to himself that Zhao Hao had most likely already questioned Bi Linglong. It seemed Bi Linglong hadn't revealed any flaws; that woman was indeed reliable in this regard. Now, it was a matter of whether their testimonies would match.

He pretended to recall for a moment, then slowly began, "When we entered the secret realm, we couldn't find any trace of the Azure Moon Dragon in the Emerald Water Cold Pool, so we had to delve deeper into the mountains..."

He recounted everything, including how the Gu brothers later betrayed them and Shi Tong infiltrated the group; there was no need to hide these facts. Then he spoke of how, after dealing with the Azure Moon Dragon, experts from Prince Qi's manor suddenly appeared, and his group began to flee, followed by the collapse of heaven and earth...

What he said was ninety percent true and ten percent false. The key was that he advanced the time when the Xiquanqiu Secret Realm appeared. This explained how they managed to escape the pursuit of several Grandmaster-level experts from Prince Qi's manor, and at the same time, made the Emperor believe that Zhao Ruizhi didn't need to expose his spiritual clone then.

He then narrated the various encounters in the Xiquanqiu Secret Realm, using the collapsing world to eliminate several Grandmaster-level experts from Prince Qi's manor one by one.

During this time, he used the discarded piece given to him by Hei Baizi from the Imperial Academy, and the Lifeline Talisman given by Xie Daoyun, which barely allowed him to survive.

The Emperor nodded subtly. Bi Linglong had not mentioned these details before. This made the story more logical; otherwise, with so many experts from Prince Qi's manor attacking, it would have been very difficult for Zu An to resist, no matter how extraordinary his cultivation and tactics were.

Zu An continued, explaining that when they reached the last floating island, they were still caught by the remaining experts from Prince Qi's manor.

Just as everyone despaired, that ancient secret realm suddenly triggered an ancient formation, from which a blood-pool octopus monster emerged, sucking the experts from Prince Qi's manor dry.

Even with the Emperor's resolute mind, his eyelids twitched upon hearing this. "What happened next?"

His only concern was how his spiritual clone had died. And, of course, anyone who knew about the existence of his spiritual clone would also have to die.