Chapter 928: Behind the Scenes Mastermind

Bi Zi'ang's expression flickered, but in an instant, he regained his composure and said with a chuckle, "I truly didn't expect Brother Zu to have such a method. I, Bi, am utterly convinced of my defeat."

Yet, he was secretly enraged. Since childhood, he had always obtained everything he desired, but today he had unexpectedly fallen flat on his face, defeated by this young man.

He even suspected that the other person couldn't possibly have counted all the petals; they had merely secretly hidden one petal and then, upon hearing his own answer, cunningly added one to their count to gain an unfair advantage.

After all, counting so many petals in such a short time required an extraordinary level of cultivation. While the other party's reputation was currently soaring, in terms of actual cultivation, how could they possibly compare to him, who hailed from a prestigious family and had experienced numerous fortuitous encounters?

Even so, he had only barely managed to count the petals after practicing the "Heaven and Earth Sorrowful Sword" technique. By what right did Zu An manage it?

Rage points from Bi Zi'ang: 745745745...

Despite his inner fury, he showed no trace of it on his face. Even Nan Xun marveled at his demeanor, saying, "Young Master Bi is truly a gentleman. Rooms have already been prepared in the mansion, along with other courtesans for you to choose from."

Only Zu An smiled, saying nothing. On the surface, his opponent certainly appeared graceful, but the continuous influx of rage points from his system deeply betrayed his true feelings.

Bi Zi'ang initially disdained the other courtesans, but realizing that if he were to storm off, he would be perceived as petty, he smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Miss Nan Xun."

Soon, he departed, led by a maid. Nan Xun turned to Zu An, gazing at him. "Young Master, tonight I am yours. Please be gentle with me."

Zu An had to admit, these courtesans from the pleasure house were truly masters of their craft. Uttering such seductive words with a gaze that was both proud and alluring was enough to make any man's blood race.

Unfortunately, Zu An knew there was something amiss with her identity. His mindset was purely one of curiosity, wondering how she intended to perform.

"A single moment of this spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold; let's not waste any time," Zu An said, feigning to embrace her.

"A single moment of this spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold?" the mysterious woman next door murmured, repeating his words to herself. She couldn't help but admire his talent, though she lamented that it wasn't used for virtuous pursuits, for he was nothing but a lecherous fiend.

Nan Xun dodged his embrace with a swift turn, then said with a pursed-lip smile, "Young Master, don't be so hasty. I've had the maid prepare hot water. Allow me to serve you with a bath and a change of clothes first."

Zu An waved his hand. "No need," he said. "I specifically bathed before coming, precisely to save time."

Nan Xun's smile immediately froze on her face. Such an unexpected reply left her momentarily speechless.

Seeing his refusal to bathe, she had no choice but to keep retreating until she feigned a stumble and fell onto the bed. Then, with a pathetic gaze, she looked at Zu An. "Young Master," she began, "with my background, I don't expect to ever marry. However, I have always yearned for the sight of a husband lifting his bride's red veil on their wedding night. Tonight is also like my wedding night. Young Master, could you perhaps lift my tassel, as if lifting a bridal veil?"

Such a request was reasonable, and coupled with her tender, liquid gaze and soft, sweet voice, no man could refuse.

Zu An was naturally no exception. "My pleasure," he replied.

As he spoke, he bent down and slowly lifted the tassel from her face. Although it wasn't the first time he had seen her, he was still struck by her beauty. She was truly a stunner.

Just then, Nan Xun's red lips slightly parted, and a wisp of white smoke was exhaled, blowing directly onto Zu An's face.

Zu An's whole body stiffened, and then he softly collapsed onto the nearby bed.

Nan Xun stood up from the bed, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and her eyes returned to their usual haughty look. With a sarcastic "Hmph!" she scoffed, "You fool, you didn't see that coming, did you!"

Zu An had been on guard and was naturally unpoisoned. However, he didn't know the effect of the white smoke and was hesitating whether to simply pass out or feign weakness. Just then, he heard her words, which suggested the latter was the better option. So, he feigned alarm and exclaimed, "What's going on? Who are you?"

"Now it's my turn to ask questions; you're not qualified to ask me," Nan Xun said, looking down at him condescendingly. "You can only blame your bad luck. My target today was originally Yu Nan or Bi Zi'ang, but you just had to get involved."

Zu An quickly said, "They're right next door, not far away. You can go find them now."

"Heh," Nan Xun scoffed, a hint of disdain in her voice after seeing his reaction. "When we first interacted, I thought you were a hero, but I didn't expect you to be such a coward. It's not convenient to approach those two today. And as it happens, I have some questions for you. I'll ask, and you'll answer."

"Don't even think about resisting. The breath I just exhaled will make you completely subservient," Nan Xun said confidently, seemingly intent on quickly breaking down his will.

Zu An was inwardly amused. He had just been wondering how to make his pretense convincing, and now she had conveniently revealed everything.

So, he feigned his eyes gradually losing focus and mumbled, "What do you want to ask?"

"That's it?" Nan Xun said, surprised he had surrendered so quickly. "The willpower of such a lecherous man is indeed weak," she thought. "What exactly happened when you went to the National Academy's secret realm this time?"

Zu An's heart sank. Was she an agent of Prince Qi?

Was her previous "death" merely an act staged in collusion with Prince Qi?

He didn't dare to be negligent and roughly described what had happened in the secret realm.

Nan Xun frowned, clearly dissatisfied with his answer. "I want to know what truly happened in the secret realm, not these official narratives from the imperial court."

"These are all real events," Zu An suddenly said with a smile. "Didn't Prince Qi tell you, Concubine of Prince Qi?"

Hearing his words, Nan Xun was first stunned, then her whole body trembled, and she immediately flew backward.

Unfortunately, she was still a step too slow. With Zu An's current cultivation, there was no way he would let her escape.

Almost in the blink of an eye, Zu An grabbed her shoulder. Just as he was about to seal her vital points, something surprising happened: his hand passed straight through her body.

It was as if the woman had no physical form.

Nan Xun gave a cold laugh. "In my current state, you're still too green to catch me," she sneered.

As she spoke, her figure slipped directly through the crack in the door, and soon only her skirt and feet remained visible.

If anyone else saw this scene, they would surely scream in terror.

But Zu An was already well-versed in such matters. Hearing her, he smiled and said, "It's just a ghost, isn't it? It's not like I haven't encountered one before."

He activated his "Primordial True Qi," then reached out and grabbed her ankle. What was clearly a phantom before became tangible with his grasp.

Nan Xun screamed as she was yanked back. Dark burn marks appeared on her snow-white ankle, as if it had been scorched.

At this moment, she had lost all her previous haughtiness and smugness. Instead, her eyes were filled with terror, and she kept shrinking into the corner, as if a terrifying aura emanated from Zu An, and the further away from him, the better.

Zu An looked at her indifferently. "Presumably, you now understand that I can make you vanish into thin air at any moment," he said. "So, now I ask, and you answer!"

Just then, the window burst open with a crash, and a graceful figure swiftly darted inside, launching an attack directly at Zu An.

"Finally, you've shown yourself!" Zu An exclaimed. He had faintly felt someone watching him from the shadows ever since he was outside, and for a moment, he had even keenly sensed the other party's burst of killing intent.

Knowing Nan Xun's true state, he had suspected someone else was controlling her. Now, the other party had finally revealed themselves.

His expression remained calm. With his current cultivation and combat experience, as long as he didn't encounter those seasoned veterans who had been renowned for years, he essentially had nothing to fear.

To capture his opponent alive for interrogation, no martial art was more suitable than the "Feathered Garment Entangling Silk Hand."

With his current cultivation unleashed, its power was more than doubled.

The attacker initially tried to take Nan Xun away, but quickly discovered that his cultivation was far more profound than she had imagined.

She found it impossible to evade his grasp, and even her own safety was becoming precarious.

She dodged left and right, narrowly avoiding his large hand several times.

Furious and anxious, she couldn't help but let out a sharp cry: "Scoundrel!"