Chapter 985: Revenge

Everyone turned their heads, wondering who was brazen enough to speak like that to Sun Xun on Yi Commandery's territory.

Sun Xun's face was frosty, his cheek twitching slightly, his eyes already betraying a murderous intent.

"Your Carefree Pavilion certainly produces some remarkable guests," Sun Xun said, glancing at the Stout Venerable and sneering.

The Stout Venerable felt as if he had grown a size bigger today from all the vexing troubles that seemed to be piling up. He looked at the person who had spoken. They wore an ordinary mask and were ascending from the second floor, clearly not one of the pavilion's most distinguished jade-token guests. This made him secretly sigh with relief. "Gentlemen, please don't be rash. This matter has nothing to do with you."

He had already assessed them with a glance at their cultivation levels; their vital energy fluctuations were merely at Rank Six. Both he and Sun Xun could crush them with one hand, so he wondered where they got their audacity. He then thought of Number 333—were all Rank Six cultivators this presumptuous now?

He had assumed that by offering them a way out and subtly revealing his own cultivation, they would sensibly depart. To his surprise, the two paid him no mind and walked directly towards Sun Xun.

"Did you just say you *are* the law?"

Sun Xun frowned and immediately ordered his subordinates, "What are you standing around for? Do I have to spell it out for you?" As a distinguished Grandmaster and the Prime Minister of a vassal state, engaging in so much talk with Number 333 had already diminished his status. Now, he couldn't be bothered to deal with these two.

Sensing their master's displeasure, the guards immediately pounced on the two men like ravenous wolves. Just then, to everyone's surprise, the other person pulled out a golden plaque. "Who dares!"

The guards froze, and the entire third floor fell silent, as everyone could clearly see the words on the golden plaque: "Imperial Forest Guard."

"From the palace?" Not just anyone had the right to use the character "Imperial," everyone quickly realized. Those familiar with official ranks immediately understood: this must be the waist token of an Imperial Forest Cavalier, dedicated to guarding the safety of the Forbidden Palace. How could it be here?

The guards looked to Sun Xun for guidance, and Sun Xun's expression also changed. He suddenly recalled recent intelligence that an imperial envoy's retinue had reportedly arrived in Yi Commandery. Previously, the Yi Commandery Prefect and other Yan officials had specially gone to welcome the envoy. Although the envoy met them briefly, they claimed to have caught a cold and did not disembark, leading everyone to realize they were tasked with a crucial mission and had no interest in getting entangled with Yi Commandery's official circles. This had actually brought a sigh of relief to Yi Commandery's officialdom. After all, where were there no unsavory dealings? Although the envoy's trip was aimed at Yunzhong Commandery, if by chance something in Yi Commandery were uncovered, who knew how many heads would roll.

Sun Xun never imagined he would encounter someone from the imperial envoy's delegation at Carefree Pavilion. He immediately put on a completely new demeanor, a hint of geniality replacing the gloom on his face. "Generals, you have come a long way. I regret not having welcomed you sooner; my apologies." He wouldn't have needed to be this courteous if they were merely the envoy's guards. However, Imperial Forest Cavaliers were typically held by the scions of prestigious families in the capital, backed by powerful clans. He certainly didn't want to inadvertently offend those influential figures in the capital.

"You are too kind, sir; we are hardly worthy," the two replied. These, of course, were Pei You and Gao Ying. One had been losing badly at the casino, red-faced with frustration, while the other had been toiling away on the second floor, sweating profusely. The continuous commotion from the third floor had made it impossible for them to concentrate, so they had angrily come up to investigate. Upon seeing Zuan being troubled, they thought, 'Good heavens, how can this be tolerated?' So they rushed out to help.

Hearing the sarcasm in their tone, Sun Xun seethed inwardly but showed no outward sign of it. "Today, my son was robbed and murdered. I am here investigating the case, and due to the pain of losing him, I spoke rashly in a moment of impulse. I hope you two generals will not take offense." What he had said earlier would have been fine if it stayed within Yi Commandery, but if it were to spread back to the capital, it would cause considerable trouble. While the imperial court wouldn't likely punish him for such a minor incident, leaving a bad impression on the Emperor or the influential figures at court could affect his future prospects.

"Oh?" The two had rushed over and didn't know what had happened, so they went straight to Zuan to ask him. Zuan briefly explained the situation to them.

"So they know each other!" Sun Xun noted, his brows furrowing tightly. This was going to be difficult.

The Stout Venerable's eyes widened too. He instinctively looked at Tang Tian'er and communicated via vital energy: "Didn't you say he was from the Sea Race?"

Tang Tian'er looked bewildered. "I don't know either. Does the Sea Race now have connections with the imperial court?"

"It's not impossible." However, the Stout Venerable had no time to ponder this now. The thought that even an imperial envoy and palace guards were now involved deeply worried him about the potential adverse effects on Carefree Pavilion. Afterward, his superiors would likely punish him for handling things poorly.

After Zuan finished his explanation, Pei You and Gao Ying looked at Sun Xun disapprovingly. "Lord Sun, since all the evidence proves he is innocent, why are you still trying to arrest him?" Although Sun Xun's cultivation was high, he was still a subject of the Great Zhou. They were now acting on imperial orders, and having grown accustomed to influential figures in the capital—even their own families had masters of Sun Xun's caliber—they naturally wouldn't hold him in high regard.

"This..." Sun Xun hesitated for a moment, then changed his tone. "I hadn't considered it thoroughly." Given their connection to the imperial envoy's delegation, he couldn't simply rely on his authority to act arbitrarily.

At this point, Zuan spoke up, "There is no greater virtue than rectifying one's errors. Lord Sun, in the future, you must sincerely serve the common people and never abuse the power the imperial court has granted you."

Sun Xun: "..."*Thinking:* 'Give him an inch and he takes a mile, doesn't he?'

Being reprimanded in front of so many people, he felt a loss of face. "May I ask what official position you hold, sir?"

Rage from Sun Xun +444444444...

Zuan replied calmly, "I hold no official rank. What I just said is a principle that any common person would agree with. Does Lord Sun find anything wrong with it?"

Sun Xun's breath caught in his throat. After a long moment, he finally let out a breath and said, "You are very right."

Rage from Sun Xun +745745745...

With a livid face, he left behind one last remark and stormed off.

Only then did the other occupants of Carefree Pavilion breathe a sigh of relief. Still, they cast wary glances at Zuan and his companions. After all, this was a gray area, and the capital background of these few individuals made them feel thoroughly uneasy.

The Stout Venerable hurriedly came over, smiling obsequiously. "Please come inside, honored guests. We were truly blind just now and treated you poorly. Please don't take offense." He wanted to use this opportunity to build good relations with them. After all, imperial envoys were only human and naturally had their weaknesses. Carefree Pavilion had entertained envoys before over the years.

Zuan smiled. "No need, we have other matters to attend to, so we won't trouble you any further."

"Is Young Master An leaving already?" Tang Tian'er looked at him reluctantly. Had Zuan not witnessed her illusionary smoke technique earlier, he might genuinely have believed her to be sincere.

"I'll visit you another day, young lady." Zuan lightly patted her rear, then laughed heartily as he departed.

Watching their retreating figures, Tang Tian'er's face flushed pink. "That scoundrel actually took advantage of me!" She suddenly realized that after all this time, she didn't even know his real name or identity. For years, she had excelled at singing and dancing, manipulating all sorts of men with ease. Today, for the first time ever, she felt as if she had been played by someone else. "Was he really charmed by me earlier?" Tang Tian'er's delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she quickly broke into a smile. "An interesting man. I like him."

Meanwhile, the Stout Venerable personally escorted Zuan and his party away. He had originally worried about how to get them to comply with Carefree Pavilion's entry and exit procedures later. To his surprise, Zuan willingly entered the enclosed carriage, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude. Because of the matter with Sun Ji, he personally escorted them close to the pier before finally departing.

"Why are we leaving so early? I haven't had enough fun yet!" With no one else around, Pei You could finally voice his frustration.

Zuan laughed. "You weren't made to pay, and you're still not satisfied?"

Pei You grinned. "How could I compare to Brother Zuan? In such a short time, you managed to charm the most beautiful woman in Carefree Pavilion! I inquired on the second floor, and that Tang Tian'er is widely considered the pavilion's top beauty."

Gao Ying nodded. "I also heard many people talking about her on the first floor. She's Carefree Pavilion's most famous courtesan, moving among men with effortless ease. Brother Zuan, you should be careful: enjoy the pleasure, but don't get emotionally involved."

"Thanks for the warning." Zuan knew he meant well, but having witnessed Tang Tian'er's methods before, he figured those men were likely just being spun around her finger, with no one truly getting the upper hand. Seeing that he didn't seem to take the advice to heart, Gao Ying sighed, thinking that with his youthful vigor, he would indeed find it hard to resist the temptation of such a stunning beauty. Giving up on further persuasion, he directly changed the subject. "Brother Zuan, is there a deeper reason you called us back so urgently?"

Zuan nodded. "Of course. That Sun Xun won't just let this go."

Pei You raised an eyebrow. "What? Does he dare to lay a hand on us?"

"Why wouldn't he dare? In fact, they're already here." Zuan sighed, looking in a certain direction in the distance.