Chapter 995: The Number One Sorcerer

Everyone was stunned. The soldiers and officials from the Governor's manor knew how powerful City Lord Liao was in their daily interactions. His Righteous Sword Energy was incredibly potent; many bandits were no match for him, falling with a single strike. The fate of those masked figures earlier also proved this point.

But what was happening now? Why was the City Lord's incredibly powerful sword strike clamped between two fingers by someone else?

Could the opponent be a Grandmaster?

But even though the person was masked, it was clearly a young man. How could there be such a young Grandmaster?

Captain Yang Sheng was also deeply terrified. As Liao Ling's colleague, he knew his cultivation level best. He himself would have to retreat far away from Liao's unleashed sword strike. How could it have been parried so effortlessly?

Furthermore, he could see that Liao Ling's face was flushed red, clearly exerting every ounce of his strength. Yet the sword could not advance even a millimeter.

Since when did the Demonic Sect have such a powerful young individual?

Golden Medalist Number Seven's eyes nearly popped out. He had roughly sensed the opponent's cultivation earlier, around Sixth Grade. He had always thought he was the type who relied on brains and had even been worried about his safety. But it turned out he was this fierce?

The critical point was that he believed he couldn't have blocked Liao Ling's sword strike himself. Could the opponent's cultivation be higher than his own? How was that possible!

Only Qiu Honglei gazed with tender affection at the man in front of her. At this moment, there was no one else in her eyes, only that familiar back.

Even though the person was masked, that familiar aura and feeling made her recognize him instantly.

She wasn't particularly concerned about his cultivation level. Whether high or low, he was her beloved.

What thrilled her most was that every time she was in danger, he would rescue her regardless of the risk. It was true in the palace, and it was true again now.

Her captivating peach blossom eyes had become as gentle as water, and she felt her heart nearly melting.

Zu An finally moved. He flicked his index finger, and the opponent's sword blade emitted a sharp, mournful cry, trembling uncontrollably.

He then took this opportunity, embracing Qiu Honglei's slender waist, rapidly leaped into the distance, disappearing into the mountains and forests in the blink of an eye.

Liao Ling raised his sword before him, feeling utterly lost. He sensed that the opponent had held back just now, otherwise, with that flick, his sword would have likely shattered into pieces on the spot.

This was what puzzled him most: why the Demonic Cultist would let him go. He cultivated the Righteous Sword, and the essence of his life's cultivation lay within his sword. While a broken sword wouldn't necessarily lead to his death, his foundation would suffer severe damage, making it difficult to recover for decades.

Meanwhile, Qiu Honglei nestled in Zu An's arms. She reached up and removed his mask, then looked up at the man beside her. Her voice was incredibly soft and seductive: "Brother Zu, you're amazing!"

Zu An almost fell out of the sky. As expected of a Demonic Sect enchantress, a few simple words were enough to stir a man's emotions.

"How about a kiss as a reward?" Zu An joked.

"Alright!" To his surprise, Qiu Honglei readily agreed. Immediately, soft, warm lips pressed against his, but it was like a dragonfly touching the water, quickly receding.

Seeing Zu An about to kiss her back, she giggled and dodged away.

Zu An was quite frustrated. "How come we've become more distant after some time apart?"

Qiu Honglei chuckled. "You know that the 'Heavenly Demonic Enchantment' cultivation I practice is special; I need to preserve my purity."

Zu An: "..."

"A kiss won't break your purity."

"If you were really that capable, you'd be invincible," Qiu Honglei said, shaking with laughter. "Oh, actually, my master had a heart-to-heart with me later. She said that for men, what they can't get always causes unrest, but once they have it, they won't cherish it. I think she has a point."

"Sister Yun is sabotaging me!" Zu An felt a little irritated. He really wanted to pin Yun Jianyue down and spank her. But considering the power disparity between them, he could only dream about it.

"Pah!" Qiu Honglei scoffed. "You call my master 'sister,' so are you trying to make me call you 'uncle'?"

"You can call me 'Daddy' too."

"You rascal!"

Qiu Honglei's eyes sparkled with moisture. As a woman from the Demonic Sect, how could she not understand the implications of his words?

After some playful banter, they arrived at a quiet and safe location. Zu An set her down. He asked curiously, "Honglei, why were you captured by the King of Yan?"

This was what puzzled him most. Qiu Honglei had always been resourceful, and her cultivation wasn't weak. Most of her usual missions were handled with ease. If it was truly beyond her capabilities, Yun Jianyue wouldn't have let her take such a risk.

A hint of hesitation flickered across Qiu Honglei's face, but she still replied, "In recent years, Cloudtop Commandery has been claiming that the Yuan Stones transported to various places were plundered by our Holy Sect. While we did sometimes plunder some, it was clearly not as much as they claimed. So I specifically came to investigate which force was impersonating us to do such things."

"Yi Commandery is a northern transportation hub. All Yuan Stones transported from Cloudtop Commandery southward pass through here. That's why I came here to investigate. But soon after, I fell into an ambush. The King of Yan personally intervened. We were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses; even I couldn't escape."

"Could it be that the King of Yan's manor plundered the Yuan Stones from Cloudtop Commandery and then framed you?" Zu An asked, frowning. If that were the case, it would indeed be a monumental crime. Once reported, how many heads would roll?

To his surprise, Qiu Honglei shook her head. "Although I'd very much like it to be him, based on my previous investigations, it seems the Yuan Stones transported from Cloudtop Commandery had issues before they even entered Yi Commandery. Furthermore, according to our insider intelligence, it seems someone notified the King of Yan's side in advance, allowing the King of Yan to ambush us so conveniently. Clearly, someone behind the scenes wanted to eliminate us using the King of Yan."

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "Are you saying that Cloudtop Commandery caused the deficit themselves, then framed you? And then secretly notified the King of Yan's manor to ambush you?"

"I have no proof," Qiu Honglei said, a little troubled. "But there's definitely something wrong with Cloudtop Commandery."

Zu An fell into deep thought. He naturally knew there was something amiss with Cloudtop Commandery. Initially, he only thought it was a dispute among brothers fighting over family property and titles. Now it seemed the problem was far more serious.

One must know how enormous the amount of Yuan Stones Cloudtop Commandery claimed to be plundered each year was. Where did this deficit truly go?

Such a vast amount of resources would be enough to support an army.

Just then, Qiu Honglei looked at him curiously. "I heard you're going to Cloudtop Commandery this time?"

"That's right." Zu An briefly explained his mission, omitting details unsuitable for the Demonic Sect.

"That Yu Yanluo was once the most beautiful woman in the world. Don't let her charm you into a daze," Qiu Honglei said with a playful smile.

"Do I look like that kind of person?" Zu An said seriously.

"I think you are," Qiu Honglei's bell-like laughter rang out. After they playfully bickered for a while longer, she said with a serious expression, "I'm not joking with you. You really need to be careful of that woman. She's definitely not simple, not as fragile and kind as she appears."

Zu An was taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"

Qiu Honglei seemed to be thinking how to phrase her words. "You should know that the cultivation methods my master and I practice are both related to enchantment arts. But even at my current level of cultivation, I occasionally, inadvertently, exude an allure that makes men associate us with desires. But Yu Yanluo is different. She's the kind of woman who makes men feel love at first sight. Men develop affection for her, not just lust."

"Perhaps others don't realize the issue, but those of us who cultivate enchantment arts are particularly sensitive to this. She has reached the highest realm of enchantment arts, even more profound than my master."

"Higher than Sister Yun?" Zu An was startled. Yun Jianyue was already a Grandmaster, and her 'Heavenly Demonic Enchantment' had reached great mastery.

"Not in terms of cultivation level, but in her mastery of enchantment arts," Qiu Honglei explained. "Furthermore, according to our investigations, Yu Yanluo seems to have close ties with the demon race."

Zu An fell silent. It was truly difficult to associate that ethereal, fairy-like woman with a venomous schemer. But Qiu Honglei wouldn't make baseless accusations, especially regarding enchantment arts, where they were experts.

Could Yu Yanluo really be a grand master of enchantment?

Thinking of the thrilling sensation he felt every time he saw her, Zu An was no longer so sure.

Qiu Honglei sighed softly. "Brother Zu, you must remember this: the prettier a woman is, the more she's likely to deceive. You absolutely must be careful."

Zu An chuckled, "What about you? Will you deceive me?"

"Then if one day you discover I've deceived you, will you hate me?" Qiu Honglei stared intently at him, her starry eyes shining brightly.