Chapter 1955: Worry  

No wonder Ah Zu has been asking me weird things recently—“Who would you save if your father and I fell into danger at the same time?”, “Will you put down everything to elope with me?”, and other such things, Bi Linglong thought. I thought he was being childish, and I had my hands full over my conflict with the Meng clan and the empress, so I didn’t take it to heart. Now that I think about it, this must have been what he meant.

“It’s over. The Meng clan has so many experts, including earth immortals, but he eradicated them so easily. We’ll be doomed if he wants vengeance on us!” Bi Ziang exclaimed, feeling more panicked the more he thought about it. “Father, why did you do that? Why did you mess with such a strong enemy for no reason?”

Bi Qi was already feeling frustrated about the situation, and Bi Ziang’s words only further annoyed him. “Idiot, do you think I could have predicted this? How was I to know there would be such a monstrous talent among those imperial heirs?”

Bi Ziang dared not to harp on the matter. He knew his father was right. It would have been a blessing if any of the imperial heirs survived at all, and they would have changed their names and lived humbly, so as to not get hunted down.

Who could have thought a monster like Zu An would sprout up? He didn’t have the protection of a powerful clan. He hadn't been nurtured by a competent teacher from a young age. He didn’t have an abundance of resources to fall back on. And yet, he had still grown to become a powerful cultivator at such a young age. Was the legendary Phoenix Nirvana Sutra really that formidable?

Bi Linglong took a deep breath to compose herself before asking, “Father, what exactly did you do back then? If you only followed orders, it might still be possible to resolve this grudge.”

Bi Qi’s cheeks twitched. He shook his head and replied, “None of the imperial heirs of the previous dynasty lived to adulthood. I also secretly eliminated quite a few of the concubines and consorts. Do you think it’s possible to come to a peaceful resolution?”

Bi Linglong felt as if her heart had been plunged into cold water. This was a huge blood debt. There was no way they could talk things out.

Bi Qi sighed and said, “We can only pray the rumors are false, and Zu An isn't an imperial heir of the previous dynasty. Linglong, it’s more convenient for you to contact the Embroidered Envoy in the palace. Have them investigate the matter and report it to you. You have to deny it even if the report shows that Zu An is an imperial heir of the previous dynasty. This is also aligned with the interest of the current imperial family.”

The sudden emergence of such an imperial heir was a huge threat to the Zhao clan too, after all.

Bi Linglong smiled bitterly upon hearing those words. Her father’s solution would have worked had it been anyone else, but how could she hide her investigation from Zu An when he was the current commander of the Embroidered Envoy? She hesitantly flapped her mouth wordlessly, but she eventually decided to conceal his identity.

Bi Ziang’s eyes lit up. He said, “You’re right! The imperial court has the final say on whether he’s an imperial heir or not. We can just say whatever we want!” His tense body finally relaxed, and he burst into laughter.

…

Meanwhile, Rong Mo was bored out of her mind outside the residence. Just then, she saw Bi Linglong walking out and quickly rushed up with a smile, calling out, “Young… miss?”

Bi Linglong’s face was ghastly pale, and her eyes looked as if they had lost all spirit. It was a stark contrast to how she had been just before she entered; she was filled with despair. Her father and older brother had been praying that Zu An was oblivious to the secrets of the past, but based on Zu An’s previous behavior, there was a good chance he already knew the truth. She'd withheld that information from her father and older brother, as it was already meaningless at this point. There was nothing they could do other than to live out the rest of their lives in fear. I’ll just shoulder the burden instead.

“Young miss! Young miss, don’t scare me! What happened?” Rong Mo asked, flustered.

“Let's head to Mount Yuquan,” Bi Linglong said. She thought that it would be a good idea to talk things out with Zu An.

“Ah? Are we heading there again? Young miss, you were there for nearly four hours, and it nearly caused a scandal. To head there now would be…” Rong Mo trailed off. She wondered what was so good about Zu An that eroded Bi Linglong’s self-control, but halfway through her sentence, Bi Linglong’s frosty glare chilled her heart. She dared not run her mouth anymore and replied, “Yes, young miss!”

Soon, the carriage was on its way to Mount Yuquan once more. Halfway through the journey, however, Bi Linglong suddenly shouted, “Let's not head there anymore. Let's return to the palace instead.”

Rong Mo was perplexed, but she could tell that Bi Linglong had a lot on her mind. Not wanting to disturb her at this sensitive juncture, she quietly instructed the carriage to turn around.

Meanwhile, in the Bi manor, Bi Qi’s complexion remained dark even after Bi Linglong’s departure. Bi Ziang, on the other hand, wanted to head out to find some friends to unwind after the huge scare he had just suffered.

“Stop! You’re leaving just like that?” Bi Qi snapped as he furiously glared at his son.

He had previously been satisfied with his son, who was outstanding among his peers in terms of intellect and cultivation level. But ever since Zu An’s appearance, he couldn’t help but find his son lacking in all aspects. Zu An was younger than Bi Ziang, but he had already reached a height that Bi Ziang could never reach in his entire lifetime. Compared to Zu An, Bi Qi thought his son was nothing at all.

“Isn’t the problem resolved?” Bi Ziang asked, unable to understand why his father was so angry.

“It’s not that simple,” Bi Qi said with a sneer. “Didn’t you see your little sister’s expression?”

“What’s wrong?” Bi Ziang asked, taken aback. He had been so preoccupied with his emotions earlier that he hadn’t had any attention to spare on Bi Linglong.

Bi Qi felt a surge of anger upon seeing Bi Ziang’s reaction. He had to muster all his self-control to suppress his rage as he said, “Linglong’s reaction was a little strange. At some points, she even held herself back from speaking. She’s clearly hiding something from us.”

Bi Ziang was perplexed, saying, “That doesn’t make sense. Linglong is in the same boat as us; we’ll either float or sink together, and she understands that. There’s no reason for her to hide things from us.”

Besides, Bi Linglong was on close terms with them. It wasn't as if they had mistreated her, so there was no reason for her to hold a grudge against them.

“I spent some time working with Zu An back on Violet Mountain. He’s good with women,” Bi Qi said with a gleam in his eyes. “Chu Chuyan is one thing, since they were a couple, but there’s also Xie Daoyun and the dao sects’ Pei Mianman. They're on close terms with him too. Even the White Jade Sect’s Yan Xuehen, who showed no deference even to Zhao Han, seemed to harbor special feelings for him.”Bi Ziang was speechless. He could understand the regret and envy behind his father's words. Chu Chuyan had mesmerized many young nobles and young masters when she came to the capital in the past, and he was no exception. Many had thought she would reenact Yu Yanluo’s miracle too. It was just a pity she hadn’t wanted to be embroiled in a family conflict, and had ended up marrying a hoodlum. Many people had felt great pity upon hearing that.

Meanwhile, Yan Xuehen was practically the Chu Chuyan of Bi Qi’s generation.

“That gigolo is good at winning women’s favor. I wonder how he does it. It’s not as if he’s particularly handsome or anything,” Bi Ziang grumbled.

“Handsome? Is that what you’re focused on?” Bi Qi retorted, kicking his son. “What’s important about a man is his capability. Looks are nothing! If you could easily slay an earth immortal too, you’d have countless beautiful women by your side.”

“I have many beautiful women by my side too…” Bi Ziang mumbled.

“Are any of them a match for the women he has by his side?” Bi Qi shot back, glaring at his son.

Bi Ziang was rendered speechless. He had many beauties by his side, but they were merely toys to him. None of them had the background and capability of the women Zu An had. It was then that he finally grasped what his father was getting at. He began, “Father, do you think that Linglong…”

“Looks like there’s still hope for you!” Bi Qi remarked, feeling a little heartened. “You know the situation with the crown prince. Linglong is a proud woman, so they're likely just a couple in name, and it’ll stay that way for the rest of their life. Zu An is an extraordinary man. He is young, suave, and powerful, and he has the means to win women’s favor. The two of them have spent plenty of time together in the Eastern Palace. If I were a woman, I might have fallen for his charms.”

The thought of his father cosplaying as a woman left Bi Ziang utterly disgusted. He quickly shook off that thought and asked, “Father, do you think Linglong will side with Zu An over us? But given Linglong’s personality, I don’t think she’d do anything to harm our Bi clan…”

“I hope not too, but we can’t pin all our hopes on her,” Bi Qi said as his eyes glimmered in contemplation.

“What other choice do we have? Zu An can slay even an earth immortal; we don’t stand a chance against him,” Bi Ziang said, dismayed. “In my opinion, we should just get Linglong and Zu An together and pray that he’ll let us off on her account.”

“You fool! He wouldn’t give up on such a huge blood debt over a woman,” Bi Qi lectured him. “Have you forgotten my teachings? Only a weakling would entrust their hope to someone else’s pity. Zu An might be powerful, but who says we have to go head-on against him?”

“Don’t be reckless, father. The Meng clan’s downfall is a warning,” Bi Ziang worriedly advised.

“Don’t worry. Meng Yi made missteps one after another because he didn’t understand the extent of Zu An’s strength. I have enough intelligence in my hand to make my move. I won’t walk down the same path as the Meng clan,” Bi Qi said; he slowly calmed down as his lips curled up.

Bi Ziang’s heart skipped a beat. He could tell his father had made up his mind. I can only pray he knows what he’s doing, so he doesn’t ruin our Bi clan.

…

Meanwhile, an unkempt middle-aged man was drinking in a brothel. A woman approached him, only for him to impatiently chase her away.

“Tsk! Who in the world comes here only for the alcohol and not for the women?” the woman snapped as she walked away.

Ji Dengtu couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, thinking A real woman will never be as interesting as those in Zu An’s book. He reflectively reached for the booklet in his clothes, but he didn’t take it out in the end. Instead, he glanced in the direction of the city gate and murmured, “It's been a few days since our agreed-on date. Why isn’t Xiaoxi here yet? Did something happen?”