Chapter 1988: Concealed Town  

In the end, Zhang Zitong nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll be even once I finish this task.”

“Let’s talk after you finish it. It isn't that easy to handle,” the black-clad figure said with a chuckle. With a wave of his hand, he disappeared outside the wall.

Zhang Zitong inspected the guards around her. When she was certain that they were only unconscious, she hurriedly followed.

...

Meanwhile, Zu An finished talking to Yu Yanluo. He then dialed Shang Liuyu’s recording mirror without stopping to rest.

When the surface of the recording mirror rippled, he muttered to himself, “Doing this does seem a bit trashy...”

“What is trashy?” Shang Liuyu asked with a laugh. Her voice was as beautiful as that of a yellow oriole. At the same time, there was a special relaxing quality to it.

Zu An’s face heated up as he said, “It’s nothing. It’s been a long time, big sis Shang. You’ve become more and more beautiful.”

Shang Liuyu was hugging her knees and sitting on a giant pearl shell. He really wondered if that was a bed or a seat. Her feet, which were always bare, were always the focal point that drew everyone’s attention.

Shang Liuyu said with a gentle smile, “You immediately start with smooth-talking a lady; now I think I have a good idea of what you meant by trashy.”

Zu An’s face heated up, but he quickly complained, “I’m being wronged here! Those were my sincere thoughts...”

“It's because they are sincere and you blurted them out that it’s trashy,” Shang Liuyu said, looking at him calmly. Her eyes that sparkled like starlight were covered in a layer of ocean blue. It seemed she had returned to her usual self now that she was no longer on the human side.

Zu An couldn't handle her pure gaze that seemed to be able to see right through him. He quickly asked, “Big sis Shang, are you still on the Ocean races' side?”

“Yup. Now that I think about it, you actually gave me quite the headache recently.” Shang Liuyu suddenly clutched her forehead and spoke in a slightly vexed manner.

“What is it?” Zu An asked, stunned. He thought to himself, Is there something else that involves the Ocean races?

“What else could it be but the golden dragon you killed last time?” Shang Liuyu replied in annoyance. “That matter caused quite the disturbance in the Dragon race, and many people were clamoring to get revenge on you. After all, how could we just ignore it when a member of the Dragon race's noble bloodline was killed?”

Zu An was startled. He said, “Back then, the Dragon King appeared over the capital by casting his projection, but he didn’t attack. Looking back, it was probably because of big sis Shang that he did that, right?”

“And you still have the nerve to talk about it,” Shang Liuyu said in annoyance. “The Dragon King asked me if you were my good friend, so of course I had to say yes.”

Zu An said with a smile, “We are good friends though.” “If only it was as simple as you’re making it out to be! If we were just friends, the Dragon Race’s stubborn old freaks wouldn’t just let it go...” Shang Liuyu trailed off as her face reddened. “Forget it, this matter is all because of that damn Chi Wen shooting his mouth off randomly.”

“What did he say?” Zu An asked. He thought to himself that Shang Liuyu had helped him give that brat a proper beating. Many of his heaven-grade weapons were actually from Chi Wen.

Right, I wonder if he really soaked that ‘blue ice’ he got from me in water to drink yet. Should I tell him that it’s used by aircraft to process shit...

“It’s nothing. I'll take care of it,” Shang Liuyu said; her expression became a bit unnatural.

Zu An felt a bit strange, but he didn’t think too much of it. Then, he told her about the invasion of the monsters from the other world. He also warned her, “You have to be careful. You cannot be careless and let those monsters scheme against you.”

“No wonder a huge spatial rift appeared here on our side side. Fortunately, we’ve already sealed it up. It seems I still have to warn them and make some proper arrangements, or else some monsters might still manage to sneak their way in,” Shang Liuyu said, startled. She stood up, no longer as calm as she initially looked.

“I’ll have to trouble big sis Shang,” Zu An said, although he didn’t take up more of her time.

The reason he had told her, apart from the fact that she was an old acquaintance, was because he hoped she could contact the Ocean races for him. Otherwise, no matter how well he defended the land, it would all be over if the monsters successfully infiltrated through the sea.

...

After calling everyone important to him, Zu An came out from the room. When he saw the pained and somewhat warped expression of the official guarding the room, he couldn't help but say with a chuckle, “I'll replenish the resources after. I won’t trouble you too much.”

The official hurriedly bowed in respect, saying, “Thank you, regent!”

After how long Zu An had spent using the recording mirror, the ki stones in storage were about to be completely used up. If he just walked away like this, that would create a huge amount of trouble.

When he saw the situation, Zu An’s resolve to research a recording mirror replacement became even stronger. If even the country itself couldn't bear this expenditure, it was clear just how inconvenient it was.

Then, he said his goodbyes to the women around him. Not being able to contact Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei was making him really worried.

The empress dowager Liu Ning and the current empress Bi Linglong were both reluctant to see him go, but Zu An had already told them that he had to leave the capital, so they were already prepared for his decision. They knew he had something important to take care of. They even asked him if he needed any help.

Zu An refused their good intentions. It could be bad if too many people got involved in this affair.

...

He arrived at the Embroidery House to look into some information regarding the Devil Sect, but it wasn’t as detailed as the information Yan Xuehen had given him. He realized that it was because Yan Xuehen was a sect master who had inherited the knowledge of the entire ancient White Jade Sect, which was why she knew so much.

Even though their relationship with the court wasn’t bad, both sides were still somewhat on guard against each other. The sect hadn’t offered up that intelligence to the court. Only someone like him could make her do so. He couldn't help but feel warm inside when he thought of that.

...

After leaving the palace, Zu An returned to Mount Yuquan. He tasked Yan Xiangu to help him lead the academy while he was away, along with all the other teachers.

Only then did he reluctantly say goodbye to all of the young ladies, who were also really reluctant. They actually wanted to be with him, but they all had some misgivings as they looked at each other. It was Ji Xiaoxi whose thoughts were the purest. She asked, “Big brother Zu, can I go with you? The Lake of Hatred has many rare medicines that I've never picked before.”

When he saw her large and adorable eyes, Zu An was moved, but before he could even say anything, Ji Dengtu jumped out and said, “No way! There might be monsters everywhere right now. Did you already forget about what happened all because you went out to pick medicine earlier? Did you already forget that lesson?”

Ji Xiaoxi grumbled softly, “But I'd have big brother Zu this time...”

Ji Dengtu immediately retorted, “It's precisely because he’s there that it would be even more dangerous!”

Ji Xiaoxi was stunned.

Zu An was speechless. He cleared his throat and said, “Uh... Xiaoxi, the matter I need to take care of this time is a bit dangerous, so I might not be able to take care of you. I’ll bring you out to pick medicine when there’s a chance in the future.”

“Oh, okay then,” Ji Xiaoxi said, and the light in her eyes dimmed.

Zu An trembled when he saw her disappointed expression, thinking, Just how is this girl so adorable?

He quickly took out a communication jade strip and gave it to her, saying, “This thing is like a simplified recording mirror. You can use it to chat with me.”

When he visited Shen Xuzi, he had discovered that the previous model was already modified a bit, and it now ensured that messages could be received regardless of the distance. The only issue was that the farther away one was, the slower it would take for the message to arrive, possibly taking a week to even half a month, making it unsuitable for transmitting important information. When used for normal conversation, it was barely passable.

“Really?!” Ji Xiaoxi cried; her eyes immediately lit up again. She instantly fell in love with it.

Ji Dengtu, standing off to the side, was experiencing all sorts of emotions.

I can’t let Xiaoxi have this thing, or else wouldn't this brat be able to seduce my precious daughter any time he wants? action

...

After teaching her how to use it, Zu An rushed straight into the air, heading in the Lake of Hatred’s direction.

Many people from various clans sighed in relief when they saw him leave. Ever since the Meng clan affair, Zu An alone had become like a boulder that weighed on their minds. Now that he had left the capital, they would at least be able to return to their usual life. At the same time, they all sent people to look into why Zu An had left and when he would return.

Meanwhile, immediately after he rose into the air, Zu An took out the Wind Fire Wheels. Even though he didn’t know where exactly the Lake of Hatred was located, he knew that it was hidden within the Mountain of Hatred’s mountain range.

He was worried about Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei’s safety, so he didn’t even dare to stop for a bit of rest. Fortunately, with his current cultivation, it wasn’t too big of a deal. Furthermore, the Wind Fire Wheels were extremely efficient at long journeys.

After several days of hurrying along, he finally arrived at a vast and lush mountain range. He saw towering mountains with clouds that lingered around their peaks. There were trees that reached into the skies everywhere, as well as a vast swath of thorny undergrowth. Vines practically covered the earth, and from time to time, some terrifying beasts hidden within them made their move. Forget about ordinary people, even cultivators couldn't do much here.

Zu An sighed in amazement. Trying to find the Devil Sect’s headquarters in this huge mountain range really was like finding a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, he had Yan Xuehen’s intelligence. Even though she didn’t know the exact location, she had drawn out several possible locations. That already greatly reduced his workload.

Zu An moved through the mountain on the Wind Fire Wheels. He quickly found several hidden regions on the map and eliminated the possibilities one by one. When he arrived at the last place, he suddenly stopped, exclaiming, “Something isn’t right with these mountains!”

As he scanned his surroundings, his eyes shone brightly. Not even Zhao Han would likely have been been able to tell that something was off, but he was proficient in ‘One Drop of Heaven’s Essence’, a manual that explained the study of geomancy. Together with his formation knowledge from the Baopu Sutra, he keenly sensed that this mountain’s appearance was a bit unnatural. Even though someone had deliberately tried to conceal it, he had come prepared, so he naturally wouldn’t let these suspicions go.

He quietly landed in the distance. Then, he took out a formation disc and fiddled with it. Several small flags flew around in all directions, and after that, the formation disc in his hands surged with light.

Then, he took out a talisman and brought it over his eyes. Two streaks of golden light erupted, and the forest before him instantly vanished. In its place was a bustling and lively market!