Zu An glanced outside. He could already see the sky turning a bit white; it was already daytime. He had actually known full well that rushing to Cloudcenter Commandery in a single night would be extremely difficult. After running into the snow lady the previous day, he had already used up quite a bit of time. Even if he hadn’t been injured afterward, he wouldn’t have made it back on time.

Don’t tell me I’ll really have to wander around the fiend race territory…

When she saw Zu An fall silent, Yan Xuehen tried to console him. “You don’t need to be too worried. Even if you’re accused of some crimes, I can help you testify. I think that should be enough to prove your innocence.”

Inwardly, however, she didn’t have much confidence either. Even though her prestige carried quite a bit of weight, those who wanted Zu An dead similarly carried a lot of power. It was possible that she alone wouldn’t be enough. However, she had to console him first so he wouldn’t feel too much pressure.

Zu An chuckled and asked, “If I became a traitor and you spoke out for me, wouldn’t I be dragging you down too?”

Yan Xuehen said indifferently, “Even though you saved Yu Yanluo, you haven’t betrayed the human race. Furthermore, Yu Yanluo is a fiend who carries goodwill for the human race. She’s done a lot of virtuous things for the people. I feel no guilt or shame whatsoever by speaking out for you.”

Zu An sighed and said, “I thought that you were going to speak out for me because of our relationship.”

Yan Xuehen’s cheeks heated up a bit. She shot him a look, replying, “I already said that we were to pretend that nothing happened, and that I wouldn’t admit to it either. This is the last time. If you talk about those things again, don’t blame me for leaving immediately!”

Upon hearing her strict tone, Zu An knew she still couldn't cross over that mental block. He couldn't provoke her further either. He replied, “Alright, alright, I was too hasty.”

Yan Xuehen hadn’t expected him to suddenly become so agreeable. She was momentarily distracted.

“I’m going to get up and get dressed.” Zu An said.

Yan Xuehen turned around and said, “If you’re going to get up, then just get up. What are you telling me for? It’s almost as if you think I want to look at you or something.”

Even though that was what she said, a memory of the two of them from before couldn't help but appear in her mind. She now knew every inch of his body. When she thought of that, her ears turned a bit red.

Zu An put on his clothes while saying, “This place is a bit strange. These hot springs are clearly rich with natural ki, so it should be incredibly attractive for both people and beasts. Why is it that even after so long, we still haven’t seen any sign of another living being?”

Yan Xuehen also realized that something was off when she heard him mention such an important detail. She said, “There are a few possibilities. The first is that this place is hard to get to. There could be several formations and natural barriers in the way. However, I didn’t encounter much obstruction when I brought you here. The second is that this is a dangerous place, and those from the Great Snowy Mountain know it is, so they don’t dare to approach.”

Zu An shook his head and said, “This is clearly a rare paradise. There’s not even a trace of danger here.”

The two of them had just personally experienced the hot springs. Whether in terms of their wounds or their cultivation, they had clearly benefited.

Yan Xuehen released a long sigh and continued, “Then it’s the worst-case scenario. This place is the territory of someone extremely strong, and because of its presence, no one dares to approach. The only reason why we were able to remain safe and sound must be that it isn’t here.”

Zu An’s expression also changed. Just what kind of a concept did a powerful being from the Great Snowy Mountain represent? The snow lady they had encountered was still fresh in his memory. He said, “It’s been so long already. Will it come back?”

Yan Xuehen was also a bit worried, replying, “That’s why we should hurry and leave this place as quickly as possible.”

She leaned over to sort out her clammy, wet dress as she spoke. She quickly remembered what had happened before, and her heart began to pound.

Zu An was about to tease her a bit when he suddenly felt a terrifying pressure spread out from the depths of the cave. Their expressions instantly changed.  That powerful individual hadn’t left this place; it had always been within the cavern depths!

“Run!” Yan Xuehen exclaimed, feeling ashamed and upset. Didn’t that mean someone else had seen everything that happened between her and Zu An?

However, she didn’t have the time to be conflicted over that. The most important thing at the moment was leaving this place.

However, Zu An didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he looked toward the cave’s depths, remarking, “Wait, why does this feel a bit familiar…”

Why is he standing still and wasting time? Isn’t this completely giving up any chance of life? Yan Xuehen thought. Still, she couldn't bring herself to run away on her own. She decided to stay behind and help him fight against the enemy. Her injuries had recovered quite a bit, after all, so it wasn’t as if they didn’t have any chance. However, her legs weren’t quite…

Suddenly, Zu An took a step into the cave’s depths. Yan Xuehen was completely shocked. Isn’t he just courting death?

…

Meanwhile, far away in Cloudcenter Commandery, inside the Civil Affairs Manor, Cloudcenter City’s strongest members were all gathered together. They were arguing noisily about something.

One side seemed to be led by Xu Yu, while the other side was led by the Imperial Envoy, Sang Hong. Meanwhile, Cloudcenter City’s City Lord, Pei Shao, seemed to be in a faction of his own.

The two leaders didn’t personally participate in the dispute, both remaining silent. Xu Yu had a grave expression, while Sang Hong instead had a smile.

The two of them glanced at the giant recording mirror resting against the cliff wall. The capital’s morning court session would end soon. Once it did, that would be the real faceoff.

Pei You quietly moved over to Sang Hong’s side, asking, “Sir Sang, could it be that you have some good news?”

Sang Hong sipped on his tea while saying through a ki transmission, “No.”

“Then why is sir smiling so happily?” Pei You asked, stunned.

“Now is obviously not the time to show weakness and ruin our own side’s morale,” Sang Hong replied.

Pei You was speechless. However, he still had questions and asked, “Then why is Xu Yu’s expression so grave? I thought he had received some unfavorable news.”

“Because he used all of his resources for this impeachment. He will either succeed or die trying. That is why he is so worried,” Sang Hong explained.

“Sir Sang, Gao Ying has just about managed to get his soldiers in line. He said that if things go bad, he could…” Pei You said, gesturing with a hand.

Sang Hong gave him a look and replied, “Nonsense. His majesty and all of the court’s officials will be watching us. Are you hoping for his entire clan to be eradicated?”

“Then what else can we do? Could it be that we’re really going to let Brother Zu be declared a traitor?” Pei You asked. He obviously understood the severity of the meeting. Zu An could be consigned to eternal damnation soon.

Sang Hong sighed and said, “At this stage, we can only entrust it to fate.”

Naturally, he wasn’t as calm as he looked on the surface. Meanwhile, Pei You and Gao Ying were only acting out of loyalty toward Zu An as his friends. Even if something really happened to Zu An, it wouldn’t affect them too much. However, for him, things were different. The entire Sang clan was being carried on his back. If something happened to him, the Sang clan would most likely be finished too.

Qien’er, you won’t blame your father, will you…

Suddenly, a sound rang out from the distance in the city. The expressions of those in the room changed. It was almost time.

Xu Yu looked around and asked seriously, “Is the commandery duke not here yet?”

A subordinate replied, “According to the messenger, the commandery duke is recovering in seclusion and cannot come out.”

“Recovering in seclusion…” Xu Yu sneered. He didn’t say anything else.

However, the others in the room sensed something else. All sorts of major things had happened to the Yu Clan as of late, especially what had happened to Yu Yanluo. Even though Cloudcenter Duke had acted tough at first, he had laid low the entire time afterward.

People all knew that the relationship between Cloudcenter Duke and Yu Yanluo wasn’t just one of husband and wife; in fact, they had been each other’s strongest allies.

After something happened to the Yu Clan, many of the Jian clan’s powers couldn't stand still anymore. They had all rushed to seek an audience with Jian Yanyou, but he had always been missing. Now, there were even rumors coming from the Jian clan that the duke was no longer in the manor. Some even said that he had already died from his serious injuries.

At first, people just thought of those things as rumors, but the duke never came out to clear things up, and many powers under the Jian clan had even begun to seek out other backers. As things continued, eventually, people began to wonder whether something really had happened to him.

The Yu Clan is finished, and the Jian clan is also done for!

The other powers all looked like sharks that had gotten a whiff of blood. They were definitely going to get a good cut of the two great clans’ assets after this.