Chapter 635: Both Sides Shattered
Chu Chuyan had been allowed to leave the Qin Estate without any issues because she had told them that she was going to inquire about the assassination attempts in the imperial palace.
Zu An was the crown prince’s secretary, and he would have access to insider information. That was why the Qin clan had let her leave.
Of course, Chu Chuyan and her parents were of one mind. They wished to remain neutral, and did not want to be caught up in the battle for the throne. However, Chu Youzhao had been raised in her grandfather’s house since she was little, and her experiences growing up had left her deeply partial towards King Qi. That was why she subconsciously spoke up for King Qi.
The Qin clan had received news that the captured assassins had stubbornly refused to talk, but after being submitted to torture, they all confessed that it was King Qi who sent them.
This made the situation much more serious. All those in King Qi’s faction were infuriated. If this issue wasn’t properly dealt with, their entire faction would collapse.
Chu Youzhao seemed to take this personally, and cursed the assassins for framing them, calling them shameless and despicable.
These words stung the ears of Qiu Honglei, who was hiding behind the screen. The negative emotions disturbed her just enough that the tiniest bit of her aura leaked out.
Chu Chuyan was already a seventh-ranked expert, and immediately sensed something amiss.
She did not suspect Zu An at all. Her first reaction was that someone was lying in wait to attack him. After all, it was common knowledge that he had the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, and he was the crown prince’s secretary as well. She had also heard that he was involved in the death of the Shi clan’s young master, and there was a chance that this was an assassin sent by the Shi clan, who was out for revenge.
With all this in mind, she immediately flew towards the disturbance, thrusting her fingers out like a sword.
Sword ki immediately swept out towards the screen.
The screen was blasted to pieces by the sword ki in an instant, and a figure appeared. The two of them exchanged several lightning-quick attacks.
Qiu Honglei was the Lady Saint of the Devil Sect, and she was the best within her age group in terms of skill and technique. She matched Chu Chuyan blow for blow.
Chu Youzhao rolled up her sleeves excitedly, preparing to enter the fray. “Big sis, let me help!”
Such an opportunity was non-existent in the capital. No one dared to go all out when they fought against her. Murong Qinghe put up a good fight since she had a high cultivation and was ferocious in battle, but she always yielded before the end. Life was really boring.
She had been in true danger when she encountered the assassins sent against her brother-in-law previously, but the situation was different right now. She had both her eldest sister and her brother-in-law here to protect her, and her safety was assured. She was more than happy to charge in.
Zu An put a hand on her head to stop her.. “Don’t charge in blindly. You’ll only add to the chaos.”
“Stop touching my head!” Chu Youzhao clawed at him with her fingers, but she was so small that her hands couldn’t even reach Zu An. They waved about, clawing at the air.
You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 233… 233… 233…
By this time, Chu Chuyan had stopped as well. “You?”
She hadn’t been sure at first, but she finally recognized who her opponent was. She was the courtesan queen of Brightmoon City’s Immortal Abode! The two of them had even fought side-by-side on the way to the capital. How could she fail to recognize this person?
Qiu Honglei grunted in acknowledgement. “Greetings, First Miss Chu.”
She was slightly panicked, and did not know what to say.
“Huh? They know each other?” Chu Youzhao felt disappointed. They weren’t going to keep fighting! She angrily smacked Zu An’s hand away.
Zu An wanted to say something, but his survival instincts told him that he should probably keep his mouth shut.
“Why are you here, Lady Qiu? Do you desire Ah Zu’s Phoenix Nirvana Sutra?” Chu Chuyan frowned. She knew that her opponent was the Lady Saint of the Devil Sect, and still remembered how the Devil Sect’s experts had tried to kidnap Zu An.
If Qiu Honglei hadn’t secretly helped Zu An, she would have shown no mercy.
Qiu Honglei coughed lightly. “I was in the capital, so I decided to visit an old friend,” she said.
Her reply sounded reasonable enough, but Chu Chuyan sensed something odd about it. She suddenly remembered the strange smell that was lingering in the room. An idea came to her, and she said, “You haven’t wiped off all of that stuff on your face yet.”
Qiu Honglei was incredibly embarrassed. She quickly brought her hand to her face, but there was nothing there at all. “You lied…”
Midway through her sentence, the truth hit her. She had fallen for her trap.
Zu An gasped as well. Chu Chuyan, who was always as clear and pure as ice, actually had this dark side to her!
Chu Chuyan’s expression turned frigid. She spitted Zu An with a glare and gave an angry snort.
You have successfully trolled Chu Chuyan for 256… 256… 256…
This scoundrel! Just a moment ago, she had been worried about him, and even felt as though she might not have fulfilled her duty properly as a wife. In the end, it turned out that he was having fun with another woman!
Zu An laughed in embarrassment. “Chuyan…”
Chu Chuyan wasn’t in the mood for explanations. She looked directly at Qiu Honglei. “If I recall correctly, Lady Qiu is unmarried. By coming to the home of a married man and… committing these acts… It seems that the Devil Sect does indeed do things differently.”
Chu Youzhao was pretty sharp as well. Even though she didn’t know exactly what was going on, she could more-or-less guess that this woman was her eldest sister’s rival in love. Hmph, she looks like a slut. I knew she wasn’t a good person.
She chimed in as well. “Big sis, did you only realize this now? The members of the Devil Sect are all this shameless and despicable!”
Even though she rarely made a fuss around her big sister, she obviously had to stand up for her sister.
Qiu Honglei was furious inside, but she was all smiles on the surface. “Indeed, our Devil Sect is shameless and despicable. There’s no way we can compare to the righteousness of the great clans! If you’re valuable to them, you’ll be worked to the bone. Once you’re deemed useless, you’re swept right out the door and never seen again, because it would be a tragedy if they brought the clan down. It falls to us Devil Sect monsters to find a way to rescue these people. Ah Zu, what do you have to say?”
Zu An broke out in cold sweat. “Haha… Hey guys, it’s not that serious. Separating myself from the Chu clan was something we agreed to beforehand, since I didn’t want to cause trouble for them. Also, Chuyan, she still…”
Qiu Honglei cut him off and immediately targeted Chu Chuyan. “Oh, you’re right. I remember that you have nothing to do with the Chu clan anymore. I wonder what a certain someone is trying to prove by strutting in here so righteously?”
Chu Chuyan almost choked on her breath. The Chu clan’s decision to break things off with Zu An had always been a thorn in her heart. She hadn’t been in Brightmoon City back then, and by the time she found out, it was already too late.
The two of them had quietly agreed not to bring this up, but now, she was facing the consequences of it. That’s right… The two of them weren’t husband and wife anymore.
Chu Youzhao was furious. “Where did this vixen come from? You’re stealing someone else’s man, and you’re twisting matters just to justify yourself! I’m going to contact the government office and have them capture you Devil Sect scum.”
Despite this, Qiu Honglei merely leaned against Zu An seductively. “I am Ah Zu’s good friend, and I live here. If you rat me out, won’t you be putting him in an awkward spot? Ah Zu has always done his duty towards the Chu clan, hasn’t he? Is this how you treat your benefactors?”
“You…” Chu Youzhao was at a loss for words. How could she be a match for someone like Qiu Honglei, the Lady Saint of the Devil Sect who had spent time in the Immortal Abode?
Chu Chuyan’s eyelids twitched continuously at the sight of her leaning against Zu An. I should have just let Zhuxie Chixin capture her instead of letting her go! Hmph! What an outrage!
She turned around, her face expressionless. “Youzhao, let’s go.”
Chu Youzhao was none too pleased with this result. Big sis, you’re his main lover! How can you let this bitch get away? She noticed how quickly her sister was leaving though, and followed on her heels, having measured the gap between herself and Qiu Honglei.
Zu An was about to explain himself, but Qiu Honglei grabbed him. “Ah Zu, could you bring me some water to wash my face with? I feel as though scabs are forming on my face.”
Chu Chuyan, who had just reached the entrance, froze in her tracks. She took a deep breath, then continued on without even turning around.
You have successfully trolled Chu Chuyan for 999 Rage points!
When he saw Qiu Honglei’s hopeful and pleading expression, Zu An sighed. After everything that had happened, it seemed too heartless to leave her now. “All right, I’ll get some water for you.”
Qiu Honglei’s anxious heart finally calmed down. Her face was split by a radiant smile.
“Honglei, we could have all gotten along. Why did you have to say such harsh things?” Zu An said gloomily, as he helped her wash her face.