Chapter 1493: The Reason I Chose You

The women nearby widened their eyes.

Yu Yanluo opened her mouth. She began to say something, but then hesitated. However, Qiao Xueying said, “Don’t worry. Even though Ah Zu says some irresponsible things sometimes, he’s actually an extremely reliable man. He won’t be confused by beauty so easily. I think the Second Empress probably has something she wants to discuss with him alone.”

Yu Yanluo nodded toward her courteously, but she was actually upset inside. This Elf Princess sounded as if she had already been with Zu An for a long time. It really did make her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Yun Jianyue looked at Yan Xuehen, who was closest to her. She remarked, “Stone cold woman, is that woman that thirsty? She’s really pulling another man into her room in front of so many people?”

Yan Xuehen’s face heated up. She replied, “Even though that guy is usually a bit frivolous, he is not that unreliable. We should trust him.”

Yun Jianyue replied with a doubtful expression, “You want me to trust that this guy can hold himself back in front of beauty? I’d sooner believe that you’ve fallen in love with him.”

Yan Xuehen panicked, exclaiming, “What kind of nonsense are you saying, witch?!”

…

The two women began to fight with each other again. Director Lei Xin and Martial Guard General Wu Cheng both frowned when they heard that. After some hesitation, Lei Xin said, “Even though the Second Empress is normally a bit… enchanting, I have never heard of her doing anything improper over the years. Female heroes, could it be that you have misunderstood somehow?”

Wu Cheng said in agreement, “Right. On the contrary, I am more worried about that companion of yours. The Second Empress is seriously injured and powerless right now. If that companion of yours does something to her, she cannot resist!”

“Nonsense!” both women blurted out at the same time. “He’s not that despicable and shameless!”

When they felt the killing intent that suddenly erupted from the two women, both Lei Xin and Wu Cheng felt shivers run down their spines. They didn’t dare to say anything else.

…

Meanwhile, the main subjects of the discussions outside entered the room. After the Second Empress closed the door, she stared at Zu An with burning eyes, exclaiming, “What did you mean by what you just said?”

“What else could I have meant? It’s exactly as I said,” Zu An replied with a chuckle.

The Second Empress began breathing quickly. Her chest rose and fell, her beautiful figure swaying back and forth. However, she didn’t become muddle-headed from emotion, and quickly calmed down. She asked, “And what are you relying on to make that claim?”

Zu An’s cultivation wasn’t bad, but the new Fiend Emperor’s succession was a huge affair. It was likely out of his power.

When he saw her look of suspicion, Zu An said calmly, “The Fiend Emperor has died.”

“What?!” The Second Empress’ face instantly turned pale.

Her husband had died? That powerful being had actually died? Even though she had known his lifespan was nearing its end, she hadn’t expected that day to arrive so soon.

However, she discovered that she didn’t really feel any grief when she learned that he had passed away. After all, she had simply been forcefully seized by the Fiend Emperor because of her beauty. Soon afterward, the Fiend Emperor had become worried about his worsening condition due to heaven and man deterioration, so they had rarely spent time together. Naturally, they hadn’t formed strong feelings as a result.

At the moment, she felt more alarmed than anything else. The only reason why she had been respected by the Fiend races for so many years was because she was the Fiend Emperor’s wife. Now that she had lost her backing, what were she and her son supposed to do?

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

No wonder the Golden Crow Crown Prince dared to do something like this! So the Fiend Emperor has already died.

“How did he die?” the Second Empress asked, wiping the corners of her eyes. She had thought she would at least shed some tears for that husband of hers, but she discovered that there wasn’t anything on her fingers.

“You probably wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. I can only tell you that he died in the secret dungeon,” Zu An replied. The woman was still the Fiend Emperor’s wife, after all. Even though it didn’t seem as if they shared any feelings, telling her that he was the one who had killed him just didn’t feel like a good idea.

“So that was what happened,” the Second Empress replied, not asking for any more details. Either way, the Fiend Emperor was already dead, so she was more concerned about what they were going to do now. She asked, “How are you prepared to help me?”

As the Fiend Emperor had died, what followed would be a power struggle between the different brothers. Even if they took down the crown prince, there was no Fiend Emperor to settle the dispute.

However, Zu An’s cultivation was quite strong, and he even had two grandmaster helpers, the Snake Race’s Medusa Queen, and the Elf Princess. He had enough influence to affect the heir to the throne.

“Wait, wait, wait. There’s something else you should be concerned about before all of that,” Zu An said, waving his finger. He asked, “Why should I help you?”

The Second Empress was stunned. However, she wasn’t a simple-minded person and quickly said, “You and the Golden Crow Crown Prince share a grudge. With his nature, there is no way that he would tolerate your existence. Furthermore, you have also had a negative encounter with the Second Prince. Even though it is not too great of a grudge, there is no affection between you either. You are naturally much closer to us than them.”

Zu An replied with a smile, “Is that why you think I have to choose your side?”

When she heard the coldness in his voice, the Second Empress felt a weight fall in her stomach. She quickly realized that she might have gone too far with her cleverness. She added, “Of course not. Our friendship has not reached that level. You can choose a different prince, or you can choose not to get involved either. Either way, you are not part of the Fiend races.”

Zu An sighed and replied, “Your highness is an intelligent person after all. But is that all you have to say to me? If you want my help, you have to offer me some benefits, right?”

The Second Empress bit her lips, her face darkening. However, when she thought about how she had almost died, and the despair and powerlessness she felt while embracing her son, the look in her eyes suddenly became resolute. She waved her hand, and some kind of mechanism seemed to activate. A sound barrier appeared in the room. That way, no one else could hear the contents of their conversation.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue both frowned. They had been quietly listening to the drama that was unfolding, but the people inside had cut them off? Yun Jianyue felt unhappy, preparing to barge in to find out what was happening.

However, Yan Xuehen stopped her, saying, “Forget it. They are probably talking about some secrets. It is normal for us not to be able to hear them.”

Yun Jianyue replied with a frown, “Are you not scared that she’ll end up stealing your disciple’s man?”

Yan Xuehen thought, It’s not just my disciple’s man… However, she replied, “Worry not. I believe he is not one of those men who act on lustful impulses.”

Yun Jianyue harrumphed in dissatisfaction. “You seem to understand him really well. It’s almost as if the two of you have been really intimate with each other before.”

Despite what she said, she still gave up any thoughts of entering. Either way, the Second Empress was seriously injured, and Zu An was a monster who had even killed the Fiend Emperor. Would someone like that really end up being eaten up by her?

Meanwhile, the Second Empress walked toward Zu An with light and graceful steps. She stared at Zu An with her beautiful eyes, asking, “Do you think I am beautiful?”

Zu An was stunned. Why is she doing this stuff now? Don’t tell me she’s going to try to seduce me with so many people outside? Still, he instinctively nodded and replied, “Extremely!”

“Please look at me,” the Second Empress said as she stood within reach of him. While she spoke, her fingers brushed past her waist. Then, her dress loosened, gradually exposing her fair, satin-like skin.

In that instant, even the candle flame in the room seemed to have dimmed, all of the light gathering on the wonderful figure at the very center of the room. As if she had become shy, her snow-white skin carried a hint of peach blush. Her beauty really was enough to make the entire world seem colorless in comparison.