Chapter 644: Sailing Through a Sea of Bitterness

Translator: Pika

Yun Jianyue: “???”

She was concerned, so she opened the door a bit too quickly. She didn’t expect this type of thing to happen.

Killing intent flashed past her eyes when she saw his head buried in her chest. This guy even took his mask off beforehand!

Her fingers were like hooks. They were about to take his life when she suddenly voiced her surprise.

With her cultivation, she naturally noticed that his soul was wounded.

“Hm? Could it be that the emperor made a move? That doesn’t make sense… If the emperor attacked him, then how could Zu An still be alive?” Yun Jianyue removed the man from her breasts and carefully examined his condition. Her expression flickered continuously, as if she was clearly engaged in intense internal conflict.

…

When Zu An woke up again, he noticed that he was sitting on his bed. Yun Jianyue was sitting across from him, her beautiful long hair flying about on their own.

What was even more shocking was that they were holding hands. He could clearly feel how soft her hands were.

“Don’t think any random thoughts and focus your mind. Absorb the medicinal force.” Yun Jianyue said coldly. She immediately realized that he woke up.

Zu An felt like he was enveloped in a medicinal aura. He lowered his head and saw the Five Aggregates Root floating between them, spinning on its own. It was likely floating because of Yun Jianyue’s aura. Its divine radiance slowly moved towards his nostrils.

Yun Jianyue retracted her hands. “You fainted just now, so you couldn’t operate ki on your own. That was why I lent you a helping hand. Since you are awake now, then you can start moving on your own.”

“Start moving on my own?” Zu An had a strange look. I’d love it if I could do it myself. But when he saw her ice-cold expression, he knew that it wasn’t what he was thinking.

Thus, he started his inner ki flow, using the medicinal force to nurse his wounded soul.

Sigh, Keyboard Come’s side effects are too strong. It wasn’t even a big deal, yet my soul almost exploded! Do I really have to wait until master rank before I can use it more often?

As such, he asked, “Big sis sect master, how do you train your soul?”

“Soul?” Yun Jianyue sneered. “Ask me that question after you reach the master rank.”

“Only masters can forge their souls?” Zu An wasn’t willing to give up.

“Of course.” Yun Jianyue said indifferently. “The first to ninth rank are for tempering the body. Only when the body is strong enough can it support a more powerful soul. Cultivation is like setting sail in a sea of bitterness. The stronger the body, the steadier the boat, so it won’t be torn apart by the tempest. Once the soul is fortified, then there will be a helm and a sail, allowing you to traverse this sea faster…”

Zu An didn’t really know what she was saying, but it sounded pretty awesome. He asked, “Has anyone crossed this sea of bitterness?”

Yun Jianyue’s breathing stopped. Do you know what you are asking? Her expression gradually calmed. “No. There are only people who have sailed a bit further than the others.”

Zu An replied with an ‘oh’. He had a rough idea of what she meant. It looks like it was best if he didn’t think about forging the soul with his current cultivation rank.

“By the way, I remember falling into something soft when I just came back.” A while later, Zu An opened his eyes again. He couldn’t help but voice his thoughts.

Yun Jianyue’s eyelids jumped. She coldly said, “You remember wrong.”

You have successfully trolled Yun Jianyue for +444 +444 +444…

Zu An was alarmed when he saw the Rage points. Could it be…

He knew that it was best if he didn’t pursue this topic when he saw her expression.

A while later, he suddenly felt the medicinal smell disappear. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Yun Jianyue was storing away the Five Aggregates Root.

He became gloomy. “Come on, I was the one who brought back this thing! Why are you being so stingy?”

Yun Jianyue raised her brows. “You don’t understand anything! Even though this medicine is good for the soul, too much is just as bad as not enough. Once you take in too much of it, it will instead wound your soul. Even I don’t dare to take in too much of it with my cultivation. You can continue if you want to die.”

You have successfully trolled Yun Jianyue for +233 +233 +233…

Zu An quickly laughed in apology. “It’s my misunderstanding, big sis sect master… How about I give you a shoulder massage in apology?”

He was also a bit curious. He remembered only receiving single digits when he was in Brightmoon City, yet now, he often received them in strings. Looks like the stronger the person, the more soul force they can offer…

Yun Jianyue took a step to the side to avoid his arms. “You wanted to give me a shoulder massage? Should I even bother exposing you?”

Zu An laughed awkwardly. “At least my respect and adoration for big sis sect master are definitely not fake.”

Yun Jianyue didn’t feel like paying him any more attention. She asked, “What happened after you visited Zhuxie Chixin? Why was your soul wounded?”

Zu An’s expression became serious. “Zhuxie Chixin was suspicious of me as well…”

He roughly recounted what happened.

Yun Jianyue nodded. “Zhuxie Chixin is an old fox. It would be more strange if he wasn’t suspicious. So, how did you deceive him?”

Zu An explained without giving away the details, “I got another set of clothes from a different Embroidered Envoy…”

How could he tell her about a skill like Keyboard Come? She’s not even part of his harem.

Yun Jianyue frowned. She clearly didn’t believe this explanation. “Yours is a golden token envoy uniform, how can you just pass someone else’s as yours? Furthermore, you still haven’t explained to me why your soul was wounded.”

When Zu An was at a loss for how to explain things, Yun Jianyue’s expression changed slightly. “Someone is here.”

With a flash, she hid behind the curtains. It really was a pity how practiced this seemed.

A knocking sounded outside. “Is Sir Eleven inside?”

Zu An put on his mask again. When he was sure that nothing was wrong, he then walked out. He saw a chubby eunuch standing outside and quickly greeted him with one hand cupped in another. “So it was Eunuch Wen.”

“Sir Eleven is too polite.” Eunuch Wen was beaming. This new golden token envoy actually knew how to be courteous, which immediately made him seem pleasing. “His majesty has invited sir to the imperial study.”

Zu An was alarmed. Is he going to ask about the results of the investigation? But it has only been a day or so, how am I supposed to find out the results so quickly?

However, there was nothing strange with his expression on the surface. “Alright. Let me get my waist token first.”

Eunuch Wen nodded. As long as Zu An didn’t run away, he could wait for him to get something.

Zu An pretended to be grabbing his waist token while conversing with Yun Jianyue.

“I heard everything.” Yun Jianyue paused for a moment, and then she added, “Be careful.”

Zu An’s eyebrows raised when he heard this, and his eyes brightened. Seems like I didn’t get on her good side for nothing. She’s even starting to show me concern now!

After closing the door, he followed Eunuch Wen to the study. Zu An slipped a jadeite bracelet into his hands along the way, something the crown princess gave him earlier. “I wonder what his majesty needs me for this time?”

Eunuch Wen sighed. “Sir Eleven, you are forcing me to do a wrong here.”

Even so, he still put the bracelet straight into his sleeves. Then, he said, “How can us servants rashly try to guess at what his majesty needs sir for? However, his majesty’s mood seems to be quite terrible today. Oh, right, the Left Guard General seems to be in the imperial study as well.”

As the emperor’s personal eunuch, how could any rumors in the palace escape his ears? Cheng Xiong and Zu An had some conflict before, and then even the crown princess came to bail him out. He knew a bit about all of this.

The reason why he took his gift wasn’t because he took a liking to Zu An’s etiquette, but rather because the crown princess favored him. Furthermore, Cheng Xiong was someone under King Qi’s faction. This was why he spoke out in reminder to establish good faith.

“Thank you, Eunuch Wen.” Zu An panicked a bit. Dammit, it’s Cheng Xiong again! I just can’t get rid of that bastard! I wonder what he came up with this time.

He even wondered if he could make it out of the study alive this time. Hmph, I’ll just stake it all with Keyboard Come if I have to!

His panicked mind gradually calmed after this thought.