Chapter 1948: Saving Straw

Zu An was not in a hurry to leave. He found a stool by the wall and sat down, gently caressing the crystal-clear White-scaled Qilin horn.

To be honest, he hadn't held much hope at first, always feeling that Meng Chan was either planning to seek revenge or had other motives. He never expected her to actually possess the legendary White-scaled Qilin horn.

He had never seen this item before, so he couldn't help but play with it for a while. He thought to himself, "As expected of a legendary divine beast, this horn is truly beautiful. No wonder Meng Chan was drawn to it and secretly hid it when she was a child."

Zu An figured that with all the other materials already prepared, now that he had this item, he could begin refining Marrow Cleansing Pills. This one horn would be enough for a long time.

One Marrow Cleansing Pill obviously wouldn't require the entire horn's quantity.

At this moment, Meng Chan also sat down next to him. Zu An didn't mind; he wasn't accustomed to people being overly cautious or nervous around him.

"Regent," Meng Chan said, a hint of apprehension in her voice, "the matter you promised me..."

"Don't worry, since you haven't lied to me, I naturally will..." As he spoke, he turned his head and suddenly paused, his gaze falling upon the deep, fair expanse visible at her neckline.

It seemed she had dressed in too much haste and hadn't properly fastened her clothes, and now, looking up at him with such a low posture, it allowed one's gaze to directly penetrate.

"Ahem, I will send people to investigate. Those of the Meng family who have committed crimes over the years need not hope, but for those who are truly innocent, I will grant them a way out. As for the Prince of Dai," Zu An paused, "for your sake, I can spare his life, but he will never be able to cultivate again in this lifetime."

He wasn't foolish; he wouldn't do something like letting a tiger return to the mountains. The Prince of Dai had been completely crippled; his limbs, meridians, and Dantian Qi Sea were certainly beyond repair for cultivation.

Meng Chan pursed her lips: "Being alive is enough. Thank you, Regent."

Zu An hummed in acknowledgment, but his mind involuntarily replayed the scene from the small house on the academy mountain peak. At the time, he hadn't felt anything particular, but now, looking back, Meng Chan was indeed a very beautiful woman, and her figure was extremely graceful and enchanting. No wonder she was once considered a rival to Bi Linglong for the Crown Princess title.

What's going on? Why does it suddenly feel a little hot?

He tugged at his collar, stood up, and said, "Alright, I'm leaving now."

As soon as he finished speaking, he appeared outside the house, just as he was about to ascend into the air and return.

Suddenly, he heard a thud. Meng Chan had collapsed onto the table, seemingly unconscious.

"Huh?"

Zu An was somewhat puzzled. After all, she had just given him the much-needed White-scaled Qilin horn, and he didn't want anything to happen to her.

"What's wrong?" He flashed back into the room and reached out to push her shoulder.

Speaking of which, this woman's body was like cotton; how could it be so soft?

Meng Chan let out a soft moan, her misty eyes seeming to brim with tears, and her red lips appeared even more moist under the candlelight. "I... I don't know either. I just suddenly feel hot all over, and a bit dizzy and weak."

Zu An's brows furrowed. He also felt a bit hot, which shouldn't be possible; with his cultivation, he was long impervious to cold and heat.

"Could there be a third party ambushing us here?"

A thought flashed through his mind. Although he had already used his divine sense to scan the area again, he still wasn't reassured and swept his divine sense around once more.

There was nothing unusual. The nearby residents were all honest, simple folk, none showing any signs of cultivation.

Most people had already fallen asleep. After all, this wasn't like Earth in his previous life with its rich nightlife; most common folk couldn't afford lamp oil and would go to bed early. They would wake up before dawn to work, needing rest to recover.

Indeed, the common people at the bottom of society always endure the most hardship.

However, one family among the surrounding group was an exception: a couple was engaging in... the act of creating children.

With his divine sense, he could clearly hear the woman's moans, which made him feel irritated.

No ambush, no enemy. What on earth was going on then?

Could he have been secretly poisoned by a political enemy while in the prison, and it was only now taking effect?

He placed his hand on Meng Chan's pulse, feeling only a turbulent energy within her, stable yet vibrant, with no signs of poisoning.

Wait, why does this situation seem familiar?

Just as he was realizing something, Meng Chan let out another soft moan and, following the impulse, pulled his hand, pressing her entire body into his embrace. "I... I feel so uncomfortable, so hot..."

As she spoke, she unconsciously tugged at her collar. Her clothes were hastily put on earlier, and now, with a few tugs, a large section had loosened, revealing her exquisite collarbone and a glimpse of "snowy mountains."

Zu An uttered an "Oh?" "Your symptoms seem... seem to be... due to some strange drug." But who would have given it to her?

At a time like this, he naturally couldn't just push her away and leave. She was clearly in a semi-conscious, semi-comatose state now. If he left and someone else came, what would happen was self-evident. After all, she was a dignified princess, and shouldn't fall to such a fate.

Just then, Meng Chan suddenly sensed something and smiled charmingly. "So... the Regent does have feelings for me. Before, at the academy, I was so embarrassed I wanted to find a hole to crawl into."

At that time, she had been disheartened. She had been adored since childhood, with countless admirers and suitors. Even after becoming the Prince of Dai's consort, countless men would frequently visit the palace under the guise of official business just to exchange a few more words with her.

But all that pride had been utterly shattered before this man.

Only now did she finally feel that she wasn't a woman utterly devoid of charm.

Zu An frowned. This feeling was somewhat familiar, as if he had experienced it not long ago.

His gaze fell upon the brightly burning candle in the room. After she had entered, besides searching for the White-scaled Qilin horn, the only other thing she had done was light the candle.

"You put Forget-Sorrow Rosemary in the candle?" He couldn't help but frown, finally realizing that it wasn't someone else poisoning her, but she herself.

Of course, he was also implicated.

Had he not experienced this peculiar drug previously at the Jin Prince's Estate, he probably wouldn't have known what was happening even now.

Meng Chan was startled. "The Regent is truly unfathomable; you even know of such a rare drug."

"Wasn't it the Prince of Dai who tried to use this drug against the Jin Princess Consort?" Zu An stopped himself, fearing that saying more might reveal something.

Meng Chan was both shocked and angry. "That scoundrel, to do such a thing!"

At this time, her already fair skin had turned somewhat rosy, as if after a flush of arousal, and her entire body exuded an astonishing femininity.

Zu An glanced at her, thinking, "How are you any better? Aren't you doing the same thing?"

"Why?" Zu An asked gravely. "I've already promised to let them off. Why would you still do something like this? Do you still wish for the Meng family and the Prince of Dai to regain their former power?"

"No," Meng Chan quickly shook her head, speaking pitifully, "I was born into the most prominent aristocratic family in the empire, and since childhood, I've seen too much intrigue. So, I don't believe in promises or anything like that. Those old foxes in the capital often agree to things perfectly one moment, then turn around and sell you out."

"I just wanted to add another layer of security for myself."

Right, this was her trump card.

No matter what she did, she always had a backup plan, always thinking about what would happen if she failed. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been worthy of being Bi Linglong's opponent for so many years.

Initially, she had tried the honey trap on him in the academy's back mountain. If it had succeeded directly, that would have been ideal.

However, it proved to be a failure. Although she appeared flustered on the surface, everything was still within her expectations.

Immediately afterwards, she produced the White-scaled Qilin horn, an item he desperately needed.

Coupled with the previous events, the other party had gradually relaxed his guard regarding honey traps.

He would never have thought she would make a comeback.

She led him to this place, lit the candle mixed with Forget-Sorrow Rosemary, making everything that followed perfectly logical.

The only regret was that he actually recognized this miraculous drug.

In fact, after Zu An had left the door, she could have completely refrained from enacting this third plan, because the other party had already agreed. Having dealt with people for so many years, she naturally could distinguish whether the other party was speaking truthfully or falsely.

But for some reason, she was inexplicably compelled to proceed.

She didn't know what she was thinking. All this time, whenever she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with his powerful presence from that day.

Just like a moth drawn to a flame, even though she knew it was wrong and he was her enemy, she couldn't control her feelings.

She could only keep reassuring herself that all of this was to make his promise more binding and prevent him from going back on his word.

Zu An: "..."

"Have you ever heard of an idiom called 'drawing a snake and adding feet'?"

Meng Chan bit her red lip. "I know this might offend you, but the Regent needn't have so many concerns. Whoever takes this incense will forget everything that happened tonight afterward. Your cultivation is higher than mine, so you'll definitely wake up before me. When you see the scene later, you'll naturally remember. After it's done, you can just leave directly. I won't remember what happened when I wake up."

"You don't need to take any responsibility, nor do you need to have any psychological burden. After tonight, we will still be strangers. All I seek is stability and peace of mind."

Zu An took a deep breath. "But if I leave and then go back on my word, you'd have no way to stop me, and you wouldn't even know you had paid such a price."

Meng Chan smiled sadly. "I've reached this point; what more do I have to lose?"

She walked to Zu An, her hands gently resting on his shoulders. "Regent, I hope I can completely appease your anger. This is my personal apology..."

"Ah!"

At this moment, a scream echoed from the prison. The Prince of Dai lay on his bed, tears welling in his eyes as he looked at his subordinate. "Lighter, it hurts so much."

The subordinate was drenched in sweat. "Your Highness, bear with it. I'm applying the medicine. If you rest well, there's still a chance for recovery in the future. Although you'll be worse than a normal person, walking around should be no big problem."

The Prince of Dai was, after all, an imperial prince with noble status, and severely wounded. So, he was confined in the prison, and the court had even sent one of his former attendants to care for him.

After all, if he died in prison before his guilt was determined, it wouldn't look good for anyone.

"Alas, do I still have a future?" The Prince of Dai's face was ashen. After that night, he was completely ruined. Even if he wasn't convicted by the court afterward, the best outcome would be to spend the rest of his life in this cell.

Of course, the most likely scenario was being secretly executed by embroidered-uniform guards one day.

Thinking of that moment, he couldn't help but tremble all over.

He didn't want to die. Even if he couldn't be emperor, even if he lost his cultivation and became a cripple for life, as long as he could live, there were still too many joys in the world.

Just then, the subordinate hesitated. "Your Highness, there's actually another way."

"What way?" The Prince of Dai eagerly grabbed his hand, like a drowning man clutching at a straw.

"This subordinate dares not speak."

"At a time like this, what is there to not dare to speak? Hurry, tell me."

"...The Princess Consort is very beautiful..."

"Of course I know Chan'er is beautiful. Wait, what do you mean?"

"I heard that Zu An is very lustful."

The Prince of Dai: "..."

"Scoundrel, what are you thinking?!" His face instantly flushed crimson, half in a furious rage, when he suddenly thought of his current predicament, and instead calmed down, a spark of life appearing in his eyes.