Chapter 2107: The Pain of Lovesickness

"Where are you going?" Yan Xuehen asked, even though the door was already open. Despite the elapsed time, her cheeks still felt hot. What had she just been thinking?

Zu An gazed at the blushing Yan Xuehen before him, a hint of admiration appearing in his eyes. The sight of the ice goddess seemingly fallen to the mortal world was utterly captivating.

"I'm heading to the Sea Clan to find out if there's any information about the Dragon Immortality Elixir there," Zu An explained, giving her a brief overview of the elixir.

Yan Xuehen listened, marveling, "There's really such a miraculous medicine in the world? Does that mean Chu Yan can be saved too?"

Zu An's expression dimmed. "Chu Yan's condition is quite unique. I'm afraid I still need to find fragments of the Creation Jade Tablet."

"The Creation Jade Tablet?" Yan Xuehen was startled. She considered herself quite knowledgeable, but both the Immortality Elixir and the Creation Jade Tablet were entirely new concepts to her.

Concerned about attracting unknown entities, Zu An didn't dare elaborate too much. He briefly described the Creation Jade Tablet as a supreme treasure of the world, capable of transcending time and space.

Yan Xuehen's expression turned serious. "I won't tell anyone else about this. You should be cautious too; if news of such a supreme treasure gets out, it could easily lead to bloodshed and pose a threat to you."

Zu An took her hand. "You're different from everyone else. There's nothing I'd hide from you."

Yan Xuehen instinctively started to pull her hand back, but his gentle words instantly warmed her heart. Moved, she found she couldn't bear to withdraw it.

"Then be careful. The Sea Clan has always been mysterious, with many legends of powerful beings. My injuries still need time to recuperate. Once I've recovered, I'll travel the world to help search for the Creation Jade Tablet."

She harbored no resentment that he was going to save Qiu Honglei first. After all, Chu Yan's current condition was unique, and the Creation Jade Tablet was an elusive item, its discovery dependent on fate. Perhaps he might even stumble upon its whereabouts while with the Sea Clan.

"I'm leaving," Zu An hummed.

Seeing the reluctance on his face, Yan Xuehen felt a strong unwillingness to part. They had just reunited, only to separate again before even a full day had passed. Overwhelmed by emotion, she impulsively threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Zu An was somewhat surprised. Yan Xuehen had always been cool and reserved; aside from passionately wrapping her legs around his waist in bed, she rarely initiated physical contact like this.

They held each other close, words becoming meaningless in that moment. They simply savored their last moments together.

Nothing is as heartbreaking as parting.

Zu An eventually departed. Watching his figure vanish into the night sky, Yan Xuehen found her eyes unexpectedly damp.

She reached up to touch the tear stains on her cheeks, feeling momentarily lost. Her emotions were fluctuating so intensely now, yet why wasn't she experiencing the qi deviation she once did?

Zu An flew through the night sky. His current speed surpassed even that of the Wind-Fire Wheels, but to conserve stamina, he still relied on them as he flew eastward towards the sea.

Although this world's landmass was far larger than Earth in his previous life, its oceans were even more vast, with many areas still unexplored by humans. The eastern ocean, in particular, was the domain of the Sea Clan.

Along the way, he took out his video mirror, attempting to contact Shang Liuyu.

As a mermaid princess with a respected position among the Sea Clan, her mediation would significantly simplify many matters.

Unfortunately, watery ripples spread across the video mirror, but no image appeared; it just kept spinning.

Zu An, now skilled in artifact crafting, immediately realized it wasn't a failure to connect, but a problem with communication between the video mirrors themselves.

He deduced it was likely due to the recent continuous invasion by extraterrestrial demons, who were also attempting to breach the world barrier. This, combined with the powerful entity summoned during the last Heaven and Earth Sacrifice Dance, had probably affected some of the world's fundamental laws, causing the communication issue with the video mirrors.

Much like solar storms or seismic events on Earth in his previous life, which could disrupt global communications by altering the planet's magnetic field, this world was likely experiencing a similar disruption.

He wondered how long it would take for communications to return to normal—it could be anywhere from ten days to half a month, or even decades or longer.

Zu An reluctantly put the video mirror away and then took out the communication jade slip he had crafted earlier. As expected, it was also unusable.

He pondered for a moment, then tapped on Yun Jianyue's avatar. Instantly, a large number of unread messages appeared.

It turned out that too much had happened recently; he hadn't even had a chance to check the communication jade slip. Of course, this was also partly due to the unreliability of the jade slip he'd made—many messages weren't received promptly, and their arrival times were random.

"A'Zu, I've deployed the intelligence networks of all the Holy Sect's branches worldwide, but unfortunately, I still haven't found any trace of Honglei."

"Do you think she might have done something rash already...? It's all my fault; I shouldn't have done that with you behind her back!"

Even through the jade slip, Zu An could sense her profound sadness and grief.

The next message was clearly sent a few days later.

"No, that's wrong. I raised Honglei myself; I know her character best. She would never do anything so weak."

"Haha, a branch in the Northwest received news that someone resembling Honglei had passed through their territory. I knew Honglei wouldn't be so weak!"

"Hmph, I was wrong last time. This isn't just my fault; you bear more responsibility. You seduced me!"

"Tell me honestly, are you a male fox demon from the Demon Race?"

"I'm not in Qiuchi anymore; I've gone to... never mind, I won't tell you. Maybe we'll run into each other."

"Scumbag! You sent so many messages and didn't reply to me. Are you messing around with some woman?"

Zu An couldn't help but smile at this. Clearly, the news about Honglei had made her very happy, her tone much lighter.

His expression then dimmed again. If Yun Jianyue were to learn of Honglei's current state, he couldn't imagine how heartbroken she would be.

After a moment of hesitation, he typed a message on the jade slip, telling her that he had already met Honglei and that she didn't need to search any longer. He would discuss the specifics when they met in person.

He worried Yun Jianyue might do something rash if she knew the truth, so he decided to tell her in person later.

He just didn't know when the message would reach her.

Exiting Yun Jianyue's chat, he was astonished to see a large number of red dots on the avatars of his other female confidantes, indicating many unread messages.

Bi Linglong had sent many messages. Initially, they were purely formal, sharing various pieces of information about the capital. Zu An could imagine her solemnity and caution as she wrote, as if she feared someone might see the messages and deduce their relationship, so all her communications were very restrained.

However, in some of the later messages, her true feelings gradually began to emerge: "Did you even see the message? Why haven't you replied?"

Checking the dates, he saw she hadn't sent any more messages for several days afterward, clearly indicating her anger.

The next message was sent five days later.

"I'm sorry, I misjudged you. I specifically went to Jade Spring Mountain and asked Master Shen Xu; these communication jade slips are indeed unstable. You probably haven't seen my messages yet."

Zu An chuckled to himself. She truly was a bit cunning; she had even feared he was deceiving her earlier and had specifically gone to the academy's back mountain to verify.

After this brief interlude, Bi Linglong's tone softened, gradually revealing her true feelings.

"The peach blossoms in the palace have bloomed. When are you coming back? We can admire them together."

"This wretched jade slip, why am I still not receiving your messages?"

"I'm so bored alone in the palace. Not only do I have to contend with that old hag, the Empress Dowager, every day, but my family also gives me no peace. They seem to have secretly... never mind, I'll tell you the specifics in person when you return."

"You must have reunited with Lady Yu among the Demon Race, right? Are you so content in her embrace that you've forgotten to return? Hmph, but Sister Yu is indeed beautiful. If I were a man, I'd fall in love with her too."

"I heard the young Demon Empress is very beautiful. How does she compare to me?"

"Hmph, the young Demon Empress has a seductive and fiery nature. Be careful not to fall for her honey trap."

"Your silence makes me very uneasy. A few days ago, I even couldn't help but spend many origin stones to activate the video mirror, but I still couldn't reach you. I don't know if you've encountered any danger. You must take care of yourself; the world and its people are not as important to me as you are."

"With your high cultivation and mischievous nature, you'll surely be safe."

"Do you know Princess Wu? She's secretly inquired about you several times and seems exceptionally concerned. She thinks she's being subtle, but how could she escape my imperial gaze!"

Seeing this, Zu An's scalp tingled. A woman's sixth sense was truly too strong—how could she have noticed a flaw even in this?

However, he couldn't blame Yun Yuqing. No matter how careful she was, she couldn't have imagined Bi Linglong had any connection to him, so revealing flaws was inevitable.

"Recently, I've sensed some undercurrents in the capital. I don't know if it's from the Empress Dowager's side or... I hope I'm just overthinking it."

Reading further, Zu An's brows subtly furrowed. Her initial messages had primarily expressed longing, but later, something had clearly happened, as her tone grew heavier. Could something be amiss in the capital?

Unfortunately, with communications cut off, he couldn't contact her immediately.

He quickly replied on the jade slip, updating her on his situation and assuring her not to worry.

Naturally, he also included many affectionate words. It would have been truly scummy of him to respond with only a few brief sentences after she had sent so much.

He hoped these messages would be sent as soon as communications resumed, in case further developments with the Sea Clan meant he wouldn't have time to check or send messages later.

Xiao Zhao and You Zhao had also sent many messages.

"Brother-in-law, I really want to go to the battlefield. Qinghe can go, but I can't, and it feels so shameful."

"Second Sister is even worse; she kept mocking me about this. But then I gave her a good beating, and she didn't dare to make another peep."

Seeing this, Zu An's expression grew extremely strange. He had just read a different version of events from Xiao Zhao. He switched to Xiao Zhao's chat box, and indeed, the incident was mentioned there.

"That You Zhao is always getting in my face. I finally taught her a good lesson, letting her know how terrifying a big sister can be. Speaking of which, I have you to thank, brother-in-law; if you hadn't helped me improve my aptitude, winning against her wouldn't have been so easy."

Zu An was speechless.

He wondered which of them had actually beaten the other.

The two sisters were quite similar; besides expressing their longing for him in their messages, they also took pleasure in exposing each other's flaws. It made him smile knowingly, and his mood involuntarily lightened.

Then he suddenly noticed another message from Xiao Zhao.

"Brother-in-law, my mom used to be very harsh with you. Do you dislike her?"

Zu An was startled, not understanding why she would say this. Xiao Zhao's usual demeanor was carefree; she would never be so thoughtful as to try and mend his relationship with her mother.

However, he quickly understood. Xiao Zhao had apparently mentioned that Qin Wanru coveted the communication jade slip in her possession and had been refused several times when she tried to borrow it.

Could this be...?

The thought of Qin Wanru typing "Brother-in-law" through the jade slip made Zu An shiver; he dared not think further.

She must have thought he wouldn't know, which is why she was so uninhibited.

Unfortunately, having been exposed to various chat applications in his previous life—where burly men pretended to be girls online, and girlfriends created dummy accounts to impersonate admiring junior classmates—

He possessed a natural sensitivity in this regard.

With this in mind, he decisively feigned ignorance, continuing to chat with her as if she were his sister-in-law, albeit now with much more careful phrasing.

"Sigh," he thought, "isn't this just a broken version of QQ? I don't know why they find it so entertaining."

Next were messages from Sang Qian and Zheng Dan.

"Sisi seemed to say 'mama' today. Even though Dan Dan says it's just meaningless babbling, I'm still so happy."

"Brother Zu, today I went to the temple and prayed for a peace charm for you. Dan Dan claimed she was just accompanying me, but actually, she secretly prayed for one for you too, though she's too embarrassed to admit it."

"Brother Zu, I miss you so much."

"Beneath the capital's calm facade, something seems off these days. Prince Wu has entered the city, and Princess Wu is socializing with the women of various major clans. My father and I have discussed it, and we both sense Prince Wu has considerable ambition. After the precedents of Prince Dai and Prince Jin, I don't know where he gets his audacity."

"We've learned his entry into the capital this time seems to be a scheme orchestrated by the Bi family. I don't know what the Empress is thinking. Is it to counter the Empress Dowager?"

Reading this message, Zu An's brows subtly furrowed. Bi Linglong had summoned Prince Wu to the capital?

She shouldn't do something like that; it makes no sense.

To counter the Empress Dowager?

But I clearly have such a close relationship with her; there's no reason for her to go to such lengths.

Could she have guessed my relationship with the Empress Dowager?

She was indeed an extremely intelligent woman; perhaps she truly deduced the truth from some subtle clues.

Thinking of this, Zu An felt a headache coming on, unsure how he would face both women later.

"A'Zu, these days Qian Qian has been teaching Sisi to say 'papa' every day. Unfortunately, Sisi can't learn it at all, and instead, Qian Qian has been saying 'papa' for days to no avail. It's hilarious!"

"You've been gone so long without me realizing it. Last night, I dreamed of you and woke up in the middle of the night to change my undergarments. Qian Qian asked what was wrong, and I was too embarrassed to tell her. It was so mortifying!"

"Is everything going smoothly for you in the Demon Race? I asked around a bit, and the Sealed Land seems very dangerous. But with your abilities, you should be fine, right?"

"Why haven't you replied? You didn't really get into trouble in the Sealed Land, did you? If you dare to, I'll find a man and remarry tomorrow!"

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm just kidding, don't be angry. Qian Qian has been very worried about you lately, but I've always believed you'd be safe. After all, I saw you back then when you were so weak, yet you could still trick a bunch of big shots, and and even I fell into your hands. Hmph, how could a scoundrel like you get into trouble?"

"Sigh, I truly miss our days in Mingyue City. Back then, even though you weren't as powerful as you are now, you were often with me... Those were the happiest days of my life."

Reading Zheng Dan's messages, Zu An's mind pictured the alluring woman who had shyly yet boldly told him, "Brother, you can enter places even the sun can't penetrate." Countless tender feelings swelled within him, and he began replying to her messages one by one, expressing his own longing.

In contrast to Zheng Dan's fiery boldness, Xie Daoyun's messages were far more reserved and conventional. They primarily offered greetings, wished him safety, or sought advice on runic arrays, and every line exuded a gentle, serene quality.

Thinking of their last meeting, when they barely had time to exchange a few words, Zu An secretly sighed. He then very earnestly answered her questions on the jade slip, offering many specific suggestions for her cultivation path.

Once, he had wished all the beauties in the world were his. But now he understood that love was a force heavier than a thousand jin, not so easily spoken or obtained.

And so, while traveling, he used his communication jade slip to send messages of longing to his various female confidantes. After journeying day and night for several days, he finally arrived at the shores of the East Sea.