The move should have dislocated his joint at the very least, but the guard’s hand suddenly became as limp as a loach, breaking free from his restriction at a strange angle. Then, he dashed to one side.
He was about to say something when Zu An suddenly appeared in front of him like a relentless shadow, a hand clamping down on his shoulder. He immediately felt a wave of pressure that prevented him from mustering even the slightest bit of strength again.
“It hurts, it hurts! It’s me! I was just playing a joke on you!” a melodious voice cried out, clearly that of a woman.
Zu An reached out to touch her face, then tore off the mask covering it, revealing a lovable and annoyed face. She was clearly an extremely mysterious person, someone with many sides, and yet she had a dignified and elegant face. However, she was tearing up a bit, clearly from pain.
“Tang Tian’er?” Zu An exclaimed. He frowned when he saw her face, but he still didn’t let her go.
“Young master, it’s been a long time, so I just wanted to play a prank. Is there a need for you to be this mean?” Tang Tian’er replied playfully.
“Hah,” Zu An sneered. “Is an assassination attempt a joke?”
When she saw that he was still displeased, Tang Tian’er started to panic. She cried out, “That smoke didn’t have any poison, and that dagger was actually made of paper. You can go and check if you don’t believe me!”
Zu An flung her away and sat back down. He said indifferently, “If that hadn’t been the case, you would already be dead.”
He had already felt that something was off from the very beginning, which was why he held back. Otherwise, even though he wouldn’t have killed the ‘assassin’ on the spot, he would definitely have broken their arms and legs before slowly carrying out an interrogation.
“It’s just because I haven’t seen you in too long! I wanted to raise your vigilance a bit…” Tang Tian’er said as she ran over in a familiar manner to help him massage his arms and legs.
“It’s easy for you to take your games too far that way,” Zu An said seriously, “Not everyone can immediately tell the difference like me, and other people might not show mercy.”
“Come on, I would only do that kind of thing with you, okay? There’s no way I’d do that with other people.” Tang Tian’er harrumphed.
“How did you get in?” Zu An asked curiously. The security in the area was extremely tight, after all.
After such a major event had happened on Violet Mountain, and especially after factoring in the presence of King Yan and the Guerilla Warfare and Armed Escort Armies, there were layers upon layers of guards in the area.
“For someone like me who’s good at disguising myself, the more people there are, the more openings I have to exploit!” Tang Tian’er said, feeling quite pleased with herself. “I took such a huge risk to find you precisely because I heard that you’d returned. I couldn't hold back my yearning, you know?”
Zu An calmly said, “Tell me what you really want from me.”
“I really did miss you…” Tang Tian’er said with a wronged expression.
“I’m leaving if you don’t speak,” Zu An said, unmoved. He got up and prepared to leave as he spoke.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Tang Tian’er quickly protested, then asked, “Is that blasted emperor dead?”
“That’s a court secret. No comment,” Zu An replied. He knew that the Hub of Freedom had an inextricable relationship with the people of the previous dynasty. Tang Tian’er had likely come to find him precisely because of that.
Tang Tian’er grumbled, “I helped you so much and even risked my purity to save you, but you’re abandoning me amid the chaos… You’re not even willing to tell me such a small thing…”
Zu An thought back to how she had hidden him in her bathtub to avoid soldiers before. He reflexively looked at her underbelly. He seemed to recall in that location a certain…
Tang Tian’er’s face turned red when she saw his gaze and protested, “Scoundrel.”
Zu An immediately felt a headache coming on. He said, “Alright, the emperor is already dead. He died in the secret dungeon and even his corpse is gone.”
Either way, the news would be widespread sooner or later. It would be better to get a favor from her with it.
“Young master is the best! I knew you wouldn’t be so heartless!” Tang Tian’er exclaimed. She enthusiastically hugged him and gave him a kiss. Her eyes were beaming.
“How does the young master want me to thank you?” she asked while lightly pecking his earlobe. She even mischievously blew some hot air. Her voice was as sweet as honey. Together with that smile that was even sweeter than her voice, it really was enough to make any man rock-hard.
However, Zu An remained extremely calm as he said, “Miss Tang, there’s no need for you to do that. Friends should help each other out, so there’s no need for you to use your usual tricks.”
Big Manman’s Kiss of the Goddess had just been way too formidable, making him humiliate himself countless times. There was no way he could have any untoward thoughts right now.
Tang Tian’er was stunned. A hint of admiration appeared in her eyes. She got up and bowed respectfully, saying, “The young master really is a gentleman and leaves Tang’er full of admiration. Actually, the young master has misunderstood. I only do this to the young master; no one else can even touch a single finger of mine. But since the young master doesn’t seem to like it, I’ll be more mindful in the future.”