Zu An sensed an opportunity to be mischievous. He smiled and said, “What medicine? That was just an excuse I gave Ji Xiaoxi and Jiang Luofu.”
Qin Wanru was stunned speechless.
Her fragile heart began to beat crazily. Even her voice began to tremble. “Then… How did you save me?”
“What do you think?” Zu An laughed, but didn’t elaborate.
Qin Wanru felt her brain explode. She was completely dumbstruck.
Zu An could feel her body getting warmer. She began to struggle. “Put me down! Put me down right now!”
She suddenly stopped talking. They had run into some Chu Estate guards.
Zu An tensed. He was just about to make his move when he heard an excited voice cry out. “Young master, Madam!”
“Huh? It’s you guys?” Zu An already recognized Jiao Shanhe, Feng Daniu, and Zhou Lujun. “Are you guys here to capture me?”
They waved their hands. “No way! We came looking for the young master and Madam. We wanted to offer our help.”
“Chu Tiesheng has rebelled. Unfortunately, there were too few of us, and we couldn’t do much at all.”
“Not forgetting Hong Zhong as well! They told everyone that the young master forced himself onto Madam, and they even hinted that Madam and the young master had already…”
The three guards trailed off, stunned. The two of them seemed so close to each other, and Madam’s face was entirely red. Were the rumors true?
Zu An coughed and quickly explained, “Madam was injured by those two bastards. She cannot move freely right now, and we needed to return to the Chu Estate as quickly as possible. That’s why I’m carrying her like this.”
The three of them nodded their heads fiercely, as though they understood completely.
Jiao Shanhe seemed to suddenly remember something. “Madam,” he said hurriedly, “I advise you not to return right away. Hong Zhong and Chu Tiesheng’s trusted aides are spread out all over the Chu Estate. They were given orders to kill on sight. The two of you won’t even get the chance to return and expose the truth.”
Zu An was stunned. What were they to do?
Qin Wanru was quick to give orders. “Jiao Shanhe, you’ve always been fleet-footed as a scout. Make haste to the nearby commandery and call Yue Shan back.
“Feng Daniu, Zhou Lujun, the two of you are to head back to the Chu Estate and contact those who are still loyal to me. Persuade those who are on the fence to join us. Then, wait for an opportunity.”
“Madam, Butler Hong has the Chu Estate under a strict lockdown,” Zhou Lujun replied. “We cannot go back at all.”
Zu An offered a change of plan. “How about this? The two of you stay here and take care of Madam. I’ll go back to contact those people.”
Qin Wanru was aware of his cultivation, and she was confident in his ability to sneak in. As such, she also agreed with this proposal.
She led everyone to one of Chu Estate’s secret safehouses, then said to Zu An, “Ah Zu, I have something to say to you.”
Feng Daniu and Zhou Lujun tactfully went outside.
“What is it, Madam?” Zu An asked.
Qin Wanru’s expression flickered a few times. A long moment passed before she said with a sigh, “Since it’s already been done, it’s pointless for me to say anything else. You absolutely cannot tell anyone else about what happened. If not, the two of us, as well as the entire Chu clan, will be finished.
“Also, you should completely forget about what happened as well. You are not allowed to mention it to anyone. Nothing has changed between the two of us! Do you understand?”
Her voice became strangely stern towards the end.
Zu An was stunned. He hadn’t expected his joke to be taken so seriously.
Qin Wanru waved her hand just as he was about to explain himself. “Just go. I don’t want to talk right now.”
She then closed her eyes as if she were going to sleep.
Whatever. Zu An smiled bitterly. Making contact with the people within the Chu Estate was the most important thing right now. He’d find a way to explain things properly once everything was settled.
“Rest well, Madam!”
Zu An disappeared into the darkness. The defenses around the Chu Estate were indeed tight, but Grandgale granted him instantaneous movement. Together with the Mirror Mirage, sneaking around wasn’t an issue at all.
He decided to pay Chu Huanzhao a visit first. That little girl was probably frightened out of her mind.
Just then, a weight landed on his shoulder, unbalancing him. It was a hand that was weighing it down. He was absolutely horrified.