Chapter 493: Chapter 494 “Yunzhu, you should know why I called you here, right?!

Zhao Xiyan was just trying to intimidate her.

Despite the body’s desires and the heart’s cravings clamoring incessantly, he was still very careful to protect Qi Yue.

The thunder roared, but the rain was light, and after a short fuss, he soothed Qi Yue to sleep.

That night, he did not stay by Qi Yue’s side as usual to accompany her in sleep.

Seeing that she was sleeping deeply, he left the room.

Outside, a torrential rain poured down, and the constant flashing of lightning involuntarily filled one with dread.

Under the eaves shrouded in mist stood a figure.

This person was tall and straight, appearing to be not yet thirty years old.

Dressed in a grey monk’s robe with a shaved head, his left hand holding a black Zen Staff, he almost merged with the ink-dark night sky.

Hearing the sound of the door closing behind him, the monk slowly turned around.

At the moment their gazes collided, the monk slightly bowed and raised his right hand in a Buddhist salute.

“Marquis is well, the humble monk greets you,” he said.

Zhao Xiyan paused silently, not bothering to reply, and turned around to command Qingzhu and Hei Lie to guard the door.

“Watch her carefully, there must be no mistakes.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

Qingzhu and Hei Lie both bowed in response.

With a “bang,” Zhao Xiyan opened the black umbrella he held, and walked slowly into the rain.

The monk did not hesitate and stepped forward to follow.

One after the other, the two white figures soon disappeared into the black curtain of rain.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two white figures reappeared one after the other in the black market chambers of Gemidu City.

The chamber was underground; once the door closed, it immediately isolated all sounds from outside.

Thus, the conversation between the two could naturally not be known by others.

But since entering the chamber, Zhao Xiyan, just like when he arrived, remained silent throughout.

“Marquis?”

The monk finally could not contain himself and shook his Zen Staff a little.

“Yunzhu, you should know why I called you here, shouldn’t you?”

Zhao Xiyan put away the Luminous Pearl he was holding, and suddenly, the room was filled with light, clearly illuminating Yunzhu’s handsome face.

“Marquis…” Yunzhu paused, “this humble monk does not know. As the Marquis’ guard, I should naturally appear by the Marquis’ side whenever you are in trouble.”

“What a guard!” Zhao Xiyan snorted coldly and flung his sleeve over the Luminous Pearl in his hand.

Suddenly, the radiant light was drawn back, and both men were hidden in darkness.

“Was it not said that you would distance yourself from worldly affairs and never appear again?”

Yunzhu tightened the grip on his Zen Staff, his voice carrying a trace of distress.

“I have been abroad for six years, always thinking of you, Marquis, but…”

“But what?” the voice of Zhao Xiyan bore an ancient, piercing coldness.

With a “clang,” the Zen Staff fell to the ground. Yunzhu seemed resolved, kneeling deeply towards Zhao Xiyan in the darkness.

“Marquis, when Yunzhu left, there indeed was a dire extenuating circumstance, please grant me your forgiveness! In the beginning years, this humble monk traveled far and wide, thinking to find a way to heal you, Marquis, so I could return to your side… Later, upon learning the Marquis was banished by the tyrant king, I rushed thousands of miles to Longnan, hearing that Miss Qi Yue had a remedy to cure the Marquis… I thought, perhaps this was fate…”

“Hmph!”

A cold snort from Zhao Xiyan echoed instantly in the dark chamber.

“A dire extenuating circumstance?! Fate?”

His cold voice seemed to strike on jade, bringing a profound echo that made it sound even more mysterious and unusual.

“Are you saying it was the dire circumstance that made you kill me?”

“Marquis! How, how did you know?” Yunzhu exclaimed, suddenly collapsing to the ground.

“How did I know? Hmph?”

Zhao Xiyan drew back his sleeve that covered the Luminous Pearl, bent down slightly, and looked intently at Yunzhu before him.

The luminous head, a string of Zen Beads around his neck black as jade, and the Zen Staff by his side were all made of the same material.

If he hadn’t seen it wrong, this black object was immensely heavy; the string around his neck alone weighed over ten kilograms.

Yet, Yunzhu still stood as firm as a pine, and even when he knelt, it was as if there was nothing around his neck.

The aura emanating from his body was unfathomably deep.

Zhao Xiyan gave a faint smile, his voice becoming gentle.

“Yunzhu, you have indeed improved a lot over these years; your martial arts skills have greatly advanced!”

“Yunzhu dares not,” Yunzhu’s expression tensed, “I am not a match for the Marquis’s divine subtlety and profound depth.”

“Ha, even your speech has become clever.” Zhao Xiyan laughed again, got up, and walked over to another wall, shining the Luminous Pearl in his hand on a map there.

“Yunzhu speaks nothing but the truth!”

“What a truthful statement!” Zhao Xiyan suddenly turned around, the brilliance of the Luminous Pearl striking directly onto Yunzhu’s face, revealing a tense expression.

“Since that’s the case, tell me, was it Huangfu Nan who told you to kill me?!”

Upon hearing this, Yunzhu’s eyes widened to an incredulous size.

“How could the Marquis possibly know about that?”

Zhao Xiyan “hmmphed” and didn’t answer the question.

His sharp eyes stared at Yunzhu, a formidable pressure bearing down like a landslide.

“Tell me the reason Huangfu Nan did this!”

Yunzhu was stunned, beads of sweat forming on his bald head, quickly turning into a thin layer of droplets.

“Speak.” Zhao Xiyan’s voice, ethereal, carried an invisible oppressive force.

“Marquis!”

“If you don’t speak, after today, you shall no longer see me.”

“Marquis!” Yunzhu’s face showed struggle, and the veins on his temple bulged.

“I really cannot speak about this matter! Moreover, times have changed; things are no longer as they were. That old man probably forgot about it long ago. Why must you persist in this, Marquis?!”

“Since you refuse to speak, today shall be as if we’ve never met!” Zhao Xiyan placed the Luminous Pearl on the table and stood up, about to leave.

“Marquis!!” Yunzhu yelled out loudly.

Zhao Xiyan acted as if he hadn’t heard, directly heading to open the secret chamber’s door.

“Marquis!” Yunzhu hurriedly moved forward on his knees two steps, “Marquis, I’ll speak!”

The corners of Zhao Xiyan’s lips, hidden in the shadows, curled slightly, and he slowly turned back around.

“Think carefully about what you are going to say!”

“Yes, Marquis.”

“Get up.” Zhao Xiyan stepped forward, helping Yunzhu up.

He tapped lightly on the desk three times, and immediately the secret chamber’s door opened. A short individual in black entered, turning on all the lights.

The entire secret chamber became as bright as day.

The small individual in black also brought in tea and other items and silently left.

The two men sat opposite each other, Zhao Xiyan fluidly brewed a cup of tea and personally placed it in front of Yunzhu.

“Try it, this tea will be good for you.”

Yunzhu “hmmed” in acknowledgment, picked up the cup and tried it, instantly sighing comfortably.

“Indeed a good tea!”

Zhao Xiyan glanced at him, refilled his cup.

“Did you meet him?”

“Yes.” Yunzhu’s grip on the cup tightened.

“Did you exchange blows?” Zhao Xiyan glanced at his shoulder.

“Yes.” Yunzhu put down the cup, sighed, “Marquis, he’s too strong. Within fifty moves, he injured my arm.”

As he spoke, he cautiously glanced at Zhao Xiyan.

“Marquis, he has entered the Transformation Realm. With his power alone, he can shake the heavens and earth. Even if we joined forces, we might not be able to defeat him.”