At this moment, Zhang Zijiang couldn't help but whisper, "Sir, this Scarface Yang Shen is a notorious bandit wanted by the imperial court. This is a great achievement!"

Zu An shook his head slightly: "This Yang Shen is no bad guy, there's no need to humiliate him. The merit of annihilating the Shuanglong Mountain rebels is enough for all the soldiers to gain something."

According to the laws of the imperial court, even if Yang Shen were dead, he would be executed by slow slicing, and his head would be displayed in various places.

Although this person was an enemy, he was still worthy of respect, and I did not wish for him to suffer such humiliation after his death.

"Yes!" Zhang Zijiang stepped back. If it were anyone else, he would definitely argue his point, but Zu'an had given him too much of a shock these days, and now that his prestige was soaring, he wouldn't contradict the other party.

Moreover, unlike some officials who only talk about ideals and dedication, Lord Zu also thought of sharing the credit for suppressing the Shuanglong Mountain rebels, which was enough.

Xie Daoyun blinked, looked up at Zu An, and felt that this man was becoming more and more imposing. With such high cultivation, he could still maintain a kind heart. Brother Zu was truly a great hero who stood tall and upright.

At this point, the other soldiers cleaned up the scene and gradually left, leaving only the two of them.

Xie Daoyun then realized what was happening and jumped out of his arms with a sudden movement. She felt her legs were so weak that she almost couldn't stand up.

Zu An chuckled: "Is Dao Yun injured?"

Xie Daoyun pursed her lips and shook her head, saying, "No, when Yang Shen got near the tent, he triggered the formation I set up, so I woke up in time. Then, Brother Zu, you arrived."

This is the umpteenth time Brother Zu has saved my life. As the saying goes, there's no way to repay a life-saving debt, except...

Oh dear, what are you thinking? Aren't you ashamed?

Seeing her face turn red and white in turns, Zuan couldn't help but sigh, "You rune masters really have a lot of tricks up your sleeves. Even a grandmaster-level expert can fall for them without even realizing it."

As she spoke, Xie Daoyun's cheeks flushed slightly. In fact, the reason she set up this formation was to wait for Zu An. Because she was worried that he would arrive suddenly and she would not be prepared, she set up a small formation outside.

Heaven knows how happy she was when the formation was disturbed, thinking that her elder brother Zu had finally come to find her, but what she got was an ugly scarred man instead.

"By the way, do you know why he arrested you?" Zuan asked, voicing the question that had been bothering him.

Xie Daoyun shook her head blankly: "I don't know either."

She was genuinely bewildered. She used to live in Mingyue City, and in recent years in the capital, she had practically lived a secluded life. There was no way she could have any connection with Yang Shen, let alone become his enemy. She couldn't understand why he would risk so much to capture her. "Sister Daoyun, don't think about it if you can't figure it out. I'll protect you." Zu An thought of Xie Xiu's earlier instructions and worried about her safety. Fortunately, she didn't have to travel to Yi County at night anymore; even if something unexpected happened, she could be there to support her.

Xie Daoyun misunderstood, taking it as an expression of affection. Her heart was beating faster than it had in all the years combined: "Brother Zu, you can call me Ling'er from now on. That's my nickname. That's what my parents call me."

After saying that, he turned around and crawled back into his tent without looking back.

Zu An remained where he was, somewhat puzzled. What did she mean by this? Did she consider me an elder?

...

In the following days, the group headed towards Yi County. During the day, the two would talk about cultivation, and at night they would discuss poetry and songs. They talked about everything under the sun, from the most obscure things to the most romantic. Xie Daoyun admired Zu An's knowledge and unique way of thinking, and Zu An also admired her talent. They came to understand each other better.

Happy times always pass quickly, and after about ten days we finally arrived near Yicheng.

From afar, they saw a large group of people waiting on the outskirts of the city, with various banners and flags, clearly local officials from Yi County had come to welcome them.

Zu An happened to recognize the group of men at the head of the group, so he introduced them to the others: "The one with the goatee and a serious face at the head of the group is Zhang Jie, the Prefect of Yi County. The general next to him with the long spear is Commandant Yang Sheng. And the handsome middle-aged man next to him is Liao Ling, the Lord of Yi County. His righteous sword aura is quite unique..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zijiang exclaimed, "Lord Zu is truly learned and has an amazing memory. He only passed through Yi County once, yet he knows all the local officials by heart..."

Wang Bolin frowned. This bastard had gotten there first to flatter him again. Damn it!

Zu An was fine, but Xie Daoyun was quite pleased; when others praised Zu An, it was as if they were praising her.

Soon the two groups met up. After the usual pleasantries, Zu An introduced Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang to the officials of Yi County. The two straightened their chests, abandoning their previous obsequious attitude towards Zu An. Although many of the officials in front of them held higher positions, they came from the capital, under the emperor's nose, and were the emperor's personal guards. They still felt quite superior to these local officials.

The officials of Yi County naturally dared not offend them, and kept calling them "I've long admired you," which made the two men feel rather flattered.

Only Liao Ling, the city lord of Yi County, remained silent, clearly angered by Xiu Haoran's disdain for the behavior of his colleagues.

Seeing how disrespectful he was, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang were also somewhat embarrassed.

Fearing unnecessary conflict, Zu An took the opportunity to introduce Xie Daoyun to Liao Ling: "Miss Xie is the last disciple of Master Yan Xiangu, so you two have some connection."

Liao Lingxiu's righteous spirit is actually the same as that of the National Academy. He also spent some time at the National Academy in his early years, so the two of them are alumni.

Liao Ling's eyes lit up immediately: "So you are the disciple of the great master. Indeed, you are a man of great learning and refined manners."

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