The entire courtyard seemed to erupt in chaos. Almost everyone thought Zaun was arrogant. Those who were slightly closer to his camp only grumbled inwardly, but those who were somewhat hostile to him openly criticized him.

A hint of anger flashed in Chu Chuyan's eyes. These guys had no idea how powerful Azu was.

She had personally witnessed Zu'an draw his sword in the capital, and at the time she felt that he was unfathomable.

Although his cultivation level is good, it is probably still not as good as Azu's. Azu's statement is not entirely wrong, but it has offended Lihentian severely. If Sect Leader Guan gets angry and seeks revenge, it will be troublesome.

In her opinion, although Zu An was powerful, he was still somewhat powerless compared to these senior grandmasters. She was worried and wondered what reason she could find to ask her master to step forward and help stop the leader of the sect.

Yan Xuehen's expression was somewhat strange. Among all the people here, she was probably the only one who knew that Zu An was not exaggerating. Let alone just because of this junior, even if Guan Chouhai himself took action, he might not get the better of him.

Although Zu An's cultivation level has not yet reached the Grandmaster level, his combat strength is extremely strange and cannot be measured by common sense.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in the arena: "Zhang Zijiang, deputy general of the Imperial Guard, asks this brother for guidance on behalf of our Lord Zu."

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy courtyard suddenly fell silent, and all eyes turned to the general beside Zu An.

Doesn't this just confirm that he's the one who's being replaced because he's not worthy of Zaun's help?

The Imperial Guards truly live up to their reputation as the Emperor's personal troops; their vision and confidence are simply...speechless.

Not to mention the others, even Zu An glanced at Zhang Zijiang in surprise. His cultivation was not weak, but compared with the most outstanding disciple of Lihentian, he was probably still a bit lacking. If a real fight broke out, his life would probably be in danger.

Seeing his gaze, Zhang Zijiang couldn't help but puff out his chest, thinking to himself that Lord Zu had just been caught in a predicament where he was the target of everyone's criticism, and he was very grateful to me for helping him out.

Wang Bolin often looked down on my flattery. Little did he know that flattery isn't so easy; it has to be done just right. Moreover, offering help in times of need is far better than adding to someone's success.

The only thing to worry about is that while I provided timely help to Lord Zu, I actually added fuel to the fire for Lihentian.

The way those people are looking at me is like they want to eat me alive. Am I going to get beaten to death later?

Although he considered himself to be quite skilled, he believed he couldn't defeat the direct disciple of the leader of the Lihentian Sect. The reason he stepped forward was purely to curry favor and was willing to risk everything.

Forget it, at worst I'll just get hurt. I just deliberately revealed my identity: I'm the deputy general of the Emperor's Imperial Guard. Do you think the people from Lihentian would actually dare to kill me?

The rebels from Lihentian and Shuanglongshan are different. Rebels are enemies of the imperial court, so naturally they are determined to fight to the death. But Lihentian is outwardly subservient to the imperial court and would never dare to kill me. Yes, that must be it.

He glanced at Zu An and, seeing that the other party had no intention of accepting the challenge, could only glare at Zhang Zijiang and say, "You're not worthy!"

After saying that, he sat down again, but suddenly realized that what he had said seemed to be echoing someone else's words. He was so angry that he drank the wine in front of him in one gulp to relieve his depression.

Zhang Zijiang: "???"

Although he was worried about being beaten to death, the other party's contempt for him enraged him: "What did you say, brat?"

I, a high-ranking official of the imperial court and deputy general of the Imperial Guard, am being looked down upon like this?

He yelled and was about to rush forward when his subordinates quickly and tactfully pulled him back.

Zhang Zijiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that these guys still had some sense. If they hadn't held me back and I had really rushed out, it would have been difficult to clean up the mess.

Seeing Zhang Zijiang's furious expression, he felt a little better. Thinking that he couldn't afford to have too bad a relationship with the court, he instructed a gloomy young man beside him: "Ninth Junior Brother, go and experience this general's skills. It'll be a good opportunity for you to practice for the upcoming sect competition."

Zu An was taken aback. What did he mean by the sect competition he mentioned?

"Alright!" The young man nodded, then stood up and looked at Zhang Zijiang. "Cai Yu of Lihentian, please enlighten me!"

Zhang Zijiang became somewhat nervous. If it were a fight with Zhiyin, given his reputation, losing wouldn't be shameful.

But now, if you fight a teenager and win, there's nothing to brag about; if you lose, you'll lose all face.

Just as they were caught in a dilemma, a surge of energy suddenly erupted from the depths of the Prince's mansion. Everyone present was a cultivator, and they instantly recognized it as the aftermath of a battle.

Immediately following was the sound of clashing weapons and fighting. Then a guard rushed to the Prince of Yan's side and whispered something in his ear. The Prince of Yan's expression visibly darkened.

There were also Grandmasters present, who keenly heard the guard report, "An assassin has infiltrated the Prince's mansion, and Mr. Huo is pursuing her."

Guan Chouhai said with a smile, "Your Highness, it seems we have an uninvited guest. Would you like my help?"

“There’s no need to trouble Master Guan.” Prince Yan forced a smile. “Please continue, everyone. Someone in the manor is already handling this matter.”

At this moment, Zu'an suddenly stood up and said, "Today, the Prince is hosting. If we start fighting during the meal, there will be no mercy. It would be bad if either side gets hurt. How about we find another way to compete?"

"How do we switch?" He had just looked up, fearing the other party wouldn't participate. Since the other had made up his mind, he was determined to seize this opportunity to teach him a lesson. "How about we see who catches the uninvited guest who broke into the Prince's mansion first? Whoever does wins!" Zu An said with a smile. He had also just heard the words "Mr. Huo," and a guess immediately popped into his mind; now he wanted to verify it.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!