Chapter 581: You're playing with Yun Mengrou's life!

Wu Zun Fallen.

Hearing this, Jiang Feng's pupils constricted slightly.

He sat up straight, his gaze turning sharp.

Candlelight flickered on his face, casting shifting shadows. His fingers tapped lightly on his knee twice, a thought flashing through his mind.

You must know, Martial Ancestor is the ultimate realm of mankind!

Having cultivated to the Wu Zun Realm, one has surpassed mortal limits and possesses the power to overturn rivers and seas.

Such an expert enjoys a long lifespan; if not facing their final calamity, they possess at least a thousand years of life.

Da Xia has only existed for a few hundred years; logically, the imperial family's Martial Ancestor retainer should be in his prime, far from his final calamity.

Jiang Feng almost instantly judged that this Martial Ancestor's demise was definitely problematic. "Senior Brother, the Martial Ancestor's death wasn't an accident, was it?"

Jiang Feng's voice was calm, but his tone carried a chill.

Zang Zijian's brows were tightly locked—a tension Jiang Feng had never seen before.

This Senior Brother of his, usually as unshaken as Mount Tai before its collapse, even earned praise from old-timers on Kunlun Mountain for his steadiness.

But now, his face was filled with anxiety.

Clearly, the demise of the imperial family's Martial Ancestor retainer also disrupted many of this Senior Brother's plans.

"Since that Martial Ancestor's fall, the Heavenly Secrets Bureau has sent elite investigators to look into the matter, yet they've found nothing."

Zang Zijian's voice was low.

His gaze fell upon the night outside the window, deep and profound.

"There were no signs of a struggle, no bloodstains, no abnormalities at all—it was as if that Martial Ancestor had vanished into thin air. We searched the entire manor, not even a broken brick was found."

He paused, took a deep breath, and continued.

"Even his family mysteriously vanished overnight. The manor stood empty, not even a cat left behind. All clues were cut off, as if someone had erased every trace beforehand."

Jiang Feng's brows furrowed.

"Only an organization, not an individual, could achieve this—and it is an extremely vast and tightly organized one."

Zang Zijian nodded.

"I think the same. But they left nothing behind, too clean."

He turned around, walked back to the chair, sat down, and placed his hands on his knees.

"Afterwards, the Emperor secretly ordered me to guard the Mountain River Seal. But as soon as the Seal entered the Heavenly Secrets Bureau, the Bureau suffered three attacks. Each time, a Half-step Martial Ancestor appeared, fierce and with a clear goal."

Zang Zijian's gaze grew even graver, his voice dropping lower.

"In just three days, the Heavenly Secrets Bureau lost over a dozen Heavenly Human Realm experts and even a Half-step Martial Ancestor fell. This shows how far they've gone for that Mountain River Seal... they spare no cost, disregard consequences, and will stop at nothing to obtain it."

His voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying an intangible pressure.

"To ensure the Mountain River Seal's safety, in the end Yun Lao voluntarily offered to secretly take it away."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng felt a headache and couldn't help but retort.

"Senior Brother... aren't you being a bit ridiculous? Yun Lao is already so old—putting the Mountain River Seal beside him is basically tossing a live bomb at him, isn't it?"

Jiang Feng's tone was full of dissatisfaction.

He glanced at Marshal Yun seated in the wheelchair; though the old man's spirit was still okay, having just returned from the Gate of Ghosts, his face was pale, his body weak, and he could barely stand.

Letting an old man guard something this important is practically pushing him into a fire pit.

Yun Lao, however, smiled faintly.

"Divine Doctor Jiang may not know this, but though I'm old, I still have the strength for one battle."

His voice wasn't loud, but his tone conveyed an undeniable confidence.

His eyes were sharp, like an unsheathed old blade—though aged, still keen. His waist was straight as a rod, his hands resting on the wheelchair's armrests, fingers thick and strong.

"Back on the battlefield, I've killed so many Half-step Martial Ancestors that I can't count them on one hand."

Zang Zijian announced calmly.

"Yun Lao is also a Half-step Martial Ancestor strongman. On the battlefield, he once fought one against ten thousand, slaying countless foes. Though he has retreated to the second line these years, his cultivation has never waned. His strength ranks among the top three in the Imperial Army."

His tone carried a hint of respect.

"Moreover, on the surface, the Mountain River Seal remains in the Heavenly Secrets Bureau. To put it bluntly, aside from me and Yun Lao, plus a few core purple-robed members of the Bureau, no one else would know about this. We set up a ruse so everyone thinks the Seal is still in the Bureau, while the true Seal is carried by Yun Lao."

He paused, his gaze growing more complex.

"But who would have thought... Yun Lao still got attacked. The enemy's information is too well-informed; they somehow got wind of it and struck directly at Yun Lao."

Saying this, Zang Zijian clasped his hands before Yun Lao with a guilty expression.

"I'm truly sorry, Yun Lao. It's my failure to discern people that has brought this calamity upon you. There's a traitor inside the Heavenly Secrets Bureau, and I didn't detect it in time—this is my dereliction of duty. Had I not employed people poorly, you wouldn't have suffered such severe injuries."

His head bowed low, his attitude sincere, without a trace of falseness.

Yun Lao, however, waved his hand and gave a faint smile.

"This old body can still serve the Empire; even if I die, I do so willingly. This Mountain River Seal concerns Da Xia's national fortune—it must not fall into treacherous hands. I snatched back this life; living another day is a gain."

His eyes were firm, without a hint of regret, instead carrying a calm acceptance of facing death.

Jiang Feng, however, faintly sensed something amiss and immediately turned to Zang Zijian.

"So Senior Brother, what you mean now is..."

His tone carried a hint of wariness, having already guessed what Zang Zijian would say next.

His hand unconsciously gripped the chair's armrest.

Zang Zijian gave an embarrassed smile, mixed with appeasement and unease. "Since Yun Lao's place is no longer safe, Junior Brother, could you take the Mountain River Seal back to Jiangnan?"

He spoke softly, as if negotiating yet pleading.

"Rest assured, no one will suspect you. You just came from Jiangnan to the capital, having rescued Marshal Yun; everyone knows you are a benefactor of the Yun family. Taking Yun Mengrou back to Jiangnan is reasonable and proper—no one will doubt it."

Zang Zijian said this, his expression turning more serious.

"Moreover, you are originally a Jiangnan person; returning to Jiangnan is perfectly natural and proper. Furthermore, Yun Mengrou is the granddaughter of Marshal Yun. If she goes with you, no one will think of going elsewhere."

Jiang Feng's brows furrowed even tighter.

"The most important thing is..."

Zang Zijian paused, then clapped his hands.

The applause faded, and the side door of the main hall was pushed open from Outside.

Yun Mengrou walked in from outside the house with a determined expression.

She wore a white dress, her hair hanging over her shoulders, no makeup on her face, but her eyes were bright and her expression resolute.

Jiang Feng's face changed instantly.

"Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?"

His voice turned cold.

Zang Zijian said seriously.

"Moreover, this Mountain River Seal, we will place it directly beside Mengrou This Time. No one would think that something so important would be on a young lady's body. Those who investigate the Mountain River Seal have their eyes fixed on the elderly, on the military, on the Bureau of Heavenly Investigation; no one would notice a little girl."

"Moreover, Mengrou is willing."

Jiang Feng shouted loudly.

"No! You're playing with Mengrou's life!"