Almost Time (cont.)

Unlike the other members of the Sui Family, he didn't harbor any special feelings for Maria... After all, as a human, it was indeed unlikely that he could have such an illusory thing as inherited memories.

He was simply a little curious about the other person's existence.

Now he was certain that he had seen the other person somewhere before.

But he just couldn't remember who the other person was or where he had seen Maria.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in his mind, leaving him somewhat bewildered.

My heart aches as if it's being scratched by a cat's claws.

Who exactly is she?

"What's wrong?"

Maria, of course, noticed the other person's confusion.

But unlike others, she didn't try to hide anything; instead, she turned her head and looked at the other person seriously.

"No... it's nothing."

Zuo Xing really wanted to ask who the other person was, but after hesitating for a while, he shook his head.

He has already drawn a portrait of Maria and had it sent back to his family to be investigated.

If Maria is indeed someone special, then he estimates that he will be able to confirm her identity within this period of time.

If she is truly one of your own, asking her questions abruptly will only make her feel distrusted, thus causing resentment.

Similarly, if the other party is a dangerous person, your questions will alert them and potentially alert them.

So the best outcome is to not ask anything at all...

"Yeah."

Maria, of course, sensed something amiss in the other person's words.

But she didn't say much, and simply continued to quietly flip through the book.

After some time, she seemed to get bored and slightly raised her head.

"Zuo Xing..."

"Um?"

Do you know what "Zuo Zheng" means?

"Left... right?"

The name that was suddenly mentioned startled Zuo Xing for a few moments.

Clearly, the name was somewhat unfamiliar to him.

Fortunately, after thinking about it carefully for a while, he nodded.

"I know."

Even in the Zuo Family, a family with a history spanning over a century, there are very few people named Zuo Zheng.

The most famous of them all is naturally the one who participated in the Demon-Subduing and Calamity-Suppressing Campaign seven hundred years ago.

Zuo Xing had naturally studied her life story as well.

Only...

Why are you bringing this up?

"It's nothing, just curiosity."

Maria tilted her head slightly to look at the other person.

After learning that Zuo Xing was a descendant of Zuo Zheng, Maria became somewhat interested in the young man.

To be honest, even now, Maria isn't exactly familiar with this sense of disorientation caused by things changing and people being different.

Just a few days ago, I was chatting with my friends.

In the blink of an eye, the other person vanished, replaced by their countless descendants...

This subtle feeling was still somewhat unsettling for Maria...

"How did she fare after the war?"

"After the war?"

Maria's tone startled Zuo Xing for a moment.

But he realized that the other person was probably referring to the war against Demon-Subduing and Calamity-Suppressing Campaign.

But Maria's tone of inquiry...

It seems like she participated in it just a few days ago.

After thinking for a moment, Zuo Xing dismissed the strange idea from his mind and turned to continue speaking.

"After the war ended, it seems that Senior Zuo Zheng, having spent so many years in the military, was no longer suited to the official duties of the Imperial Court and voluntarily applied for a transfer to the Northern Frontier."

"After several more battles with Ursus, all of which were decisive victories, he finally passed away on his 150th birthday and was sent back to the Zuo Family..."

Zuo Xing blinked.

The Zuo Family actually has records about Zuo Zheng's life.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to space constraints, most of Zuo Zheng's life story is recorded starting from the battle against the Great Beast in South River City, with the most detailed accounts being the events, big and small, that occurred during the Demon-Subduing and Calamity-Suppressing Campaign.

There is very little information about what happened before and what happened afterward.

Even at the very end, only a few strokes remained.

Zuo Xing also suspected that there was some hidden story behind it.

However, given our current capabilities, it is indeed quite difficult to investigate this matter.

Furthermore, even if the investigation uncovers it, it won't have much impact on the present situation.

So he really couldn't be bothered to care about the various details that happened.

After all, even if something serious happens, there are people in the family who can handle it, right?

"... is that so?"

Maria blinked.

Clearly, Zuo Zheng's answer did not satisfy her.

However, there wasn't enough time, and she was too lazy to ask too many questions.

That's all I can confirm.

"She died peacefully, didn't she?"

"Um."

That's enough.

Maria snapped the book shut.

This gesture, however, only aroused Zuo Xing's curiosity even more.

However, he hadn't had a chance to ask the question yet.

Maria got up and looked at the few suspicious figures at the door with a hint of doubt.

They gathered together and gradually went outside.

"Um?"

Maria blinked.

When Maria saw them, they also noticed Maria and all looked away.

This made Maria frown.

Are these people... avoiding me?

Why?

"You... are very interested in Senior Zuo Zheng?"

Perhaps it was Maria's mention of Zuo Zheng that aroused Zuo Xing's suspicion. He put down his pen and also intended to come over and talk to Maria a little more.

Maria, however, glanced at the other person silently.

The Sui Family members downstairs tensed up slightly after hearing Zuo Xing's words.

This confirmed to Maria that these people had not informed Zuo Xing about what they were about to do.

In other words... they planned to act on their own!

This is a complicated matter.

Regardless of what these people are actually going to do, the fact that they didn't tell Shi Zuo Xing alone suggests that the matter is not easy to report.

To put it mildly, it was just that everyone was busy and forgot about it.

To put it more broadly...

This could very well be an act of resistance by the Sui Family against the Yan...

This matter could be a big deal or a small deal; it's really hard to judge.

Although she didn't know what these Sui Family were planning to do, Maria decided to cover for them.

Turn around.

"Nothing..."

Maria said this as she slowly returned to her chair.

Zuo Xing hesitated for a moment. He felt a little silly to turn around and follow Maria, so after a while, he decided to look at the scenery outside.

Maria's words, however, startled Zuo Xing.

"I'm just... a little nostalgic."

"Ah?!"

"Is everything... alright now?"

The few members of the Sui Family gathered together, and after discovering that Zuo Xing had not come out to check, they breathed a sigh of relief.

They were almost scared out of their wits.

After all, what they are about to implement is a plan that Maria has explicitly rejected and cannot be used.

They weren't sure if others would accept the bold actions they were about to take.

Ideally, it's best not to reveal this.

Only...

"..."

Shu turned his head and looked at Maria's dazed figure not far away, speechless for a moment.

But she didn't have time to think about it further.

Encouraged by the calls of her family, she gritted her teeth and began to act quickly.

However, she didn't notice the corner.

Maria stood quietly on the second floor, calmly watching her depart...

The Sui Family didn't spend much time before arriving at a secluded, unknown corner.

And this was precisely the area that everyone had initially chosen to expose the flaw...

"Is this method... really feasible?"

Even at this point, everyone couldn't help but worry.

After all, this is a matter of great importance.

If even the slightest problem arises, the entire Great Yan will be affected.