Chapter 100: Several Meanings

Shi Kun gasped, his breath catching. He had taken every precaution, yet he still fell into his trap? If he claimed he hadn't investigated, he would seem as unintelligent as his opponent suggested. But if he admitted to investigating, it would confirm that their earlier "chance" encounter at school had been premeditated, making him appear particularly malicious. He found either outcome unacceptable.

Fortunately, someone stepped in to alleviate his embarrassment. It was Yuan Wendong who spoke up, "Zu An, did you pick up that habit of being overly glib when you were mixing in the market years ago? Young Master Shi is such a noble person; he always upholds gentlemanly conduct and rarely engages in arguments, so naturally he can't outtalk you. But who would ever think Young Master Shi is incompetent?"

"For years, Young Master Shi's talent has been widely known both inside and outside the capital. Furthermore, he's a prodigious talent in cultivation; I hear he's already nearing the sixth-grade threshold at such a young age. But what can *you* do? Oh, I remember, you only know how to hide behind women and live off them, only capable of this kind of verbal sparring."

As soon as Yuan Wendong finished speaking, Shi Kun's many attendants burst into laughter, clearly seizing the opportunity to get some revenge for their young master.

Zu An tilted his head, sizing up Yuan Wendong. "Do you really like gnawing on bones?" he asked.

Yuan Wendong had expected him to fly into a rage, but instead, he reacted so calmly. For a moment, he couldn't process it, and instinctively replied, "No, I don't." As a young master from a prominent family, he naturally had plenty of fine food to eat; why would he bother with gnawing on bones?

"If you don't like them, then why are you wagging your tail like a dog behind Shi Kun, begging for attention?" Zu An said with disdain. "When I first met you, though we had our disagreements, you at least had a certain arrogance that commanded respect. But now, where's your arrogance, your self-respect? I'm embarrassed for you."

"You...!" Yuan Wendong's face instantly flushed crimson. He hadn't realized the other person had dug such a massive pit for him to fall into, and he had foolishly cooperated.

His composure shattered!

Rage points from Yuan Wendong: 888!

The crucial point was that he genuinely felt awkward. Previously at school, everyone else had always flocked around him, and he was still unaccustomed to his new role. However, the Shi family was far too powerful, incomparable to the Yuan family, so despite his discomfort, he was still trying his best to curry favor with Shi Kun. As a result, being called out directly by Zu An was utterly humiliating. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

"Brother Yuan, don't take it to heart," Shi Kun kindly offered comfort. "This fellow is good for nothing else but his glib tongue. You lose if you stoop to his level."

Given a way out, Yuan Wendong immediately cast a grateful look at Shi Kun. Recovering his composure, he glared at the instigator, his teeth gritted in anger. "Young Master Shi is right," he sneered, "you're only good at verbal sparring. This is a world of cultivation; if you've got guts, come and practice with me. If I don't beat you so badly your own mother wouldn't recognize you, I'm not called Yuan!"

Zu An immediately shrank behind Chu Chuyan. "My dear wife," he whined, "this fellow actually dares to threaten me! Help me beat him up!"

Chu Chuyan felt a headache coming on. She wondered if she had made a mistake choosing this husband so casually; this fellow was simply too troublesome. However, she still kept in mind the purpose of their visit. She cooperatively said, "Yuan Wendong, Zu An is, after all, the son-in-law of our Chu family. We can't allow outsiders to bully him. If you can defeat me, then you can go after him."

Watching her take a step forward, Yuan Wendong instinctively took a step back. He felt extremely frustrated inside. "If I could beat you," he thought bitterly, "would I need to endure this anger? Would I need to bow and scrape beside Shi Kun?" But he couldn't vent his frustration on Chu Chuyan, so he turned to Zu An instead. "You, Zu An," he taunted, "always hiding behind a woman! Are you even a man?" Thinking back to the time he was taught a lesson by Pei Mianman, his face darkened.

Zu An spread his hands. "If finding so many powerful and beautiful women doesn't make me a man," he retorted, "then what does that make someone like you, who can't find even one?"

"I..." Yuan Wendong's breath caught. Why did he feel so stifled?

Rage points from Yuan Wendong: 642!

At this moment, Shi Kun's lips moved slightly, and Yuan Wendong seemed to hear something. His eyes instantly lit up, and his gaze towards Zu An was filled with triumphant amusement. "Go on, gloat now," he said. "You can hide behind women on regular days, but let's see what you do at tomorrow's family competition."

Zu An sighed. "I've never seen someone so eager to be beaten, like a duck rushing forward to be roasted," he said. "Fine, I'm done pretending, it's time to show my hand. Tomorrow, at the family competition, I'll let you witness this young master's true strength. Don't come crying then."

"Your true strength?" Yuan Wendong looked as if he had heard the greatest joke. The group burst into uproarious laughter, bending over. "Alright," Yuan Wendong sneered, "tomorrow I'll witness Young Master Zu's amazing moves. Hahahaha."

Shi Kun, standing nearby, also wore a smile. This Zu An indeed seemed to be hiding his true capabilities. However, according to Xue'er, he was only a third-grade cultivator, so he couldn't be that strong. Although Yuan Wendong had just entered the fifth grade, that was more than enough to deal with Zu An. Of course, to ensure nothing went wrong, he should find an opportunity to remind Yuan Wendong.

"I'm not afraid to tell you my order of appearance in advance," Zu An said directly. "I'll be the grand finale, so don't be afraid to face me then."

Yuan Wendong laughed heartily. "Don't worry," he scoffed, "I'll definitely beat you on the stage!" How could he not see through the Chu family's intentions? They probably intended to place him last to protect him, thinking that he wouldn't need to fight once the outcome was decided. "Humph," he thought, "did they think the Yuan family was still the same as in previous years? They would surely be in for a big surprise." Seeing Zu An's current bluster, Yuan Wendong couldn't help but imagine the terrified expression on Zu An's face when he realized he had to fight tomorrow, and he suppressed a laugh.

"This idiot!"

Yuan Wendong and Zu An, by coincidence, had the same assessment of each other.

Seeing that their goal had been achieved, Chu Chuyan didn't want to linger there. She pulled Zu An away and left.

Shi Kun's gaze hardened. Chu Chuyan's relationship with that fellow didn't seem as distant as Xue'er had described. Could it be that their relationship had progressed during this time? Thinking of a faint green glow seemingly appearing above his head, Shi Kun felt a surge of rage.

Rage points from Shi Kun: 222!

At this moment, Zu An had no time to care about the rage points he was receiving. His attention was entirely on Chu Chuyan's hand. It was cool, soft, and smooth, and he couldn't help but feel a pleasant surprise. He hadn't expected her to willingly take his hand.

However, after they left the crowd, Chu Chuyan naturally let go. "You performed very well just now," she said. "You successfully provoked Yuan Wendong's anger, so it seems he will definitely choose you tomorrow."

Zu An was a bit smug. "I wouldn't dare say anything else," he boasted, "but when it comes to provoking people, I, Zu An, have never been inferior to anyone in my life."

"I can tell." Remembering how Xue'er had been angered by him earlier, Chu Chuyan couldn't help but smile faintly.

Chu Hanzhao, standing nearby, said with some worry, "Sister, what if Brother-in-law really has to face Yuan Wendong tomorrow? That Yuan fellow is already a fifth-grade cultivator, and he hates Brother-in-law so much; he'll definitely fight dirty."

Chu Chuyan replied, "Don't worry. According to our previous arrangements, the first few rounds should be enough to determine the victor. He won't even have a chance to enter the arena in the end."

"But what if something unexpected happens?" Chu Hanzhao asked anxiously.

"If something truly unexpected happens, he can just surrender directly," Chu Chuyan replied. "Besides, Father and I will be watching closely; nothing will happen."

Chu Hanzhao frowned. "But Brother-in-law has already made such claims," she argued. "If he doesn't fight, that's one thing, but if he really has to enter the arena and then surrenders, how will he ever face anyone again?"

Chu Chuyan replied, "Is pride more important, or life?" Then she turned to Zu An. "Let me also remind you of this point: I've noticed you have a habit of provoking others. Before, you were lucky that nothing happened, but you can't be this lucky forever. So you need to change your temperament, or one day you'll provoke someone you shouldn't, and it will be too late for regrets."

"Don't worry, I only provoke those I can afford to provoke." Zu An thought to himself: *If I don't provoke more people, where will the rage points come from? Besides, he wasn't blindly seeking death; he had never provoked anyone he shouldn't. For example, did he deliberately try to earn rage points from Old Man Mi? Or from Ji Dengtu? So, although he seemed to be courting death on the surface, he was actually very clear about things in his mind. Of course, for the latter, once my little brother is successfully unsealed, I'll have to find an opportunity to earn back those rage points. Otherwise, my thoughts won't be clear! Humph!*

His words, however, had a different meaning to Chu Chuyan. She merely took it as him not listening to her advice. She secretly sighed, no longer bothering to persuade him.

"I'm going to my classroom. See you after school," Chu Chuyan said, then departed thoughtfully, her mind clearly preoccupied with something.

After she left, Chu Hanzhao let out a long sigh. "I was stifled!" she exclaimed. "I almost couldn't hold back from telling her several times."

Zu An looked at her with a strange expression. "Is it really okay for you and me to conspire to deceive your sister like this?" he asked.

"That's what makes it fun, hiahiahia!" Chu Hanzhao laughed cunningly, her eyebrows dancing as she spoke. "Sister said 'See you after school.' What kind of expression do you think she'll have when she sees you in her classroom then?"

"I want to know too," Zu An, equally excited by her, replied. "How do you think I should meet her in class later to make it more dramatic?"

"Isn't that what you're best at? Why ask me?" Chu Hanzhao scoffed. "Just look at Yuan Wendong and Ye Chenliang; you're the worst, a genius at pranking people."

"Actually, I'm a very honest person," Zu An replied, somewhat embarrassed by her praise.

"You, honest?" Chu Hanzhao looked at him with a half-smile. "I wonder who it is that often peeks at people's legs. Confess honestly, have you ever thought about having both sisters?"

"No, absolutely not!" Zu An jumped in surprise. This sister-in-law was truly audacious; how could she ask such a direct question?

"Hmph, don't pretend I don't know; don't all you men have such fantasies?" Chu Hanzhao scoffed. "You'd better not let my mother and sister know you have such thoughts, otherwise, they'll skin you alive." With a toss of her head, she skipped back to her own classroom, humming a tune.

Zu An was left standing there alone, disoriented. What did this little girl mean by suddenly saying all that to him?

How do you think Zu An and Chu Chuyan should meet to make it more dramatic?