Chapter 111: People Have Great Popularity

Hearing his sister-in-law's complaints, Zu An thought that if even this naive girl knew such things, it was evident how dire the Chu family's current situation truly was.

Their joint appearance suggested they weren't afraid of the Chu family discovering their connections; in fact, it seemed to be a deliberate signal to the outside world, urging people to quickly choose which side to support.

Sang Hong appeared gaunt and old, his wisp of a goatee making him look significantly older than his actual age. He was reportedly a renowned and capable official, known for processing ten times the normal amount of official documents daily.

Despite his aged appearance, his eyes were remarkably bright and sharp, giving him an exceptionally vigorous look and an inexplicable aura.

Zu An, however, couldn't help but shake his head, thinking Sang Hong looked like a programmer who had aged prematurely—proof that a "996" work schedule was truly detrimental.

In contrast, his son, Sang Qian, looked much better. He stood there full of vigor and spirit. While not as captivating as Xie Xiu or Shi Kun, his decisive military bearing still drew screams from many young fangirls.

However, more women's attention soon shifted to Shi Kun:

"Brother Shi, Brother Shi!""Kun Ge, I love you!""Wow, he's so handsome, I'm going to faint!"

Zu An rolled his eyes. "Is Shi Kun a gorilla? He always draws a crowd whenever he appears."

He patted Pei Mianman beside him. "Hey, be honest with me, is that guy really that handsome? I don't think he's as good-looking as I am."

"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?" Pei Mianman's lips curved slightly.

"A lie, of course!" Zu An declared righteously.

Pei Mianman chuckled. "You truly are an interesting person."

Chu Hanzhao, standing nearby, eyed the two strangely, wondering why she always felt there was something amiss between them.

At that moment, Zu An's expression suddenly froze as he received a continuous stream of rage points in his system:

"Rage points from Qiao Xueying: 99,999,999..."

Zu An was startled. "What's happening? Is Xue'er that girl nearby?"

Remembering her ruthlessness when she tried to kill him, Zu An quickly scanned his surroundings. It would be quite troublesome if she ambushed him from the shadows.

Still, he couldn't fathom how Xue'er dared to come here. The training ground was filled with all the prominent figures of Moonbright City, a true congregation of masters. Five-rank cultivators were common, and there were also eight-rank powerhouses like Chu Zhongtian and Governor Sang Hong. He had even heard that Principal Jiang was an eight-rank cultivator. How could she, a mere five-rank spy, risk coming to such a place?

After all, no matter how strained the relationship between Sang Hong and the Chu family was, they still maintained a facade of mutual respect. In a public setting, they would certainly assist with any matter concerning a traitor or spy from the Chu family.

After scanning the area for a while without finding Xue'er, Zu An suddenly had an idea. He quickly looked toward Shi Kun and indeed noticed a pale-faced young man among his retinue glaring at him.

"Is she wearing a mask?" Combining the rage points from his system with that familiar gaze, Zu An was certain it was Xue'er. Of course, she hadn't just simply donned men's clothing and expected to go unrecognized like in some silly historical dramas; her face was completely different from before, indicating she must be wearing a mask or some form of disguise.

The mask was truly remarkable; had he not been able to identify her real name through his system, he never would have realized she was wearing a disguise.

At this thought, he could no longer sit still. He quickly turned to Pei Mianman and asked, "Miss Pei, is there such a thing as a disguise art in this world?"

"Disguise art?" Pei Mianman was surprised, unsure why he suddenly asked, but she replied, "Yes, some skilled rune masters can craft masks to completely alter one's appearance."

"Can someone disguise themselves as anyone they want?" Zu An pressed.

"Not to my knowledge," Pei Mianman shook her head. "This world is full of cultivators, and their eyes are incredibly sharp. It's one thing to disguise yourself as someone unknown, but if you try to imitate someone familiar, your flaws will easily be exposed. Of course, the world is vast, so it's not impossible that such a miraculous skill exists somewhere."

"That puts my mind at ease," Zu An said, exhaling in relief.

Pei Mianman asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Zu An replied casually, "I just suddenly thought, what if someone used a mask to impersonate my handsome face and trick young girls? Wouldn't that ruin my reputation?"

Pei Mianman: "..."Chu Hanzhao: "..."

At that moment, Xue'er seemed to sense his gaze and quickly averted her eyes, clearly not wanting to be exposed there.

Zu An didn't rush to expose her. He looked at Shi Kun, who stood on the stage like a graceful young master, and sneered inwardly. "So, you're the mastermind behind all this. It seems my earlier suspicions were correct. Well then, let's play."

Before, Shi Kun and his group had been targeting him from the shadows, putting him on the defensive. Now, with them unaware that he knew their secret, it was his turn to be in the shadows. It was time for the Shi family to be on the defensive.

"Rage points from Wu Qing: 33!"

He suddenly received another batch of rage points, which immediately amused him. "Who knew I was so popular? These people are practically lining up to give me gifts."

He noticed Wu Qing glaring at him from behind a middle-aged man. He couldn't be bothered with a young girl's emotions, so he shifted his attention to the man she was with. Judging by his attire and aura, he was likely Duke Wu Wei of Yangquan, their neighbor.

In the stands, he and Chu Zhongtian were chatting happily, appearing like old friends. Zu An sighed, thinking these men were all old schemers.

While Wu Wei and Chu Zhongtian exchanged pleasantries, Sang Hong approached the Zheng family's seating area. Zheng Yutang and Zheng Dan had already risen to greet him.

"Good, good," Sang Hong said, appraising Zheng Dan, his future daughter-in-law. He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. Both her beauty and elegant demeanor were indeed impeccable. Although her family background was somewhat modest, the Sang family never pursued marriage alliances with powerful clans anyway.

Hearing her future father-in-law's praise, Zheng Dan's cheeks flushed, making her appear even more charming and dignified.

Soon, everyone took their seats. Sang Hong sat in the main seat on the platform, flanked by Moonbright City Lord Xie Yi and Moonbright Academy Principal Jiang Luofu. These three served as the referees for the grand competition, holding an extraordinary status.

Chu Zhongtian and Wu Wei sat opposite each other, and it was clear that both sides knew who their true opponents were in this competition.

Next were the heads of the Yuan, Zheng, and Wang families. Shi Kun, despite being a junior, was also seated among them, highlighting the extraordinary status of the Shi family.

"I heard you offended the Sixth Young Master of the Shi family?" Pei Mianman asked, smiling as she sent him a discreet ki message, clearly indicating that what happened earlier at the academy had not escaped her notice.

Zu An snorted. "What do you mean I offended him? He clearly offended me!"

"Say what you will," Pei Mianman rolled her eyes, "but as an ally, I must warn you: you can't afford to cross the Shi family. Take the old man behind him, for instance. He's a revered elder of the Shi family, Shi Lezhi, Shi Kun's protector. With an eight-rank cultivation, crushing you would be as easy as crushing an ant."

"Eight-rank?" Zu An was startled. "Are eight-rank cultivators so worthless now? Aren't they supposed to be granted dukedoms or marquisates, or become regional governors like Sang Hong? How could one stoop to being a personal bodyguard for a young man?"

Pei Mianman explained, "Those who can be granted dukedoms or become provincial governors are generally high-level eight-rank cultivators. Marquisates are a bit lower, and some other official posts are for initial eight-rank cultivators. However, reaching eight-rank doesn't guarantee you one of these positions. There are only so many official posts, and countless people covet them. Whether you ultimately secure one depends on your abilities, opportunities, the influence of your family, and other factors."

"It's common for some masters to waste their entire lives without obtaining the official positions they desire. Generally, the younger someone is when they advance and the more potential they show for further breakthroughs, the more likely they are to secure these posts. Someone like Shi Lezhi, who barely broke through to the eight-rank in his twilight years, has no further potential. Thus, it's naturally difficult for him to get a suitable government position, and he's better off serving within his family where the benefits are superior."

"However, his lack of potential is only relative to the eight-rank level. For lower-level cultivators like yourselves, he remains an insurmountable opponent."

Zu An nodded slightly, roughly understanding the situation. It was like passing the imperial examination in his previous life: theoretically, passing the Juren exam meant one could become an official, but countless Juren awaited appointments, and some might wait until their death without ever securing an actual post.

In contrast, passing the Jinshi examination was much better; compared to Juren, Jinshi were more outstanding and had greater potential.

It seemed Shi Lezhi was among those who were relatively mediocre in his cohort and eliminated from the competition. However, this was only relative mediocrity; globally, reaching the eighth rank in cultivation was already considered the mark of a genius.

For the first time, Zu An truly felt the fierce and brutal competition of the cultivation world—even someone who cultivated to the eighth rank was considered a failure.

But then he suddenly realized, what was he worrying about for others? An eight-rank cultivator, even at the initial stage, could crush him with a single finger.

Just then, someone came to call him; apparently, all contestants were required to wait in a designated area beforehand.

Pei Mianman smiled slightly. "Good luck, I believe you can definitely win."

That night, they had personally exchanged blows, and she knew that this young man was far from the good-for-nothing the public perceived him to be. He might just astonish everyone today.

"It seems you have good judgment," Zu An complimented.

Pei Mianman: "..."

Chu Hanzhao, nearby, pouted. "Sister Pei, I'm also participating in the competition later. Why don't you wish me luck?" Pei Mianman smiled slightly. "Little Sister Hanzhao, your victory is naturally a given."

Chu Hanzhao frowned, feeling that Pei Mianman's blessing seemed somewhat perfunctory, not as heartfelt as the one she gave her brother-in-law. Was this woman trying to seduce him?

"Hmph, I'm definitely telling my sister!"

However, remembering her sister's attitude towards Zheng Dan earlier, she hesitated. She felt her sister wasn't concerned about her brother-in-law at all; perhaps it would be better if she kept an eye on him herself.

As the two arrived at the waiting area, Zu An spotted Yuan Wendong across the way. Fearing Yuan Wendong might not fall for his trap, he deliberately called out loudly, "Hey, Yuan! I'm not afraid to tell you now: I'll be the last one to enter the arena later. We agreed to a fight, and whoever doesn't show up is a coward!"

Yuan Wendong: "..."

"Rage points from Yuan Wendong: 666!"

Yuan Wendong's face flushed crimson. No matter how fierce the rivalries between powerful families, they always maintained an outward adherence to etiquette. Cursing like a common street hooligan was utterly beyond his usual comprehension.

In front of so many important figures, though enraged, he dared not retort with insults. He said coldly, "Very well, I look forward to experiencing Brother Zu's moves then!"

At the same time, he secretly vowed: *If I don't cripple you completely later, I'll disown the Yuan name!*