Chapter 132: Killing Trap

Mei Chaofeng's expression shifted several times before he said in a deep voice, "I still have the Plum Blossom Gang; I am not without value."

To be honest, he was not entirely willing to assassinate Zu An. Not only were there difficulties and dangers—Zu An's status was now vastly different from before—but even if the assassination succeeded, he would not be able to remain in Brightmoon City. Neither the Chu family nor Brightmoon Academy would let the matter rest.

In his opinion, assassinations were tasks for death-seeking warriors, not for a gang leader like himself. He carried too many responsibilities and worries to act without scruples like them.

"The Plum Blossom Gang?" Shi Lezhi sneered. "With the exposure of you killing Plum Blossom Thirteen, in addition to killing Plum Blossom Seven previously, your subordinates are already fearing for their own lives and are disloyal to you. You can't possibly think you'll continue to be the gang leader, can you?"

Mei Chaofeng clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, thinking, 'Didn't I know back then that killing Plum Blossom Seven would make my subordinates lose heart? But wasn't it because I was taking revenge for Shi Kun? That was *his* order!'

Plum Blossom Thirteen was also my most capable subordinate. His death this time was entirely to facilitate the Shi family's plan. Yet, in the end, it's all become my fault?

However, given his current predicament, he dared not utter these words.

"Let's leave here first," Shi Lezhi urged. Even with his profound cultivation, he dared not be careless. A prison break was no small matter; if anything went wrong, even the Shi family would not be able to contain the fallout.

The two quickly left the prison and made their way to a secluded courtyard in the city.

"Don't return to the Plum Blossom Gang for now. Once the prison realizes what happened, there will undoubtedly be people everywhere searching for you. Rest here for the next few days," Shi Lezhi said in a deep voice.

Mei Chaofeng gazed at the desolate, dilapidated surroundings, recalling how just yesterday he had been living like a deity, feasting on meat, drinking wine, and enjoying the company of beautiful women. Now, he was a stray dog. How truly unpredictable life was.

As if discerning his discontent, Shi Lezhi said, "You don't need to be too disheartened. Once you complete the young master's task, you can live freely and easily in another city."

Mei Chaofeng frowned. "If it were just Zu An alone, killing him wouldn't be difficult. But now he has the Chu family's protection, with their guards accompanying him daily. During the day, he's at the academy, which is full of masters. How could I possibly get an opportunity to kill him?"

If Zu An were that easy to kill, why would everyone have gone to such lengths before? They would have simply killed him directly.

"Don't worry, we've found a way to kill him today," Shi Lezhi replied.

"Oh? Do tell!" Mei Chaofeng also grew interested, feeling a surge of excitement at the thought of finally eliminating that bastard.

"Do you remember that strange music he played on the arena yesterday?" Shi Lezhi asked.

"Of course, I remember; it was something like 'entrance music'!" Mei Chaofeng said resentfully, though he had to admit, the music was indeed a bit showy.

Shi Lezhi continued, "Zu An used a conch to play that music. According to our investigation, the conch is a personal item belonging to Shang Liuyu, the foreign language teacher at Brightmoon Academy. We've never heard of her lending it to anyone else before."

Mei Chaofeng was stunned. "That guy is also involved with Shang Liuyu?"

He recalled that Zu An's wife was the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City, and rumors suggested he had ambiguous relationships with several other beautiful women at the academy, even earning the moniker of a "kept man king."

Those other rumors were one thing—he could dismiss them as young girls being easily deceived. But now, even an exceptional woman like Shang Liuyu was involved with him. Mei Chaofeng suddenly began to question everything. Were pretty boys really that popular?

He considered how he could only mess with women like Mrs. Tan Zhang, and even that had led to trouble, while Zu An was simultaneously entangled with several of Brightmoon City's most stunning beauties. Mei Chaofeng instantly felt a pang of jealousy.

"We don't know their exact relationship, but we can confirm it's far from ordinary," Shi Lezhi said. "So tomorrow, after he arrives at the academy, we'll send someone to invite him to a private meeting in Shang Liuyu's name. He surely won't refuse."

"I recall you previously reported to the young master that Plum Blossom Thirteen saw them together in a pavilion near the academy. We'll arrange to meet him at that very spot; he surely won't suspect a thing."

"Good, then I'll make sure to flay that bastard and tear out his tendons to vent my hatred!" Mei Chaofeng's fists cracked as he clenched them.

Anger value from Mei Chaofeng: 812!

Seeing this influx of anger value on his backend, Zu An was taken aback. This man truly harbored a deep grudge against him. However, since the fellow was already locked away in prison, Zu An couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind. His focus shifted back to persuading Chu Chuyan. "Wife, are you truly not considering letting me move in? You already admitted in public that we sleep together."

"So what?" Chu Chuyan's tone remained flat.

"Think about it," Zu An explained, "if we don't live together, you'll be bearing that reputation for nothing, wouldn't that be a huge loss? So, for your sake, I've decided to live with you."

Chu Chuyan was speechless.

This man was too shameless. Knowing she couldn't win an argument with him, she simply closed the door.

Zu An touched his nose, which had almost been struck by the closing door, and couldn't help but sigh, "It seems the journey ahead is still long and arduous."

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Chu Zhongtian was describing the court proceedings to his wife. He eventually couldn't help but exclaim, "On the surface, Ah Zu appears unruly and irresponsible in his words and actions. Yet, at critical moments, he analyzes problems with remarkable clarity, always hitting the opponent's weaknesses with every statement. Sometimes, even I couldn't react quickly enough."

"Is he really that capable?" Qin Wanru asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"I've told you everything, and you can sense it yourself. If you don't believe me, you can ask Chuyan." Sensing his wife's distrust, Chu Zhongtian immediately grew anxious. "Do I seem like the kind of person who speaks nonsense?"

Qin Wanru frowned. "Then why has he pretended to be a good-for-nothing all these years?"

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. "I'm not sure either. I'll find a suitable opportunity to ask him later."

"Do you think he's truly not a spy sent by another family?" Qin Wanru asked.

"I don't think so," Chu Zhongtian replied. "To be honest, when he helped us win the grand competition on the arena, I was surprised but didn't pay much mind, as he was only a third-grade. But everything he displayed in court today made me realize he possesses such meticulous thinking and wisdom. Perhaps Chuyan's choice this time, though seemingly accidental, has truly brought us a good husband."

"Don't celebrate too soon," Qin Wanru snorted. "Have you forgotten the original purpose of Chuyan's husband selection? If Zu An is truly that capable and deliberately concealed it, it indicates his mind is profound. This might not be a blessing for the Chu family. If trouble arises from within our own walls, it will be problematic."

"It's not that serious, is it?" Chu Zhongtian said awkwardly.

"Have you forgotten about Youzhao's situation?" Qin Wanru pressed. "While his condition can be hidden from outsiders, how can it be concealed from those close to him? If Zu An learns of Youzhao's situation in the future and harbors ill intentions, what will become of our Chu family? How will Chuyan navigate being caught in the middle then?"

Chu Zhongtian hesitated. "If that were truly the case, letting Chuyan inherit the Chu family wouldn't be out of the question. She has sacrificed far too much for the Chu family over the years."

"But how could the imperial court and other families possibly allow that?" Qin Wanru sighed. "Alright, let's take it one step at a time."

The next morning, Zu An set off for Brightmoon Academy. Now that he held the status of a teacher, he was eager to go to the academy every day and show off, no longer resisting school as he had before.

Chu Huanzhao originally intended to accompany him, but Qin Wanru stopped her. She always felt that her second daughter's relationship with this brother-in-law was a little too close. Additionally, since Chu Huanzhao had been injured in the family's grand competition, she was to remain at home to recover.

Chu Chuyan rarely went to school on ordinary days, and since she was also injured, she naturally had no interest in going.

In the end, only Zu An was left alone, though he automatically disregarded lackeys like Cheng Shoubing.

However, the Chu family also received news of Mei Chaofeng's prison break early that morning. To be safe, Chu Zhongtian dispatched a few more guards to protect Zu An. These guards were from the Red Robe Army, skilled in combined attack techniques, and could at least hold out until reinforcements arrived, even against high-level enemies.

Upon arriving safely at Brightmoon Academy, Zu An secretly scoffed. He had expected Mei Chaofeng to ambush him halfway, but it turned out the fellow was a coward who had vanished somewhere.

Of course, in his heart, he inwardly cursed the city lord's people to no end. They had been locked in prison, yet they still managed to escape. If he hadn't known they belonged to Prince Qi's faction, he would have suspected they intentionally let them go.

After arriving at school, Zu An instantly felt refreshed, gazing at the young girls bustling about. These sights were far more pleasant than facing Mei Chaofeng and Shi Kun every day, which was frankly nauseating.

Noticing there was still some time before class, he headed to Shang Liuyu's residence to find her. He still hadn't returned the conch he borrowed last time, and since he had performed a great service yesterday, he had a perfect excuse to visit her.

Speaking of which, this was a trick he had learned from predecessors in his past life: the best way to start a romance was by lending books. Borrow, return, and then borrow again. Before long, the two would have met countless times.

Arriving excitedly at Shang Liuyu's residence, he found her dressed neatly, sitting on a swing in the courtyard, plucking a harp, when the door opened. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, having thought that by arriving so early, he might have had a chance to see a pajama show or something.

Taking the conch, Shang Liuyu's face broke into a slight smile. "I hear you've been making quite a splash these past two days. Everyone in Brightmoon City is talking about you, the Chu family's son-in-law."

"But you don't seem surprised," Zu An noted. Simply gazing quietly at the woman before him, Zu An found it a visual feast.

"Someone who can play such a tune certainly wouldn't be the good-for-nothing people perceive you to be." As Shang Liuyu's slender fingers moved, a series of melodious and pleasant tunes began to play.

Zu An chuckled. "You truly have good judgment. I possess countless other virtues; in the future, you'll discover that I'm actually a treasure trove of a man."

Shang Liuyu was speechless.

She was at a loss for how to respond, causing a slight dissonance to appear in the melody played by her fingers.

After lingering for a while longer, Zu An emerged from Shang Liuyu's courtyard, feeling his steps considerably lighter. Shang Liuyu's delicate and melodious voice, along with the music from her harp, had given his ears a 'pregnant' sensation after listening for so long.

'Huh, I'm a grown man, how would I know what pregnancy feels like?'

Not long after returning to the classroom, a student hastily handed him a note: "Teacher Shang gave this to you!"

Zu An paused, then opened the note. It read: "Meet at the old pavilion in one hour."

Could that artistic young woman be so eager?

But this thought was immediately dismissed. It simply didn't feel right. They had just seen each other; how could she be so eager to invite him again?

Even with his self-absorption, he didn't believe his charm was so potent as to make the normally quiet and elegant Shang Liuyu act so proactively.

Crucially, even if Shang Liuyu wanted to send a message, she wouldn't use a student. Otherwise, if rumors of a private affair between them spread around the school, it would be disastrous.

Recalling the news of Mei Chaofeng's prison break from that morning, Zu An became thoughtful. After a moment, he walked directly toward the administrative building.

In the principal's office, Jiang Luofu sat in her chair, her striking long legs casually propped on a flowerbed.

Light gray!

Zu An thought to himself, 'This woman changes her stocking color every time, and the astonishing thing is how good they look each time. It seems beautiful legs can be quite capricious.'

'Hmm, I'm not looking for myself; I'm looking for Wei Suo, so he doesn't ask me later.'

"Oh, right, I was just looking for you," Jiang Luofu said before he could even state his purpose.

Thank you for your patience.