Chapter 153: The First Pregnant Man of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Shi Kun's face darkened. "Nonsense, of course, I am devoted to my mother!"

The Great Zhou Dynasty governed its country through filial piety. Even those of the highest status dared not be branded as unfilial.

"How can one claim to be filial without having endured the hardships of ten months of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth?" Zu An sighed deeply.

Chu Chuyan was speechless. She couldn't understand the point of him saying such things at this moment; his actions always seemed so out of place.

The warriors, too, looked utterly bewildered. Everything happening today was too strange: first, their young master and Zu An referred to each other as friends, and now, at a moment of life and death, they were discussing filial piety. What was going on in the world?

Shi Kun was speechless. He let out a cold snort. "It's only because we were friends that I patiently answered your absurd question. Now that I have, you can die in peace."

"Since you consider me a friend, then as a friend, I'll give you a small gift. It will let you experience what it feels like to be pregnant, so you can understand the hardships your esteemed mother endured giving birth to you and truly appreciate filial piety." Zu An's face held a mysterious smile.

"What utter nonsense," Shi Kun scoffed, looking at Zu An like he was an idiot, just as his subordinates did. How could a man become pregnant in this world?

Only Qiao Xueying's heart stirred, and she quickly cried out, "Young Master, be careful!"

"Careful?" Shi Kun was completely bewildered. He thought he had victory assured and would soon subdue Chu Chuyan, so what was there to be cautious of?

*Hmm,* why does my stomach feel a bit uneasy? Did I eat something bad just now? Why do I feel a heavy, distended sensation?

Shi Kun's expression subtly changed. He thought he was having a stomach upset. Knowing how much he valued his appearance and composure, it would be incredibly humiliating to excuse himself to the restroom in front of so many people.

*Huh,* why does my belly feel larger and heavier? He couldn't help but look down at his stomach. There was clearly no visible change, so why did he feel that way?

It's getting more and more distended! His internal sensations sharply contradicted what his eyes saw, making him question reality. He couldn't help but ask his subordinates, "Has my belly gotten bigger?"

"No, Young Master," the subordinates replied, shaking their heads blankly as they exchanged glances."Do you think the young master is acting strange today?""Yeah, first he calls Zu An his friend, and now he's asking if his stomach is big.""Do you think he saw Miss Chu and Zu An being so intimate, and his jealousy drove him mad?""It's quite possible."

Shi Kun instinctively reached out and touched his stomach, but no matter how he felt it, the strange sensation persisted.

Every so often, a strange pain would wash over him, instantly contorting his handsome face.

The pain was incredibly peculiar, as if emanating from his most private regions, yet also like a deep cry from his very soul. It was entirely unlike any pain he had ever felt from injuries before.

As a genius of his generation, he forcefully suppressed the urge to cry out. To scream in agony in front of his many subordinates and the woman he admired — wouldn't that be a complete loss of face for him?

Fortunately, after about ten breaths, the pain vanished as if it had never been there.

"What just happened?" Shi Kun's brows furrowed deeply. At that moment, he noticed that his wind blades were beginning to dissipate and fall apart, so he quickly re-focused his mind and regained control.

After roughly several dozen breaths, that familiar yet unsettling pain suddenly returned.

"Hmm?" The sudden, intense pain nearly caused Shi Kun's furious wind blades to collapse entirely.

*Why is it back?* He endured it with immense willpower, and after a moment, the pain subsided once more.

"Could I have been cultivating too strenuously lately, perhaps even suffering qi deviation?" Shi Kun wondered, resolving to have Elder Shi examine him thoroughly once they left the secret realm.

He rallied his spirit and resumed control of the wind blades, though a worry lingered in his mind: *Would the pain return again soon?*

Despite his preparations, when the excruciating pain returned several dozen breaths later, he nearly collapsed on the spot.

*Damn it, will this ever end!*

Crucially, he noticed the intervals between the pains were becoming shorter, and the intensity of the pain was increasing.

"What is he doing?" Chu Chuyan gazed in confusion at Shi Kun, whose face alternated between green and pale in the distance. She felt the effects most distinctly, as the surrounding wind blades fluctuated in strength, now even on the verge of collapse, significantly alleviating the pressure on her.

"He's probably questioning his life," Zu An thought, chuckling to himself. The man probably couldn't fathom, even if he racked his brain, that this strange pain was contractions. No man would have experience with it to tell him, and women certainly wouldn't bring it up with a man.

Although somewhat reluctant, at such a critical moment, he had no choice but to deploy his "Gaze of Conception" skill. The effect was undeniably good; the only regrettable part was that this use left him with just one remaining charge.

Zu An initially considered rushing over to finish off Shi Kun, but seeing that Qiao Xueying and the others had already moved in, he abandoned the idea. Given his current strength, it would likely be a trap to approach them at this moment.

Zu An paused, then pulled out a small red bottle—labeled "Trust Brother Chun"—that he had acquired previously and handed it to Chu Chuyan. "Wife, drink this quickly."

"What is this?" A woman's natural cautiousness prevented Chu Chuyan from immediately drinking the strange liquid.

"It's for healing. No toxins, no side effects, and it'll restore you instantly." Zu An felt a pang of regret. This was his last bottle of rapid recovery potion, and using it felt like sacrificing one of his own lives.

He knew, however, that the key to victory now rested with Chu Chuyan. His current strength was still insufficient against a fifth-rank expert, let alone facing a large number of fourth and third-rank subordinates.

Therefore, if Chu Chuyan recovered, her strength would likely allow them both to safely navigate this crisis. Besides, Chu Chuyan was his wife, so giving her the potion meant keeping the benefits within the family.

Chu Chuyan's beautiful eyes quietly observed him. After a brief hesitation, she nodded. "Alright!" She took the bottle and swallowed its contents in one gulp.

In truth, this action was incredibly risky for her. As the daughter of a ducal estate, countless people sought to harm her, and her peerless beauty invariably drew the covetous gazes of many men.

From a young age, she had been taught never to consume food of unknown origin or to let her drinking water out of her sight. She had always meticulously followed these rules, diligently protecting herself throughout her life.

If any other man had offered her a bottle of an unknown liquid, she would typically have ignored it outright. If it were someone she had a decent relationship with or of special status, making it impolite to refuse directly and cause offense, she would accept it with a smile but never actually drink it.

Yet for some reason, just by looking into Zu An's eyes, she had, for the first time ever, broken her own principles.

What compelled her to do so? Was it because he was her husband? Or the sincerity in his eyes? Or perhaps his expression of genuine reluctance, as if the potion was incredibly precious to him?

She couldn't explain what had possessed her; she had simply, in a moment of impulse, consumed it.

However, she didn't have high expectations. Given Zu An's background and abilities, what truly valuable item could he possibly possess?

Just as she was about to speak, her expression suddenly froze. She felt a warm current course through her limbs, significantly easing the pain and the chaotic flow of qi within her body.

"What kind of medicine is this? It's incredibly miraculous!" Chu Chuyan exclaimed in surprise.

"This is a life-saving medicine my master left for me. He said it could bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones. So, have your injuries fully recovered?" Zu An had previously invented a mysterious mentor who taught him cultivation when interrogated by Chu Chuyan's parents, so attributing everything to this mentor was a logical cover. Otherwise, how could he explain the keyboard?

"Your master must be an extraordinary individual," Chu Chuyan exclaimed, unable to contain herself. "Although I haven't fully recovered, my injuries have healed by about sixty to seventy percent. I've never encountered a healing medicine that works so quickly."

Even the potent elixirs prescribed by a divine physician like Ji Dengtu require time to heal injuries. Yet, this bottle offered almost instantaneous recovery—it was truly astounding.

"Of course, your husband is quite something, isn't he?" Zu An said proudly, then his expression suddenly shifted. "What? You said your injuries only recovered sixty to seventy percent? Why didn't they fully recover?"

"Sixty to seventy percent recovery in almost an instant—isn't that enough? I was barely holding on just now, but now I have the strength to fight again." Chu Chuyan was clearly very pleased with the potion's effects and didn't quite understand his reaction.

"Of course not enough!" Zu An's face fell. This was an extremely precious full-recovery potion; whenever he took it, all his injuries healed completely in an instant. Why was it different for her? Did items from the system work at a reduced effectiveness when used by others?

No, that wasn't right. If there were an issue, it should prevent others from using it at all, yet she clearly experienced its effects. *Wait a minute!* Zu An suddenly recalled that the recovery potion's name was "Trust Brother Chun," and it was also marked with the character for "small." Could it be that it only grants full recovery to lower-level cultivators, and has a diminished effect on those of higher cultivation?

His extensive experience playing games in his previous life allowed him to roughly deduce the truth: Chu Chuyan's cultivation was far higher than his. His ability to fully recover didn't necessarily mean she could.

"Ah, it's killing me!" At that moment, Shi Kun's screams echoed from nearby. No matter how resolute his will or how strong his endurance, he simply couldn't bear the pain of childbirth. Once he started crying out, he lost all control, continuous, rhythmic screams escaping his lips.

"Young Master, what's wrong?" His other subordinates panicked, utterly bewildered by their young master's condition. There were no visible injuries, so why was he in such agonizing pain?

Shi Kun's face was so contorted with pain that he couldn't utter a word.

Qiao Xueying gazed at Zu An in the distance with a look of apprehension. Her young master's symptoms were almost identical to her own last time. She had dismissed it as a coincidence before, but now it seemed this was likely some unknown technique of his.

Zu An, having collected his thoughts, quickly told Chu Chuyan, "Quick, kill them."

"Alright!" Though Chu Chuyan didn't understand why Shi Kun was suddenly in such agony, she knew this was a rare opportunity.

With a light step, she transformed into a blur, dashing towards them. Her figure was graceful and elegant, moving with such ethereal lightness that she seemed to glide effortlessly.

Qiao Xueying's expression shifted. With a wave of her hand, countless tree vines on the ground seemed to come alive, coiling and sweeping towards Chu Chuyan.

Chu Chuyan's face remained calm, her sword dancing nimbly in her hand. She lightly touched each vine, and every one she struck was instantly covered in a layer of frost, losing its previous flexibility and falling heavily to the ground.

Qiao Xueying quickly pulled a bottle of medicine from her robe and tossed it to a nearby companion. "Quickly, give this to the young master!"

Zu An paused, unsure what kind of medicine it was, but he sensed a new variable. He quickly grabbed his sword and charged forward. As the saying goes, strike while the enemy is weak!