Chapter 221: 赔钱货

Bao Youlu smiled faintly. “So, the son-in-law also understands medical arts. May I ask which esteemed doctor taught you?”

Although he was smiling, a faint hint of sarcasm was evident in his tone.

Zu An shook his head. “I don’t have an esteemed doctor as a master.”

Just then, Mi Li’s cold voice questioned him mentally, “Then what am I?”

“You’re my beautiful Empress sister, not my master,” Zu An replied in his mind.

“That’s more like it,” Mi Li snorted. Although he couldn’t see her at the moment, he could easily imagine the slight upturn of her lips.

Qin Wanru, standing nearby, was already a bit displeased when she heard his sudden remark. She had thought he truly possessed some ability, especially since he seemed to have mentioned a mysterious master before. Hearing him deny it, she could no longer hold back: “If you don’t know, don’t pretend you do; you’re wasting our time. Husband, quickly go to the neighboring county and find Ji Dengtu. Whatever it takes, you must bring him back.”

Chu Zhongtian said in a deep voice, “Don’t worry. Our daughter’s safety is at stake. I’ll swallow my pride and do whatever it takes to invite him. The household affairs will be left to you, my dear!” After speaking, he didn't linger. He flashed out the door and quickly vanished into the night sky.

Zu An shrugged and also turned to leave. Qin Wanru glanced at him, her brows furrowing, but her attention quickly returned to her daughter.

“Why are you coming out?” Mi Li’s puzzled voice sounded in his ear.

Zu An replied, “It’s no use saying more if I stay here. Qin Wanru wouldn’t believe me anyway, so why bother embarrassing myself?”

“Not going to save your wife?” Mi Li’s voice was full of teasing.

Zu An said in a low voice, “I’ll have to think of another way.”

Just then, a graceful figure chased after him. “Brother-in-law, wait!”

Zu An turned around and saw that it was Chu Hanzhao chasing him. His expression softened involuntarily. “Xiao Zhao, it’s you.”

Chu Hanzhao stared at him with her large eyes. “Do you really have a way to save my sister?” Although she had been giving him the cold shoulder earlier, compared to her sister’s safety, what did that matter?

“It should… be possible,” Zu An replied. He recalled the method Mi Li taught him, and it didn’t seem like she was fooling him.

“What do you mean ‘should’? Is it going to work or not?” Chu Hanzhao urged anxiously.

“Yes!” Zu An answered seriously.

“Good, I’ll go tell Mother.” Chu Hanzhao turned and went back inside. Not long after, a fierce argument erupted from within. From what he could vaguely hear, it seemed Chu Hanzhao was insisting he perform the treatment, while Qin Wanru was vehemently refusing.

Finally, Chu Hanzhao ran out, wiping away tears. She quickly told Zu An, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you save my sister.” With that, she jogged into the darkness.

Zu An was completely bewildered. What did she mean by that?

Just then, Qin Wanru stormed out, enraged. “What kind of charm have you given Xiao Zhao that she’s siding with you like this?”

Zu An spread his hands, an innocent, ‘wrongfully accused’ expression on his face. “Where did that come from? Besides, Xiao Zhao isn’t a child; she has her own judgment. She’s not easily tricked.”

“I detest your glib tongue! First, you don’t know how you tricked my Yan’er, and now you want to trick my Xiao Zhao? Absolutely not!” Qin Wanru pointed at him and furiously rebuked him. “I know many in Brightmoon City have designs on those two sisters. If you dare to harbor such thoughts, I’ll make sure you die without a burial place!”

Zu An’s expression turned cold. “Are you finished?” He was growing impatient. He wondered if this woman’s perpetually bad temper was due to dissatisfaction, as she always scolded him indiscriminately without asking for an explanation. He had had enough.

“You… you…” Qin Wanru froze, clearly not expecting the once submissive son-in-law to dare speak to her like this. Just as she was about to lash out, a maid’s voice called from behind her, “Madam, the young lady is awake!”

Qin Wanru glared at him fiercely. “I’ll settle accounts with you later!” With that, she lifted her skirt and quickly ran back into the house.

Zu An hesitated but didn’t go in. He quietly asked, “Are you sure Chu Chuyan won’t die for now?”

Mi Li hummed in affirmation. “Although she’s critically ill, she definitely won’t die in the next day or two.”

Only then did Zu An feel relieved. He quickly returned to his room, found Cheng Shoubing, and asked him to fetch the necessary medicinal herbs and supplies from the mansion’s apothecary. As expected of a grand ducal manor, these supplies were ample.

He then found a mannequin and mentally reviewed what Mi Li had taught him earlier. Even with his current high aptitude, he had no prior medical experience. Many things he understood in his mind, his hands might not be able to execute, so he needed to practice and familiarize himself.

“What are you doing?” Just then, a sinister voice sounded.

Zu An’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly turned around and saw that Old Man Mi was already standing at the doorway, having appeared unnoticed.

“You’ve arrived, Elder,” Zu An quickly saluted.

Old Man Mi glanced at the mannequin and said with some doubt, “Are you studying medicine?”

Zu An gave an embarrassed laugh. “Just a bit curious, practicing a little.”

“Are you thinking of lifting the seal on you sooner?” Old Man Mi showed a smile uglier than a grimace. “I hear you have a good relationship with Divine Doctor Ji’s daughter. Don’t be misled by her. Your seal cannot be removed by external forces. You should still steadily follow my instructions to cultivate your power and reach the Grandmaster realm early.”

“You’re right, Senior,” Zu An replied respectfully. He didn’t tell him that he had already recovered. For some reason, he just felt it was better not to say anything.

“I heard you forced Young Master Shi back with a single move in the academy’s back mountain. It seems you had quite an encounter in the Yaoguang secret realm,” Old Man Mi said, scrutinizing him curiously.

Zu An answered deferentially, “I was quite lucky. I found a Nameless Illusionary Lotus and improved my cultivation somewhat.”

“A Nameless Illusionary Lotus!” Old Man Mi’s breathing quickened. “Did you eat it all?”

Zu An shook his head. “No, most of it was given to Miss Chu to save her.”

“Foolish!” Old Man Mi slapped his thigh in anger and stood up excitedly. “Why didn’t you eat it yourself?!”

Zu An was taken aback. He had thought Old Man Mi was angry because he hadn’t brought the Nameless Illusionary Lotus back for him, but instead, the man was furious because Zu An hadn’t consumed it himself. *He cares about me that much? Did I misunderstand him?*

“At that time, Miss Chu’s life hung by a thread, and her essence channels were completely destroyed,” Zu An replied. “We are husband and wife, after all; I couldn’t possibly just let her die.”

“Husband and wife?” Old Man Mi sneered. “Aren’t you clear about your relationship with her? Who in this mansion truly treats you as a son-in-law?”

Zu An secretly mused, *Actually, there are some—at least Chu Hanzhao and Cheng Shoubing do. As for Chu Chuyan’s true feelings now, he wasn’t entirely sure, but since they had shared intimacy, they were at least half-considered.*

Old Man Mi angrily said, clearly frustrated with him, “Besides, aren’t you aware of your own physical condition? You can’t even perform as a man, yet you still show such pity for women!”

Zu An: “…” *Bro, you don't hit a person where it hurts.* If he were his former self, he would have probably died of shame and indignation. Fortunately, he had fully recovered now, so he no longer cared about such verbal insults.

Seeing him remain silent, Old Man Mi lost his desire to scold. “Never mind. It’s already been given to Chu Chuyan, so there’s no use saying more. But remember, in this world, improving your own strength is paramount; everything else is superficial.”

“Oh, right. I heard Wei Hongde also entered the secret realm. How did you complete the task I assigned you?”

Zu An replied, completely unfazed, “We had a candid discussion in the secret realm and are already good friends.” As for whether Wei Hongde considered him a friend, Zu An couldn’t care less.

Old Man Mi’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. “Good. In the future, remember to inquire about some movements in his family. Remember every detail, no matter how small, and report back to me. Make sure he doesn’t notice. I see you’re quite clever, so you should be able to manage it.”

“No problem,” Zu An readily agreed, then asked curiously, “But why are you inquiring about his family’s situation?”

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask,” Old Man Mi said coldly. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and with a gesture, the Tai’a Sword appeared in his hand.

Zu An was alarmed. How could this sword fall into someone else’s hands? Unfortunately, the disparity in their power was too great, so he didn’t dare act rashly and secretly weighed the pros and cons.

“It’s actually a Heaven-tier divine weapon! No wonder it could cut through Shi Kun’s sword. It seems your gains in the secret realm this time were truly significant.” Old Man Mi flicked the sword’s body, then casually tossed it back to him. “Don’t worry, this old man wouldn’t stoop to stealing your belongings.” He secretly added in his mind: *Anyway, all your things will be mine sooner or later.*

“Thank you, Senior,” Zu An said after seeing him off. He then looked at the Tai’a Sword and remarked, “You really have no integrity, do you? You just went along when he beckoned?”

Mi Li’s ethereal figure emerged from the sword, her expression somewhat solemn. “Do you know what his cultivation level is?”

“What level?” Zu An asked hastily; he had always been very curious about this.

“Ninth Rank!” Mi Li’s red lips parted slightly, and a hint of apprehension appeared on her face. “He’s not much weaker than Zhang Han.”

“That powerful?” Zu An was stunned. He knew that Chu Zhongtian was widely considered the highest-cultivated person in Brightmoon City, but he was only Eighth Rank. Yet, a trembling old gardener in the mansion was actually Ninth Rank? But he quickly breathed a sigh of relief. “Even Zhang Han was thoroughly beaten by you, and this one isn’t even as strong as Zhang Han. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Mi Li’s phoenix eyes showed greater caution. “It’s different. Zhang Han was seeking death, which is why I defeated him so easily. Moreover, I am currently only in a soul form, and my soul has been severely damaged due to two host transfers. I might not be his match right now, so you’d better not offend this person. I don’t want to die with you.”

Zu An: “…” *Empress sister, you’re not as strong as I thought!*

Just as he was about to say something, Chu Hanzhao’s voice suddenly came from a distance, “Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, quickly come with me to treat sister!”

Soon, a short-haired girl ran over, panting heavily, her small chest heaving continuously. Clearly, she had been running quite a distance.

Zu An looked suspicious. “Your mother allowed me to treat your sister?”

“Of course not. But I drugged her unconscious,” Chu Hanzhao said with a rosy, innocent face, dropping a bombshell.