Chapter 228: High Mountain Admiration

As Zu'an spoke, he dramatically blew on his fingertips, as if he had just fired a gun with his bare hands.

Everyone present was astonished, their jaws practically dropping. For a moment, there was complete silence."What did the madam say the intruder's cultivation level was just now?""It was eighth-rank, wasn't it?"The group had braced themselves for a formidable enemy, ready to sacrifice at least half their numbers. Yet such a powerful foe was dealt with so effortlessly by the young master?

"What kind of combat skill is the 'Six Meridians Divine Sword'?"The mansion guards exchanged puzzled glances, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes. Then they all turned their bewildered gazes towards Commander Yue Shan."How should I know!" Yue Shan's old face flushed. He prided himself on knowing many cultivation techniques and combat skills, but he had never heard of the "Six Meridians Divine Sword" technique. Although he hadn't heard of it, the name alone suggested it was no ordinary skill. It had to be at least Earth-grade, and daring to include "Divine" in its name meant it could even be a legendary Heaven-grade combat skill!

Like spirit stones and weapons, combat skills in this world are divided into Mortal-grade, Earth-grade, and Heaven-grade. For example, the "Thirteen Forms of Elementary Swordsmanship" taught at the academy was a Mortal-grade combat skill. Mortal-grade combat skills might sound weak, but in reality, there's a world of difference in attack power between having a skill and not having one. Most cultivators don't even possess a complete set of combat skills; they fight relying solely on instinct and experience. Cultivators of the same realm who possess combat skills can often overpower those who don't. However, combat skills are rare, found only in academies and powerful clans. Most people in the world only possess Mortal-grade combat skills. Earth-grade skills are usually reserved for the elite students of academies and core members of powerful clans. As for Heaven-grade combat skills, they are purely legendary.

While the Chu family guards were speculating about his combat skill, Qin Wanru was the most shocked of all. The other guards hadn't encountered the mysterious black-clad figure, and the only two who did were killed. But she had personally engaged him. With her sixth-rank cultivation, she was defeated in a single move, even with the opponent holding back. That proved his strength was far superior to hers—at least seventh-rank, or possibly even eighth-rank as Zu'an had just claimed. But such a supreme expert was killed so easily by Zu'an? How much time had passed? Not even a single sound of combat was heard, indicating that the masked man had been completely overwhelmed. But how was this possible?

Zu'an was still holding the pose he had adopted when supposedly unleashing the "Six Meridians Divine Sword." Normally, such a pose would look somewhat ridiculous, but at this moment, he seemed to be enveloped in a mysterious aura.

"Quickly, go find out that person's identity." As the mistress of the house, she quickly recovered from her brief daze. She instructed her subordinates to investigate the deceased while approaching Zu'an. "Xiao An, are you alright?"

"I've told you before, don't call me Xiao An. Please call me A'Zu, as in A'Zu from Daniel Wu," Zu'an struggled to stand up as he spoke. After all, maintaining that pose for too long was difficult. A slight misstep could lead to an awkward stretch. "Ow, ow, lend me a hand, my waist..." Zu'an had struck a particularly difficult pose to show off, making it hard to get up now.

Qin Wanru was speechless. She had a multitude of questions she wanted to ask, but then she realized he had reverted to his usual self. What was she going to say? This guy distracted her, and she completely forgot. Qin Wanru gave Zu'an a deep look, finally regaining her composure. "Are you hurt? How do you feel now? I saw that man punch you in the chest just now..."

If that man truly was an eighth-rank master, not to mention ordinary people, even her husband Chu Zhongtian, the top expert in Brightmoon City, would be severely wounded if punched in the heart, if not killed. So at this moment, she was genuinely concerned that something might be wrong with Zu'an.

"Injured? Oh, yes, I'm injured!" Zu'an clutched his chest and cried out dramatically, subconsciously pretending to lean on her. But halfway through the motion, he suddenly remembered she wasn't his wife and quickly pulled his hand back, scratching his head nervously. "Get me some Heaven-grade spirit stones, uh, Earth-grade ones are fine too if you don't have Heaven-grade. Also, prepare some high-grade elixirs and all sorts of nourishing natural treasures. I need them to heal."

Qin Wanru was speechless. Hearing his exorbitant demands, she naturally knew he wasn't really injured. However, he had just performed a meritorious deed for the Chu family. It wouldn't be good to scold him in front of so many people, so she simply turned to Yue Shan with a stern face. "Has the intruder's identity been confirmed yet?"

Yue Shan shook his head. "No, he didn't have anything on him to prove his identity, and his face..." He glanced at Zu'an with lingering trepidation before continuing, "The young master's Six Meridians Divine Sword move was so powerful that the intruder's head virtually exploded. His face is completely unrecognizable."

Zu'an felt a wave of nausea, thinking, 'Old Man Mi is really too brutal. Killing someone doesn't mean smashing their head. Did you treat his head like a watermelon?' His hand, hidden behind his back, was continuously wiping on his clothes. He had touched Shi Lezhi's head to show off, and now his fingertips were sticky, unsure if it was blood or brain matter. However, feeling the guards' gaze—one part shock, two parts fear, three parts envy, and four parts admiration—Zu'an instantly felt as comfortable as if he had eaten a ginseng fruit, every one of his thirty-six thousand pores feeling utterly relaxed. 'So this is what it feels like to be an expert! It's amazing! Even if it's fake, I managed to pull it off with my own skill!'

"Xiao—" Qin Wanru paused, then corrected herself, "A'Zu, do you know this person's identity?"

Zu'an hesitated, then shook his head. "No, I don't. I couldn't sleep tonight because I was worried about Chuyan's injuries, so I was wandering nearby. Then this guy suddenly jumped in and attacked me." The reason he didn't reveal Shi Lezhi's identity was primarily because it would attract too much attention. Shi Lezhi was a known eighth-rank expert. If he died by Zu'an's hand, it would definitely draw the attention of all forces in Brightmoon City. When everyone started investigating, he wouldn't be able to explain himself, even with a hundred mouths. Exposing himself on the front stage didn't suit his style. It was better to stay hidden and launch surprise attacks. Let Shi Kun be suspicious then.

Qin Wanru, standing nearby, secretly nodded upon hearing his concern for her daughter's safety, thinking, 'At least you have a conscience.' However, her doubts only grew. "Why would someone suddenly appear out of nowhere to kill you?"

Zu'an shrugged. "How should I know? A man as outstanding as me is admired by countless beauties everywhere. Perhaps that man grew resentful because of it and came to seek revenge."

Qin Wanru, Yue Shan, and all the guards were speechless. Suddenly they understood. With his personality, it would be strange if he didn't make enemies everywhere. It wasn't surprising someone came to kill him; it would be surprising if no one did. Seeing everyone's reactions, Zu'an knew they likely didn't believe him. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, 'Life is truly as lonely as snow. I speak the truth, and none of you believe me, but when I lie, you are utterly convinced.'

Qin Wanru spoke again. "Then how did you know he was eighth-rank?""He looked all high and mighty, so I just guessed randomly," Zu'an said with an innocent blink. Qin Wanru was relieved. If he were truly eighth-rank, he wouldn't have been killed so easily. She figured he was at most seventh-rank, or perhaps just a peak sixth-rank. But no matter what rank, there's no way Zu'an could have killed him! "How exactly did you kill him?""Because I'm strong!" Zu'an spread his hands. "Haven't you seen how formidable I am in the arena? I'm an expert too. Is it so hard to kill another expert?" Qin Wanru snorted, assuming he just didn't want to explain, and didn't bother to press him further.

"Oh, by the way, where is that woman?" Remembering seeing him holding another woman's hand just moments ago, Qin Wanru's face instantly darkened.

"Oh, that woman saw the situation wasn't good and ran off that way," Zu'an said with a look of sudden realization. "I knew it! How could a charming person like me have enemies wanting to kill me? He must have come to pursue that woman. It's a pity she escaped so quickly without even leaving her name. I saved her life; she should at least offer herself to me."

Yue Shan and the others gazed at him with expressions of profound admiration, thinking, 'The young master is truly extraordinary. He's fantasizing about another woman offering herself to him, right in front of his mother-in-law.' Qin Wanru, however, misunderstood. She thought, 'It seems he saved me too just now. Is he implying something about me?'

'Bah, he wouldn't dare!' Her face felt hot. Ultimately, she felt uncomfortable staying there, so she quickly arranged for her subordinates to search the mansion thoroughly for any remaining intruders. Additionally, she dispatched several more groups of soldiers to patrol the outer perimeter of the Chu family estate, to prevent any further intrusions. At the same time, she summoned the heads of the other branches of the family, as well as trusted aides like Yue Shan and Hong Zhong, to discuss the night's events.

Soon, Zu'an was the only one left in the courtyard. After confirming no one was around, he quickly went into the dense bushes and carried Qiao Xueying out. She was incredibly hot, as if she had just emerged from a furnace. Worried about being discovered, he quickly carried her back to his residence. Because of the intruder in the mansion, the guards previously assigned outside his room had been redeployed, which conveniently allowed him to move freely.

He quickly fetched some cool tea and gave it to Qiao Xueying. Just as he was about to get cold water for a compress, his hand was seized. He turned to see that Qiao Xueying had woken up, her cheeks flushed, her eyes moist and shimmering, no longer possessing their usual lively clarity. Now, they were alluring and silk-like as she whispered, "Don't go..."

"I'll go get some cool water for a compress, or I could just carry you to the lake for a cold bath. That should probably counteract the effects of the drug in your system," Zu'an said hastily.

Qiao Xueying shook her head. "The Shi family's medicine isn't that easy to counteract.""Oh, right, do you still have those Heart-Clearing and Mind-Calming pills that Xiao Xi gave you last time?" Zu'an asked, patting himself down, but of course, Ji Xiaoxi wouldn't have given him such medicine.

"No," Qiao Xueying gently shook her head, her gaze fixed on him."Then what do we do?" Zu'an frowned. "Maybe I should carry you to Ji Xiaoxi now?"

"You fool, are you truly ignorant or just pretending?" Qiao Xueying, whose sharp tongue usually produced a voice as clear and pleasant as pearls dropping onto a jade plate, now spoke with a voice seemingly coated in honey, sounding sweet and enchanting.