Chapter 248: You Know Who I Am?

"What if I'm messing with you? Are you going to bite me?" Zu An asked idly, sitting in his seat with one arm around Leng Shuangyue, as if nothing was amiss.

Hearing his words, Chen Xuan became furious. With a crisp clang, his long saber was unsheathed. His eyes were dark and menacing, clearly signaling his intent to kill.

Fury value from Chen Xuan: 444!

Chu Yucheng secretly gave a thumbs-up. "This guy is truly formidable," he thought. A few days ago, he had dismissed Zu An as an incompetent son-in-law, but now he saw a powerful figure.

"But I like it!"

Remembering how the red-haired man had utterly humiliated him, he was eager to see Chen Xuan suffer even more disgrace.

Worried that Chen Xuan might violently attack, he quickly pulled Chu Hongcai over to help.

Unfortunately, Chu Hongcai was utterly disheartened at the moment, oblivious to his surroundings. So, he had to approach Zu An alone.

Wang Yuanlong hesitated for a moment, then also stood beside him.

Zu An was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected these guys, who usually acted like pampered idlers, to be so loyal in a pinch.

Chen Xuan sneered, "Do you think numbers make you impressive?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his men at the table all stood up, and the numerical advantage instantly reversed.

Seeing that a battle was about to erupt, Qiu Honglei spoke up, "I hope you gentlemen will give Honglei some face and refrain from causing trouble here in the Immortal Abode, alright?"

Her soft plea was truly difficult for even the most hard-hearted man to refuse.

Chen Xuan sullenly sheathed his saber. "For Miss Qiu's sake today, I'll spare your life for now. Once we leave the Immortal Abode, we'll settle this properly."

Zu An's voice suddenly rose, "You dare to settle a score with me? Do you even know who I am?"

Seeing that the other party showed no sign of trepidation and even boasted arrogantly, Chen Xuan frowned. Could this guy really be the scion of some influential figure?

"May I ask who you are?"

Hearing his words, Zu An suddenly smiled. "It's best if you don't know my identity. That way, you won't be able to find me once we leave the Immortal Abode."

At this remark, the surrounding crowd first paused in surprise, then burst into laughter. "This guy is truly unique," they thought.

Chen Xuan: "..."

Fury value from Chen Xuan: 666!

Having been repeatedly toyed with by the other party today, he could no longer hold back. He grabbed his saber and was about to charge.

Qiu Honglei quickly stepped between them, looking at Chen Xuan with a pitiful expression. "Brother Xuan, you just gave me your word."

Seeing her expressive eyes continuously batting, Chen Xuan swallowed, thinking, "What a captivating woman. I must make her my chieftain's wife."

His anger replaced by desire, he forgot all about settling scores with Zu An.

He chuckled and sat back down.

"Thank you, Brother Xuan," Qiu Honglei smiled faintly, then couldn't help but glance back at Zu An. She wondered, "If I hadn't intervened, how would this fellow have handled things?"

On the second floor, Xie Xiu inwardly sighed, "What a pity. I wanted to use this opportunity to test Zu An's strength, but Qiu Honglei stopped it."

Across from him, Xie Daoyun said, "No matter how strong he is, he surely can't be a match for a sixth-rank master, can he?"

"Not necessarily," Xie Xiu replied, recounting how Zu An had defeated Shi Kun with a single sword stroke in the back mountains. "This guy's strength is truly erratic; I have no idea how powerful he really is."

At this moment, he wasn't the only one with such thoughts. On the other side, Pei Mianman extinguished the black flame in her hand and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Since that guy dares to be so brazen, he clearly has a strong backing. Why should I worry?" she thought. "Besides, he's Chu Chuyan's husband, not mine, hmph."

Qiu Honglei then looked up at the second floor. "Young Master Xie, you haven't answered my question. In your heart, is Honglei's music truly that unbearable to listen to?"

Xie Xiu rose and went to the window, using his body to shield his sister inside the room. He then smiled and said, "Miss Qiu, you jest. Listening to that heavenly music just now, I was unconsciously captivated by it and haven't fully recovered my senses, which is why I forgot to answer your question."

Qiu Honglei chuckled, covering her mouth. "They say Young Master Xie is the dream lover of countless maidens. Your words are indeed sweet."

"I merely speak the truth," Xie Xiu replied. Compared to the fervent men below, he stood there casually, his eyes clear, his entire demeanor suddenly appearing remarkably refined.

Seeing the two conversing so pleasantly, the man handsome and the woman beautiful, they truly looked like a perfect pair.

The people around them couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. However, considering Xie Xiu's status, few could truly compete with him, and they couldn't help but feel disheartened.

But Chen Xuan had no such reservations. Seeing the woman he coveted, his personal prize, conversing so intimately with another man, a surge of sinister rage welled up within him.

What's more, Xie Xiu had known full well that someone below was impersonating him but had done nothing, allowing Chen Xuan to make such a fool of himself.

New grievances and old grudges combined, he finally erupted, "Young Master Xie, Miss Qiu is asking for constructive advice, what good is all that flattery?"

With someone taking the lead, many in the hall also chimed in. In a place of entertainment, everyone was a patron; who was more distinguished than anyone else?

After all, Brightmoon City wasn't exclusively the Xie family's Brightmoon City. Many, emboldened by alcohol, became more daring.

Xie Xiu didn't take offense, calmly stating, "Regarding Miss Qiu's tune just now, it indeed had a slight flaw."

Hearing him say this, murmurs of disapproval rose from the crowd, "There's a show-off," they thought.

Chu Hongcai's recent misstep was still fresh in everyone's minds, yet this fellow foolishly tried to emulate him.

Qiu Honglei's smile also stiffened. "Oh? I'd be pleased to hear the details."

Although she had just invited everyone to comment and offer suggestions, she was very confident in her zither skills and didn't believe these people could truly offer anything insightful.

Having just been praised by everyone, she couldn't help but feel a little pleased, so upon hearing this, she felt a slight displeasure.

Only then did Xie Xiu say, "Miss Qiu, your recent piece was truly tear-inducing. Your ability to infuse emotion into your music is simply divine. In terms of emotional expression, it was truly impeccable."

Hearing his words, Chu Hongcai's face turned pale. Only then did he realize the mistake he had made earlier.

Everyone knew that although Xie Xiu's cultivation wasn't particularly impressive, his accomplishments in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were considerable, particularly given his efforts to court women over the years. If he said so, it proved that Qiu Honglei had indeed fully imbued the zither music with emotion.

No wonder my words had made her so angry.

Alas, I shouldn't have said such risky things just to show off.

While he was filled with regret, Xie Xiu continued, "Miss Qiu, your emotional expression was perfect, but there were a few technical flaws."

"Towards the end of the piece, perhaps you were too focused, or swayed by anger and sorrow, causing you to hold the *bianzhi* note for a fraction too long. Additionally, the final *yusheng* note was pressed too quickly, resulting in a slight discord in the music."

The *bianzhi* note is equivalent to the F note in modern Western music, conveying a melancholic tone.

The *yusheng* note is equivalent to the A note in modern Western music, higher in pitch than *bianzhi*, capable of expressing indignation or elevated emotions.

Qiu Honglei first paused in surprise, then closed her eyes to recall. After a long moment, she finally opened them:

"There's a saying among the noble ladies in Brightmoon City: 'When the music errs, Young Master Xie observes.' Today, I've finally witnessed it firsthand."

"Thank you so much for your guidance, Young Master Xie. Otherwise, Honglei would still be smugly unaware," Qiu Honglei said, bowing solemnly.

Xie Xiu quickly returned the bow. "Miss Qiu, you flatter me."

At the same time, he felt a blush of shame. Although he had some knowledge of zither playing—enough to impress young girls—he was far from a master like Qiu Honglei. Naturally, he couldn't have discerned such fleeting flaws on his own.

All of this had been told to him by his sister, Xie Daoyun.

Qiu Honglei showered him with more praise, driving the surrounding people to a frenzy of jealousy.

Even Xie Xiu felt a bit lightheaded, thinking, "I've certainly impressed her today. I wonder if she'll choose me later?"

At that moment, Xie Daoyun quietly whispered behind him, "Don't forget your promise to me. When she invites you inside later, bring me along."

Xie Xiu felt a headache coming on. He thought, "Bringing my sister to a brothel—I must be the first person in the world to do that."

Just then, Qiu Honglei's gaze suddenly shifted, sweeping across the other people in the hall.

Each of them puffed out their chests, hoping to be addressed by her like Xie Xiu.

However, everything that needed to be said had already been uttered by others, especially Xie Xiu's insightful critique. No one present believed they could surpass him.

It seemed tonight would be Young Master Xie's lucky night.

The entire hall was instantly filled with a sour air of jealousy.

But then, to everyone's surprise, Qiu Honglei suddenly spoke, "I hear Young Master Zu, the Chu family's son-in-law, has also arrived. I wonder where he is now?"

Hearing her words, everyone's gaze instantly converged on Zu An, causing him to freeze mid-motion as he was about to eat a grape offered by Leng Shuangyue.

"What exactly is this woman planning?" On the second floor, Pei Mianman's peach blossom eyes gleamed dangerously, and she was filled with an inexplicable doubt.

This was also the confusion shared by everyone else in the hall. After all, countless people present held higher status and position than Zu An.

To put it politely, he was the Chu family's son-in-law;

To put it bluntly, he was merely a lowly live-in son-in-law.

Why would the ethereal Qiu Honglei disregard everyone else and specifically pay attention to him?

Feeling everyone's gaze, Zu An frowned. Judging by the fury value he had just received, this woman clearly knew him but was now feigning ignorance.

There must be something fishy going on!

"You are Zu An?"

Before he could say anything, a grinding voice rang out.

Fury value from Chen Xuan: 1024!

Zu An glanced at Chen Xuan, whose eyes were practically spitting fire. He found it exceedingly strange. Based on his experience collecting fury values, anyone who could instantly contribute 1024 points must harbor a deep-seated hatred.

"Did I kill this guy's father, or sleep with his wife? Why such an extreme reaction?"

Zu An sighed. "I've been low-key enough throughout this whole process, precisely to avoid stealing your thunder and to let you all shine. Yet, despite that, I've still become the center of attention. It seems an excellent man like myself is always dashing, no matter where he goes."