Chapter 262: Embracing the Big Shot

Zu An moved aside, gesturing for her to enter first. "Come in for now," he said, thinking it wouldn't be appropriate for other teachers or students to see him like this.

Shang Liuyu glanced at his bare torso, a hesitant expression on her face. However, her curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped gracefully into the courtyard.

As Zu An closed the door, he explained, "The main reason is that I encountered an assassination attempt on my way to school today, so I'm a bit jumpy."

"An assassination? Who would want to kill you?" Shang Liuyu's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. She couldn't fathom who would dare to openly assassinate him in the street, given his dual identity as the Chu family's son-in-law and an academy teacher.

"Chen Xuan from Black Wind Stronghold," Zu An replied. He fetched a basin of water and began wiping the horse blood off his body, while briefly recounting what had happened on the road.

Shang Liuyu turned her face away awkwardly, pretending to admire the scenery in the courtyard. "Chen Xuan from Black Wind Stronghold? How did you get involved with him?"

"He and Mei Chaofeng from Silver Hook Casino are brothers." Although they hadn't known each other long, Zu An trusted Shang Liuyu's character and saw no need to hide anything.

"I see," Shang Liuyu said softly. "I heard Chen Xuan is a sixth-rank expert. What will you do if he tries to kill you?"

"Don't worry, I've always been lucky; I won't die," Zu An said with a smile.

However, inwardly, he wasn't so optimistic. In a direct confrontation, with his current strength and after triggering the Berserk effect of the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, he could barely qualify to fight a sixth-rank expert. But Chen Xuan didn't play by the rules; he aimed for one-hit kills. Today, Zu An was lucky to have received a warning from his rage points in advance, but there was no telling if he'd be so fortunate next time.

Shang Liuyu thought for a moment, then pulled out a jade-like object from her pocket and handed it to him. "Take this with you. It might save your life at a crucial moment."

"What is this?" Zu An initially thought it was a jade pendant, but upon taking it, he found it was much thinner than a normal pendant. It was entirely white, with a faint blue glow, and looked quite beautiful.

Shang Liuyu hesitated before replying, "Just think of it as a jade pendant. It can protect you from one fatal injury. But remember, it's a one-time use item. It will shatter automatically after one use, and won't protect you again."

"Being able to block it once is already incredible," Zu An said. He hadn't expected such a powerful effect from the item and was momentarily speechless. He quickly tried to hand it back. "I really can't accept something so valuable."

Shang Liuyu smiled slightly, not taking it back. "Nothing is more precious than life. Please keep it. I wouldn't want a friend I just got to know to accidentally get killed."

"Alright, I won't be modest then. I really do need this right now," Zu An said, putting away the 'jade pendant'. "It's a shame I don't have anything valuable to give in return... Do you want some banknotes?"

He truly had nothing precious on him at the moment. The Heaven-grade elemental stones he'd had belonged to Mi Li, and after her warning, he didn't dare give them to other women. His Marrow Cleansing Fruits were also gone. And judging by Shang Liuyu's serene demeanor, she didn't seem interested in cultivation or fighting.

After thinking it over, the most valuable thing he had left were the banknotes. Otherwise, he couldn't exactly offer a 'flesh payment,' could he? He wouldn't mind, but she clearly wouldn't agree.

Shang Liuyu smiled, pressing her lips together. "No need for banknotes. Why don't you tell me about what happened in the secret realm? You seem to have changed quite a bit after your trip there."

"Haha, no problem," Zu An chuckled, thinking, 'Of course I've changed, I'm not a virgin anymore. Can she really tell that?'

"Please put your clothes on first." Seeing him stand up, an imposing masculine presence filled the air. Shang Liuyu awkwardly turned her head away, thinking that she used to see him as delicate and refined, but never imagined what he looked like beneath his clothes.

"My apologies, that was rude." Zu An was accustomed to going shirtless in his previous life. Since most of the bloodstains were cleaned, he quickly put on his clothes and proceeded to recount his experiences in the secret realm.

He was a natural storyteller, and the entire account, as it came from him, was truly thrilling. Of course, due to his promise to Mi Li, there were some things he couldn't tell Shang Liuyu.

Even so, she was utterly astonished. "Many students from Brightmoon Academy have visited secret realms over the years, but I doubt their combined experiences are as rich as yours."

Zu An laughed heartily. "Of course, it proves I'm a Child of Destiny!"

"I really like your optimistic attitude," Shang Liuyu said, smiling gently. Her smile was like a spring breeze, always refreshing and uplifting.

"Oh, by the way, I have that conch you lent me last time to return to you," Zu An said, fumbling in his clothes. Suddenly, his movements froze.

It was then that he remembered he had taken off his clothes for Qiu Honglei to cover herself the night before, and he had forgotten to take the conch out of them.

Noticing his embarrassed expression, Shang Liuyu smiled, pressing her lips together. "What's wrong? Did you accidentally lose it?"

"No, it's not lost, it's just not in these clothes," Zu An said, looking sheepish. "I'll bring it to you next time."

"No rush," Shang Liuyu said, standing up. "I have class now too. We can chat again another time."

"Okay."

Watching her graceful figure in blue float away, Zu An thought, 'No wonder she's so popular at school. It's hard not to like her after spending time with her.'

Zu An also had to go to class, though not as a teacher. After all, arithmetic was merely an elective at Brightmoon Academy and wasn't taught very often. So, most of the time, he was still a student in the Yellow Class, attending lessons from his "colleagues."

However, just as he reached the classroom door, a waft of fragrance assailed him, and a cold, authoritative voice sounded in his ear: "Come with me to the office."

The tone was full of unquestionable authority. Zu An thought, 'Who's so arrogant to talk to me like that? Isn't she telling me to skip class?'

He turned around and saw the delicate tortoiseshell glasses, the form-fitting uniform, and the pair of tall, striking long legs. The dissatisfaction on his face immediately turned into flattery. "Alright, beautiful Principal."

Watching the two figures depart, a group of male students craned their necks out the window.

Wei Suo's neck was stretched the furthest. "Hiss, the Principal is wearing nude stockings again today. She seems to really like this style lately. Why doesn't she wear black ones anymore?"

"What do you know? I think nude stockings look better," a student beside him scoffed.

"Pfft, black stockings are clearly better!" another person chimed in, supporting Wei Suo.

"I think grey stockings have more appeal," yet another offered a different opinion.

The group argued until their faces were red. Then, a faint voice spoke up: "Um, doesn't anyone here like white stockings?"

The others all turned to look at him and, in unison, spat out, "Pervert!"

As Zu An followed Jiang Luofu, he couldn't help but notice the sway of her hips as she walked. Each step was incredibly rhythmic and beautiful, executed with just the right measure.

A little more would have made it appear vulgar and flirtatious, while a little less wouldn't have showcased her mature feminine charm.

"What a stunner," Zu An praised inwardly, while also secretly wondering why a lecher like Ji Dengtu had no interest in her.

Could she be a cross-dressing man?

A chill ran down Zu An's spine, and he quickly scrutinized her.

He finally confirmed that she was absolutely a woman, through and through.

In that case, Ji Dengtu's reasons became more intriguing.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Jiang Luofu's voice in his ear: "Close the door."

"Oh," Zu An said, realizing only then that they had unknowingly arrived at the office.

After closing the heavy door, Jiang Luofu casually kicked off her high heels, then found a chair and reclined, resting her long legs—which would make countless women green with envy—on a small stool beside her.

From Zu An's perspective, her skirt was similar to a pencil skirt from his previous life; its length made it difficult to fully cover.

Zu An had to admit, even though he couldn't see anything, she still exuded endless allure.

"Is it nice to look at?" Jiang Luofu's playful voice rang out.

Zu An's heart tightened, and he quickly composed himself. "I didn't see anything."

Jiang Luofu snorted. "Who was that, staring at me the whole time while following behind me?"

Zu An's old face flushed, and he quickly explained, "I was observing your walking rhythm, Principal. Your cultivation is profound, and even your everyday walk must contain fundamental principles of cultivation. I was hoping to gain some insight for a breakthrough, so I looked a few extra times."

Jiang Luofu couldn't help but laugh. "You really can talk the dead back to life, you rascal. So, what did you see? Did you gain anything?"

Zu An shook his head. "I didn't watch long enough to gain any insights. If the beautiful Principal would let me observe more often, perhaps I could comprehend some powerful movement techniques."

Jiang Luofu was speechless.

"You don't need to observe," she said. "The movement technique you displayed in the last family competition was already exceptionally good."

"I still need to. As the saying goes, knowledge is boundless, and I mustn't become complacent," Zu An insisted, changing the subject to avoid her asking about the "Sunflower Phantasm" technique.

"Alright, let's get serious," Jiang Luofu said, rolling her eyes at him. "I heard you were ambushed by the notorious bandit Chen Xuan on your way here?"

"That's right, beautiful Principal! You have to take responsibility for me!" Upon hearing this, Zu An immediately ran over, clasped her legs, and began to wail dramatically.

"What does that have to do with me?!" Jiang Luofu snapped, barely suppressing the urge to kick him away.

"Of course, it's because you, the beautiful Principal, killed Mei Chaofeng! That Chen Xuan knows better than to face you, so he unleashed all his fury on me." Zu An then explained the relationship between Chen Xuan and Mei Chaofeng, and also mentioned that they were supported by the Shi family.

"No wonder we haven't been able to eradicate Chen Xuan all these years. I suspected there was an insider among Brightmoon City's high-ranking officials; so it was the Shi family," Jiang Luofu said, momentarily stunned by his revelation and forgetting to kick him away.

"Can we use this to bring down the Shi family?" Zu An eagerly asked.

Shi Kun's existence was a constant thorn in his side, and with such a powerful family backing him, an enemy like that was simply too dangerous.

"It's not that easy..." Jiang Luofu was about to reply when she suddenly frowned. "Have you felt enough? Let go now!"