Chapter 274: I Have No Other Skills

As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Mianman began to demonstrate.

She was exceptionally beautiful, and since this cultivation method inherently emphasized grace and subtlety, her demonstration resembled a dance more than a martial art. It was truly exquisite, as if one were in an earthly paradise.

Zu An couldn't help but sigh to himself. In the past, when watching historical dramas, he would often wonder what kind of dances those court performances were, feeling pity for ancient emperors and nobles. Now he realized it was simply because the extras in those TV shows weren't attractive enough; otherwise, it would be utterly captivating. Zu An's eyes followed Pei Mianman's every move, seemingly trembling along with her, as if his very heart was swaying with the dance.

Pei Mianman explained the cultivation route as she demonstrated. When she finished, seeing him staring blankly, she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. "I've finished the demonstration. How much did you remember?"

[Rage value from Pei Mianman: 233!]

"I remember all of it," Zu An replied subconsciously.

"All of it?" Pei Mianman's brows furrowed instantly. Her earlier remark about only demonstrating once had been made in anger; she knew it was impossible to learn this by watching just once. Even she had needed to observe it three times to grasp the basics.

"Yes," Zu An said, wiping his mouth, relieved that he hadn't made a fool of himself. As for the 'Feather Robe Entangling Hands' she had just demonstrated, he was indeed telling the truth. Ever since consuming those Marrow Cleansing Fruits, his mind felt exceptionally sharp, and his memory was astonishingly good. He could grasp most things after just one glance.

*Oh, if he'd had this ability in his previous life, he could have chosen any university, including Tsinghua or Peking University, without effort.*

"Then demonstrate it for me!" Pei Mianman sneered. "No wonder this fellow is so disliked; a man full of empty boasts is indeed unlikable everywhere."

"Oh," Zu An responded. He stepped forward, recalling her movements, and swiftly demonstrated the 'Feather Robe Entangling Hands' in its entirety.

Halfway through his demonstration, Zu An suddenly exclaimed. Pei Mianman had been utterly astonished to see him perform the 'Feather Robe Entangling Hands' flawlessly. When he paused, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had finally forgotten something. Still, remembering so much in such a short time was already quite impressive.

Just as she was about to offer a few words of comfort, she suddenly heard him say, "I knew I should have claimed I couldn't remember it. That way, you could have taught me hand-in-hand, and I would have had a legitimate excuse to get close to you. Is it too late to say I don't remember now?"

Pei Mianman: "..."

Seeing her stony expression, Zu An offered an awkward smile. Given what had just transpired, he dared not push his luck. He quickly completed the rest of the demonstration.

"So, how was it? Did I make any mistakes?" Zu An asked eagerly.

Pei Mianman's red lips parted slightly, but for a long moment, no words emerged. After a long silence, she finally exhaled and said, "No mistakes."

More than just no mistakes, it was practically flawless. Even with her most critical eye, she couldn't find any imperfections.

*This guy's talent is truly extraordinary!* Pei Mianman was secretly stunned, thinking, *No wonder that haughty Chu Chuyan chose him as her husband. She must have recognized his raw talent early on. As for him joining the 'Yellow' class at the academy, it must have been a deliberate tactic by the Chu clan to conceal his true abilities. She never expected Chu Chuyan, who always appeared so innocent and unaffected, to be so cunning underneath. She really fooled me thoroughly!*

"What's wrong?" Zu An couldn't help but ask, noticing her face cycling between pale and flushed.

"Are you and Chu Chuyan conspiring to deceive me?!" Pei Mianman suddenly erupted in black flames, a spiral of dark fire enveloping both of them, as if ready to incinerate him in the next second.

Feeling the terrifying heat so close, Zu An's expression subtly changed. His body tensed, preparing for any sudden attack from her, as he swallowed hard. "Deceive you about what?"

"You two conspired to make it seem like you're out of favor with the Chu clan, tricking me into foolishly partnering with you. Is Chu Chuyan secretly mocking me?" Pei Mianman's elegant brows furrowed deeply, and her eyes, no longer displaying feigned ferocity, now held genuine killing intent.

"You've seen my situation at the mansion, haven't you? Qin Wanru would love nothing more than to throw me out immediately. What did I lie to you about?" Zu An asked, his face innocent, genuinely perplexed by her sudden outburst of anger.

"But you kept insisting that I help you pursue Chu Chuyan, and in return, you'd help me find the ledger. Yet, your relationship doesn't seem as distant as you claimed!" Pei Mianman still sounded unconvinced.

"At first, we truly were quite distant. My title as her husband was merely nominal; she didn't see me as her husband at all. It was only during the recent secret realm expedition, when we were hunted by Shi Kun and his experts, that we experienced a lot together, and our relationship finally improved. But even now, we're still far from being a real couple."

*I haven't lied,* Zu An thought to himself. *Although we've been intimate, a true husband and wife live together, and we are indeed still far from that.*

"Really?" Pei Mianman finally relaxed after hearing his explanation.

"Of course it's true!" Zu An said, carefully moving her hand away from him. "Honestly, you're not much help as a friend. You said you'd help me pursue Chuyan, but after all this time, there's been no progress. I might as well act on my own."

"And you have the nerve to talk!" Pei Mianman retorted bitterly. "Have you found the ledger for me? There's not a single trace of it!"

Zu An offered an awkward smile. "You didn't give me any clues, and my standing in the Chu clan is too low; I can't access such information."

Pei Mianman snorted, then her gaze suddenly shifted to the side. "Oh, that's a nice sword." Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the Tai'e Sword plunged into the floor tiles as if they were made of tofu.

Just as she was about to step closer to examine it, Zu An, fearing she might notice something, quickly interjected, "Uh... aren't you worried the elemental fluctuations will alert the Chu family?" The first time they had met in Chu Chuyan's room, she hadn't used her black flames even when fighting for her life, precisely to avoid alerting the manor's experts. But with the sudden burst of energy just now, it was impossible not to draw attention.

As expected, Pei Mianman's expression changed. "This is all your fault!" she snapped. After a sharp glare, she vanished into the night sky with a light step.

A gentle smile crept onto Zu An's face as he recalled her playful, yet enchanting, glance just before she left. *Why had he been so utterly reckless as to kiss her just now? What was even more baffling was that she didn't seem to react much... No, wait, her reaction was actually quite significant...*

By the time Yue Shan, the Chu clan commander, arrived with a group of guards, he found Zu An looking into a mirror and quickly asked, "Young Master, has there been any enemy intrusion here?"

"No," Zu An replied nonchalantly.

The guards searched the vicinity for a long time but indeed found nothing. Just as they were about to leave, Yue Shan finally couldn't resist asking, "Young Master, what exactly are you looking at?" The other guards shared his confusion; a grown man staring into a mirror in the middle of the night seemed awkward no matter how they looked at it.

"I'm checking if I'm handsome enough. Otherwise, why would so many women fall for me?" Zu An replied subconsciously. First there was Shang Liuyu, then Chu Chuyan, followed by Qiu Honglei and Pei Mianman. One after another, upon hearing he'd been attacked by Chen Xuan, they had all rushed to provide him with various items and skills. It couldn't help but instill in him an excessive confidence in his own appearance.

Yue Shan: "..."The guards: "..."

*Forgive our intrusion, we'll take our leave now.**Why do I feel so nauseous?*

The group of guards left, their expressions peculiar. Noticing a string of rage values appearing in his system backend, Zu An thought, *These people are really petty-minded. This is just blatant jealousy.*

Early the next morning, Zu An was jolted awake from his sleep by a series of loud knocks. "Who's there?!"

Zu An was thoroughly grumpy from being woken up. *Which inconsiderate person comes banging on my door so early in the morning?* He turned over, planning to ignore it, when suddenly the door was kicked wide open.

"Lazy pig brother-in-law, the sun's already high! Still not getting up?" Chu Huanzhao's distinctive voice, a mix of childishness and sassiness, rang out.

Staring at the broken door bolt lying some distance away, Zu An's face twitched. "You're a young lady; can't you be a bit more demure? Be careful, you might never marry!"

"Whether I marry or not is none of your business!" Chu Huanzhao retorted, seeing him still bundled in his quilt. "Get up quickly! If you don't, I'll pull off your blanket!" As she spoke, a pair of small hands reached into his covers.

Zu An was startled. "I'm not wearing anything underneath! Go ahead and pull it off if you dare," he quickly said.

"Pervert!" Chu Huanzhao snatched her hand back as if she'd touched something live.

Zu An was speechless. *I'm just sleeping in my own room, and you break in, and now I'm the pervert?*

"Why aren't you going to school today?" Chu Huanzhao asked, her face slightly flushed as she turned away.

"How did you know?" Zu An was a little surprised.

"My sister told me," Chu Huanzhao huffed. Hearing that Zu An wasn't going to school today and she didn't need to wait for him, she had immediately rushed over to confirm.

"Yes, I have something important to do today." With her causing such a ruckus, he couldn't possibly go back to sleep. Zu An got up and began to get dressed.

"Hmph, what important business could you possibly have?" Hearing the rustling sound of him getting dressed behind her, Chu Huanzhao's face grew even redder. At the same time, she thought to herself, *I wonder what brother-in-law looks like without his clothes.* The moment the thought surfaced, she was startled and quickly muttered "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" to herself.

"What's wrong?" Zu An asked, a little curious.

"Nothing! If you're not going, fine, I'll go alone!" Chu Huanzhao said, then scampered away guiltily, as if worried he might see what she had just been thinking if she stayed any longer.

Zu An was utterly bewildered. *Why is this girl so jumpy? A maiden's thoughts truly are hard to decipher.*

Not long after, Chu Chuyan sent someone to inform him that the silver was being prepared and he could arrange the meeting in advance. Zu An considered that his acquaintance with Wang Yuanlong was merely fleeting, so he decided to ask Chu Yucheng to act as an intermediary, as Chu Yucheng frequently dealt with Wang Yuanlong. Chu Chuyan reasoned that since the Third Branch was also responsible for managing the Chu clan's salt business, she had no objections.

Soon, Chu Yucheng arranged the meeting, and by the afternoon, the few individuals gathered at the Immortal's Abode.

Gazing at Qiu Honglei playing the zither behind a light gauze and beaded curtain, Wang Yuanlong couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Zu truly has great influence! Otherwise, how would I ever be so fortunate to enjoy Grandmaster Qiu's beautiful zither music up close?"

Zu An laughed heartily. "You flatter me, you flatter me. I don't have many other talents, but I've always been popular with women, haha."