Chapter 362: 冲喜

Qin Wanru: "..."

Qin Wanru's fury surged!

How could such an annoying person exist!

She longed to grind his head into the ground repeatedly, then stomp on it a few times with her foot.

With a heavy snort, she turned and walked away, afraid that another word with him would make her lose control and resort to violence.

She deliberately quickened her pace, hoping to shake off the bothersome man, but each time she glanced back, he was still following unhurriedly.

"His cultivation isn't impressive, but he's surprisingly fast," Qin Wanru thought, a little surprised. She suddenly recalled Chu Chuyan's earlier advice and had to admit her daughter was indeed a better judge of character than she was.

The two of them returned to the Chu Manor, one following the other.

Zu'an had originally planned to give her the salt permits, but since they had just been together, conjuring a pile of permits out of thin air at that moment would be hard to explain.

So he returned to his own courtyard to rest. He had considered sleeping in the Clear Sound Pavilion, knowing that Chu Chuyan's fragrant bed would be infinitely more comfortable than his own humble "dog's nest."

But fearing that Old Man Mi would notice something amiss, he dismissed the idea.

Now that he had figured out the other person's identity – a eunuch – and he kept flaunting his affection, there was no guarantee the man wouldn't become psychologically warped.

Moreover, he still hadn't informed him about his physical recovery.

By the way, Qiu Honglei actually let him go this time. It seemed that girl possessed loyalty and righteousness. He should pay her a visit another day to express his gratitude...

After a day of rushing around, these scattered thoughts quickly gave way to sleep.

Early the next morning, Zu'an rushed to find Qin Wanru.

It wasn't that he woke up so early, but rather that Qin Wanru was undoubtedly worried about the salt permits.

It was difficult to ask her while she was still fuming last night. What if she came directly to him first thing in the morning? How would he conjure them up out of thin air for her then?

First, he went to the Clear Sound Pavilion to retrieve the large chests from the Lapis Lazuli Orb, and only then did he go to find Qin Wanru.

However, as soon as he arrived, he saw her hurrying out of her own courtyard, without even a maid accompanying her.

It was evident she hadn't had time to apply much makeup; compared to her usual vibrant and seductive appearance, she now looked more simple and elegant without any cosmetics.

However, a hint of weariness lingered between her brows, indicating she likely hadn't rested well the previous night.

Upon seeing Zu'an, she was momentarily startled. "I was just coming to find you. I'm truly uneasy about those salt permits. Where exactly did you put them?"

Zu'an inwardly thought it fortunate he had woken up early. He quickly replied, "I was just about to come and report to you myself."

He then led her to the Clear Sound Pavilion, pointing to the chests stacked in the inner room. "There, they're all here," he said.

Qin Wanru rushed over to open the chests and examine them. Seeing the neat stacks of salt permits inside, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Excellent, these are the stolen salt permits. The Chu family is saved, Zhongtian is saved..."

She couldn't help but turn to look at Zu'an, expressing her heartfelt gratitude. "A'Zu, thank you," she said.

Zu'an smiled slightly. "It's what I should do," he replied.

Qin Wanru opened her mouth, recalling his words from the previous night, and considered what to reward him with. Yet, she racked her brain but couldn't think of anything suitable. He didn't lack money, and she had already given him her most cherished daughter. She couldn't possibly give him Xiao Zhao as well, could she?

"Oh, right, I forgot to return this mask to you yesterday," she said, changing the subject. "This is a rare treasure; you must keep it safe."

"Thank you for the reminder, Madam," Zu'an replied, taking back the mask as thin as a cicada's wing. "By the way, now that the salt permits have been recovered, does Chuyan still need to go on that dangerous mission?"

Qin Wanru shook her head. "The Sang family has always been plotting against us, so constant defense is futile. We should seize this opportunity to launch a decisive counterattack and eliminate future threats once and for all. However, we can inform Chuyan to put her mind at ease."

"How do we inform her? By carrier pigeon?" Zu'an asked, surprised.

Qin Wanru gave him a dismissive look, then took a mirror from her sleeve. She activated her elemental power, and soon ripples appeared on the mirror's surface, which then became covered with a layer of mist.

After a moment, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing a strikingly beautiful face in the mirror.

Zu'an's eyes immediately widened, for the person in the mirror was indeed Chu Chuyan!

"Mother, has something urgent happened at home that you're using the audio-visual mirror to contact me?" Chu Chuyan's voice was filled with concern.

Qin Wanru quickly replied, "Chuyan, you needn't worry. On the contrary, it's good news. We've recovered the salt permits that Chen Xuan stole earlier."

As she spoke, she aimed the mirror at the chests containing the salt permits nearby.

Zu'an clicked his tongue in astonishment. "Isn't this just like a video call from my previous life?" he thought.

Since arriving in this world, he had observed that many things achievable through technology in his former world were accomplished here through cultivation and runes, achieving the same effects.

"Really? How were they found?" Chu Chuyan's voice was filled with delighted surprise.

"Of course, it was thanks to your handsome, dashing, and elegant husband," Zu'an said, leaning closer and grinning into the mirror.

Chu Chuyan's face immediately flushed bright red. "Don't be so unrestrained with your words; Mother is still here," she chided.

A faint smile also touched Qin Wanru's lips. "A'Zu is right; he did find them. Your judgment is indeed good," she said.

Zu'an gave her a surprised glance. Had the sun risen from the west today? She was actually praising him directly?

"Those words are pleasant to hear, Madam. Would you care to offer a few more compliments?" Zu'an said with a cheeky grin.

Qin Wanru: "..."

Chu Chuyan in the mirror also put a hand to her forehead, clearly finding his shamelessness a bit much to bear.

Qin Wanru ignored him, stating directly, "Chuyan, proceed with your original plan. I told you this primarily to set your mind at ease, and so you don't have to take overly dangerous measures."

Chu Chuyan nodded. "All right! Please thank A'Zu for me," she said.

Qin Wanru acknowledged her with a hum. Then, layers of ripples reappeared on the mirror's surface before it reverted to a normal mirror.

Zu'an looked bewildered. "I still had so much to tell Chuyan! Why did you hang up?"

Qin Wanru snapped irritably, "The audio-visual mirror consumes an enormous amount of primal stones for each communication. After one call, it can't be used again for a month, and the call time is limited. Therefore, it's only to be used in extremely urgent situations. How could I let you just chat idly?"

Zu'an's face fell in disappointment. "Tsk, I overestimated you all. This truly is a backward world," he scoffed.

Hearing his tone, Qin Wanru's expression turned displeased. "It's understandable, given it's your first time seeing such a precious item. You'll eventually realize how rare it is. There might only be one like it in the entire Brightmoon City, and it was obtained by a Chu family ancestor through a stroke of luck long ago."

"Only you people treat this flimsy thing like a treasure," Zu'an scoffed, pursing his lips. "Where I come from, everyone has one, and they can chat for as long as they please."

Qin Wanru: "Heh, heh. How ignorant."

Zu'an: "..."

Ah, life truly is as lonely as snow. Every time he spoke the truth, these people refused to believe him.

Next, Qin Wanru asked him to keep the matter of the salt permits confidential for the time being, as she needed to thoroughly plan how to maximize their effectiveness.

Zu'an was naturally content with the downtime. With a major matter resolved, he felt completely relaxed.

He went to school as usual, playfully teased Xiao Zhao on the way, and flirted with the female teachers at the academy, leading a remarkably comfortable life.

The only regret was that when he later went to the Divine Immortal Residence to find Qiu Honglei, intending to thank her for what happened that night...

...upon arriving at the Divine Immortal Residence, he was told that Qiu Honglei had already departed.

No one knew where she had gone.

He hadn't expected that night to be their last encounter, and he wondered if they would ever meet again. Recalling the time they had spent together, he couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy.

However, it wasn't long before Zu'an understood why she had left. That day, Qin Wanru sought out Zu'an privately, her voice grave. "I don't know the origin of those men in black, but they actually dared to make a lethal move against Sang Qian," she said.

"He's dead?" Zu'an asked, startled.

"Not dead," Qin Wanru replied, "but he's severely wounded. Sang Hong even invited Ji Dengtu to treat him, and even he could only temporarily preserve his life. Whether he'll ultimately be out of danger is still a fifty-fifty chance."

"With Divine Doctor Ji stepping in, he should be fine, right?" Zu'an clicked his tongue in amazement. What exactly was the power behind Qiu Honglei doing, to be so bold?

Was it because of the lost salt permits that they ultimately redirected their anger towards Sang Qian?

"Not necessarily," Qin Wanru said. "The Sang family is even planning to have him marry Zheng Dan early to bring him good fortune, which proves the situation is far from optimistic."

"What?" Zu'an shot to his feet.