Chapter 432: Hair Plucked Clean

Hearing his words, Chu Zhongtian suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that's right, where's Chu Yan? She's in the capital. Let's have her help plan ahead and see if there's anything we can do."

Qin Wanru shook her head. "Based on the timing, Chu Yan should already be on her way back to Brightmoon City. We lent the communication mirror to Zu An earlier, so we have no way to contact her now."

Chu Zhongtian's expression froze. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "Is this truly our fate?"

While the Chu family was consumed by sorrow and despair, everyone else on the scene was full of energy.

Xie Yi exchanged a few polite words with Chu Zhongtian before hurriedly departing. He was eager to report the matter of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra to King Qi.

Many others present had similar intentions, though it was unclear which factions they represented.

Jiang Luofu watched the departing convoy, her beautiful brows deeply furrowed. She clearly found the situation quite troublesome as well.

"That boy is truly a handful!" she snorted. With a flash, her figure vanished.

Meanwhile, in a nearby pavilion, a graceful silhouette was concealed behind a window. Though her face was obscured by shadows, her ample, impressive figure unmistakably revealed her identity.

Pei Mianman continuously twirled a strand of hair around her finger, murmuring to herself, "You certainly give me a lot of surprises. Sigh, I really should have claimed you earlier. Still, it's fine; at least now I don't have to contend with Chu Yan for you."

Her smile quickly faded, for it would be far more difficult to snatch someone away from the Emperor.

"It looks like I'll need to ask my family for help; they'll surely be interested anyway." With that, Pei Mianman turned and departed, leaving only a faint lingering fragrance in the air.

Meanwhile, in a dormitory at the academy, a young girl sat, chin in hand, lost in thought. "Stinky brother-in-law," she mused, "why have you been gone so long without coming back for me?"

Achoo! Achoo! Achoo...

At that very moment, inside the prison cart, Zu An let out several sneezes in a row. He couldn't help but remark, "Some beautiful girls must be thinking of me again—and more than one, it seems."

Beside him, Zheng Dan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Teacher Zu is as narcissistic as ever."

With so many eyes on them, especially Sang Qian in another prison cart nearby who seemed to have his ears perked up, eager to catch every sound, she dared not show any unusual behavior. She could only maintain her persona as Miss Zheng while interacting with him.

Zu An chuckled. "What can I do? I've always been this popular."

Zheng Dan couldn't help but sigh. "I'm not sure whether to admire your teacher's optimism or mock your foolishness. Do you realize that going to the capital this time is practically a death sentence?"

She voiced her inner concern with a sarcastic tone. She truly couldn't understand why he would deliberately jump into such a dangerous situation, seemingly seeking death. Was that woman from the Chu family genuinely that important to him?

Rage from Zheng Dan: 233!

Seeing the string of rage points appear in the background, Zu An paused, then realized, "What, is Miss Zheng jealous?"

Zheng Dan turned her face away and snorted, "I hope you'll maintain some self-respect."

"Well done!" In the other prison cart, Sang Qian's face was filled with excitement upon hearing his wife's sharp retort. If his mute point hadn't been sealed, he might have already clapped his hands and cheered.

Zu An deliberately shifted closer to Zheng Dan, then provocatively glanced at Sang Qian. "Come bite me if you dare?"

Sang Qian was speechless.

*I swear, I'll duel you!*

Seeing the man draw closer to his wife, he was powerless to stop him. He felt as though he would explode from rage, emitting muffled sounds, but with his mute point sealed, he couldn't speak a word.

This only made him angrier.

Rage from Sang Qian: 999!

He could only continuously bang on the side of the prison cart, trying to get the attention of the surrounding soldiers.

"What's wrong?" The soldier guarding him turned back, annoyed.

Sang Qian quickly pointed at Zu An ahead, gesticulating wildly to express his rage.

The soldier said impatiently, "They haven't even touched yet, so what are you so anxious about?"

Sang Qian became even more frantic. If they *were* touching, what good would his panic do then?

Just then, another soldier also rebuked, "In broad daylight, what could he possibly do? Don't be so lewd in your thoughts. If you don't quiet down, don't blame us for getting rough!"

Previously, they might have been more courteous to Sang Qian and his father. After all, Sang Hong was an eighth-grade expert, and there was always a chance he might recover his standing in the future.

However, King Liang's recent arrangements had made it clear to them that the Sang father and son were finished.

King Liang surely had more information, and the fact that he completely disregarded their standing spoke volumes. As subordinates, while other skills were important, the ability to read situations and people was paramount.

Thus, they naturally had no need to be polite to Sang Qian. Furthermore, given King Liang's high regard for Zu An, they understood who truly held authority here.

Not only was Zu An merely sitting a little closer to Zheng Dan, but even if he were to actually make a move, the two guards would likely not interfere. On the contrary, they'd enjoy watching a lively show, so why prevent it?

Sang Qian, being a man of the bureaucracy, instantly understood. Consumed by fury, he thought, "These two fawning dogs! When I get out of this predicament, I'll kill Zu An first, then both of you!"

The commotion from Sang Qian's side didn't escape Zheng Dan's notice. She couldn't help but ask, "Why do you insist on provoking him?"

Zu An chuckled. "What can I say? This guy and I just don't see eye to eye. He gets annoyed when he sees me... and I get angry when I see him."

Zheng Dan gave him a reproachful look. "Haven't you tormented him enough?"

Zu An smiled. This was clearly a secret only the two of them shared.

The beautiful woman before him was still clad in a vibrant and luxurious wedding gown. The Zheng family had painstakingly prepared it for her, adorning it with ninety-nine precious jewels—a betrothal gift from the Sang family—which were directly embedded in the fabric, making her appear even more resplendent.

He hadn't had a chance to examine it closely before, but now, viewing it up close, Zu An was captivated. He couldn't help but remark, "You're truly beautiful; you looked stunning even when you were angry just now."

"Wuwuwu!" Sang Qian frantically pounded the prison cart. This man was openly flirting, brazenly making advances!

The thought of his delicate, beautiful young wife being harassed by this scoundrel made his eyes bloodshot.

Rage from Sang Qian: 1024!

As if sensing the commotion, Zu An turned his head. "What's wrong with you? Or better yet, let them judge. Miss Zheng is so beautiful; am I wrong to simply state the truth? Do I have to call her ugly for you to be happy? What kind of twisted mindset do you have?"

"Exactly!" The surrounding soldiers also cast disdainful glances at Sang Qian. Was it truly a problem for someone to compliment his wife's beauty? He was far too sensitive, wasn't he?

Sang Qian: "You..."

It was clearly the other party's malicious intent, but now, somehow, it had become his fault.

He almost fainted on the spot!

Rage from Sang Qian: 999,999,999...

Sang Hong, beside him, reached over and pressed him back down onto the cart seat, writing on the floor with his finger: "Out of sight, out of mind."

Sang Qian was so enraged he nearly vomited blood, his eyes clearly asking, "Am I simply supposed to watch him harass my newlywed wife?"

Sang Hong continued to write, "He hasn't actually done anything, has he? Even if he did, have you forgotten what I told you before?"

Sang Qian paused, then recalled how, in order to steal Zu An's exorbitant IOU and uncover the mysterious master behind him, he had instructed Zheng Dan to use a honey trap. At the time, his father had lectured him that even if the two were to take their pretense too far, he should not react on the spot but instead find a way to maximize his own advantage.

However, understanding the principle was one thing; being able to act on it was another. Seeing Zu An grinning cheerfully beside his newlywed wife, a surge of irrational anger flared in his heart.

Watching the rage points continuously refresh in the background, Zu An started to worry slightly. He wondered if constantly provoking one person like this would eventually yield diminishing returns.