Chapter 46: I Tried It Myself

Zu An cursed under his breath. That guy was truly disloyal.

Following the sound, he saw Manyu, that obnoxious fat man, dramatically recounting the incident to a young man. The youth stood blocking the path, his face dark as he stared at Zu An. "So you're the one they call Zu An, you bastard?"

"I'm your father," Zu An replied.

Anger +555 from Ye Chenliang!

The grim-faced young man was clearly Ye Chenliang, the 'big shot' Manyu had mentioned earlier in the small grove.

"Excellent. You've successfully provoked my anger." Ye Chenliang squeezed his fingers, his knuckles cracking. It had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to him like that, especially someone from the lowly Yellow Class.

Zu An spread his hands. "All talk, no action? If you're so brave, why don't you bite me?"

Anger +666 from Ye Chenliang!

A cold glint flashed in Ye Chenliang's eyes. Just as he was about to make a move, a mocking voice suddenly spoke from nearby. "As a classmate, I'd be kind to remind you that open brawling on campus can lead to expulsion."

Zu An turned and saw a man with a feminine appearance standing nearby, a smile playing on his lips. It was Xie Xiu, whom he had only met briefly at the school gates before.

Ye Chenliang's breath caught. Although Xie Xiu was known for his idleness, he was still the City Lord's son, and Ye Chenliang couldn't afford to offend the Xie family. He suppressed his rage and said coldly to Zu An, "Fine, I challenge you to a duel!"

Zu An rolled his eyes. "You just say 'duel' and I'm supposed to agree? How undignified would that be for me? I refuse!"

Ye Chenliang exploded in rage. "You don't even have the courage to accept a duel? What kind of man are you?!"

Anger +777 from Ye Chenliang!

At this point, Xie Xiu spoke up again. "A duel requires both parties' consent; no one can be forced."

Zu An knew Xie Xiu was specifically reminding him, but he had already received a similar warning from the beautiful Headmistress, so he wouldn't fall for the trap.

A trace of venom flashed in Ye Chenliang's eyes as he stared coldly at Xie Xiu. "Young Master Xie, this matter has nothing to do with you, does it?"

Xie Xiu smiled faintly. "No, it doesn't. But is there a problem with me, as a senior, offering a reminder to a new student?"

Ye Chenliang snorted, unable to get past Xie Xiu, and turned his attention back to Zu An. "Everyone says the Eldest Miss of the Chu family was blind to marry a good-for-nothing. I never believed someone like Miss Chu could have such poor judgment, but seeing you today, you truly are a pathetic wimp who only knows how to run his mouth."

There were already quite a few onlookers. At first, everyone just assumed Ye Chenliang was bullying a junior student again. Since Zu An had a decent appearance, people subconsciously sided with him.

But upon hearing that he was the useless son-in-law married into the Chu family, the crowd's expressions instantly shifted. The men's eyes filled with hostility and jealousy, while the women's eyes showed clear disdain. They evidently looked down on a "handsome but useless" man—what good was good looks if you had no ability?

Zu An saw a long string of anger notifications popping up, realizing just how popular his "cheap wife" was. Simply by learning his identity, these men had contributed thousands of anger points.

"Ah, so that's it. You're also an admirer of Chuyan, no wonder you're so hostile towards me." Zu An grinned at Ye Chenliang. He suddenly recalled the "Top Ten Beauties of the Red-Faced Scroll" that Wei Suo had mentioned. If he could manage to charm all of them, wouldn't every man in the school continuously provide him with anger points?

"Silence! Trash like you doesn't deserve to utter Miss Chu's name!" Ye Chenliang's breathing quickened. He knew his place; while he might seem influential within the school, it was only because the true scions of powerful aristocratic families didn't bother with him. Compared to the prodigies in the Heaven Class, he was still lacking.

For years, he had secretly admired Chu Chuyan, but he also knew he couldn't compete with the other young masters from prominent families. He had already resigned himself to this, but then, a few days ago, he learned that his goddess had married a man renowned throughout the city as a good-for-nothing. This news drove him into a frenzy of jealousy.

Today, when Manyu told him that the one who stole his elemental stones was that very scoundrel, he saw it as a perfect opportunity. He planned to publicly humiliate Zu An in front of the entire school, making Miss Chu realize that this good-for-nothing was utterly unworthy of her and that she would be far better off choosing him instead.

Zu An sighed. "She's my wife. You're saying *I* don't deserve to mention her, but you, an unrelated outsider, do?"

Ye Chenliang took a deep breath. Seeing the crowd's agitation, he gradually calmed himself. "I won't waste words with you. Miss Chu is the goddess in all our hearts, yet you don't even have the courage to duel. How could you ever be worthy of her? You'd be better off just leaving."

"My final question: Are you going to fight or not?"

Others in the crowd began to shout, "If you won't fight, then get out of the Chu family!"

"How could such a wimp be worthy of Eldest Miss Chu!"

"What kind of man is that?!""What kind of man is that?!""What kind of man is that?!"

At first, people were cursing individually, but as the shouting continued, someone's voice rang out, and soon, everyone's cries became unified.

Zu An, however, was secretly delighted. These students were truly adorable; despite being strangers, they were constantly showering him with anger points. A quick glance confirmed he had gained several thousand more.

"Nonsense! He's more of a man than all of you!"

Just then, a figure in red suddenly darted forward and stood in front of him.

Zu An was startled. The young girl in front of him was Chu Hanzhao. He hadn't expected her to step in and defend him; it seemed the beating he'd taken that night wasn't for nothing.

Others clearly recognized Chu Hanzhao. The girl was a celebrity in the school; not only was she Chu Chuyan's younger sister, but she was also ranked ninth on the List of Beauties. On top of that, she constantly carried her "Wailing Whip," making it difficult *not* to recognize her.

Seeing her jump in front of Zu An, Ye Chenliang couldn't help but frown. "How do you know if he's a man?"

Chu Hanzhao lifted her chin and replied matter-of-factly, "Of course I know. I tested it myself."

Her words caused an uproar among the crowd. Wei Suo's eyes widened, and he discreetly gave Zu An a thumbs-up, thinking, *This is my big brother from now on. I definitely need him to teach me how to pick up girls.*

Even Xie Xiu, who had been leisurely cracking sunflower seeds and watching the spectacle, choked on a shell, coughing violently until his handsome face turned bright red.

All the men's eyes turned red:"Beast!""He didn't even spare such a young girl!""He even took both sisters!""Oh, that's right, I remember now. I heard my family talking about how the Chu family's son-in-law climbed into his sister-in-law's bed on his wedding night.""But Second Miss Chu doesn't seem angry at all.""Damn it, he probably seduced her.""I want that kind of good fortune too, damn it!"

Zu An nearly burst out laughing. The anger points he was receiving skyrocketed instantly; this was definitely the rhythm of hitting ten thousand!

Unlike the men's anger and jealousy, the women in the crowd were wide-eyed, their attitudes subtly shifting:"If this guy can charm both Eldest Miss Chu and Second Miss Chu at the same time, he must be extraordinary, right?""Perhaps it's because he's so handsome.""But his behavior is still a bit scummy.""But he's so handsome even when he's being a jerk."

Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Chu Hanzhao finally realized her words had been ambiguous and hastily explained, "That's not what I meant! I meant that he took seven lashes from my 'Wailing Whip' and didn't utter a single sound, from beginning to end. That's why I said he's the bravest man I've ever met."

After saying this, she couldn't help but turn back, her face flushed, and glare at Zu An. "It's all your fault!"

Anger +33 from Chu Hanzhao!

Zu An's smile widened.

Ye Chenliang, across from them, sneered. "That's impossible! If you're going to protect him, at least come up with a believable excuse. Everyone knows your Wailing Whip amplifies pain tenfold; how could he possibly endure that?"

"Are you saying I'm lying?" Chu Hanzhao glared at him.

Ye Chenliang snorted. "You know best whether you're lying or not. Or, why don't you ask them? Do any of you believe he could take seven lashes from the Wailing Whip without making a sound?"

"No!"

This time, all the onlookers, male and female, spoke in unison. Even Wei Suo joined their shouts. Clearly, many of them had personally suffered from the Wailing Whip, and even those who hadn't experienced it knew its properties, so they naturally didn't believe anyone could take seven lashes without a sound.

Chu Hanzhao grew anxious. "As the dignified Second Miss of the Chu family, when have I ever lied in all these years?"

Zu An couldn't help but roll his eyes. This young lady certainly had a fiery temper, but her mind wasn't as sharp as her sister's. Did she really think her relentless assurances would convince outsiders?

"Who knows if you're just saying that to protect him? Unless..." Ye Chenliang's eyes darted around slyly, "Unless you give him a few lashes right now, in front of all of us, and let us see for ourselves."

"Fine!" Chu Hanzhao declared, reaching for the whip at her waist and striding towards Zu An.

Zu An was startled. People often said that large breasts meant no brains, but this girl was clearly flat-chested, so why was *she* so thoughtless?

He knew that after his life-and-death struggle with Pei Mianman that night, he had truly grasped the incredible power of the "Rich Lady's Joy Ball" when used effectively. In a sense, it was like gaining an extra life.

He'd already regretted using it during his earlier wager with Chu Hanzhao. Let her use it on him again now? He'd have to be insane!

"Don't be impulsive," Zu An quickly said, rushing to grab her hand.

"You're the one who made me lose face! Come on, just let me lash you once to show them!" Chu Hanzhao's small chest heaved rapidly, clearly agitated.

Zu An quickly told her, "He tells you to hit, and you just hit? How undignified would that be if word got out?"

"That's true," Chu Hanzhao blinked. "So what do you suggest?"

Zu An said, "Why bother with them? He can't force me into a duel anyway. It's pointless to argue with fools."

"Who are you calling a fool?" Ye Chenliang's face darkened considerably. Although the word might not exist in this world, its meaning was universally understood.

"Whoever responds, I suppose," Zu An said with a sympathetic shrug.

Anger +99 from Ye Chenliang!

"No wonder everyone says a sister-in-law is like a brother-in-law's cozy little jacket. From now on, when I marry, I'll definitely choose a wife who has a sister. Though I doubt many families are as generous as the Chu family, tacitly allowing both sisters to share one husband." Ye Chenliang began his counterattack.