Chapter 56: Low-Class Horse

Chu Chuyan's face flushed slightly. Though she had been praised for her beauty many times over the years, such compliments were usually given behind her back or in very subtle ways when spoken to her face. This man's direct and enthusiastic words made her quite uncomfortable.

Mrs. Chu, sitting nearby, frowned deeply. She found the man's slick tongue increasingly irritating.

Chu Zhongtian, seated next to them, cleared his throat and reminded them, "Do not speak while eating or sleeping."

Zu An took the hint, and the group finished their meal in silence. Soon, servants brought saltwater for rinsing and cleared away the dishes.

Zu An found it a bit strange. Previously, his meals had always been sent to his room, but today he had been summoned to eat with them at the main table. He wondered if this signified their acceptance and recognition of him as their live-in son-in-law.

As he pondered, Chu Zhongtian spoke, "Chuyan, how was your trip to Luling?"

Zu An was taken aback. It seemed they were about to discuss serious matters, and they were doing so right in front of him. Did they truly no longer consider him an outsider?

Chu Chuyan replied, "I investigated, and it seems the goods we lost were likely seized by members of Black Wind Stockade. Unfortunately, when I led a sweep of the area, they had vanished as if into thin air, leaving no trace."

"Black Wind Stockade?" Zu An was surprised. He recalled encountering their members when he rescued Yu Yanluo in the valley outside the city. A wave of anger washed over him, remembering how that woman, Yu Yanluo, had given him an empty promise and then disappeared. He couldn't help but wonder if truly beautiful women were always more deceitful.

Chu Zhongtian sighed. "That's typical of Black Wind Stockade," he said. "They move like the wind. The moment our main forces arrive, they retreat into Dragon Hidden Mountain. We can't possibly dispatch large escorts for every shipment. It's a real headache."

He paused, then continued, "I heard they ambushed the Yu family's convoy a few days ago, and many people died. I wonder if there's an opportunity to cooperate with the Yu family to finally eliminate this menace, Black Wind Stockade."

"I think you're just pining for Yu Yanluo," Mrs. Chu scoffed. "The Yu family currently has too many problems of their own. How could she possibly have the energy to deal with Black Wind Stockade?"

Chu Zhongtian's face flushed. He quickly tugged at his wife's sleeve, saying, "It's not what you think. Besides, the children are here..."

Mrs. Chu simply turned away, completely ignoring him.

Zu An wore a knowing smile. So, it turned out Master Chu had also pursued Yu Yanluo back in the day. It was hardly surprising; that woman was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.

Chu Chuyan cleared her throat, stepping in to alleviate her father's embarrassment. "Our family's armory business is facing some trouble," she explained. "After our spirit spring was polluted, the weapons we produce lost their greatest advantage. The Yuan family recently seems to have found a formidable runemaster; their weapons are now comparable to ours in quality, yet they sell for less. They've already captured a significant portion of our market share, and if this continues, it could undermine our very foundations."

Zu An felt a stir of interest. Runemasters. He recalled seeing faintly glowing blue lines of formations on both Chu Chuyan's and Yu Yanluo's carriages, which must have been the work of these runemasters. Such artistry could imbue items with many auxiliary functions, making weapons significantly more powerful than ordinary ones.

The rotten school he attended only taught etiquette and laws. If they had taught more practical knowledge like this, his studies wouldn't have been so dull.

In truth, he was mistaken about Bright Moon Academy. As the premier school in the neighboring prefectures, its teachers were first-rate in these subjects. However, because he was placed in the Yellow Class, such practical lessons were rarely offered to him.

Since students in his class lacked cultivation aptitude, attending such lessons would have been a waste of time anyway. They might have had one or two cultivation courses a week, merely to provide them with some general knowledge.

In contrast, other classes, especially the Heaven Class, primarily focused on cultivation lessons, with very few courses on etiquette or laws.

"Where did the Yuan family find a runemaster?" Mrs. Chu asked with a frown. "Do they truly have the resources for such an expert?"

Chu Chuyan replied, "They don't, but the Wu family in the neighboring prefecture does. Their patriarch is also a Duke, and they have long coveted our Chu family's market share. I've confirmed it this time: the Yuan family is secretly supported by the Wu family. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare be so brazen."

"Oh, that's right! That Yuan fellow at school today was incredibly arrogant," exclaimed Chu Hanzhao, who had been anxiously waiting for a chance to speak. "He even told brother-in-law that he'd teach him a good lesson during the family competition!" Finding something she knew about, she eagerly jumped in to assert her presence.

"This Yuan family is simply too audacious! Even a servant or a dog belonging to our Chu family should not be bullied by them!" Mrs. Chu slammed the table in a fit of rage. "Let's go, we'll confront the Yuan family ourselves!"

Zu An gave her a pointed look, clearly indicating his offense.

"My dear, please calm down, calm down," Chu Zhongtian quickly interjected, pulling her back. "The new Prefect, Sang Hong, has already taken office, and he's just looking for an excuse to target us. At this stage, a moment of impatience could ruin our grand plan."

Zu An's eyebrows twitched. From the sound of it, the Chu family's prominence was merely superficial, and they seemed to be facing many hidden crises.

While calming his wife, Chu Zhongtian turned to Zu An. "Xiao An," he said, "Yuan Wendong caused you trouble today. Are you alright?"

Before Zu An could reply, Chu Hanzhao quickly interjected, "It wasn't just Yuan Wendong; even Hong Xingying went after him! He's clearly a member of our Chu family, yet he's secretly helping outsiders. It's utterly despicable!"

"Hong Xingying?" Chu Zhongtian's brow furrowed.

Mrs. Chu, from the side, interjected, "I know that boy. He has always been proud, and he used to be fond of your sister, so it's only natural that he wouldn't have a good impression of Zu An. Young people often have trouble controlling their tempers."

Chu Hanzhao grew anxious. "But he..."

"That's enough," Mrs. Chu interrupted, stopping her from continuing. "That boy has been quite diligent in the Chu family over the years, and his father has been fiercely loyal to us for decades. Let's not bring up these minor issues again, lest we dishearten them."

Chu Hanzhao pouted, her cheeks puffing out, clearly quite displeased. *You're afraid of disheartening the Hong father and son, but aren't you afraid of disheartening brother-in-law?* she thought to herself.

Zu An, however, remained indifferent. After all, a good-for-nothing son-in-law was indeed less important in Mrs. Chu's eyes than Butler Hong and his son. He recalled Cheng Shoubing mentioning rumors that Mrs. Chu had originally intended for Hong Xingying to be her son-in-law. It seemed those rumors weren't baseless.

He instinctively glanced at Chu Chuyan. Her expression remained unchanged, which was a relief; clearly, his nominal wife had no interest in that Hong fellow.

Chu Chuyan finally spoke, "More than anything else, I'm concerned about the family competition in half a month."

Mrs. Chu frowned. "Didn't we win every time before?" she asked. "Besides, with you there, who in the Yuan family could possibly be your opponent?"

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. "The Yuan family is not weak," he said. "They are ranked among the four great merchant families, just like us. It's simply that, without a corresponding noble title, they previously didn't dare to offend us too much, so the family competition was somewhat of a formality. But this time, with the Wu family's backing, they will undoubtedly go all out. Furthermore, I suspect that members of the Wu family will secretly participate."

He paused, then looked at Zu An with a complex expression. "Moreover, with him participating this time," he continued, "we've already lost a round before the competition even begins."

Zu An was dumbfounded. *I was just minding my own business, enjoying the drama, why am I suddenly involved?* "Um, I'm not a cultivator," he stammered, "do I also have to compete?"

Chu Zhongtian replied, "According to the rules of the family competition, all members of each family must participate. You are our son-in-law, after all. Even if we didn't send you, the Wu and Yuan families wouldn't agree, and the Prefect would also intervene. We called you here specifically to inform you of this, so you can be mentally prepared."

Chu Hanzhao immediately grew anxious. "Today at the academy, Yuan Wendong explicitly said he would cripple him!" she protested. "Sending brother-in-law up there would be sending him to his death, wouldn't it?"

"That's precisely the idea," Chu Chuyan replied.

Zu An was startled. *Even if you despise me, you wouldn't resort to such a method to murder your own husband, would you?* he thought to himself.

Chu Hanzhao was also stunned, staring at her in disbelief. "Sister, you..."

Chu Zhongtian, however, spoke up. "Let her finish," he said. "Chuyan never speaks without reason."

Chu Chuyan then slowly explained, "Among the Yuan family's disciples, Yuan Wendong is the most outstanding. I heard he recently broke through to the fifth rank. While I'm not afraid of him, none of our other family disciples are his match. The Yuan family won't be foolish enough to pit him directly against me; that would guarantee him a victory. Rather than wasting our other strong fighters, it's better to send this fellow. He's bound to lose against anyone, and by facing Yuan Wendong, he can at least buy us time and create opportunities for the rest of our team."

Zu An largely understood her strategy. She was employing the "Tian Ji's Horse Racing" tactic, pitting their weakest against the opponent's strongest... *Pah! I'm certainly not a lower-tier horse; if I were a stud, I might grudgingly consider it.*

Chu Hanzhao grew anxious. "But wouldn't that be very dangerous for him?"

Mrs. Chu, sitting nearby, subtly frowned. *Why is my second daughter showing such excessive concern for that good-for-nothing today?* she wondered.

Chu Chuyan replied, "Don't worry, I'll arrange for him to be the last to compete. By the time it's his turn, the overall outcome will already be decided, making his participation irrelevant. That match naturally won't need to be played."

Chu Hanzhao blinked. "What if the victor hasn't been decided by the time it's his turn?"

Chu Chuyan was momentarily stunned, then shook her head. "Don't worry," she said, "it won't be that coincidental."

*You're practically inviting it to happen!*

While secretly grumbling, Zu An still said, "Even if the winner hasn't been decided, it's alright. The protagonist always makes the final, climactic appearance. When my turn comes, I will surely secure a victory for the Chu family."

In just a few days, he had cultivated from a good-for-nothing to the third rank. With another half month, his strength would certainly increase further. Even if he didn't reach the fifth rank, with his various 'hacks,' he could still devise strategies to secure a win.

Hearing his words, Mrs. Chu's eyebrows immediately furrowed. "Zu An," she began, "since Yan'er has married you, I won't dwell on the past. But can you please stop this awful habit of boasting? A man's lack of ability is less concerning than his inability to be grounded. Who is Yuan Wendong? He's already reached fifth-rank cultivation, a powerful expert who can control elements. You want to fight him and win? Hmph!"

With that, she turned and left abruptly.

Qin Wanru's anger level increased by 763!

Zu An merely shrugged, offering no defense.

It seemed Mrs. Chu still harbored considerable prejudice against him. This thought gave him a pang of frustration. People always said a mother-in-law grows fonder of her son-in-law over time, so why was it completely the opposite for him?