Chapter 684: Embarrassed and Enraged

As soon as he spoke, silence suddenly fell, followed by an explosion of laughter. "Is this guy out of his mind?"

"The Crown Prince of Qi apologizing to him? Who does he think he is?!"

Chu Youzhao was both angry and anxious. She had just managed to step in and ease the tension, but this man's tactless words had ruined all her efforts. How could the Crown Prince of Qi possibly let him off now?

Beside her, Murong Qinghe also frowned. The Murong family was firmly allied with Prince Qi, and she likely wouldn't have gotten involved if Youzhao hadn't intervened.

She recalled their previous encounter at the Qin residence and had been quite impressed by Zu'an's cultivation. However, acting arrogant in front of someone he shouldn't now made him seem more like a reckless brute.

"Hmph, my Brother Chu is as gentle as jade; I much prefer that kind of beautiful young man."

As her eyes gleamed with admiration, the gap-toothed stableman nearby secretly shook his head. "The young man is still too impetuous."

At that moment, a soft chuckle came from inside the carriage. "Is that so? I don't quite see it that way."

The stableman was utterly astonished. It had been a long time since he had seen his mistress smile, yet now she was laughing because of this foolish, impudent young man?

"Does Madam know him?" he probed, noting her unusual behavior today and her seemingly uncommon interest in Zu'an.

Silence returned to the carriage; clearly, the madam did not wish to answer.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince of Qi stared at Zu'an with an incredulous expression, then burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke. "I apologize to you? Do you truly think you're worthy?"

Zu'an sighed. "You're not cherishing this chance to apologize. Once it's gone, you won't get another."

The Crown Prince of Qi scoffed, ignoring Zu'an completely as if he were a madman. He then turned to Chu Youzhao. "Young Master Chu, you've seen it for yourself. This fellow is looking for trouble; don't blame me."

Chu Youzhao grew anxious. She rushed to Zu'an, quickly lowering her voice. "Brother-in-law, why are you being so impulsive? He's the Crown Prince of Qi and a Cavalry Commander. You can't afford to provoke him in either capacity. Yes, I know you're a good fighter, but the Crown Prince of Qi is an eighth-rank cultivator, and he has so many experts under him. How many of them can you possibly defeat?"

Zu'an chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Good. Even at a time like this, you're still worrying about me. Your brother-in-law hasn't doted on you in vain."

"Hmph, who wants your doting?" Chu Youzhao's face flushed slightly with embarrassment and anxiety, and for a moment, she forgot what to say.

At that moment, the Crown Prince of Qi spoke. "Ah, I seem to recall something. If I'm not mistaken, the Chu family recently severed ties with Zu'an, right? He's been expelled from the Chu family, so he's no longer the eldest Miss Chu's husband, nor is he your brother-in-law. So, Young Master Chu, you needn't trouble yourself."

Though his status meant he didn't care much for the Chu family, their relationship with the Qin family was extraordinary. Both the eldest Miss Chu and the third Young Master Chu were highly favored by the two Dukes of Qin, and it was widely known that Murong Qinghe was fond of the third Young Master Chu. He didn't want this minor incident to affect their relationship, which was why he patiently explained the situation to Chu Youzhao.

Just as Chu Youzhao was about to speak, Zu'an grasped her hand and transmitted his voice with spiritual energy. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Chu Youzhao was startled. Hearing the steadiness in his voice, it seemed he wasn't as blinded by anger as she had imagined.

Recalling their various interactions, though he often vexed her, he had always proven as reliable as a mountain in times of danger. Even though she still couldn't understand why he would directly confront the Crown Prince of Qi, she gave up on trying to persuade him further.

It was only then that she realized her hand was still in his. Her heart pounded wildly, and she hastily withdrew her hand, then retreated to Murong Qinghe's side. Only when she was with her usual companion did she feel a little calmer.

Murong Qinghe looked at her curiously. "Brother Chu, why is your face so red?"

"Is it? Perhaps I'm just a little worried," Chu Youzhao replied evasively, touching her face and finding it warm.

"Brother Chu, you don't need to worry too much. You've done what you could. If your brother-in-law insists on this path, there's nothing you can do to save him." Murong Qinghe secretly scorned Zu'an again, deeming him merely a reckless brute. To her, a beautiful young man like Brother Chu was far more appealing.

At this point, the Crown Prince of Qi spoke. "Very well. For the sake of the eldest Miss Chu and the third Young Master Chu, I won't make things too difficult for him. Let him sever one hand and one leg himself, and this matter will be settled."

Murong Qinghe secretly nodded. Although the Crown Prince of Qi was quite ruthless, this was already the best outcome for Zu'an. At least his life would be spared; as for a severed hand and leg, he could recover with some time.

Chu Youzhao's face was etched with anxiety. She wished her sister had come with her this time; with her here, there would surely be a way to resolve this situation.

Zu'an picked his ear, saying impatiently, "Are you done with your nonsense? Do you think you get by in this world with just your mouth? You think you're me?"

The Crown Prince of Qi's face hardened. "Excellent. You've successfully provoked my anger. Come, if he's unwilling to do it himself, then you help him break them."

Rage from Zhao Zhi +888!

"Yes!" The surrounding knights, who had already received their orders, grinned savagely and spurred their horses towards Zu'an.

They had been bored to tears from long periods in the military camp; today, they finally had something to do.

The Crown Prince had mentioned breaking legs, so they would exceed that. After all, "that thing" was also considered a third leg. They planned to seize the opportunity to cripple him and see how arrogant he could be then.

"Brother-in-law, be careful!" Seeing the galloping horses, Chu Youzhao's heart leaped into her throat.

Cavalry held an overwhelming advantage over infantry; a cavalry charge on the battlefield was like the arrival of Death for foot soldiers.

Murong Qinghe sighed. Since Brother Chu cared so much, she would try her best to save his brother-in-law's life later. She figured the Crown Prince of Qi would still grant her that favor.

Zu'an stood his ground with his hands behind his back, seemingly oblivious to the charging cavalry.

"He's scared senseless!" The same thought surfaced in every knight's mind. They had initially planned to outflank and encircle him, completely cutting off his escape routes and gradually cornering him until he had nowhere to hide.

They hadn't expected the fellow to foolishly stand there without dodging, which made things even easier.

Getting hit by these galloping horses would likely shatter half his sternum, but he had only himself to blame for provoking the Crown Prince.

A group of knights sneered and charged directly at him.

Just then, an anomaly occurred: the charging horses suddenly halted, transitioning from extreme motion to absolute stillness in the blink of an eye.

Many riders were caught off guard and tumbled violently from their saddles due to inertia. Only a few high-ranking cultivators managed to maintain their balance, but they swayed unsteadily and appeared dishevelled.

The fallen riders had not anticipated such a sudden change. They were bruised and swollen, many even suffering fractures, while a few unlucky ones landed face-first, losing half their teeth and bleeding from their noses and mouths, appearing utterly miserable.

Everyone was stunned. Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe instinctively rubbed their eyes, as if unable to believe what they were seeing.

The Crown Prince of Qi and his entourage looked on in confusion at the suddenly uncontrolled mounts. These were warhorses trained rigorously enough not to be startled even on a chaotic battlefield, so why had they behaved this way?

The gap-toothed stableman by the carriage let out a sound of surprise, murmuring to himself, "How did he do that? Even I can't figure it out."

Zu'an calmly surveyed the groaning knights on the ground and said mockingly, "The New Year hasn't even arrived, yet you're all so eager to kneel and pay your respects. I'm not giving out New Year's money, though."

"You brat, you're asking for death!" The knights roared in fury, ignoring their injuries as they drew their sabers and charged at him. They hadn't used their weapons during the initial charge, but now they were utterly enraged by him.

Rage from the knights +999999999...

The remaining few knights who hadn't been thrown also lunged forward.

Murong Qinghe, from the side, explained, "Most of these knights are Fourth and Fifth Rank, with several at Sixth Rank. Crucially, they are from the Empire's most elite field army, highly skilled in combined military formations. Even a Seventh Rank expert would be in great danger encountering them alone."

Hearing her words, Chu Youzhao's heart, which had just begun to settle, tightened once more.