Chapter 686: Deceiving to Eat and Drink

A surge of anger erupted from Yu Yanluo. No woman is indifferent to the topic of age. She had been observing the drama from the sidelines, only for it to unexpectedly turn on her.

Old Fu’s expression was equally bewildered. In all these years, it was the first time any man had ever expressed disdain for his mistress’s age. After all, with such stunning beauty, what difference does a woman’s age make? Furthermore, she wasn’t old in the slightest; she looked almost as young as the girls present. Was this fellow blind?

Murong Qinghe, standing nearby, tugged on Chu Youzhao’s sleeve. “Your brother-in-law is truly bold, daring to say such things,” she giggled. Having grown up in the capital, she naturally knew exactly who Yu Yanluo was. Back in their fathers’ generation, Yu Yanluo’s beauty was unparalleled in the capital, captivating the entire aristocratic circle, and countless men had fallen for her charms.

Chu Youzhao’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. “What brother-in-law? I don’t even know this guy.” It was utterly humiliating. Of all the things to boast about, why this? And to claim in front of me that another woman was deeply infatuated with him—how was that supposed to make my sister feel?

The Prince of Qi’s heir was momentarily stunned before erupting into booming laughter. “Yu Yanluo deeply in love with you? Hahahaha, are you trying to make me die of laughter? Do you even know who Yu Yanluo is? She’s the world’s foremost beauty! Back then, even the Emperor and my father pursued her… *cough, cough*…” Realizing his slip of the tongue, he quickly swallowed the rest of his sentence. “If a goddess-like figure such as her were to ever fall for a scoundrel like you, I’d livestream myself eating excrement while standing on my head right here and now!”

Zu An curled his lips. “Trying to scrounge a free meal again? Fine, I’ll humor you for a bit.” As he spoke, he pulled out a pure white jade pendant from his embrace. It was intricately carved with exquisite floral and animal motifs, and at its very center was the character for “Yu.” “Do you recognize this jade pendant?” he asked. “This is the token of love Yu Yanluo gave me. She always kept it close to her body, but since she can’t be with me all the time, she gave me this personal item to accompany me in her place.”

When I rescued Yu Yanluo from Black Wind Stronghold, she promised me a great reward upon her return to Mingyue City. However, when I went to the Yu family branch in Mingyue City to find her, I discovered she had already left and never came back. Wasn’t that clearly a trick? Given that, he saw no reason to hold back. He might as well use her name to impress everyone.

Now it was the turn of the Prince of Qi’s heir and Chu Youzhao to be astonished. Although they didn’t recognize Yu Yanluo’s personal belongings, they certainly recognized the character “Yu” in the center of the jade pendant. Moreover, the patterns on the pendant were the Yu family’s crest, which no outsider could possibly fake.

“Could Brother-in-law truly have won Yu Yanluo’s favor?” Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe stared at Zu An in disbelief, their cherry-red lips agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

“How is this possible?!” The Prince of Qi’s heir was equally dumbfounded. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of jealousy even crossed his mind. Who was Yu Yanluo? While beauties in the capital were as plentiful as fish in a river, she was undeniably the foremost among them. Even his own father had sought her in vain back then. He himself had chanced upon her a few years prior, and that single breathtaking glimpse had left him unable to forget her peerless beauty. He had dreamed of her countless times since. Yet, he understood perfectly that someone like Yu Yanluo was destined to be beyond his reach, leaving him with nothing but pure admiration. Now, to discover that the goddess he only dared to worship silently in his heart had inexplicably fallen for a man he utterly disdained—how could his composure not shatter?

This is impossible!

A colossal wave of anger emanated from Zhao Zhi.

The Prince of Qi’s heir quickly regained his composure. How could such a divine figure possibly favor a live-in son-in-law like him? He took a deep breath, feeling his rationality return, then sneered, “Who knows which Yu family member you scrounged that jade pendant from, claiming it’s Yu Yanluo’s? Do you honestly think I’d believe you? Yu Yanluo liking you? Go take a good look at yourself in a mirror! Bah!”

Murong Qinghe and Chu Youzhao even nodded in profound agreement, convinced that this was the only logical explanation.

Only the gap-toothed coachman, standing some distance away, knew that this jade pendant was not something an ordinary Yu family member could possess; it was indeed his own mistress’s personal belonging. He gazed towards the carriage with a hint of disbelief. “Madam, could it be that you actually have feelings for this young man?”

From within, the woman’s light scoff echoed. “Bah, do even you believe that nonsense?”

The gap-toothed coachman offered an embarrassed smile. He had initially been the least convinced, knowing that throughout the years, his mistress had never shown closeness to any man, not even her nominal husband, the Duke of Yunzhong. Yet, today, he had witnessed her displaying an unusual level of concern for this man named Zu An, which made his suspicion understandable.

“If Madam has no connection to him, then I’ll go tear his mouth apart to stop him from ruining Madam’s good name out there,” the gap-toothed coachman declared, his face alight with righteous indignation.

“No, wait,” the woman inside the carriage quickly interjected. “Let’s observe the situation first.”

The gap-toothed coachman raised an eyebrow. It seemed his mistress indeed felt something unique for this young man.

Zu An put away the jade pendant and said with a look of disdain, “Ultimately, you’re just jealous. If you don’t believe me, go to the Yu family and ask anyone. But I suspect that even if Yu Yanluo herself comes out to explain, you’ll still deny it—just to avoid livestreaming yourself eating excrement while standing on your head.”

The Prince of Qi’s heir’s fair face instantly flushed to the color of a pig’s liver. “Hmph, I can’t be bothered to waste any more words on you. You’ve been slandering Yu Yanluo behind her back; the Yu family will naturally deal with you. Now, let’s discuss our business.”

“What business could there possibly be between us?” Zu An said with a look of utter disdain. “I’m only interested in women. No matter how fair-skinned you are, you hold no interest for me.”

The Prince of Qi’s heir was speechless.

A colossal wave of anger emanated from Zhao Zhi.

He took a deep breath, calming his emotions, then snorted, “Sharp-tongued, aren’t you? But this is a world of cultivation, where strength dictates everything. Today, I’ll show you that there’s always someone stronger, always a higher peak to reach!”

Chu Youzhao’s heart tightened once more. It was widely known that the Prince of Qi’s heir was an Eighth-rank master. Now that her brother-in-law had completely enraged him, how could he possibly show any mercy once the fight began?

“Wait!” Seeing him about to make a move, Zu An quickly raised a hand to stop him.

“What, scared?” The Prince of Qi’s heir sneered, though he didn’t rush to strike. “If you’re frightened, I’ll grant you an opportunity: kneel before me and kowtow ten times, producing clear thuds, and I might consider letting you off the hook.” He merely said he would *consider* it, not that he promised to release him. Once Zu An had kowtowed publicly, he would then make him understand just how cruel this world could be.

Zu An sighed. “I’m just trying to avoid trouble. If I beat you so badly that you cry for your mommy and daddy, and then you go running back for reinforcements, this whole thing will never end.”

The Prince of Qi’s heir let out a contemptuous laugh. “To deal with a good-for-nothing like you, I need reinforcements?” While Zu An’s cultivation might have been decent, in the eyes of an Eighth-rank expert, he could certainly be considered a good-for-nothing.

“You can never be too sure,” Zu An replied. “How about this: you and I make a Heavenly Dao Oath to fight fairly, and afterward, neither of us will seek revenge from others?” Zu An wasn’t afraid of the man before him, but the influence of the Prince of Qi was a factor he couldn’t ignore.

The Prince of Qi’s heir frowned. In truth, he was somewhat swayed by the proposal. After all, Zu An was a subordinate of the Eastern Palace, and according to intelligence from his informants, it seemed both the Crown Prince and Crown Princess trusted him deeply. Should the Eastern Palace hold him accountable afterward, it would indeed cause significant trouble. If both parties were to make a Heavenly Dao Oath, it would indeed prevent any future repercussions. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some hidden scheme behind Zu An’s words.

Seeing him lost in thought, Zu An goaded him, “What, is the esteemed Prince of Qi’s heir afraid of losing to me? Fine, at worst, you can just trot out your father again, and I’ll deal with him too.”

The Prince of Qi’s heir flared into a rage. “Afraid of you?!”

A surge of anger erupted from Zhao Zhi.

While such an eminent lineage brought him countless advantages, it also had its drawbacks: people tended to believe his achievements were entirely due to his father. Yet, he stubbornly believed his accomplishments were his own, with no reliance on external resources beyond his capabilities. Therefore, he detested nothing more than the suggestion that he owed everything to his father.

“An oath it is then,” the Prince of Qi’s heir stated, “but don’t you dare regret it.” He knew Zu An was provoking him, but he didn’t mind; this was the perfect opportunity to eliminate potential future troubles once and for all.