Chapter 7: Breakthrough

Zu An turned around and found a stool to sit on. "Let's begin," he said. "I have only one request: don't hit my face. I rely on it for my livelihood."

Chu Huanzhao gritted her teeth in irritation. However, she didn't want her parents and sister to know about this, so she agreed, "Alright, I won't hit your face then." With a flick of her delicate wrist, the whip in her hand whistled terrifyingly through the air and struck his chest, tearing his clothes directly. Flesh and blood immediately flew from his chest.

However, the smile on Chu Huanzhao's face quickly froze. There was no expected scream, no wailing or sobbing—nothing. The other party simply sat calmly on the stool, though his expression was a little strange.

Zu An's expression was naturally strange, because the intense pain he expected was completely absent. Instead, there was an immense feeling of pleasure, like someone lost in the desert for days suddenly taking a bite of ice-cold watermelon, or like seeing your name at the top of the imperial examination results. It felt so good he almost cried out.

However, considering his future reputation and to avoid strange rumors spreading that he was a masochist, he tried his best to suppress any strange sounds.

"Huh?" Chu Huanzhao's eyes widened in surprise. What was happening before her was truly beyond her imagination.

*This guy must be feigning indifference and pretending to be tough. Yes, that must be it! The last time, he screamed repeatedly when whipped. This time, it must be because of the bet.*

Chu Huanzhao bit her lip hard and whipped him again. She knew the power of the "Whip of Wailing" all too well. Perhaps someone could endure one whip with great willpower, but absolutely no one could withstand a second.

This whip left a bloody "X" mark on his chest. Chu Huanzhao watched him expectantly, thinking, *You still won't cry out in pain?*

To her surprise, Zu An's reaction was just a soft, "Hmm? Oh..."

He couldn't help it; this was already him trying his best to control himself. That strange feeling was extremely embarrassing, as if a new world had opened up to him.

Chu Huanzhao felt a shiver down her spine. What happened today was truly beyond her comprehension. After thinking for a moment, she decided to strike a different spot; perhaps his chest was so severely injured it had become numb.

So she took a deep breath and lashed the third whip directly at his leg. However, she was immediately disappointed. Although his expression showed discomfort, as if he was struggling to endure something, he still didn't cry out in pain.

"I won, didn't I?" Zu An, at this point, noticed that the second formation was already more than half filled with golden energy. It seemed this young woman really hit hard enough.

"How is that possible!" Chu Huanzhao's eyes widened. She looked at the whip in her hand, falling into deep doubt. *Had the whip lost its power?*

After a moment of thought, she walked up to Zu An and handed him the whip. "You try whipping me once."

Zu An's spirits instantly lifted. "You're really letting me hit you?"

"If I say hit, then hit, stop talking nonsense! Just remember not to hit my face," Chu Huanzhao said, raising her head with a defiant expression.

Seeing her eyes tightly closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and her fair, smooth cheeks like freshly peeled boiled eggs, Zu An couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Though the women of the Chu family were each more abnormal than the last, their genes were truly excellent.

He naturally wouldn't hit her face, not out of any chivalry, but because he was worried about trouble if other members of the Chu family saw it later.

He chuckled, "I've never heard such a request in my life. I'll certainly satisfy you." That young woman had just whipped him so hard; now it was her turn to get a taste.

So he swung the long whip fiercely. However, due to the pain reduction, he had greatly underestimated his injuries. He was lucky to even be breathing now; he had no strength to wield the whip properly.

The whip was remarkably weak, yet even so, when it landed on Chu Huanzhao, she immediately screamed in agony. She painfully clutched the injured spot, crying, "It hurts so much!"

Seeing her tears falling nonstop from the pain, Zu An for the first time felt fortunate that he had drawn that "Rich Lady's Delight Orb."

"You scoundrel, how could you hit so hard?" Chu Huanzhao cried, covering her wound and wiping away tears.

Zu An's face darkened. "Yours was clearly much harder just now, wasn't it?"

"Then why didn't you cry out in pain?" Chu Huanzhao stared at him curiously. She knew his strike just now was far weaker than her own few whips.

Zu An lightly coughed, his face expressionless, and said, "A real man never cries out in pain." He had to maintain his cool facade.

Chu Huanzhao blinked, then nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. "It seems I underestimated you before. Alright, you won this time. I won't pursue the 'bootlicker' matter anymore."

With that, she turned to leave. She needed to quickly return and have her maid apply some medicine. She also wondered if it would leave a scar.

To her surprise, she was pulled back. She heard him looking at her with an expectant face: "Don't go yet, whip me a few more times."

Chu Huanzhao: "???"

"Peh, peh, peh!" Zu An also felt saying that was too crude. He quickly corrected himself, "No, no, I mean, let's bet again."

He had noticed how quickly the formation was being filled, so how could he give up such a great opportunity? Moreover, that Rich Lady's Delight Orb had a time limit; it would be a huge waste to let it expire.

"Bet what?" Chu Huanzhao asked instinctively.

Zu An replied, "The same as before. If I win, you won't bring up me climbing into your bed last night again. If I lose, well, I'll... lick your shoes."

Although he didn't fully understand this world yet, he figured that in any world, sneaking into one's sister-in-law's bed on one's wedding night would be an unforgivable offense. By first gaining the person's understanding, things would be much easier for him in the Chu family.

To his surprise, Chu Huanzhao's face instantly turned red. "You want to lick my shoes that badly? You pervert! I'm definitely telling my sister!"

Zu An: "..."

*Wasn't that damn perverted bet your idea just now?!*

"Alright, I agree!" Chu Huanzhao said, her face alight with excitement. Like other gamblers, she had just lost inexplicably and was eager for another chance to win back her losses.

"Please, whip me!" Zu An declared with a look of heroic sacrifice.

Three more whips landed. Looking at the man who was practically sprawled on the ground, barely able to stand, yet still made no sound of agony, Chu Huanzhao's eyes held a hint of bewilderment. "You... don't feel pain?"

"Of course it hurts, but a real man never cries out in pain!" Zu An said. Seeing that the third formation was already half-filled, his heart bloomed with joy, but he couldn't let her see through his act.

Chu Huanzhao fell silent. The man before her was the bravest she had ever seen in her life. He was pitifully weak, yet his willpower was so incredibly strong. She had seen too many self-proclaimed heroes, far stronger than him, but not one had ever been able to withstand two of her whips.

"How about we bet one more time?" Zu An probed.

Chu Huanzhao's expression immediately turned strange. "Do you have some kind of special fetish?"

"Of course not!" Zu An immediately denied it. "Are you kidding? I can't let that reputation stick; it's too embarrassing. I was just thinking that if I win, you'd lick my shoes."

"Hmph, dream on, no bet!" If it had been before, Chu Huanzhao would have readily agreed, as she wouldn't have believed he stood a chance of winning. But having lost twice in a row, she felt uneasy.

Zu An also realized she probably wouldn't accept that bet, so he changed his offer: "Then if I win, you'll respectfully call me brother-in-law whenever you see me, alright?"

Chu Huanzhao weighed the options. He was already her brother-in-law, so even if she lost, it didn't seem like a big deal. She nodded, "Alright!"

A new round of betting began. After one whip, Zu An could no longer suppress his body's trembling, and a groan escaped his throat—not one of pain, but of pleasure and satisfaction.

"You really are a pervert! I'm done with you!" Chu Huanzhao's face was beet red. She stomped her foot, scooped up the man she called "the bootlicker," and quickly ran out the door.

"Hey, there are still two more whips!" Zu An urgently called out. But she disappeared into the night like a startled rabbit.

*Seriously, she's such a poor sport.*

Zu An grumbled inwardly. The only comforting thought was that the third formation was almost full. He forcefully threw a punch, just about to feel what difference it made, when a voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

"You've actually reached the second grade, third stage? You're just a hair's breadth away from the third stage completion!" A figure walked in, none other than the old man Mi.

*Had this guy been hiding in the dark watching the show the whole time?*

Zu An was indignant, but he didn't show it at all. Instead, he asked, "What is the second grade, third stage?"

Old Man Mi explained, "Didn't I tell you before? The first grade involves drawing essence qi into the body, and the second grade involves tempering the skin. For the second grade and above, each grade is further divided into nine minor realms. You, young man, have actually directly advanced to the second grade, third stage in less than an hour. That's strange. Normally, it takes months or even years for people to cultivate essence qi into their bodies, let alone reach the second grade. For someone of your inferior D-grade aptitude to directly break through to the second grade, third stage in such a short time, that secret manual, while miraculous, shouldn't provide such a rapid improvement."

Zu An then realized that after the keyboard absorbed the secret manual, F2 had engraved nine formations onto his skin. This must have allowed him to skip the most difficult stage of drawing essence qi into his body, directly entering the second grade. Filling nearly three more formations then brought him to the second grade, third stage.

He was wondering how to explain it to the old man. After all, "lying low" was the best strategy. His power was still weak, and it would be bad if his exceptional talent aroused jealousy and murderous intent.

But at this moment, Old Man Mi was already muttering to himself, "It seems the Whip of Wailing is indeed powerful. Also, you endured the pain, pushing your body to its limit, and combined with the secret manual's cultivation method, you achieved such an exaggerated cultivation speed."

He even wondered if he should try it this way himself next time.

Seeing that Old Man Mi had finished his own conclusions, Zu An didn't need to waste words explaining. He was just about to ask what abilities came with reaching the second grade, third stage, when a sharp pain suddenly struck him, making him cry out.