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Chu Zhongtian sighed bitterly. “Wanru, it’s not as if you don’t know our daughter’s personality. Once she has chosen a person, no matter how incapable he is, she won’t change her mind anymore. Do you want her to remarry?”
Qin Wanru also felt incredibly helpless about this matter. “Chuyan might have never mentioned why she chose that useless trash, but as parents, how could we possibly not know what she’s thinking of? She’s afraid that if we bring in someone who’s too strong-willed and capable, he might seek to covet the businesses of our Chu clan. If so, that would put her in a spot between us and her husband. She’s doing it for us. As her mother, it’s also my duty to think on her behalf. At the very least, I should groom Zu An to be a decent human being.”
Chu Zhongtian nodded in realization. “Ah, so that’s the reason why you’re so strict on him.”
“Of course!” Qin Wanru rolled her eyes. “Why else would I order him to copy our family rules? Do you think that just anyone is worthy of copying our Chu clan’s family rules? I am doing this to let him know that I already think of him as a member of our Chu clan, and I’m encouraging him to turn over a new leaf and work harder in the future.”
“But I heard that you ordered Cheng Shouping to do it together with him. Do you view him to be a member of the Chu clan too?” Chu Zhongtian asked.
“Pui! I just can’t stand that skunk!” Just thinking about how Cheng Shouping brought all of those wretches before her and urged to choose those that would serve as her husband’s concubines with a fawning smile, she felt great wrath boiling inside her. “Besides, a hundred copies is too much. If I don’t get someone to help Zu An, he won’t be able to finish it even if he doesn’t rest for the night.”
“I didn’t think that my wife would be so considerate!” Chu Zhongtian burst into laughter. After he calmed down a little, he hesitated for a brief moment before adding on, “However, Zu An doesn’t seem to be a bright child. Given his wits, I doubt that he’ll be able to appreciate the deeper intentions behind your actions.”
Qin Wanru: “…”
She had also realized this possibility too… No, it was definitely the case. Without an out-of-the-world level of dumbness, how could that fellow have become a renowned useless trash in the city?
“Should I play the good man here? I’ll head over there and tip him off,” Chu Zhongtian asked.
Qin Wanru thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Bring some snacks over too so that it doesn’t appear too abrupt.”
“Alright.” Chu Zhongtian smiled. The entire world said that he had married a shrew. They laughed at him, saying that he was just a slave to his wife. However, he knew very well that his wife was a person with a sharp mouth but a soft heart. She was much better than those who put on a tender front but schemed in the shadows.
He ordered his servant to prepare several boxes of desserts before making his way over to the Reflection Room. From outside, he saw a silhouette through the windows diligently copying down the family rules. He nodded in approval as he muttered to himself, “At least he’s hardworking.”
“You must be exhausted by now. Take a short break. Your mother-in-law told me to bring some…” Chu Zhongtian pushed the door open and entered the room, only to have the smile on his face freeze halfway through his words. He realized that there was only one person in the room—Cheng Shouping. Zu An was nowhere to be found.
Cheng Shouping immediately rushed over and hugged Chu Zhongtian’s thighs in agitation. With tears streaming down his face, he cried out, “Old master, I knew that you wouldn’t have forgotten about me! I have not wasted my years serving you diligently. To think that you would deliver food to me personally in the middle of the night. I’m really touched!”
Chu Zhongtian held back his urge to kick Cheng Shouping away as he spoke with forced composure, “Where’s your young master?”
As if he was reminded of a tragic event, Cheng Shouping burst out wailing as he said, “Young master came by earlier, but when he saw how many words there were in the family rules, he ordered me to copy it by myself here. Old master, my hands are already on the verge of falling off!”
Since Zu An wasn’t here anyway, Cheng Shouping didn’t hesitate to sell him off.
“That scoundrel! How dare he!” Even the usually kind and patient Chu Zhongtian was infuriated by Zu An’s audacity, especially when he remembered how much thought his wife had put into this. How could that brat snub his wife’s goodwill? The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t stand it.
So, he immediately stomped off to settle the score with Zu An. However, barely after taking a few steps, he turned around and looked at Cheng Shouping, who was following him for some reason, with a frown. “Why are you following me?”
“I… I’ll bring you to young master’s side!” Cheng Shouping was almost impressed by his own wits. To think that he managed to find such a perfect excuse on the spot. Not only would he be able to avoid the punishment, but he could also earn some brownie points with the old master too. Even he was impressed by his own intelligence!
Chu Zhongtian harrumphed coldly. “There’s no need for that, I’ll go on my own. You can continue copying the family rules.” This was the bastard who spread the news that he was grabbed by the ear by his wife, turning him into the laughingstock of the whole city. That was why he couldn’t help but feel a surge of rage every time he saw Cheng Shouping.
Cheng Shouping widened his eyes in disbelief. “???”
Old master, do you not dote on me anymore? Old master, what did I do so wrong? Old master…
It was only after seeing that the snack box on the table that Chu Zhongtian had left behind that Cheng Shouping heaved a sigh of relief. Looks like the old master still cares about me.
Meanwhile, Zu An was still suffering from his injuries in his room when he received a notification coming from the system.
You have successfully trolled Chu Zhongtian for +283 Rage!
Ah? It’s my father-in-law this time around? What in the world happened for even a kind man like him to end up losing his temper too?
While Zu An was perplexed, an incensed figure barged into his room. “You brat! You’re indeed here!”
“Father-in-law.” Zu An struggled to rise from his bed, only to fail in the end. “Pardon me. I’m injured at the moment, so I can’t get up to greet you properly…”
Those words, ‘father-in-law’, made Chu Zhongtian’s eyelids twitch uncontrollably. For some reason, it felt incredibly uncomfortable for him to hear those words from Zu An. However, before he could think deeper into it, he suddenly noticed the details in Zu An’s words and exclaimed in astonishment, “You’re injured!”
“Yes, father-in-law.” Zu An looked at Chu Zhongtian indignantly.
Chu Zhongtian hurriedly rushed forward to inspect his condition. “You’re severely injured! How did this happen?”
You’re lucky that Ji Dengtu’s medicine has already healed half of my injuries, or else my earlier state would have surely scared you to death! Despite harboring such thoughts in mind, Zu An replied, “I’m not sure either. I was walking in the estate earlier when a black-clothed man suddenly leaped out and started beating me up. If not for the commotion alerting the guards around, I would have already lost my life.”
Zu An’s words were only partially true. It just so happened that there was someone in the estate who was out for his life, so it would be good to have Chu Zhongtian investigate the matter. As long as he could root out those who were out for his life, it would be a happy ending.
His initial thought was to pin the blame on Plum Blossom Thirteen so as to have the Chu clan eliminate the Plum Blossom Sect. It would have been a good idea, if not for Cheng Shouping telling him that the Chu clan was extremely opposed to any of its clan members gambling.
A distant relative of the Chu clan had once lost money, and the lender knocked on the gates of the Chu clan to demand payment. In a moment of rage, Chu Zhongtian crushed the legs of that distant relative in order to send a stern warning out to the rest of the clan members.
Recalling the fact that Plum Blossom Thirteen still had his debt note, Zu An had no choice but to put away that idea.
“There’s actually such a matter?” A tight frown formed on Chu Zhongtian’s forehead as possibilities quickly flashed across his mind. “Don’t worry, I’ll tighten the security around the estate so that such a thing never happens again.”
“Thank you, father-in-law!” Zu An said in gratitude.
Chu Zhongtian nodded in response. He ordered his attendant to summon the estate’s physician over before assuring Zu An once more, “Don’t worry, your injuries aren’t fatal. You’ll be able to recover soon. I’ll head off first to investigate this matter. For the time being, don’t think too much and rest well.”
“But I haven’t finished copying the family rules yet. I need to get back to the Reflection Room to work…” Zu An struggled to rise to his feet, putting on an act of a diligent student.
The guards standing by Chu Zhongtian’s side scoffed silently in disdain. Who do you think you are putting on an act for? Do you think that we don’t know what kind of person you are?
However, Chu Zhongtian didn’t doubt Zu An’s intentions. “Don’t worry, you can leave it all to Cheng Shouping.” After saying those words, he quickly left the room. In truth, he already harbored some suspicions before that someone was aiming for Zu An’s life, and this incident further affirmed his doubts. He would have to discuss this matter thoroughly with his wife to come up with a countermeasure.
Zu An could only offer his almost earnest sympathy to Cheng Shouping. Friend, I’ll be counting on you.
Shortly after Chu Zhongtian left, someone brought a physician over, who quickly prepared a prescription for him before proceeding on to bandage his body.
In truth, Zu An didn’t need all of this hassle. Ji Dengtu’s medicine was extremely effective, just that it would take some time for him to recover back to full health. However, it would be difficult for him to explain this matter, so he could only leave the physician to do what he was doing.
It was some time later before everyone finally left his room, giving Zu An some alone time to inspect his own physical condition.
He was too severely injured earlier to check on it earlier, but now that he was finally taking a look, he realized that all nine formations on his skin had been fully filled. A short moment later, a new set of nine formations appeared in his muscles all over his body.
What’s going on? Wasn’t only 6 of the formations filled earlier on?
Zu An could hardly believe his eyes. He rubbed his eyes forcefully before checking it once more, and he was indeed not seeing things.
Could it be due to the battle I had with Pei Mianman?
Thinking back, I did suffer quite a bit of damage from her. Her strikes had shattered countless of his ribcages back then. If not for the Heiress Ball of Delights, my injuries would have been enough to kill me ten times over.
Even though he knew that the effects of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra allowed him to raise his cultivation faster the more injuries he sustained, he never thought that it would have been so fast.
One must know that based on his previous calculations, filling the seventh formation would take 13 Ki Fruits, 21 for the eighth formation, and 34 for the ninth formation. That added up to a total of 68 Ki Fruits!
Converted into Rage points, even if he obtained a Ki Fruit every ten rolls, he would still require 68,000 Rage points in total.
Comparing these two methods with one another, it was indeed far more efficient for him to raise his cultivation by getting beaten up than to rely on his Rage points.
Maybe I should try to get myself beaten up in the future?
It was not as if he was a masochist, but the rewards were really tempting.
However, after a short moment of excitement, he soon tossed the idea aside. The reason why he was able to make such a huge gain today was due to the effects of the Heiress Ball of Delights. If not for it, he would have already died many times over.
The Heiress Ball of Delights only had one use left, and he couldn’t afford to squander it away. Without this trump card, not only would it be extremely painful, but there was also a risk that he might just accidentally drop dead if he were to get careless for even a moment. He didn’t think that he would be so lucky as to survive the beatings each and every time.
All in all, it was best for him to rely primarily on Ki Fruits instead. It was indeed slower, but at least it was safer and steadier.
Zu An took a closer look, and he realized that some additional lines had formed among the nine formations on his skin, connecting them with one another. Together, they formed an imprint of a bizarre, massive bird.
This massive bird looked as if it was about to flap its wings and soar into the sky. It had a snowy body and a crimson tail. There were several yellow spots all over its body that looked like small eyes.
What was more eye-catching, though, was its head. It bore some resemblance to a mixture of a tiger and a demon, yet being neither of the two. It had a ferocious and terrifying appearance that induced goosebumps.
“What is this?” Zu An was a little shocked. He soon realized that there was something similar to a seal at the bottom right corner of the bizarre, massive bird imprint. There was a word on the seal: Grandgale.