Chapter 24

Zuan An had been observing the central carriage for a while. At first glance, he felt a sense of grandeur and luxury.

"Is it a Rolls-Royce?" Despite the two having no similar appearance, the term still popped into Zuan An's mind.

Aesthetics are largely universal, regardless of the world. The carriage's every inch of paint seemed like a work of art, each line a testament to a master's craftsmanship. The four horses pulling the carriage were identical in size and coat color, exceptionally magnificent.

The wheels, the body, and even the hooves of the horses emitted a faint blue light, clearly engraved with intricate magic arrays, allowing the carriage to travel smoothly over any road without causing the slightest discomfort to the passengers.

Zuan An had once ridden in the Chu family's carriage, but compared to this one, it fell far short in every aspect.

At this moment, a pleasant and melodious female voice came from inside the carriage: "Go? Where can I go?" Her voice naturally carried a hint of laziness and tenderness, making one feel as if their bones would melt upon hearing it.

However, her tone was filled with confusion.

"Is there really such a beautiful voice in the world?" Ji Xiaoxi, standing at a distance, was stunned and muttered to herself. Zuan An, on the other hand, was somewhat unimpressed. The internet in his previous world was highly developed, especially the rise of voice actors, which had exposed him to countless beautiful voices. However, a beautiful voice did not necessarily mean a beautiful appearance, and many otakus had been deceived to their wits' end because of this.

The group of black-clothed men initially lost their composure for a moment but quickly burst into laughter: "Madam Yu is indeed inside. Brothers, let's put in more effort. We also have a chance to taste the former capital's first beauty."

Hearing his words, the black-clothed men roared with excitement, clearly becoming even more agitated.

The group of white-clothed guards had red eyes, but they were outnumbered. Even if they burst with all their strength, it was difficult to withstand the overwhelming attacks from all sides.

"Ah, it's her!" Ji Xiaoxi exclaimed.

Zuan An asked curiously, "What? Do you know the person in the carriage?"

Ji Xiaoxi shook her head: "Not exactly. I know about her. The Yunzhong Yu family deals in essence stones and is a well-known wealthy family. When Madam Yu Yanluo first entered the capital, she was the most beautiful woman in the capital, and many men still remember her fondly."

At this point, her face flushed, thinking of her father, who claimed to be Madam Yu's number one fan, which she found embarrassing to admit.

Zuan An, after listening, was somewhat puzzled: "From what you said, her family should be very powerful. Why can't they even fend off these bandits?"

Ji Xiaoxi immediately corrected him: "Blackwind Fort is not an ordinary bandit group but a very powerful one. Even the Duke..."

She was interrupted by Zuan An: "No matter how powerful, they are still bandits. The Yu family, being a well-known wealthy family, and with the lady being so beautiful, should naturally attract the covetous eyes of powerful forces. Given the level of protection they have, how has she managed to survive without being taken as a plaything by a powerful person?"

"Uh~" Ji Xiaoxi was clearly uncomfortable with the term "plaything." After some thought, she said, "It might be because her husband is the Duke of Yunzhong. However, the Duke recently met with an accident and died, causing internal turmoil in the family, which has affected the strength of her guards."

"Another case of internal strife in a powerful family." Zuan An nodded in agreement. He had only been in the Chu family for two days and had already encountered countless threats. Someone like Yu Yanluo would have faced even more.

"Is the leader of those black-clothed men the thief Chen Xuan you mentioned earlier?" Zuan An pointed to the leader of the black-clothed men.

Ji Xiaoxi shook her head: "It's probably not him. Chen Xuan is at least a Sixth Rank, possibly even a Seventh Rank, but none of these people are even Fifth Rank."

"By the way, I've always wanted to ask you, how do you usually distinguish the rank of an enemy?" Zuan An thought this was not like a game where everyone had a level indicator above their head. This was his biggest headache. He lacked knowledge of the world's common sense, and in a real crisis, not knowing the enemy's level would put him at a significant disadvantage.

After all, not everyone is like Plum Blossom Twelve, who would foolishly tell you their rank.

"Do you not know this?" Ji Xiaoxi was somewhat surprised but patiently explained, "First Rank can sense the elemental energy of the world. Second Rank has tough skin that can resist ordinary blade attacks. Third Rank can project elemental energy up to three feet away, forming a protective shield to block attacks. Fourth Rank can project true qi to attack from a distance. Fifth Rank awakens elemental abilities, and each attack carries a special elemental power. Sixth Rank forms an elemental protective membrane to resist and avoid elemental attacks. Seventh Rank can automatically heal, and the damage from lower-ranked enemies is less than the healing rate. Eighth Rank can communicate with the elemental forces of the world, which is far more powerful than the previous ranks. I'm not very clear about the higher ranks, but I know they can fly and such."

"None of these people can use elemental attacks, so they are clearly not above Fifth Rank. The leader is probably the third in command of Blackwind Fort, Bao Gang."

"Ah, I see!" After hearing her explanation, Zuan An observed the battle below more clearly, able to make a preliminary judgment of their strengths.

Most of the black-clothed men were Second Rank, a few were Third Rank, and the leader was Fourth Rank.

Considering what he had learned, a Fourth Rank could be the mayor of a small city, and a Third Rank could be a county magistrate or county captain. They were indeed not ordinary bandits.

The Yu family's guards were led by a Fourth Rank, and the rest were all Third Rank. Clearly, those of lower ranks wouldn't have survived. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered and were destined to be defeated.

"Who's there?" The leader of the black-clothed men suddenly turned around, having noticed their conversation.

"Quick, go." Ji Xiaoxi, startled, urged Zuan An. She had come to save people, and Zuan An was brought along by her. She didn't want him to take risks because of her.

Unfortunately, the medicinal powder she had brought was almost used up in the mountains, and she wasn't sure if it would be effective against these people.

"What about you?" Zuan An was surprised. Was this girl planning to stay and hold off the enemies alone?

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself. My father is Ji Dantu, and they wouldn't dare to harm me." Ji Xiaoxi quickly said.

Zuan An shook his head: "They dare to attack the well-known Yu family. What's a daughter of a local doctor to them?"

Ji Xiaoxi hesitated, thinking, "My father is actually very powerful," but before she could say it, Zuan An quickly told her, "Hide and don't come out."

He then jumped out: "Hey, in broad daylight, you dare to commit murder in the street!"

Ji Xiaoxi's mouth dropped open, thinking, "Is he crazy? Running out like that is no different from suicide, and he's even provoking them."

Sure enough, the black-clothed men cursed: "Where did this brat come from, daring to meddle in Blackwind Fort's affairs!"

Zuan An was taken aback: "You're from Blackwind Fort?"

"Of course. Who are you?" The leader, Bao Gang, looked at him with caution. The sudden appearance of an unknown person made him wary, and he decided to play it safe.

Because of the sudden appearance of an unknown person, the black-clothed men and the Yu family temporarily stopped fighting.

Zuan An bowed: "I'm Cheng Shouping, known in the martial world as 'a man of his word and a keeper of secrets.'"

Ji Xiaoxi, hiding in the bushes, blinked. Who is Cheng Shouping?

The black-clothed men looked at each other, seemingly never having heard of this person. However, given the situation, the fact that he could remain calm suggested he was not an ordinary person.

Seeing that the two were talking, the Yu family's guards became anxious. The leader shouted, "Hero, we are from the Yunzhong Yu family. If you can lend a hand, the Yu family will reward you generously!"

Bao Gang's face changed, and he signaled his men to surround Cheng Shouping from behind. They couldn't let any information about their attack on the Yu family's convoy leak out.

"Generous reward?" Zuan An asked, "How generous?"

The Yu family's man was taken aback. This person wasn't following the usual script, which should have been about righteousness and not seeking rewards. However, since he asked, he quickly replied, "While the Yu family may not be as rich as a country, we can offer gold, silver, treasures, divine weapons, essence stones, and even titles and honors. Whatever you want, the Yu family can provide."

Zuan An nodded: "That's good, but I prefer beauty. I've heard that your lady was once the most beautiful woman in the capital. Can I have her?"

The black-clothed men, who were initially worried that this unknown person might help the Yu family, were now stunned. Bao Gang almost shouted "666" when he saw the person walking towards them, signaling his men to stand down and just be on guard.

The Yu family's guard's face darkened: "Sir, don't joke around."

Zuan An shrugged: "I'm not joking. If your lady is willing to spend a night with me, I'll help you deal with these Blackwind Fort people."

Ji Xiaoxi's face turned red. This guy was clearly... but acting like a lecher.

She knew Zuan An's true nature, but the Yu family's guards didn't, and they all glared at him angrily.

Anger value from Yu Bin +99!

Anger value from Yu Jun +99!

Anger value from Yu Meng +99!

...

Seeing the anger values pile up, Zuan An felt that this system was a perfect match for him. Earning anger values was so easy. The only downside was that he got the keyboard too late. If he had it earlier, with his forum skills, he would have earned enough anger values to ascend long ago.

However, what surprised him was that the lady, Madam Yu, didn't provide any anger value. Did she not care at all?

Zuan An ignored the guards' murderous glares and turned to Bao Gang: "I have always admired the name of Blackwind Fort and regret not being able to join. Today is a good opportunity. Does this brother accept me? I don't want anything, just a share of Madam Yu."

Anger value from Yu Bin +99!

Anger value from Yu Jun +99!

Anger value from Yu Meng +99!

...

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Today is Children's Day. Wishing everyone a happy holiday and a forever young heart.

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