Chapter 55

Chu Chuyan's face turned slightly red. Although she had been praised for her beauty many times over the years, it was either behind her back or in a very tactful manner when said to her face. This guy, however, was so straightforward and enthusiastic that it made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Beside her, Lady Chu frowned, finding this guy's smooth talk increasingly annoying.

Chu Zhongtian coughed to remind them, "Do not talk while eating, nor speak in bed."

Zu An knew when to stop, and they all ate in silence. The meal was quickly finished, and then a servant brought in mouthwash and cleared away the dishes.

Zu An found it strange. Previously, meals were always delivered to his room. Today, he was called to the main table to eat with them. Could it be that he, the赘婿 (zhuixu, a man who marries into his wife's family), had finally gained their recognition and acceptance?

Just as he was pondering, Chu Zhongtian spoke up, "Chuyan, how was your trip to Luling?"

Zu An was taken aback. It seemed they were about to discuss serious matters and were willing to let him in on the conversation. They really didn't consider him an outsider anymore?

Chu Chuyan replied, "I did some investigating. The batch of goods that was intercepted previously was likely the work of the Black Wind Bandits. Unfortunately, when I led a group to raid them, they seemed to have vanished without a trace, and we couldn't find any sign of them."

"Black Wind Bandits?" Zu An was surprised. The last time he saved Yuxian Luo in the valley outside the city, it was also the Black Wind Bandits. Hmph, just thinking about it made him angry. Yuxian Luo had given him a blank check and then left, truly proving that the prettier a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive.

Chu Zhongtian sighed, "That's the nature of the Black Wind Bandits. They come and go like the wind. When our large forces arrive, they hide in Longyin Mountain. We can't always send a large force to escort our goods, which is quite a headache."

He paused and continued, "I heard they ambushed the Yu family's convoy a few days ago, and many people died. Perhaps there's a chance to ally with the Yu family and deal with the Black Wind Bandits once and for all."

"You're just thinking about Yuxian Luo, aren't you?" Lady Chu huffed, "The Yu family has enough problems of their own. How could they have the energy to deal with the Black Wind Bandits?"

Chu Zhongtian's face turned red, and he quickly pulled at his wife's sleeve, "It's not what you think. Besides, the children are here..."

Lady Chu turned her face away, ignoring him completely.

Zu An's face showed a hint of understanding. It seemed that Lord Chu had once pursued Yuxian Luo. No wonder, that woman was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.

Chu Chuyan cleared her throat to ease her father's embarrassment, "Our family's weapon shop is facing some trouble. The spirit spring was polluted, and our weapons have lost their greatest advantage. The Yuan family recently seems to have found a powerful rune master. The quality of their weapons is not inferior to ours, and they sell them at a lower price, taking a significant portion of our market. If this continues, it could undermine our foundation."

Zu An was intrigued. Rune masters. He had seen some faint blue lines of magical arrays on Chu Chuyan's and Yuxian Luo's carriages, which were likely the work of a rune master, adding many auxiliary functions to the weapons, making them more powerful than ordinary weapons.

His school, which taught him about etiquette and law, would be more interesting if it included such knowledge.

Actually, this was a misunderstanding of the Bright Moon Academy. As the best school in the region, the teachers of these courses were top-notch. It was just that, being in the Yellow Class, he rarely had such classes.

Since they had no cultivation potential, it would be a waste of time for them to attend. They might have one or two cultivation classes a week, just to give them a basic understanding of the subject.

In contrast, the other classes, especially the Heaven Class, were mostly focused on cultivation, with very few etiquette and law classes.

"Where did the Yuan family find a rune master?" Lady Chu frowned, "Do they have that kind of background?"

Chu Chuyan replied, "They don't, but the Wu family in the neighboring county does. Their patriarch is a duke and has always coveted our Chu family's market share. I've investigated this thoroughly. The Yuan family is secretly supported by the Wu family, otherwise, they wouldn't dare to act so openly."

"That Yuan family is simply too arrogant. Even a servant or a dog of our Chu family shouldn't be bullied by them!" Lady Chu slammed the table in anger, "Let's go to the Yuan family and have a word with them!"

Zu An gave her a meaningful look, indicating that he felt offended.

"Madam, calm down, calm down. The new governor, Sang Hong, has just taken office. He's looking for an excuse to deal with us," Chu Zhongtian quickly held her back, "At this stage, we must be patient and not ruin our long-term plans."

Zu An's eyebrows twitched. It seemed that the Chu family's surface prosperity was hiding many crises.

While soothing his wife, Chu Zhongtian turned to Zu An, "Xiao An, did Yuan Wendong give you a hard time at school? Are you okay?"

Before Zu An could answer, Chu Huanzhao, who had been eager to speak, interrupted, "Not just Yuan Wendong, even Hong Xingying is against him. He's clearly part of our Chu family, yet he's a traitor, it's despicable!"

Seeing her angry face, Zu An was secretly moved. This little sister-in-law cared more about him than his wife did.

"Hong Xingying?" Chu Zhongtian frowned.

Lady Chu spoke up, "I know this child. He's always been proud and once had a crush on your sister, so naturally, he doesn't like Zu An. Young people can't control their tempers, it's normal."

Chu Huanzhao was upset, "But he..."

"Enough," Lady Chu stopped her, "This child has been diligent in the Chu family for years, and his father has been loyal to us for decades. Don't mention these small matters anymore, or you'll hurt their feelings."

Chu Huanzhao pouted, clearly dissatisfied. She was worried that her mother cared more about the Hong family's feelings than her brother-in-law's.

Zu An didn't mind. After all, a weak son-in-law was indeed less important to Lady Chu than the Hong family. He had heard from Cheng Shouping that there were rumors that Lady Chu had originally intended to marry Hong Xingying. Now it seemed those rumors weren't baseless.

He glanced at Chu Chuyan, relieved that his wife's expression didn't change, indicating she had no interest in Hong Xingying.

Chu Chuyan finally spoke, "Compared to other things, I'm more concerned about the family competition in half a month."

Lady Chu frowned, "We always win, especially with you. Who in the Yuan family can be your match?"

Chu Zhongtian shook his head, "The Yuan family is strong. They are one of the four major merchants, just without the corresponding titles, so they didn't dare to offend us much. The family competition was more of a formality. But this time, with the Wu family's support, they will go all out. I suspect the Wu family will also participate secretly."

He paused and looked at Zu An with a complex expression, "And this time, he will participate, and we will lose a match before we even start."

Zu An was stunned. He was just enjoying the show, how did he get dragged into this? "But I'm not a cultivator, do I have to participate?"

Chu Zhongtian replied, "According to the rules of the family competition, every descendant must participate. You are now our family's son-in-law, and even if we don't send you, the Wu family and the Yuan family won't agree. The governor will also intervene. I called you here today to let you know and prepare mentally."

Chu Huanzhao was anxious, "Today at the academy, Yuan Wendong said he would cripple him. Sending brother-in-law to the stage is like sending him to his death!"

"Exactly," Chu Chuyan said.

Zu An was shocked. He thought, even if you're dissatisfied with me, you wouldn't use such a method to murder your husband, would you?

Chu Huanzhao was also stunned, looking at her sister in disbelief, "Sister, you..."

"Let her finish," Chu Zhongtian said, "Chuyan never speaks without reason."

Chu Chuyan then explained, "Among the Yuan family's descendants, Yuan Wendong is the most outstanding. I heard he recently broke through to the Fifth Rank. Although I'm not afraid of him, no one else in our family can match him. The Yuan family won't be foolish enough to have him face me, so he's bound to win a match. Instead of wasting other experts, it's better to let this guy go. He will lose no matter who he faces, and facing Yuan Wendong will help our others gain an advantage."

Zu An understood. She was using the strategy of the horse race, using the inferior to face the superior... Ah, I'm not an inferior horse, but if I were a stud, I might consider it.

Chu Huanzhao was worried, "But won't he be in danger?"

Lady Chu frowned, wondering why her second daughter was overly concerned about the weak son-in-law today.

Chu Chuyan replied, "Don't worry, I'll arrange for him to go last. By the time it's his turn, the outcome will be decided, and whether he goes or not won't matter. That match won't happen."

Chu Huanzhao blinked, "What if it's not decided by then?"

Chu Chuyan was taken aback, then shook her head, "Don't worry, it won't be that coincidental."

You're just setting a flag!

Zu An secretly mocked but still said, "Even if it's not decided, it doesn't matter. The protagonist always appears last. I'll definitely bring a victory for the Chu family."

In just a few days, he had cultivated from a weakling to the Third Rank. With half a month left, his strength would surely improve further. Even if he didn't reach the Fifth Rank, with his advantages, he could still find a way to win.

Hearing his words, Lady Chu's eyebrows furrowed, "Zu An, since Chuyan has married you, I won't say much about the past, but can you stop making empty promises? A man is not afraid of lacking ability, but of not being down-to-earth. Yuan Wendong is a Fifth Rank cultivator, a powerful element controller. You want to fight him and win? Hmph!"

She left in a huff.

Anger from Qin Wanru +763!

Zu An shrugged, not bothering to defend himself.

It seemed Lady Chu still had a strong prejudice against him. He was puzzled. People say that a mother-in-law grows to like her son-in-law more over time, but why was it the opposite for him?

---

Thank you to the new patron, Book Friend 56750165, for the support;

Thank you to Tianchao Ye Men, Fenghuo Xi Chuhou, for the support. Honestly, I was surprised by this guy's ID at first.