“Miss Snow, you need not worry. We’ve already made preparations in advance,” Yuan Wendong said with a smile. He took out a mask that was as thin as a cicada’s wing and said, “This is a mask made by one of the runemasters hired by our clan. With this, he’ll be able to disguise himself as a young man.”

One of the main reasons why the Yuan clan was confident in challenging the Chu clan was because they had the backing of the Wu clan. The Wu clan had dispatched a group of experts to assist them in the Clans Tournament.

While the Chu clan clearly knew that the Wu clan was backing the Yuan clan, the Yuan clan still had to find a way to conceal just how much help they were receiving. If it was exposed that all of the Yuan clan’s participants were actually from the Wu clan, that would be too much embarrassment for both the Wu and Yuan clans to bear. 

To solve this problem, the Yuan clan had their runemasters craft a batch of masks to disguise the identities of the Wu clan members. These masks looked identical to a human face, making it impossible to tell the difference unless one stared at it up close.

As soon as the middle-aged man named Wu Di put on the mask, he morphed into a cold-faced youth. The gathered conspirators assessed him from multiple angles, but were unable to find anything that could give away his identity.

Snow was both amazed and horrified. “Couldn’t you use such masks to impersonate anyone you want?”

If someone were to impersonate her young master, wouldn’t she be unable to tell the difference as well?

Yuan Wendong shook his head. “Impersonating another individual is not so easily done. No matter how well made the mask is, it can only alter a person’s facial features. Impersonation requires far greater skill than that, such as the ability to imitate the person’s voice, gestures, and other personality quirks.”

In truth, Yuan Wendong had had the same thoughts in mind when he’d first seen the mask. With such a mask, he could turn into anyone he wanted to, strut right into another man’s house, and sleep with another man's wife.

If only something that convenient could exist in the world.

Snow calmed down a little after hearing those words. She turned her attention back to the Clans Tournament. Yuan Wendong’s confidence in his abilities was reassuring. Even if Zu An survived the ordeal by some stroke of luck, he would end up crippled at the very least.

What a pity that I’m not making a move myself!

Just thinking about how her maiden body had been sullied by that despicable fellow made her bite down on her lips hatefully. 

… 

“Ah choo~”

Zu An sneezed. Now, which beautiful lady is thinking about me this time around?

For the last few hours, Old Mi had made him practice the modified version of the Sunflower Phantasm. Only after ensuring that it had been disguised beyond recognition did he finally leave with a contented smile on his face.

Zu An finally had some time to himself. He lay down on his bed to check his current haul of Rage points. 

Hmm, 27,489, huh? That’s less than I’d thought.

While it looked like a substantial amount, the miserable success rate of the lottery made it unlikely for him to obtain anything much.

And as if the world was determined to prove him right, he subsequently received a bunch of ‘Thanks for Playing!’ notifications and a paltry twenty-seven Ki Fruits. The skills and artifacts had done well in avoiding Zu An this time around.

“I knew that I shouldn’t have borne any expectations!” Zu An sniffed indignantly.

Nevertheless, he still swallowed the twenty-seven Ki Fruits right away. 

The fourth formation requires 233 Ki Fruits in total, so he only managed to fill up a tenth of it despite his efforts. Mumbling hateful words toward the Keyboard, he drifted off to sleep… 

By the time Cheng Shouping returned, Zu An was already fast asleep, so he left him alone. He decided to give Zu An his report only after he’d lost the duel tomorrow. 

Hehe, the young master would surely be upset after losing the battle. If I take out the betting slip then and show him that I managed to win some money for him, he would surely be delighted. At least that would comfort his hurting soul.

I wonder how much money the young master would bestow upon me then… 

… 

The day of the Clans Tournament finally arrived. To ensure fairness, both clans agreed that the tournament would be held in an empty lot in the middle of the city.

Many of the juniors of prominent clans in Brightmoon City started to gather around early in the morning, excited to experience the fervor that surrounded this rare contest. It wasn't every day that one got to see the juniors of two prominent clans sparring with one another. Even if they weren’t there to take in the atmosphere, they could potentially pick up a thing or two from the duels themselves,which would make their trip here more than worthwhile.

Naturally, the representatives from the Chu and Yuan clans were the earliest to arrive. The juniors who were participating in the duels needed the time to familiarize themselves with the arena. 

Zu An, who everyone knew was there just to fill up the numbers, was mostly ignored. Zu An himself lacked the self-awareness of a participant in the tournament, so it never crossed his mind that he should try to familiarize himself with the arena in which the duels would take place. Instead, he sat on a chair and looked around excitedly, seemingly marveling at the grandeur of the event.

Qin Wanru watched it all with a measured frown. She couldn’t believe how much of a bumpkin Zu An was. However, it was less than proper to reprimand him in full view of the public. She gave a derisive snort and turned her head away.

This was the first time Zu An laid eyes upon the sons from the second branch and third branch. 

Chu Hongcai of the second branch looked like an outstanding young man. Instead of inheriting his father’s dark, brooding look, Chu Hongcai commanded a proud and reserved aura that seemed ingrained into his bones. 

From what was said about him, he used to be quite a prominent person in the Chu clan. However, he looked exceptionally muted today. Perhaps he was still blaming himself for failing to prevent the pollution of the spirit creek.

Chu Yucheng of the third branch was an adorable little fatty. He had small beady eyes and a rotund figure. There was absolutely no doubt that he was the blood-related son of Chu Yuepo, the head of the third branch.

Also, he was a much more amicable person than Chu Hongcai. He even approached Zu An on his own accord to chat with him.

Having interacted with them, Zu An decided that the sons of the second branch and third branch were much more pleasant than their fathers. He hadn’t forgotten the mocking tones of Chu Tiesheng and Chu Yuepo as they belittled him in the ancestral hall back then.

Hm, is it possible that this little fatty inherited his father’s genes, though? Could it be that under his kind exterior hides a sinister soul?

Zu An suddenly felt a bit wary of Chu Yucheng. He subconsciously shot a glance at Chu Yuepo and Chu Tiesheng. The former was chatting with those around him about something whereas the latter was staring at… 

Hmm, is he staring at Qin Wanru right now?

Since this was a public event, Qin Wanru had made especially sure to dress herself up properly. She had put on all sorts of expensive jewelry to accentuate her noble standing, and the silk dress she wore showcased her beautiful figure perfectly.

Haa, why did Chu Huanzhao not inherit her mother’s voluptuous genes?

Seemingly sensing Zu An’s gaze, Qin Wanru turned her head and shot him a stern glare.

You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 69 Rage points!

Zu An felt a little vexed. I’m not the one ogling at you, so why are you getting mad at me?

But when he looked back at Chu Tiesheng, he had struck up a conversation with a few others around him. That made him wonder if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“The patriarch of the Wang clan has arrived!”

Zu An scanned the area, and saw a thin, middle-aged man leading a group of people onto the field.

He had heard that the four prominent merchant clans in Brightmoon City were the Chu clan, Yuan clan, Zheng clan, and Wang clan. This was the first time he was meeting anyone from the Wang clan.

Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru stood up and welcomed those from the Wang clan with a smile, and it didn’t take long for them to engage one another in cheerful conversation.

Zu An was surprised. He turned to Chu Huanzhao and asked, “What’s the story behind those from the Wang clan? Why is your father welcoming them personally?”

If there was another person besides Zu An that was here just to make up the numbers, that person would definitely be Chu Huanzhao. She also had no interest in familiarizing herself with the fighting grounds, and she showed none of the tension that someone just about to face an important battle would have felt. Instead, her eyes darted about, taking in the sights with an excited expression.

She heard Zu An’s question, and replied, “I don’t think there’s anything special behind it. I only know that the Wang clan is on good terms with us.”

Chu Chuyan, who had been resting by their side all this while, opened her eyes and explained, “The Wang clan specializes in agricultural products, and they manage the largest tavern in Brightmoon City. Our Chu clan is on good terms with them because we share many business connections. Our Chu clan requires permits from the royal court in order to sell salt, and the royal court distributes permits based on how much rations the merchants send toward the borders. Our Chu clan doesn’t specialize in agricultural products, so we engage the Wang clan’s help on this. That’s also the reason why my parents regard them so highly. Huanzhao, you should stop idling your time away. How could you not know something as basic as that?”

Chu Huanzhao stuck her tongue out as she grabbed her older sister’s arm and said coyly, “We have you around anyway~”

Chu Chuyan gave her little sister a doting look before shaking her head helplessly.

Meanwhile, Zu An looked at Chu Huanzhao in scorn. Hah, looks like my sister-in-law is also a wastrel too. Wait a minute, why did I say ‘also’?

“The patriarch of the Zheng Clan has arrived!”

In contrast to the Wang clan patriarch, Chu Zhongtian was much less amicable towards the Zheng clan patriarch. They simply nodded slightly to acknowledge each other’s presence. The patriarch of the Zheng clan, Zheng Yutang, didn’t even bother to exchange pleasantries, walking straight toward the Yuan clan’s area and striking up conversation there.

Zu An eyed Zheng Yutang closely. The man had quite the suave appearance. Despite being middle-aged, he had a charming presence that gave others a good impression of him. It was no wonder why he had a beautiful daughter like Zheng Dan.

He gave a start as he noticed a beautiful woman dressed in a traditional qipao looking at him, a faint smile painting her lips. Who else could it be but Zheng Dan?

Zu An blinked at her in response, and for a moment, sparks seemed to fly. Zheng Dan’s face immediately reddened, and she turned her head quickly aside.

“Big sis, big sis! My brother-in-law and Zheng Dan were exchanging flirtatious looks with one another!” Chu Huanzhao tattled on Zu An.

“I wasn’t! I didn’t! Stop spouting lies!” Despite being caught red-handed, Zu An refuted her accusation straightaway.

“But I saw it with my own eyes. You even winked at her!” Chu Huanzhao cried angrily.

Chu Chuyan frowned a little. “Quieten down! What if others hear you?”

It was fortunate that the clearing was quite noisy, so no one really paid notice to Chu Huanzhao’s shouting.

After berating Chu Huanzhao, Chu Chuyan turned to look at Zu An. Her eyes were as calm as the waters of a deep lake. “Are you close with Zheng Dan?”

For some reason, Chu Chuyan’s innocent gaze made Zu An feel a little guilt-ridden. “I can’t say that we’re close. I just happened to save her once.” 

He quickly explained their relationship with one another, while intentionally excluding the events that had transpired in his staff residence.

“You don’t need to be afraid. I’m not scolding you,” Chu Chuyan replied with a smile. “If you’re really able to capture Zheng Dan’s heart and pull the Zheng clan over to our side, I would be more than overjoyed.”

Zu An blinked his eyes uncertainly. Is she secretly laying a trap for me to jump into?

“Big sister~” Chu Huanzhao immediately whined in protest. She couldn’t believe how nonchalantly Chu Chuyan was taking this matter. What’s this? Why is she even less agitated than I am? It’s your husband we’re talking about here!

Ignoring her, Chu Chuyan continued mumbling under her breath, analyzing the situation. “It’s just a pity that Zheng Dan and Sang Qian are engaged to be married. If you snatch her over to your side, it’ll turn the Sang clan completely against you. It seems like the cons outweigh the pros…”

Zu An was completely speechless. Wait a moment, are you seriously analyzing the feasibility of the matter?!?!

“Principal Jiang of Brightmoon Academy has arrived!”

At that announcement, all the clan heads, whether Chu clan or Yuan clan, stopped their chatter and went to welcome Jiang Luofu. This showed just how high a standing Jiang Luofu commanded in Brightmoon City.

However, several inappropriate exclamations soon came from within the gathered crowd.

“Woah, those legs! I can get off on them for several days without any problem!”

“Where did she buy her stockings from? I should get a pair for my wife too!”

“Hah, do you think that yellow-faced woman you have back at home can be put on the same level as Principal Jiang?”

“Aiyo, I’ll just cover her face, all right? Just the stockings are enough to fulfill my fantasies!”

“Do you want to die? How can you gossip about Principal Jiang like that?”

… 

Zu An swiftly noticed a familiar face amidst the crowd—Ji Dengtu. He was hiding amidst the crowd, peeking at the beautiful ladies present. 

Hah, did you think that I wouldn’t recognize you just because you’re wearing a hat? You should first do something about that perverted look on your face!

Without a doubt, Ji Dengtu was here to feast his eyes on what was on offer. That’s surprising, though. He isn’t looking at Principal Jiang at all…?