Zu An finally registered the fact that Chu Chuyan was already at the pinnacle of the sixth rank. 

He was so used to keeping a low profile that it had become a habit for him to plot against others in the shadows. However, given Chu Chuyan’s current cultivation, even if she faced the teachers of the academy and their students, they might not necessarily be a match for her. Naturally, there was no need for them to act with such caution.

Mi Li was not present right now, Zhang Han was dead, and the zombie soldiers, evil spirits, and terracotta army had all been completely destroyed. There was probably no single person stronger than her in this entire dungeon anymore. This dungeon had already been evaluated to be of lower risk, which was why the academy sent just two sixth rank teachers in to lead the students.

No one had expected this underground palace, though.

Hm? Could this be another opportunity for me to rake in Rage points again?

Zu An caught the scent of a business opportunity, but he eventually held back his urge to harvest Rage points.

Forget it. I should be doting on my wife instead. 

Even though Chu Chuyan had made such a bold statement, she didn’t let her guard down. She continued staring warily in the direction where the voice had come from.

“Hm? It’s Miss Chu!”

Two figures rushed forward simultaneously. One of them moved in a seductive manner, while the other one had a huge bald spot on his head.

Zu An heaved a sigh of relief. “Hey, Teacher Lu and Teacher Bai.”

These were none other than Bai Susu and Lu De, the teachers dispatched into the dungeon by Brightmoon Academy to lead the students.

“What a relief to see that you’re okay!” Bai Susu and Lu De said in unison. When they each realized that the other had said the exact same thing, they exchanged sharp glares before turning away from each other with cold snorts.

Another group of people showed up after that.

An individual with a voluptuous chest immediately caught Zu An’s eye—Pei Mianman. This woman really should learn to wield the water element. It seems to suit her much more than the fire element.

Pei Mianman noticed Zu An’s gaze and returned it with a seductive look of her own. Then, she moved over to Chu Chuyan’s side, grabbed her hand, and asked, “Aiya, what happened, Chuyan? Why is there so much blood on your clothes? Let me see your injuries.”

“I’m fine. This blood doesn’t belong to me…” Chu Chuyan’s face was a little red. Most of it was Zu An’s, but a fair bit of it did actually belong to her… 

She considered the fact that she was no longer a maiden anymore, and a conflicted frown creased her forehead. However, when she recalled how Zu An fought hard to protect her in the underground cavern, the creases gradually relaxed.

“It’s not yours…?” Pei Mianman replied, slightly stunned. She turned her gaze to Zu An, intending to probe the matter further, and her eyebrows shot upward in surprise. 

Hm? Isn’t that woman in his arms the one who occupies the tenth place on the Sweetheart Ranking? He’s holding another woman in the presence of his own wife, and his wife doesn’t seem to be showing any sign of disapproval… It looks like he does have some skill.

Qiao Xueying hurriedly whispered to Zu An, “Quick, put my veil on!”

Zu An knew that she did not wish for anyone in the academy to see her true features, so he asked, “Where’s your veil?”

Qiao Xueying’s face reddened. “It’s inside my robe.”

She was severely injured at the moment, and so her body was incredibly weak. Even moving her fingers was hugely difficult for her. It would be almost impossible for her to grab her veil and put it on.

She would never have allowed another man to take something out from within her robe, but if it was Zu An… 

She recalled the considerable amount of time she’d clung on to him while they were in combat together in the underground palace, as well as the fact that she had used her Half Life’s Fate on him. These thoughts left her feeling an inexplicable sense of intimacy toward him.

Besides, he had already seen and touched every part of her that mattered back at the Chu Manor. It didn’t seem much of a deal to let him touch her again.

Hearing her words, Zu An immediately reached into her robes to retrieve a spare veil to cover her flushed face. Qiao Xueying noted that Zu An hadn’t made use of this opportunity to take advantage of her, and let out a sigh of relief.

Pei Mianman happened to notice this series of actions, and her eyes widened in astonishment. Wait a moment, is this for real? Did he put his hands into her robe just like that?

She glanced surreptitiously at Chu Chuyan and saw that she too had noticed what had gone on. Surprisingly, Chu Chuyan showed no reaction.

Pei Mianman was utterly dumbfounded. 

What’s going on? Even if Chu Chuyan doesn’t like Zu An, he’s still her husband. Surely she wouldn’t allow him to cheat on her even if she doesn’t like him, would she?

Also, what’s with Zu An messing around with another woman in front of his own wife? He’s a drafted son-in-law! How could he have the guts to do such a thing?

Also, that tenth-placed sweetheart—what’s her name again? Qiao something, right?—she should have some sense of shame, and rebuff Zu An’s advances!

Pei Mianman had no idea why a spectator like her was even more anxious than those directly tied to the matter. There must be something wrong in this world!

“Ah Zu~” 

A delighted voice suddenly rang out, and a small, feminine figure dashed forward. However, when she saw that Zu An was holding a woman in his arms, she immediately drew to a halt.

“Xiaoxi!” Zu An’s eyes lit up upon seeing her. With Qiao Xueying in his arms, he rushed over to her and asked, “Do you have any restorative medicine on you? Quick, she needs treatment right away!”

“Ah? Y-yes, I do have some medicine on me…” Ji Xiaoxi quickly snapped out of her daze and began to rummage through her little bags. In moments, she had found a bottle of medicine, and fed it to Qiao Xueying.

Meanwhile, more and more people continued to arrive. When they saw Qiao Xueying in Zu An’s arms, they gasped in shock, and incredulous voices could be heard.

“The woman he’s holding is the tenth-placed woman on the Sweetheart Ranking, right?”

“Indeed, that’s her!”

“Holy shit, what’s with his luck?!”

“Honestly, I’m more impressed with his ability to placate all of those women rather than his ability to hook up with them. I mean, none of them look at all discontented, despite him flirting with another woman right in front of their eyes!”

“Yeah! Pei Mianman and Chu Chuyan are whispering to one another, and Ji Xiaoxi is treating her love rival without showing any signs of jealousy. My gosh, this is unbelievable! He’s really the role model of all men!”

“I used to think that young master Xie was the love expert in the academy, but it looks like the title is going to go to someone else.”

… 

Hearing their discussions, Xie Xiu smiled bitterly and murmured, “Indeed, I’m much more inferior when compared to Brother Zu.”

In order to enjoy the flowers in the garden without being tied down, he had always been careful not to choose the most beautiful ones. He knew that women who stood at the top tended to be full of pride, and would never allow him to cheat on them.

For the sake of enjoying the entire forest, he had no choice but to forsake some of the trees.

Yet, Zu An was now able to accomplish what he had been unable to pull off.

Meanwhile, Zheng Dan stared at Zu An, a doubtful glint in her eyes. 

Shi Kun was determined to kill him this time, but it doesn’t seem like anything’s happened to him. Based on our intelligence, he shouldn’t have the means to deal with Shi Kun’s force. How has he managed to survive? Was it Chu Chuyan’s intervention?

What about the woman he’s holding in his arms?

Her gaze flickered continuously between Chu Chuyan and Qiao Xueying, before moving to take in Ji Xiaoxi and Pei Mianman. In the end, she could only conclude… The circle of nobility sure is complicated!

Not too far away, Hong Xingying sighed in disappointment. This fellow sure is lucky.

He rushed over to Chu Chuyan’s side and asked, “Young miss, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m all right,” Chu Chuyan replied, favoring him with a slight smile. They were all members of the Chu clan after all, so it wouldn’t do for her to act too distantly towards him.

Hong Xingying was enchanted by her faint smile. For a moment, it seemed like the young miss had become even more beautiful. In the past, she’d seemed like an unreachable flower, lacking a touch of humanity. Now, in her current state, she seemed to command a much more feminine grace, making her even more alluring. 

Could this be the effect of her marriage?

Hong Xingying knew that Chu Chuyan and Zu An were just a couple in name, but he was still unable to squash the envy in his heart.

If not for that bastard’s sudden intervention, I would have become the young miss’ husband. She was supposed to be mine!

You have successfully trolled Hong Xingying for 1024 Rage points!

Pei Mianman watched as Hong Xingying turned around and left, then remarked with a smile, “Chuyan, that subordinate of yours seems to be very fond of you.”

Chu Chuyan shook her head, not bothering to respond. Far too many individuals had expressed affection toward her over the years, and there was no way she could possibly be bothered with every single one of them. Her time was better spent on more productive things.

At the same time, Zu An was shocked by the sudden influx of Rage points from Hong Xingying. Woah, I didn’t know he harbored such a huge grudge toward me!

After everything he had been through in the underground cavern, he had grown not just in terms of strength, but ambition as well. He had seen how vast the world was, beyond what he had seen thus far, and he no longer felt that it was worth wasting his time with someone of Hong Xingying’s caliber.

Still, it wouldn’t do to keep someone who bore such blatantly malicious intentions toward him by his side. He would have to find a way to deal with him once and for all.

“Ah Zu, you’ve lost a lot of blood! Are you really fine?”

Ji Xiaoxi was done checking on Qiao Xueying’s condition, and she noticed that Zu An was covered in blood as well. His clothes were even more tattered than a beggar’s,  clearly indicating just how intense of a fight he’d just been through.

Zu An responded with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. If you’re still worried, you can check my pulse.”

As he spoke, he offered her arm to her.

Zu An seemed to be in such a wretched condition, and his assurances did little to calm the unease in Ji Xiaoxi’s heart. So, she placed her fingers on his wrist to read his pulse and diagnose his condition.

“Xiaoxi, I’m very grateful for your help. If not for you, I would already have died many times by now,” said Zu An. 

Had it not been for the huge amounts of medicine she had given him, he would never have been able to suffer through the difficult battles he’d endured.

In a scant few days, he had encountered the zombie soldiers, weathered the assault of Shi Kun and his subordinates, and faced all sorts of crises in the underground cavern. All in all, he must have fought at least a dozen battles. It was only thanks to her medicine that he’d been able to pull through all of them.

Sensing the earnest gratitude in Zu An’s eyes, a slight flush of red encroached upwards along Ji Xiaoxi’s neck. “There’s no need to thank me. You saved my life as well. If not for you, I would have been killed by those zombies.” 

Zu An burst into laughter. “Haha, let’s move past these polite words, then. It feels kind of weird to be thanking one another as friends. Ah, what brought all of you here?”

Before Ji Xiaoxi could respond, Bai Susu had already spoken up. “It’s all because of Xiaoxi. Not too long ago, young master Shi returned in a terrible state. He told us that a particularly terrifying zombie has captured all of you.

“Everyone was alarmed by his report. After all, Shi Kun is a strong cultivator, and he has many experts under his command. Even if things took a turn for the worst, he still has many means to preserve his life, courtesy of the Shi clan. If even he had suffered such a close shave with the zombie, it was unlikely anyone else would fare any better against it.

“Most of the group wanted to leave the area, but Xiaoxi pleaded for us to save you, so we decided to make our way over.”

Bai Susu hadn’t spoken the complete truth. No one would have cared if Zu An had died alone. The problem was that Chu Chuyan had been with him as well. None of them were willing to bear the responsibility, were she to die here as well.

Because of this, he quickly looked for Lu De’s group and gathered some of the stronger student cultivators to explore the area. Unexpectedly, before they encountered any danger, they’d run into Zu An’s group.

Qiao Xueying’s face twitched a little upon hearing the report of what Shi Kun had said. She seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but she eventually restrained herself.

Zu An, on the other hand, snorted coldly. “Where’s Shi Kun right now?”