Chapter 106: Little Clever Kid

"Unfavorable for him?" Qin Wanru was momentarily stunned, then subconsciously replied, "What does he have that would make anyone target him? Instead of thinking about such irrelevant things, we should focus on tomorrow's battle against the Yuan family."

Chu Chuyan hesitated, but Chu Hanzhao, standing nearby, couldn't hold back. "Mother, brother-in-law and Yuan Wendong already have a history. This time, to ensure Yuan Wendong picks him tomorrow, he deliberately provoked him again. Yuan Wendong has already threatened to cripple him tomorrow. Also, he angered Shi Kun today, and that guy clearly holds grudges; he'll definitely seek revenge."

Qin Wanru replied, "Provoking Yuan Wendong is part of our plan to pit a weaker opponent against a strong one. If Yuan Wendong really falls for it, isn't that exactly what we want? As for safety, there's no need to worry. First, he probably won't even need to fight for real. Second, your father and I will be watching; do you think we'd just stand by while someone named Yuan attacks him?"

Chu Chuyan then spoke up, "My fear is that the Yuan family might have a trump card we don't know about. For some reason, I just feel a sense of unease."

"It's best to be cautious. Tomorrow, let Hong Xingying go first. He's an outstanding individual among his peers, yet not the strongest in our Chu family, so he's perfect to lead the charge and test the Yuan family." Chu Zhongtian said in a deep voice, "I've recalled this group for special training these past few days, and I feel we shouldn't have much trouble dealing with the Yuan family, or even the Wu family."

Beside them, Zu An thought to himself, 'No wonder I didn't see Hong Xingying in class today. I was quite disappointed to miss the opportunity then, but it turns out he was called back for family training.'

At this point, Qin Wanru suddenly looked at Zu An and said, "I know you and Hong Xingying have some history. I don't care how you two behave normally, but tomorrow, you are not to provoke him, lest you affect his mood and cause our Chu family to get off to a bad start."

Chu Hanzhao immediately protested, "Mother, won't he be fighting tomorrow too? Why aren't you concerned about his mood?"

Qin Wanru rolled her eyes. "He's just there to stall Yuan Wendong; he doesn't need to fight for real."

Chu Zhongtian, standing by, couldn't help but chuckle. "Xiao An, don't be nervous. If it really comes down to you fighting tomorrow, just surrender."

Clearly, even a good-natured person like him shared his wife's opinion.

Zu An, accustomed to this, smiled faintly. "Don't worry. If I'm truly needed to fight tomorrow, it means the Chu family is in extreme danger, and I will definitely step forward to turn the tide."

He felt it was fate, otherwise, why would he be arranged last? Don't protagonists always make their grand entrance at the climax?

"Pah, what an ill-omened thing to say!" Qin Wanru glared at him fiercely, clearly quite displeased. He rarely said anything pleasant.

Feeling annoyed, she turned to her other daughter. "Xiao Zhao, stop worrying about others and worry about yourself first. You spend all day playing around and are only barely a third-rank now. Tomorrow, you're second to last in the lineup. Your sister and the others will likely resolve things in the earlier matches, so you won't even need to fight, which will save you from getting hurt."

"Oh~" Chu Hanzhao pouted, clearly a little unhappy, but her mood brightened considerably when she thought about being near her brother-in-law.

Chu Zhongtian then said to Chu Chuyan, "Tomorrow, with you, Hong Xingying, Yue Shan, Chu Hongcai, and Chu Yucheng, those five matches should be secure. Winning one more match after that shouldn't be a problem."

Zu An subtly tugged on Chu Hanzhao's sleeve under the table and whispered, "Who are Chu Hongcai and Chu Yucheng?"

Chu Hanzhao's face flushed slightly. She glanced up at her mother and sister, feeling like she was being sneaky in class. She quickly explained, "Chu Hongcai is Second Uncle's son and the deputy captain of the Chu family guards. He was originally in charge of guarding the family's spiritual spring, but something happened that night, and the spring was polluted. So, he's been very self-reproachful and hasn't been seen because he's been in self-reflection."

"And Chu Yucheng is Third Uncle's son, a little chubby guy. He was quite cute as a child, but he's gotten fatter and less interesting as he's grown up."

Zu An couldn't help but secretly glance at Chu Zhongtian, thinking, 'Look, Second and Third Uncles both had sons, but you ended up with a bunch of beautiful daughters. This father-in-law seems a bit... ineffective.'

It wasn't that he preferred sons, but in this society, descendants were crucial for family succession. If Chu Zhongtian had a few capable sons, perhaps Chu Chuyan wouldn't have needed to find a son-in-law like him.

'Oh, in that case, I should actually thank my father-in-law for being so "ineffective"!'

At this point, Qin Wanru noticed their whispers and her expression immediately became displeased. "Xiao Zhao, go back and rest early after dinner. Don't let it affect tomorrow's competition."

What was wrong with her two daughters? Their taste was truly awful. Her elder daughter was fine, as she had always intended to choose an ordinary person. But what was the deal with her second daughter? How did she get along so well with that Zu An kid?

Chu Hanzhao grumbled, "Didn't you say I wouldn't have to fight tomorrow?"

However, encountering her mother's angry gaze, she reluctantly returned to her room.

Qin Wanru then looked at Zu An. "You should go back too. We still need to discuss the details of tomorrow's grand competition."

Clearly, she didn't believe Zu An was qualified for such discussions, and since they intended to use him as cannon fodder to tie down Yuan Wendong, there was no need for him to be involved too much.

Zu An shrugged. There was no point in staying here, so he might as well go back early.

As he closed the door, he faintly heard voices discussing inside: "Yuan Wendong is probably the strongest from the Yuan family; the others aren't much to worry about. As for the Wu family, their younger generation can't compare to ours, so that shouldn't be much of an issue either..."

After leaving the room, Cheng Shoubing, with a fawning smile, had already approached him. "Young master, have you finished your meal?"

Zu An suddenly felt that having such a sycophant wasn't bad at all. Then, remembering something, he put an arm around Cheng Shoubing's shoulder and pulled him aside. "Tomorrow is the family competition. Are there any betting houses open in the city?"

Cheng Shoubing subconsciously nodded. "Yes, there are. Most of them favor our Chu family. For example, the odds for the Eldest Young Lady to win..."

Zu An directly interrupted him, "Never mind everyone else. What are my odds?"

Cheng Shoubing's expression was odd. He quietly held up one finger.

"1 to 10?" Zu An frowned. "A bit low, but still not bad."

He was about to pull out a silver note from his pocket when Cheng Shoubing quickly cut him off. "Young master, it's not 1 to 10, it's 1 to 100."

Cheng Shoubing had expected the face-conscious young master to fly into a rage at this news. To his surprise, Zu An was ecstatic. "Hahaha, 1 to 100? This is truly heaven-sent! I'm going to be rich!"

Cheng Shoubing blinked, wondering if the young master had gone mad from the shock.

Zu An suddenly realized something and quickly asked, "Who opened this betting market? It's not the Silver Hook Casino again, is it?"

Last time, the Silver Hook Casino couldn't even pay him the 7.5 million taels it owed. If it happened again, they wouldn't be able to pay even if they sold themselves.

Cheng Shoubing shook his head. "No, it's not. After you won against the Silver Hook Casino last time, young master, they suffered a heavy blow and their reputation was severely damaged. Their business has been declining, and other families and forces in the city have quietly launched their own betting operations."

Zu An's eyes lit up. "Excellent! Here, take 20,000 taels. Go bet on me to win!"

As soon as he handed it over, he felt something was off. After thinking for a moment, he took back 10,000 taels. "Never mind. Just bet 10,000 taels."

The level of arithmetic in this world was truly terrible. It was evident from the betting odds offered by the casinos; their risk management was simply too poor. If there was a real upset, it would be enough to bankrupt them, like when the Silver Hook Casino lost 7.5 million taels in one go.

He worried that the same problem might occur again; winning a large sum would be useless if the other party couldn't pay. It was better to win a smaller amount that was within their capacity to pay, so he could actually get the cash. After much consideration, he decided to bet only 10,000 taels.

Cheng Shoubing quickly said, "Young master, even if we have a lot of money, we shouldn't waste it like this. Isn't betting like this just throwing money away?"

"You don't know anything! Just do as I say. I can't go out now, so you go place the bet for me." Zu An scoffed.

Cheng Shoubing muttered under his breath, 'If you're so confident, why did you suddenly take back 10,000 taels? Does anyone ever complain about winning too much money? Ultimately, he lacks confidence himself and just wants to lose less.'

"What did you say?" Zu An glared at him, annoyed.

"Nothing," Cheng Shoubing said with an awkward smile, then spoke more seriously, "Young master, the Chu family strictly prohibits gambling. I wouldn't dare break the rules."

"Can't you just make sure no one finds out?" Zu An tucked a 100-tael silver note into Cheng Shoubing's clothes. "Alright, alright, this is your errand fee. I'll give you a share of the winnings later."

Cheng Shoubing's eyes lit up, and he immediately changed his demeanor. "Understood, I'll go take care of it for you right away!" With that, he scurried out.

Zu An watched, dumbfounded. 'Would this guy really run off with my silver?' But then he remembered that in this world, servants had indentures, and the outside world was full of dangers. Where could he possibly go?

Meanwhile, as Cheng Shoubing walked towards the gambling house, he secretly mused, 'The young master must have heard that everyone doubted him and felt a little embarrassed, so he deliberately bet 10,000 taels on himself. Anyway, he has 7.5 million taels; 10,000 is nothing to him. It's worth it just for his pride.'

'However, as the young master's attendant, I must help him out. How can I just watch him lose money? Hmph, I've decided. I'll bet on his opponent to win. That way, even if the young master loses, he'll still get some silver, and he'll definitely praise me for being thoughtful.'

'Haha, I'm such a clever little guy.'

As Zu An returned to his courtyard, he was suddenly startled because Old Man Mi was already waiting there.

"Senior, you're here?" Zu An was as well-behaved as could be at that moment, showing none of his usual mischievousness.

Old Man Mi grunted and said, "Your progress was too fast last time. I was so surprised that I forgot to remind you. Tomorrow, during the grand competition, you must absolutely not use the 'Sunflower Phantom' technique I taught you, unless it's a matter of life and death and there's no other choice. Otherwise, it could easily bring about your demise."

"Huh?" Zu An was stunned. Had all his hard work practicing the Evil-Warding Swordplay been for nothing?