Chapter 110: People Have Great Popularity

Listening to his sister-in-law's complaints, Zu An thought to himself that if even this naive girl knew about these things, it was clear how dire the Chu family's current situation was.

Their collective appearance showed they weren't afraid of the Chu family knowing about their connections. In fact, it seemed they were deliberately sending a signal to the outside world, urging everyone to choose sides as soon as possible.

Sang Hong looked like a gaunt old man. With a wisp of goatee on his chin, he appeared much older than his actual age. He was said to be a renowned capable minister in the imperial court, reportedly able to process ten times the normal amount of official documents daily.

Although he looked old, his eyes were exceptionally bright, making him appear remarkably vigorous and spirited. He exuded an inexplicable aura.

Zu An, however, couldn't help but shake his head. He looked like a programmer, aging prematurely. The 996 work schedule truly takes its toll.

In comparison, his son, Sang Qian, fared much better. He stood there full of vigor and ambition. Though not as eye-catching as Xie Xiu or Shi Kun, his decisive and resolute military bearing still drew screams from many young female admirers.

However, soon more women's attention turned to Shi Kun:

“Brother Shi, Brother Shi~”

“Brother Kun, I love you~”

“Wow, he’s so handsome, I’m going to faint!”

...

Zu An rolled his eyes. “Is that guy Shi Kun an ape? He always draws a crowd whenever he appears.”

He patted Pei Mianman, who was beside him. “Hey, be honest, is that guy really that handsome? I don’t think he’s as handsome as I am.”

“Do you want the truth or a lie?” Pei Mianman’s lips curved slightly upward.

“A lie, of course!” Zu An said righteously.

Pei Mianman chuckled. “You really are an interesting person.”

Chu Hanzhao, standing nearby, looked between them with a strange expression, wondering why she always felt there was something off between them.

At this moment, Zu An’s expression suddenly stiffened. He had just received a string of Rage points in his system:

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +99, +99, +99, +99…

Zu An was startled. “What’s going on? Is Xue’er nearby?”

Remembering her ruthless determination when she tried to kill him, Zu An quickly scanned his surroundings. It would be troublesome if she ambushed him from the shadows.

However, he couldn’t understand why Xue’er dared to come here. After all, Moonbright City’s most prominent figures were gathered in the training ground; experts were everywhere. Fifth-rank cultivators were abundant, and there were even eighth-rank cultivators like Chu Zhongtian and Governor Sang Hong. He had also heard that Principal Jiang was an eighth-rank cultivator. How could she, a fifth-rank spy, dare to show up here?

After all, no matter how much friction there was between Sang Hong and the Chu family, they still maintained a facade of mutual respect. In public, they would certainly assist if the Chu family exposed a traitor or spy.

He looked around for a while but couldn’t find Xue’er. Suddenly, an idea struck Zu An. He quickly looked toward Shi Kun and, sure enough, noticed a fair-skinned young man among the people behind Shi Kun, staring at him.

“A mask?” Combining the Rage points from his system with that familiar gaze, Zu An was certain it was Xue’er. Of course, she wasn't so naive as to think that simply changing into men's clothes, like in those silly costume dramas, would make her unrecognizable. Her face was completely different from before; she must be wearing a mask or something.

The mask was indeed remarkable. If he couldn't determine the person's real name through his keyboard, he truly wouldn't have been able to tell she was wearing one.

Thinking of this, he could no longer sit still. He quickly asked Pei Mianman beside him, “Miss Pei, is there such a thing as face-altering disguise in this world?”

“Face-altering disguise?” Pei Mianman was startled, wondering why he suddenly asked that. Nevertheless, she replied, “Yes, some powerful rune masters can create masks for disguise.”

“Can you disguise yourself as anyone you want?” Zu An asked eagerly.

“Not to my knowledge,” Pei Mianman shook her head. “This world is full of cultivators, and their eyes are very sharp. It's fine if you disguise yourself as someone unknown, but if you disguise yourself as someone familiar, your disguise will easily be seen through. Of course, the world is vast, so it’s not impossible that such miraculous skill exists somewhere.”

“That puts my mind at ease.” Zu An breathed a sigh of relief.

Pei Mianman asked curiously, “Why did you suddenly ask about this?”

Zu An replied casually, “I just suddenly thought, what if someone uses a mask to impersonate my handsome face to deceive young girls? Wouldn’t that ruin my reputation?”

Pei Mianman: “…”

Chu Hanzhao: “…”

At this moment, Xue’er seemed to sense his gaze and quickly shifted her eyes away. Clearly, she didn’t want to be exposed here.

Zu An wasn't in a hurry to expose her. He looked at Shi Kun, who stood on the stage like a graceful young master, and sneered inwardly, “So you’re the mastermind. It seems my previous guess was correct. Let’s have some fun then.”

Before, Shi Kun and his group had been targeting him from the shadows, making him extremely passive. Now, they didn't know he was aware of their schemes. It was he who was now lurking in the shadows, and it was Shi's turn to be passive.

“Rage from Wu Qing +33!”

Suddenly, he received another batch of Rage points. Zu An was instantly amused. “I didn’t realize I was so popular,” he thought. “These people are eager to give me gifts.”

He noticed Wu Qing glaring at him from behind a middle-aged man. He couldn't be bothered with the emotions of such a young girl and instead focused his attention on the middle-aged man she was following. Given his attire and aura, that must be Wu Wei, the Duke of Yangquan from the neighboring territory.

From the stands, he and Chu Zhongtian were chatting amiably, looking like old friends. Zu An couldn't help but sigh, these guys were all sly old foxes.

While Wu Wei and Chu Zhongtian exchanged pleasantries, Sang Hong approached the Zheng family's area. Zheng Yutang and Zheng Dan had already stood up to greet him.

“Excellent, excellent~” Sang Hong observed Zheng Dan, his future daughter-in-law, and nodded with satisfaction. She was indeed impeccable in both appearance and demeanor. Although her family background was a bit modest, the Sang family never sought marriages with prestigious clans.

Hearing her future father-in-law's praise, Zheng Dan’s cheeks flushed, making her appear even more radiant and dignified.

Soon, everyone took their seats. Sang Hong sat in the main seat on the stage. To his left and right were Xie Yi, the Moonbright City Lord, and Jiang Luofu, the Principal of Moonbright Academy. These three were the judges of the grand competition, holding an exceptional status.

Chu Zhongtian and Wu Wei sat opposite each other; it was clear both sides knew who their real opponents were this time.

Next were the family heads of the Yuan, Zheng, and Wang families. Shi Kun, despite being a junior, was also seated among them, highlighting the extraordinary status of the Shi family.

“I heard you offended the Sixth Young Master of the Shi family?” Pei Mianman smiled as she watched the stage, transmitting her voice with vital energy. Clearly, what had happened in the academy earlier had not escaped her notice.

Zu An snorted. “What do you mean I offended him? He’s the one who offended me!”

“Say what you will,” Pei Mianman rolled her eyes. “But as an ally, I must warn you: you cannot afford to provoke the Shi family. Take the old man behind him, for instance – he is a Shi family retainer, Shi Lezhi, Shi Kun's protector. He is an eighth-rank cultivator; crushing you would be easier than crushing an ant.”

“Eighth-rank?” Zu An was startled. “Are eighth-rank cultivators so worthless now? Aren't eighth-rank cultivators capable of being enfeoffed as dukes or marquises, or serving as governors or prefects like Sang Hong? How could one end up being a private bodyguard for a young man?”

Pei Mianman explained, “Those who are enfeoffed as dukes or become governors/prefects are generally high-level eighth-rank cultivators. Those enfeoffed as marquises are a bit lower, and some other official positions only require initial eighth-rank. However, reaching eighth-rank doesn't automatically mean you'll get one of these positions. There are only so many official posts, and countless people covet them. Whether you ultimately obtain one depends on your abilities, opportunities, the power of your family, and so on.”

“It’s common for some masters to waste their entire lives and never attain the official position they desire. Generally, the younger one is when they advance, and the more potential for breakthrough they show, the more likely they are to secure these positions. Someone like Shi Lezhi, who only barely reached eighth-rank in his old age, has no potential for further advancement. Naturally, it’s difficult for him to get a suitable official position; serving in a family offers better treatment.”

“However, his lack of potential is only relative to the eighth-rank level. For low-rank cultivators like yourselves, he remains an unbeatable presence.”

Zu An nodded slightly, generally understanding the situation. It was like passing the imperial examination in his previous life: if you became a *juren* (provincial graduate), you could theoretically become an official. But countless *juren* across the land were waiting for official appointments, and some might wait until their death without ever receiving a substantive post.

Conversely, if you passed the *jinshi* (metropolitan graduate) examination, it was much better. Compared to *juren*, *jinshi* were more distinguished and had greater potential.

It seemed Shi Lezhi was one of those from his generation who had relatively mediocre aptitude and was eliminated in the competition. But this was only relative mediocrity. Looking at the whole world, reaching eighth-rank cultivation could already be considered genius.

For the first time, Zu An felt the fierce and cruel competition of the cultivation world. Even someone who cultivated to eighth-rank was considered a failure.

However, he suddenly realized, what was he worrying about others for? An eighth-rank cultivator, even a low-level one, could crush him with a single finger.

Just then, someone came over to call him. Apparently, all contestants were required to wait in a designated area beforehand.

Pei Mianman smiled slightly. “Good luck, I’m sure you’ll win.”

The two of them had personally sparred that night. She knew that the young man before her was definitely not as useless as the public perceived him to be. He might just astound everyone today.

“It seems you have good taste.” Zu An praised.

Pei Mianman: “…”

Chu Hanzhao, standing nearby, was not pleased. She pouted and said, “Sister Pei, I’m also participating in the competition later, why aren’t you wishing me luck?”

Pei Mianman smiled faintly. “Little Sister Zhao, your victory will naturally be a given.”

Chu Hanzhao frowned. She felt that Pei Mianman’s well wishes for her were a bit perfunctory, and not as sincere as her words to her brother-in-law. Was this woman trying to seduce her brother-in-law?

Hmph, I must tell my sister!

However, recalling her sister’s attitude towards Zheng Dan earlier, she hesitated. She felt her sister didn't care about her brother-in-law at all, so it might be better if she kept an eye on him herself.

The two of them arrived at the waiting area. From a distance, they saw Yuan Wendong across from them. Worried he wouldn't fall for it, Zu An deliberately shouted, “Hey, Yuan! Just so you know, I’ll be the last one to enter the arena. We agreed on a fight, and whoever doesn't show up is a coward!”

Yuan Wendong: “…”

Rage points from Yuan Wendong +666!

Yuan Wendong’s face turned beet red. No matter how fiercely great families contended with each other, they always adhered to a code of etiquette in public. Such street-level cursing was beyond his usual comprehension.

In front of so many important figures, although furious, he dared not curse back. He coldly said, “Very well. I look forward to experiencing Brother Zu’s techniques then!”

At the same time, he secretly swore, “If I don’t completely cripple you later, I’ll change my surname from Yuan!”