Chapter 115: Why Does No One Believe It?

Everyone else was baffled, not understanding the meaning of the words.

On stage, Wu Di trembled. *What's happening? How does someone know my real name?*

He was already middle-aged and completely unqualified to participate in such a family competition, so he had worn a mask made by a Rune Master, pretending to be a young man. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, if his identity were exposed, even the Prefect or Duke Yangquan, despite their willingness to show favoritism, wouldn't be able to protect him. Duke Mingyue certainly wouldn't let it go, and ruining the important plans of both the Wu and Yuan families would lead to a much worse fate for him upon his return.

*Could there be a problem with my mask?* He instinctively touched his face.

This brief distraction caused a momentary pause in his offensive. Across from him, Chu Chuyan was now enveloped in a light blue veil of ice and snow. Her speed had suddenly increased severalfold compared to her usual pace, and her figure transformed into a blur. She moved past his flaming saber and appeared directly in front of him, thrusting her sword to his throat.

"You've lost!" Chu Chuyan stated coolly, her eyes exceptionally clear.

Wu Di was horrified. Although he had been distracted for a moment, Chu Chuyan's sword should not have been able to penetrate his elemental shield or his vital energy armor. Yet, his defenses had been completely breached in just that instant. *What happened? Could her cultivation be higher than fifth rank? But how is that possible?*

At that moment, an abnormal flush crossed Chu Chuyan's face. To break through her opponent's defenses in an instant, she had used a forbidden technique and had now sustained significant internal injuries. She instinctively glanced towards the audience and saw Zu An grinning at her. She thought, *If he hadn't suddenly shouted just now, distracting my opponent, I might have already...*

*Was he intentional or was it just a coincidence?*

An official from the City Lord's Mansion stepped onto the stage and announced, "Match seven: Chu Chuyan wins!"

"I object!" Yuan Wendong, having received a look from Wu Wei and his father, immediately jumped up. Pointing at Zu An, he declared, "The Chu family's victory was unfair! They relied on Zu An from the audience to disrupt our contestant's mind. This is open cheating!"

How could the two families not be enraged? Wu Di was their strongest participant in this competition, and they had risked hiding his identity to defeat the Chu family's greatest pride and completely demoralize them. Yet, their efforts had been thwarted by this brat, failing at the last moment.

The few people on the main platform frowned slightly. They had many factors to consider and did not immediately express their stance.

Zu An had already spoken. "I don't understand this. I just shouted 'Time to eat!' because I was hungry, and that affected your contestant? That six-rank expert must be pretty weak then."

Boos erupted from the training ground. Clearly, more people supported the young and beautiful Chu Chuyan, and they found the Yuan family's reason too far-fetched.

Yuan Wendong grew anxious. "You weren't just shouting 'Time to eat!' You were shouting 'Wu Di'..." As he said this, his heart sank, realizing he had misspoken.

Zu An exclaimed, "I said, 'Wu Di, your mom's calling you home for dinner,' not 'Di Wu.' Why would he react? Could it be that his name isn't Di Wu, but Wu Di?"

"Nonsense!" Yuan Wendong was both shocked and furious. He couldn't understand how Zu An could possibly know Wu Di's true identity; it made no sense.

Rage from Yuan Wendong +868!

*Di Wu? Wu Di?*

Chu Zhongtian silently repeated the two names. A thought struck him, and he said coolly, "I heard that the Wu family has an elder called Wu Di, who is also a sixth-rank cultivator practicing fire-element techniques. I wonder if it's him."

Chu Chuyan was extremely clever. She immediately understood and reached out to grasp at Di Wu's face, intending to expose any mask.

Just then, Wu Wei flashed onto the stage. Chu Chuyan felt an enormous force transmit through her sword, making it almost impossible to hold onto her longsword. Fortunately, Chu Zhongtian had already appeared behind her, neutralizing the force on her body, and simultaneously exchanged a palm strike with Wu Wei.

*Bang!*

A violent vortex of energy spread outwards, sending spectators near the stage tumbling backward.

Zu An looked up, staring intently at the center of the arena. As the dust settled, the stage floor, dozens of feet in circumference, was cracked in every direction, as if it could collapse at any moment. He was secretly aghast. He had heard that eighth-rank cultivators could communicate with the power of heaven and earth. *Is this the might of an eighth-rank?* He had made some progress in his cultivation earlier and felt like a small superhero in his past life, even feeling a bit complacent, but compared to this power, it was a world of difference.

"Stupid brother-in-law, you're taking advantage of me again!" Chu Hanzhao pushed the man off her and glared at him indignantly.

Zu An averted his gaze, a wronged expression on his face. "I was just trying to shield you because I was afraid you'd get hurt. I wasn't taking advantage of you."

Chu Hanzhao scoffed, "I've already cultivated to the third rank. What are you? A weakling like you protecting me? What else could that be but taking advantage?"

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. In that moment of crisis, he hadn't thought much; his subconscious simply felt that Chu Hanzhao wasn't as strong as him, so he had shielded her. However, he found it difficult to explain the underlying reason.

Chu Hanzhao's face flushed. "Alright, alright, I know you were trying to save me. But don't be so impulsive in the future. It'd be more fitting for me to protect you."

Seeing that she was no longer angry, Zu An chuckled. "That would be wonderful. Oh, you have some dust on your chest. Let your brother-in-law brush it off for you."

"Get lost~" Chu Hanzhao spat.

On the stage, Chu Zhongtian looked at Wu Wei opposite him with a furious expression. "Wu, what is the meaning of this?"

"Since the victory has been decided, why is your Chu family being so aggressive?" Wu Wei stated calmly, shielding Wu Di behind him. He thought to himself, *Yuan Wendong truly has no brains; a few words almost exposed Wu Di's identity.*

At this moment, Sang Hong also arrived on the stage, standing between them. "Indeed, since the outcome is clear, why should the two of you damage relations? It would be a loss of face for the imperial court if two dukes were to fight publicly on the stage."

Chu Zhongtian's heart sank. The other party's words seemed fair, but they were actually subtly favoring the Wu family.

Then City Lord Xie Yi also spoke. "Yuan Zhengchu, do you concede this match?"

Yuan Zhengchu was no fool. In the current situation, he wouldn't argue over the outcome of this match. He quickly nodded and said, "We concede this match."

Although they were now trailing 3-4, they were guaranteed to win the next two matches, so there was no need to dwell on this one.

Xie Yi smiled slightly. "That's good. Let's proceed with the next match then, Principal Jiang, what do you think?" As a member of Prince Qi's faction, he was happy to see the imperial court pressure the Chu family step by step, ideally forcing them into a corner until they eventually joined Prince Qi's camp. *Hmph, there's no such thing as always remaining neutral.*

Jiang Luofu showed a hint of hesitation but still nodded, saying, "I have no objection." Given her position, she was well aware of the turbulent political currents, but the academy had always stayed out of such matters. Furthermore, strictly speaking, they were subordinate to the imperial court, and there was no reason to oppose Sang Hong.

Hearing her words, Wu Wei chuckled, "Duke Mingyue, you wouldn't question the decision of these three judges, would you?"

Chu Zhongtian's face alternated between green and red. He suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness, as if the entire world were against him. For the first time, he began to doubt if his choice was wrong, but remembering that neutrality was the Chu family's ancestral instruction, and that the Chu family had stood strong throughout history for so many years because of it, he could only grit his teeth and persist. "Alright, let's begin the next match."

Losing the weapons market this time was a significant loss, but not entirely unacceptable, as the Chu family's primary source of income was still the salt trade. Furthermore, the weapons market had channels and connections accumulated over many years, which the Yuan family wouldn't be able to fully absorb in just a year or two.

"Father, don't be too pessimistic. Xiao Zhao might not lose. Even if she draws, we still have a chance." Chu Chuyan swallowed back a mouthful of blood that had nearly overflowed and whispered reassuringly. The Chu family was currently leading 4-3. If Chu Hanzhao won, that would be ideal. Even if she drew, the Chu family would still have a chance. If the scores ended up tied, they could always choose another person to compete, which would put the Chu family in an unbeatable position.

As for Zu An's match, both Chu Chuyan and Chu Zhongtian naturally assumed it was a loss.

"Excellent!" Chu Zhongtian's spirits lifted. He quickly led everyone to Chu Hanzhao, giving her last-minute instructions and advice.

Chu Hanzhao listened, dumbfounded. She never expected the Chu family's fate to suddenly rest on her shoulders. She said nervously, "The opponent's cultivation should be higher than mine, right?"

Chu Chuyan explained, "Although he's a bit higher than you, there isn't a qualitative difference. If you make good use of the unique abilities of the Wailing Whip, you still have a great chance."

Zu An, standing by, secretly nodded. He had personally experienced the terror of that whip; the sting was so intense that he couldn't recover for a long time after just one strike.

Chu Hanzhao was still a bit flustered. "But... but what if I can't hit him? Sister, you know my skill level. I'm fine bullying Zu An, but getting on a stage is truly..." She even regretted being too playful in her daily life and not cultivating seriously enough.

Zu An's eyes widened. *This is what they mean by getting shot while lying down!*

Qin Wanru said in a deep voice, "Xiao Zhao, this battle concerns the Chu family's future. You *must* win, even if you don't think you can!" Her voice unconsciously became sterner due to the gravity of the matter.

Chu Hanzhao nodded, her stubborn nature roused. Biting her lip, she said, "Good, I must win. I won't disgrace Father and Mother."

Seeing her resolute gaze, Zu An was startled. *This girl isn't going to fight desperately to win once she's on stage, is she? And since it concerns the Chu family's future, Chu Zhongtian and his wife definitely won't let her back down until the very last moment. What if she accidentally sustains an irreversible injury then?* Thinking of this, he couldn't help but comfort her, "Xiao Zhao, don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you can't win, just concede. I'm still here for the next match."

"No one will think you're mute if you don't speak!" Qin Wanru snapped. They had just managed to ignite their daughter's fighting spirit, and this guy had to go and contradict them directly.

Rage from Qin Wanru +404!

Chu Zhongtian also frowned. "Xiao An, it would be good for you too if Xiao Zhao wins. Otherwise, your chances against Yuan Wendong are slim."

Zu An also looked gloomy. "But I think I can win."