Chapter 132: Killing Trap

Mei Chaofeng's expression shifted several times. He said in a deep voice, "I still control the Plum Blossom Gang, so I'm not without value."

To be honest, he was quite reluctant to assassinate Zu An. Setting aside the difficulty and danger—given Zu An's vastly improved status—even if the assassination succeeded, he wouldn't be able to remain in Brightmoon City. Neither the Chu family nor Brightmoon Academy would let him off easily.

In his opinion, assassinations were tasks for trained killers, not for a gang leader like himself. He bore too many responsibilities and had too many ties to act as recklessly as an assassin.

"The Plum Blossom Gang?" Shi Lezhi sneered. "Your killing of Plum Blossom Thirteen has come to light, and that's on top of you killing Plum Blossom Seven earlier. Your subordinates are already feeling insecure and disloyal. You don't seriously believe you can remain the gang leader, do you?"

Mei Chaofeng clenched his teeth, almost grinding them. He thought, *Didn't I know killing Plum Blossom Seven would dishearten my subordinates? But it was to avenge Shi Kun—that was his command!*

Plum Blossom Thirteen was my most capable subordinate, and his death was entirely to facilitate the Shi family's plan. Now, it's all my fault?

However, given his current predicament, he absolutely dared not voice these thoughts.

"Let's get out of here first," Shi Lezhi said. Despite his profound cultivation, he dared not be careless. A prison break was a serious offense; if anything went wrong, even the Shi family couldn't cover it up.

The two quickly left the prison and arrived at a secluded courtyard within the city.

"Don't return to the Plum Blossom Gang for now. Once the prison guards realize what happened, they'll be searching for you everywhere. Stay here for the next few days," Shi Lezhi said in a deep voice.

Mei Chaofeng surveyed the desolate, dilapidated surroundings. He thought about how just yesterday he was living like a king, feasting on meat, drinking wine, and enjoying the company of beautiful women. Now, he was a stray dog. Life truly was unpredictable.

As if sensing his dissatisfaction, Shi Lezhi said, "You don't need to be so dejected. Once you complete the young master's task, you can move to another city and live as freely as you wish."

Mei Chaofeng frowned. "If it were just Zu An alone, killing him wouldn't be difficult. But now he has the Chu family's protection, with their guards accompanying him daily. During the day, he's at the academy, which is full of masters. How could I possibly get to him?"

If Zu An were that easy to kill, they wouldn't have gone to so much trouble before; they would have just killed him directly.

"Don't worry, we've found a way to kill him," Shi Lezhi replied.

"Oh? Tell me more!" Mei Chaofeng's interest was piqued. The thought of killing that bastard made him quite excited.

"Do you remember that peculiar music he played in the arena yesterday?" Shi Lezhi asked.

"Of course, I remember. Something like 'entrance music'!" Mei Chaofeng said grudgingly, though he had to admit the music was indeed a bit flamboyant.

Shi Lezhi continued, "Zu An used a conch to play that music. Our investigation revealed that the conch is a personal item belonging to Shang Liuyu, the foreign language teacher at Brightmoon Academy. We've never heard of her lending it to anyone else before."

Mei Chaofeng was taken aback. "That fellow is also involved with Shang Liuyu?"

He recalled that Zu An's wife was the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City, and rumors suggested he had ambiguous relationships with several other beauties at the academy, even earning him the reputation of a 'gigolo king.'

Those rumors were one thing—he could assume young women were easily deceived. But now, even an exceptional woman like Shang Liuyu was involved with him. Mei Chaofeng suddenly found himself questioning everything. Were handsome men truly that popular?

He considered how he had only managed to get involved with someone like Madam Tan-Zhang, and even that had led to trouble, while Zu An was simultaneously charming several of Brightmoon City's most prominent beauties. Mei Chaofeng felt a surge of bitterness.

"We're not entirely sure what his relationship with Shang Liuyu is, but we can confirm it's far from ordinary," Shi Lezhi said. "So, tomorrow, after he arrives at the academy, we'll send someone to invite him to a private meeting in Shang Liuyu's name. He surely won't refuse."

"I recall you previously reported to the young master that Plum Blossom Thirteen once saw them together in a pavilion near the academy. We'll arrange the meeting at that exact spot; he definitely won't suspect anything."

"Good, then I'll skin that bastard alive to truly vent my hatred!" Mei Chaofeng's fists clenched, knuckles cracking.

Anger value from Mei Chaofeng +812!

Seeing this incoming anger value notification in the backend, Zu An paused. *This guy really holds a deep grudge against me.* But since his opponent was already locked up, Zu An couldn't be bothered with him anymore. His focus shifted back to persuading Chu Chuyan: "Wife, are you really not considering letting me move in? You've already admitted publicly that we sleep together."

"So what?" Chu Chuyan replied, her tone still flat.

"Think about it," Zu An explained, "if we don't live together, you'll be bearing that reputation for nothing. Wouldn't that be a huge loss for you? So, for your sake, I've decided to live with you."

Chu Chuyan was speechless.

He was too brazen. Knowing she couldn't win an argument with him, she simply closed the door.

Zu An touched his nose, which had almost been caught by the closing door, and couldn't help but sigh, "It seems I still have a long way to go."

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Chu Zhongtian was describing the courtroom scene to his wife. He couldn't help but marvel, "On the surface, Zu An seems wild and unhinged, speaking and acting without much thought. But in critical moments, he analyzes problems with remarkable clarity. Every time he spoke, he struck at his opponent's weak points, sometimes even before I could fully process it."

"Is he really that capable?" Qin Wanru asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"I've told you everything, and you can sense it too. If you don't believe me, you can ask Chuyan." Sensing his wife's distrust, Chu Zhongtian grew anxious. *Do I seem like someone who spouts nonsense?*

Qin Wanru frowned. "Then why has he been acting like a good-for-nothing all these years?"

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. "I don't know about that. I'll find a suitable opportunity to ask him later."

"Do you think he's truly not a spy sent by another family?" Qin Wanru asked.

"I don't think so," Chu Zhongtian said. "Honestly, when he helped us win the grand competition in the arena, I was surprised but didn't pay much mind, as he was only a third-rank cultivator. But everything he displayed in court today made me realize he possesses such meticulous thought and cunning. Perhaps Chuyan genuinely stumbled upon an excellent husband this time."

"Don't celebrate too soon," Qin Wanru scoffed. "Have you forgotten the original purpose of Chuyan's husband selection? If Zu An is truly that capable, and deliberately concealed it, it indicates a deep and calculating mind. This might not be a blessing for the Chu family; trouble from within would be disastrous."

"It's not that serious, is it?" Chu Zhongtian mumbled awkwardly.

"Have you forgotten about Youzhao's situation?" Qin Wanru asked anxiously. "His condition can be hidden from outsiders, but not from those close to us. If Zu An learns about Youzhao's situation in the future and harbors ill intentions, what will become of our Chu family? And how will Chuyan manage, caught in the middle?"

Chu Zhongtian hesitated. "If it comes to that, letting Chuyan inherit the Chu family might not be out of the question. She has sacrificed and contributed far too much for our family over the years."

"But how could the imperial court and other families allow that?" Qin Wanru sighed. "Alright, let's take it one step at a time."

Early the next morning, Zu An set off for Brightmoon Academy. Now that he held the identity of a teacher, he was eager to go to the academy every day and show off, no longer resisting going to school as he once did.

Chu Hanzhao had initially wanted to accompany him, but Qin Wanru stopped her. She felt that her second daughter's relationship with her brother-in-law was becoming a bit too close. Besides, Hanzhao was still recovering from injuries sustained in the family competition, so she remained at home to rest.

Chu Chuyan rarely attended school on weekdays anyway, and since she was also injured, she naturally had no interest in going.

In the end, only Zu An was left by himself, though he automatically ignored sycophants like Cheng Shoubing.

However, the Chu family also received news of Mei Chaofeng's prison break early that morning. To be safe, Chu Zhongtian assigned a few more Red Robe Army guards to protect Zu An. These guards were skilled in combined attack techniques and could at least hold out until reinforcements arrived, even against high-level enemies.

Arriving safely at Brightmoon Academy, Zu An secretly sneered. He had expected Mei Chaofeng to ambush him on the way, but it turned out he was a coward who had hidden somewhere.

Of course, he inwardly cursed the city lord's faction. They were locked in prison and still managed to escape. If he didn't know they were aligned with Prince Qi, he would suspect they were intentionally released.

After arriving at school, Zu An felt instantly refreshed seeing the youthful girls bustling about. They were certainly more pleasant to look at than having to face Mei Chaofeng and Shi Kun every day, which was frankly disgusting.

Seeing that there was still some time before class, he went to Shang Liuyu's residence to find her. He hadn't returned her conch from last time, and having performed a great service yesterday, he had a perfect excuse to visit her.

This was also a trick he learned from "seniors" in his previous life: the best way to initiate a romance was by borrowing books. You borrow, you return, and then you can borrow again. Through these repeated exchanges, the two would meet countless times.

He arrived at Shang Liuyu's residence with great enthusiasm. When the gate opened, he found her fully dressed, sitting on a swing in the courtyard and plucking a harp. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, having hoped that by arriving so early, he might catch a glimpse of a "pajama show" or something similar.

Taking the conch, Shang Liuyu smiled faintly. "I hear you've been quite the sensation these past two days. Everyone in Brightmoon City is talking about you, the Chu family's son-in-law."

"But you don't seem surprised," Zu An observed. Simply gazing at the woman before him felt like a visual feast.

"Someone who can play such music would certainly not be a good-for-nothing in the eyes of the world." Shang Liuyu's slender fingers moved gracefully, and a series of melodious tunes began to flow from the harp.

Zu An laughed heartily. "You truly have good judgment. I possess countless other merits; you'll discover in the future that I'm actually a 'treasure trove' of a man."

Shang Liuyu was speechless.

She was at a loss for words, so much so that a slight dissonance appeared in the melody she was playing.

After lingering for a while longer, Zu An emerged from Shang Liuyu's courtyard feeling much lighter on his feet. Shang Liuyu's soft, pleasant voice and the harp music made his ears feel "pregnant" after listening for so long.

*Wait, I'm a man. How would I know what "pregnant" feels like?*

Not long after he returned to the classroom, a student hurriedly handed him a note: "Teacher Shang gave this to you!"

Zu An was startled. He opened the note to read: "Meet at the old pavilion in one hour."

*Could that artistic young woman really be so flirtatious?*

However, that thought was immediately dismissed. It just didn't feel right. They had just seen each other moments ago; why would she be so eager to invite him again?

Even with his self-absorption, he didn't believe his charm was so overwhelming as to make the usually quiet and elegant Shang Liuyu act so proactively.

Crucially, even if Shang Liuyu wanted to send a message, she wouldn't do it through a student. If news of a private affair between them got out at school, it would be disastrous.

Remembering the news of Mei Chaofeng's prison break that morning, Zu An became thoughtful. After a moment, he walked directly towards the administration building.

In the principal's office, Jiang Luofu sat in her chair, her striking long legs casually propped on the flowerbed.

Light gray!

Zu An thought, *This woman changes her stockings to a different color every time, and somehow, each pair looks unexpectedly good. It seems beautiful legs can be quite willful.*

*Hmm, I'm not looking for myself; I'm looking for Wei Suo, so he doesn't ask me later.*

"By the way, I was just about to look for you," Jiang Luofu said before he could state his purpose.