Chapter 133: Surprised or Not

"What is it?" Zu An was momentarily surprised, not expecting her to have business with him.

"Naturally, it's about the qualification to enter the secret realm," Jiang Luofu said, casually crossing her legs as if oblivious to the significant allure the gesture held for men. "When the time comes, do you want to enter the secret realm as a student or as a teacher?"

After Zu An defeated Yuan Wendong and Yuan Wenji in the arena, no one would doubt his qualification to enter the secret realm.

"As a teacher, of course!" Zu An replied. Being a teacher would be great; it would give him prestige and allow him to show off.

"In the secret realm, teachers are responsible for their students' safety," Jiang Luofu said with a faint smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Zu An paused. He was going to the secret realm to search for the Untraceable Illusion Lotus, and being distracted by looking after students would indeed be inconvenient. "The secret realm is surely for training. Why would students still need a teacher's protection? How will those 'kids' ever grow up then?"

"'Kids'?" Jiang Luofu was taken aback, Zu An's antiquated tone leaving her speechless for a moment. *How old exactly are you?* she wondered. "The secret realm doesn't just contain rare treasures; it also holds various dangers. Every year, during secret realm expeditions, some people die inside. So generally, apart from fifth-grade prodigies and some high-level fourth-grade students who can move freely, all other students are led and supervised by teachers."

Zu An nodded, understanding the situation more or less. "No problem. Anyway, most likely no students will choose my team."

Jiang Luofu: "..."

This guy's way of thinking is really different from normal people. *Sigh*, never mind. I'll just send another teacher in with him then.

"Alright, let's talk about the second matter," Jiang Luofu said. "The academy needs you to step forward and take over the Plum Blossom Gang's assets. You know it's not convenient for the academy to handle such things directly."

Zu An chuckled. "I already gave you the IOUs before. How to handle it should be your business, so why are you coming to me again?"

"Originally, the plan was to take over gradually. Who knew your lawsuit would directly land Mei Chaofeng in prison? The Plum Blossom Gang could collapse at any moment, and countless eyes in Brightmoon City are fixed on this lucrative asset. However, various factions are balancing each other out, so no one can act immediately," Jiang Luofu explained. "But you are different. Everyone knows the Plum Blossom Gang owes you 7.5 million taels. You have the legal basis to take over their assets, and with the academy's support, it will definitely be much easier for you than for anyone else."

Zu An smiled faintly. "I suppose you're pushing me forward because you want to leverage the Chu clan's influence."

Brightmoon Academy probably had other plans initially, but Mei Chaofeng's sudden imprisonment disrupted everything, drawing everyone's attention to the Plum Blossom Gang's assets. Concerned about its reputation, Brightmoon Academy found it inconvenient to act directly, thus needing a proxy, a 'white glove'.

And he was the best candidate. Besides the reasons she mentioned, his status as the Chu clan's son-in-law meant that even if Chu Zhongtian was unwilling, other factions wouldn't see it that way.

If the academy and the Chu clan joined forces, other factions would likely give up their efforts automatically.

"It's not always a good thing for a man to be too clever," Jiang Luofu said, gently tapping her fingertips with a pen, a playful smile on her face.

"No, I'm not doing it. What's in it for me?" Zu An flatly refused.

"You don't have to," Jiang Luofu replied, her tone completely unruffled. "Then I'll just choose someone else to go to the secret realm."

Zu An immediately moved closer with a wide smile. "I was just kidding! As an academy teacher, how could I not help the academy overcome its difficulties? Besides, I was the one who caused this whole situation, so it's only right for me to clean up the mess. Absolutely right, haha."

Jiang Luofu silently scrutinized him, and after a long moment, she sighed. "I have to say, you are the most shameless person I've met in all these years."

"Oh, right, what did you come to see me about?"

Zu An's eyes darted around. "Actually, it's somewhat related to taking over the Plum Blossom Gang..." He then briefly explained his purpose.

"You want me to be your enforcer to deal with Mei Chaofeng?" Jiang Luofu scoffed.

"Think about it," Zu An quickly explained. "Mei Chaofeng must know most of the Plum Blossom Gang's secrets—like their ledgers, where their funds went, all their resource channels, and so on. If we don't get these things clear from him, we won't be able to properly take over the Plum Blossom Gang."

"What you say isn't entirely unreasonable. Fine, I'll go with you," Jiang Luofu said, rising from her chair, her tall figure becoming even more striking.

On the way, the two chatted:

"By the way, how exactly did you defeat the Yuan brothers in the arena that day? Your basic sword skills seem somewhat different from what's taught at the academy."

"There's nothing I can do; my talent is simply too high, and my understanding of sword intent is too profound."

"..."

"You have a very good relationship with Shang Liuyu. Last time you even lied to me and said you didn't know her."

"How would I dare lie to you? It's just that I didn't know her name before."

"How far have things progressed between you two? For so many years, I've never seen her allow anyone else into her courtyard, let alone lend out personal belongings."

"As a distinguished principal, isn't it a bit unseemly to be so nosy?"

...

The two continued chatting until they neared a pavilion. Jiang Luofu didn't follow directly; Zu An went ahead alone.

From a distance, he saw a woman with flowing long hair sitting inside the pavilion. Her clothes were quite similar to Shang Liuyu's.

*But, brother, your brawny physique doesn't look like a woman at all, let alone impersonating a breathtaking beauty like Shang Liuyu.*

*I never would have imagined that the dignified leader of the Plum Blossom Gang would enjoy cross-dressing!*

However, since the other party went to such lengths, how could he not play along?

"Sister Shang, why did you ask me to meet you?" Zu An called out, feigning surprise as if he'd fallen for the trap. Of course, he didn't get too close, so he wouldn't accidentally be instantly killed by his opponent, which would truly be a tragedy.

"Hahahaha, you little bastard, guess who I am!" Hearing Zu An's words, Mei Chaofeng burst into laughter. He tore off the wig and the dress he was wearing, then turned around, grinning maliciously at Zu An.

"Wh-why... why is it you? Where's Sister Shang?" Zu An feigned a terrified expression. From her hidden vantage point, Jiang Luofu rolled her eyes; this guy's acting was truly something else.

"There was never any 'Sister Shang' to begin with. It was me who arranged for you to come here from start to finish. Aren't you surprised? Aren't you shocked?" Seeing the panic in Zu An's eyes, Mei Chaofeng felt a surge of exhilaration throughout his body, almost making him shout out loud. He had suffered various losses because of this kid lately, but today he was finally getting everything back!

"It's you!" Zu An instinctively stepped back. "That's impossible. How could you have someone inside the academy?"

"Thanks to the young master's immense influence, otherwise it would have been truly difficult to catch a slippery eel like you," Mei Chaofeng said. He wasn't in a hurry to kill Zu An. Now that he had lost everything, all thanks to this guy, how could he vent his hatred without thoroughly tormenting him and savoring his wails and pain?

"The young master you're talking about, is he Shi Kun?" Zu An already knew their connection, but others didn't. It would be best if Mei Chaofeng revealed it himself for Jiang Luofu to hear.

"Of course, it's—" Mei Chaofeng suddenly realized his mistake mid-sentence. "Hmph, you want to know who it is? I won't let you have your way. You'll die a confused ghost."

"You're going to kill me?" Zu An's expression shifted. "I'm the Chu clan's son-in-law and an academy teacher. If you dare harm me, neither the Chu clan nor the academy will let you off the hook."

"Hahaha, if this were before, I might have had some scruples, but now I'm a stray dog anyway. I can't stay in Brightmoon City, so after I kill you, I'll just find another city to live freely in. What can the Chu clan and the academy do to me?" Mei Chaofeng laughed.

"You're currently being hunted everywhere. You could have left the city, yet you insisted on risking it all to kill me. Did someone promise you that only by killing me could you enjoy freedom elsewhere?" Zu An continued to probe for information.

"What does it matter if it is or isn't? You're too irritating. I've long wanted to hack you into a thousand pieces," Mei Chaofeng sneered. "Kneel and beg for mercy. Maybe I'll let you die a quick death."

He was only saying this intentionally. Even if Zu An truly begged for mercy, Mei Chaofeng would never let him die easily. He merely wanted to witness Zu An's pathetic state before death and enjoy his furious reaction upon realizing Mei Chaofeng wouldn't keep his promise.

Zu An sighed. "Are you really so confident you can kill me?"

"I know you defeated Yuan Wendong during the grand competition, and your confidence must be soaring now," Mei Chaofeng sneered. "Unfortunately, Yuan Wendong is just a good-for-nothing who only recently broke through to the fifth-grade, and he lost because he fell for your tricks. Before me, you don't stand a chance."

As he spoke, he took a step forward, his aura suddenly intensifying. He wanted to see a look of terror and fear on Zu An's face.

Unfortunately, Zu An didn't give him that satisfaction. "This is the limitation of you lower-ranked individuals' thinking. All you can think of are one-on-one fights and duels. For those of us in higher positions, there's no need to personally lift a finger."

Jiang Luofu, hidden in the shadows: "???"

Mei Chaofeng was stunned. He quickly scanned his surroundings, and only after confirming no one else was present did he chuckle. "You don't need to bluff. Those Chu clan guards are currently waiting outside the academy gates; they won't make it here in time. And even if they did, they wouldn't be a match for me."

"Who said I was referring to them?" Zu An spread his hands. "Haven't you done your intelligence work if you're trying to kill me? I have another nickname in the academy: I'm known as the 'King of Living Off Women.' Aside from clan competitions, when do I ever need to take action myself?"

"You're the most shameless man I've ever seen, bragging about living off women without a shred of embarrassment," Mei Chaofeng said with a look of disdain.

"Why should I be ashamed of living off women by my own ability?" Zu An's gaze became even more scornful. "If you're so capable, why don't you try it yourself?"

Rage value from Mei Chaofeng +514!

"I..." Mei Chaofeng's breath hitched, and it took him a long moment to compose himself. "Although Yuan Wendong is a good-for-nothing, he did say one thing right: relying on women is ultimately unreliable; one must depend on their own strength. Take now, for example, which of your women can you call here? Chu Chuyan, Pei Mianman, or Shang Liuyu? Go on, call one for me to see."

The Shi clan had already gathered intelligence: Chu Chuyan was at the Chu residence, Pei Mianman wasn't at the academy, and Shang Liuyu wasn't known for her cultivation. As for people like Chu Hanzhao or Ji Xiaoxi, he didn't fear them at all.

"Well, go on, call one out! Call them!" Seeing Zu An remain silent, Mei Chaofeng's mockery became evident.

Zu An shook his head. "Ah, your looks unfortunately mean you can't understand the troubles of someone like me. But fine, I'll grant your wish. Beautiful Principal, come out."

"Jiang Luofu?" A sudden chill ran down Mei Chaofeng's spine. Jiang Luofu? Killing him would be like slaughtering a chicken. Terrified, he frantically scanned his surroundings, but after a long moment, there was nothing.

"Hahahaha, that's hilarious! Who do you think you are, capable of living off Principal Jiang?" Mei Chaofeng finally relaxed. "But you did remind me: this place is too close to the academy. It would be troublesome if we accidentally drew others here. So, prepare to die!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than his fist glowed with a cluster of blue electrical light and shot violently towards Zu An. The force of the punch made it difficult for Zu An to breathe even before it reached him.

"Holy cow!" Seeing that Jiang Luofu still had no intention of intervening, Zu An finally realized he had gone too far.