Chapter 247: You Know Who I Am

"So what if I'm messing with you? Are you going to bite me?" Zu An leaned back in his seat, one arm casually around Leng Shuangyue, as if nothing were amiss.

Hearing his words, Chen Xuan was enraged. With a sharp clang, the long saber in his hand was drawn from its sheath. His eyes were dark and menacing, clearly revealing an intent to kill.

Rage from Chen Xuan +444!

Chu Yucheng secretly gave a thumbs-up. This guy was truly formidable. Just a few days ago, he'd thought Zu An was an incompetent son-in-law, but it turned out he was a force to be reckoned with.

But I like it!

Remembering how the redhead had made him lose face earlier, he couldn't wait to see Chen Xuan brought down a peg or two.

Worried that Chen Xuan might lash out and harm someone, he quickly pulled Chu Hongcai over for help.

Unfortunately, Chu Hongcai was utterly dejected at the moment, automatically blocking out external events. So, Chu Yucheng had to approach Zu An alone.

Wang Yuanlong hesitated for a moment, then also stood by his side.

Zu An was a little surprised. He hadn't expected these guys, who usually acted like spoiled brats, to be quite loyal in a crucial moment.

Chen Xuan sneered, "Do you think having more people makes you impressive?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his subordinates at the table all stood up, instantly reversing the numerical advantage.

Just as a fight seemed imminent, Qiu Honglei spoke up: "I hope you all will give Honglei some face and not cause trouble here at the Immortal's Abode, okay?"

Her soft plea was difficult for even the most hard-hearted man to refuse.

Chen Xuan reluctantly sheathed his saber. "On Miss Qiu's account, I'll spare your life for now. Once we leave the Immortal's Abode, we'll settle this properly."

Zu An's voice suddenly rose. "You dare to settle accounts with me? Do you even know who I am?"

Seeing no trace of guilt in Zu An, who was also acting so boastful, Chen Xuan frowned. Could this guy actually be the son of some important figure?

"May I ask who you are?"

Hearing his question, Zu An suddenly laughed. "It's better if you don't know who I am. That way, you won't be able to find me once we leave the Immortal's Abode."

At his words, the surrounding crowd first paused in surprise, then burst into laughter. This guy really was something else.

Chen Xuan: "..."

Rage from Chen Xuan +666!

Having been repeatedly played with today, he couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed his saber and was about to charge.

Qiu Honglei quickly stepped between the two, looking at Chen Xuan with pitiful eyes. "Brother Xuan, you just promised me."

Seeing her expressive eyes blinking, Chen Xuan swallowed. He thought, *What a seductive woman. I must take her back as my bandit chief's wife.*

His anger was replaced by desire, and he forgot all about settling scores with Zu An.

He sat back down with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Brother Xuan~" Qiu Honglei smiled faintly, then couldn't resist glancing back at Zu An, wondering how he would have resolved the situation if she hadn't intervened.

On the second floor, Xie Xiu muttered, "What a pity. I wanted to use this opportunity to test Zu An's strength, but Qiu Honglei stopped it."

Across from him, Xie Daoyun said, "No matter how strong he is, he's certainly no match for a sixth-rank master, right?"

"Not necessarily," Xie Xiu replied, recalling how Zu An had defeated Shi Kun with a single sword stroke in the back mountains. "This guy's strength is truly unpredictable. I don't know how strong he really is."

He wasn't the only one sighing with similar thoughts. On the other side, Pei Mianman extinguished the black flame in her hand and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Since that guy dares to be so reckless, he clearly has a strong backing. Why should I worry? Besides, he's Chu Chuyan's husband, not mine. Hmph~"

Qiu Honglei then looked up to the second floor. "Young Master Xie, you still haven't answered my question. Do you really find Honglei's music so unbearable?"

Xie Xiu stood up and walked to the window, subtly positioning himself to block his sister from view. He then smiled and said, "Miss Qiu, you jest. Listening to that heavenly music just now, I was so utterly engrossed that I haven't fully recovered yet, which is why I forgot to answer your question."

Qiu Honglei covered her mouth and chuckled. "They say Young Master Xie is the dream lover of countless maidens. Your words are indeed very sweet."

"I merely speak the truth," Xie Xiu replied. Compared to the fervent men below, he stood casually, his eyes clear, his entire demeanor suddenly appearing remarkably refined and otherworldly.

Seeing the handsome man and beautiful woman conversing so pleasantly, they truly seemed like a perfect match.

The people around couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. However, considering Xie Xiu's status, few could truly compete with him, and they all felt a sense of discouragement.

Chen Xuan, however, had no such reservations. Seeing the woman he desired, his personal 'plaything', conversing so intimately with another man, a surge of sinister rage flared within him.

Moreover, Xie Xiu had just watched idly as someone impersonated him below, causing Chen Xuan such great embarrassment.

With both old and new grievances combined, he finally erupted: "Young Master Xie, Miss Qiu is asking for constructive criticism, not flattery. What good is simply praising her?"

With someone taking the lead, many in the hall also chimed in. In a pleasure house, everyone was a patron; who was more noble than whom?

After all, Brightmoon City wasn't solely the Xie family's domain, and many, emboldened by alcohol, grew more daring.

Xie Xiu wasn't offended. He merely said calmly, "Regarding Miss Qiu's performance just now, there was indeed a minor flaw."

Hearing him say this, a chorus of jeers arose from the crowd. *There's another one trying to show off.*

Chu Hongcai's recent blunder was fresh in everyone's minds, yet this guy was foolishly imitating him.

Qiu Honglei's smile also stiffened. "Oh? I'd be glad to hear more."

Although she had just invited everyone to offer criticism, she was inwardly very confident in her zither skills and didn't believe anyone present could truly offer valid suggestions.

Having just received so much praise, she was naturally a little pleased, so hearing his words, she felt a slight displeasure.

Xie Xiu then began, "Miss Qiu, your performance just now was truly tear-inducing. Your ability to infuse emotion into your music is simply divine, and in terms of emotional depth, it was impeccable."

Hearing his words, Chu Hongcai's face paled, finally understanding the mistake he had made earlier.

Everyone knew that although Xie Xiu's cultivation wasn't exceptional, his mastery of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting was considerable, especially given his efforts to woo women over the years. Since he said so, it proved that Qiu Honglei had indeed perfectly imbued her emotions into the music.

*No wonder she got so angry when I said what I did.*

*Alas, I shouldn't have said something so risky just to show off.*

As he regretted his actions, Xie Xiu continued, "Miss Qiu, your emotional expression was perfect, but there were a few technical flaws."

"Towards the end of your performance, perhaps you were too focused, swayed by those feelings of anger and sorrow. As a result, the *bianzhi* note was held slightly too long, and the final *yusheng* note was pressed too quickly, causing a slight dissonance in the melody."

The *bianzhi* note is equivalent to the F note in modern Western music, with a melancholic tone.

The *yusheng* note is equivalent to the A note in modern Western music, higher in pitch than *bianzhi*, and capable of conveying indignant or stirring emotions.

Qiu Honglei was startled at first, then closed her eyes in thought. After a long moment, she opened them again:

"There's a saying among the ladies of Brightmoon City: 'If the music errs, Young Master Xie notices.' Today, I finally witnessed it."

"Thank you greatly for your guidance, Young Master Xie. Otherwise, Honglei would have remained complacent and unaware," Qiu Honglei said, bowing solemnly.

Xie Xiu quickly returned the bow. "Miss Qiu, you're too kind."

At the same time, he felt a twinge of shame. Although he had some knowledge of zither playing—enough to fool young girls—he was far from a master like Qiu Honglei. Naturally, he couldn't have discerned those fleeting flaws himself.

All of this information had been provided by his sister, Xie Daoyun.

Qiu Honglei continued to praise him, driving the surrounding crowd into a frenzy of jealousy.

Even Xie Xiu felt a little giddy, thinking, *I've certainly impressed her today. I wonder if she'll choose me later.*

At that moment, Xie Daoyun whispered from behind him, "Don't forget your promise. When you're invited inside later, take me with you."

Xie Xiu felt a headache coming on. *Bringing my sister to a brothel—I must be the first person in the world to do such a thing.*

Just then, Qiu Honglei's gaze suddenly shifted, sweeping over the other people in the hall.

Each of them straightened up, hoping to be singled out for a question, just like Xie Xiu.

However, everything that could be said had already been uttered by others, especially Xie Xiu's critique, which they all believed none could surpass.

*It seems Young Master Xie will be the lucky one tonight.*

A palpable wave of sour jealousy filled the entire hall.

But then, to everyone's surprise, Qiu Honglei suddenly spoke: "I hear that the Chu family's son-in-law, Young Master Zu, has also arrived. I wonder where he is now?"

At her words, all eyes in the hall instantly converged on Zu An, making him freeze in the middle of eating a grape offered by Leng Shuangyue.

"What exactly is this woman up to?" On the second floor, Pei Mianman's peach-blossom eyes glinted dangerously as she was gripped by an inexplicable suspicion.

This was also the question in everyone else's minds. After all, countless people present had higher status and standing than Zu An.

To put it nicely, he was the Chu family's son-in-law.

To put it bluntly, he was just a lowly live-in son-in-law.

Why would the fairy-like Qiu Honglei disregard everyone else and specifically pay attention to him?

Feeling everyone's gaze, Zu An frowned. Judging by the rage points he had just received, this woman clearly knew him but was now pretending otherwise.

There had to be something strange going on!

"You are Zu An?"

Before he could say anything, a grinding, angry voice rang out.

Rage from Chen Xuan +1024!

Zu An glanced at Chen Xuan, whose eyes were practically spewing fire. He found it very odd. Based on his experience collecting rage points, anyone who could contribute 1024 points at once must hold a deep, burning hatred.

*Did I kill this guy's father, or sleep with his wife?*

*Why such an extreme reaction?*

Zu An sighed. "I've tried to be as low-key as possible throughout this whole thing, afraid of stealing your thunder and letting you all shine. Yet, unexpectedly, I've still become the center of attention. It just goes to show, an excellent man like me is always so impressive, no matter where I go."