Chapter 261: Holding Onto the Big Shot

"Come in first," Zu An said, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter. It wouldn't be appropriate for passing teachers and students to see him in his current state.

Shang Liuyu glanced at his bare upper body, a hint of hesitation on her face. Yet, her curiosity won out, and she gracefully stepped into the courtyard.

As Zu An closed the door, he explained, "Mainly, I was ambushed on my way to school today, so I'm a bit jumpy."

"An assassination? Who wants to kill you?" Shang Liuyu's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She couldn't understand who would dare to openly attempt to assassinate him on the street, especially with his dual identity as the Chu family son-in-law and an academy teacher.

"Chen Xuan from Black Wind Stronghold," Zu An replied, fetching a basin of water and beginning to wipe away the horse blood that had soaked his body. He briefly recounted what had happened on the road.

Shang Liuyu turned her face away awkwardly, pretending to admire the courtyard scenery. "Chen Xuan from Black Wind Stronghold? How did you get involved with him?"

"He and Mei Chaofeng from Silver Hook Casino are brothers." Although they hadn't known each other long, Zu An trusted Shang Liuyu's character and felt there was no need to hide anything.

"I see," Shang Liuyu said softly. "I heard Chen Xuan is a sixth-rank master. What will you do if he tries to kill you?"

"Don't worry, I've always been lucky; I won't die," Zu An said with a laugh.

However, he wasn't entirely optimistic. In a direct confrontation, with his current strength, he could barely contend with a sixth-rank master after triggering the berserk effect of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra. But Chen Xuan didn't fight conventionally; he went straight for a one-hit kill. Today, he was lucky to have received a warning from his Rage points, allowing him to be vigilant in advance. He couldn't be sure if he'd be so lucky next time.

Shang Liuyu thought for a moment, then took out a jade-like object from her pocket and handed it to him. "Keep this with you. It might save your life at a crucial moment."

"What is this?" Zu An initially thought it was a jade pendant, but when he took it, he saw it was much thinner, entirely white, and faintly shimmered with a pale blue glow. It looked quite beautiful.

Shang Liuyu hesitated before replying, "Just think of it as a jade pendant. It can block one fatal blow for you. But remember, it's single-use. It will automatically shatter after one use and won't protect you again."

"Being able to block one attack is already incredible," Zu An exclaimed, surprised by its potent effect. For a moment, he was speechless, then quickly tried to hand it back. "I really can't accept something so valuable."

Shang Liuyu smiled slightly, not taking it back. "No matter how valuable it is, it's not as precious as your life. Please keep it. I wouldn't want a friend I just managed to make to be accidentally killed."

"Alright, I won't be overly modest then. I do need this right now," Zu An said, putting away the "jade pendant." "Unfortunately, I don't have anything valuable to give you in return... Do you want some banknotes?"

He genuinely didn't have anything precious on him at the moment. The heavenly-grade elemental stones belonged to Mi Li, and after her warning, he didn't dare give them to other women. The Marrow Cleansing Fruit was also gone, and judging by Shang Liuyu's tranquil demeanor, she didn't seem interested in cultivation or fighting.

After much thought, the most valuable thing he had left was banknotes. He couldn't exactly repay her with "meat," could he? He wouldn't mind, but she clearly wouldn't agree.

Shang Liuyu pursed her lips and smiled. "No need for banknotes. Why don't you tell me what happened in the secret realm? I feel you've changed quite a bit since your trip there."

"Haha, no problem," Zu An chuckled. He thought, *Of course I've changed a lot; I'm not a virgin anymore. Can she really tell?*

"You should put your clothes on first." Seeing him stand up, a masculine presence radiated from him. Shang Liuyu turned her head away awkwardly, thinking, *He used to look so delicate and refined. I never imagined he'd look like this under his clothes.*

"My apologies for my rudeness," Zu An said. He was used to being shirtless in his previous life. Since most of the bloodstains were cleaned, he quickly put on his clothes and began to tell her about his experiences in the secret realm.

He was naturally a good storyteller, and the entire account, as it came from his lips, was truly thrilling.

Of course, because of his promise to Mi Li, he couldn't tell Shang Liuyu everything.

Even so, she was utterly amazed. "Many students from Brightmoon Academy have visited the secret realm over the years, but I doubt their combined experiences are as rich as yours."

Zu An laughed heartily. "Exactly! It just proves I'm a child of destiny."

"I like your optimistic attitude," Shang Liuyu said, smiling gently. Her smile was like a spring breeze, always refreshing the heart.

"Oh, by the way, I'll return the conch you lent me last time," Zu An said, fumbling in his clothes as he spoke. Suddenly, his movements froze.

It was then that he remembered he had taken off his clothes and given them to Qiu Honglei to cover herself last night, forgetting to retrieve the conch from them.

Noticing his embarrassed expression, Shang Liuyu pressed her lips together and chuckled. "What's wrong? Did you accidentally lose it?"

"It's not lost, it's just not in these clothes," Zu An said sheepishly. "I'll bring it to you next time."

"No hurry," Shang Liuyu said, rising. "I have class to attend. We can talk again next time."

"Alright~"

Watching her graceful green figure drift away, Zu An thought, *No wonder she's so popular at school. It's hard not to like her after spending time with her.*

Zu An also had to go to class, though not as a teacher. After all, arithmetic was an elective at Brightmoon Academy and wasn't taught frequently.

So, most of the time, he still attended lessons from other "colleagues" in the Huang-class.

However, just as he reached the classroom door, a faint fragrance wafted over, and a cold, authoritative voice sounded in his ear: "Come with me to the office."

The tone was utterly beyond question. *Who's so arrogant to speak to me like that? Isn't this telling me to skip class?* Zu An wondered.

He turned around and saw the exquisite tortoiseshell glasses, the form-fitting uniform, and the pair of tall, striking long legs. The displeasure on his face immediately transformed into fawning admiration. "Yes, beautiful Headmistress."

Watching the two depart, a group of male students poked their heads out of the window to peer after them.

Among them, Wei Suo craned his neck the furthest. "Hiss, the Headmistress is wearing nude stockings again today. She seems to really like this style lately. Why doesn't she wear black ones anymore?"

"What do you know? I think nude stockings look better," a nearby student scoffed.

"Bah, black stockings are clearly superior!" another person chimed in, supporting Wei Suo.

"I think grey stockings have more appeal," yet another offered a different opinion.

...

The group argued, their faces flushed, when suddenly a weak voice spoke up:

"Um, is there no one here who likes white stockings?"

The others all turned to look at him, spitting in unison, "Pervert!"

...

As Zu An followed Jiang Luofu, he couldn't help but notice the sway of her back as she walked. Every step she took was incredibly rhythmic and beautiful, the movement perfectly modulated.

Even a fraction more would have appeared vulgar or flirtatious, while a fraction less would have failed to showcase her mature feminine charm.

"What a stunner," he thought.

Zu An marveled from the bottom of his heart, secretly wondering why a lecher like Ji Dengtu wouldn't be interested in her.

Could he be a cross-dresser?

A chill ran down Zu An's spine, and he quickly scrutinized her.

He finally confirmed she was absolutely a woman, through and through.

In that case, Ji Dengtu's reasons were worth pondering.

While he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Jiang Luofu's voice in his ear: "Close the door."

"Oh~" Zu An then realized they had unconsciously arrived at the office.

After closing the heavy door, Jiang Luofu casually kicked off her high heels, then found a chair and reclined, resting her long, beautiful legs—legs that would make countless women green with envy—on a small stool beside her.

From Zu An's perspective, her skirt was similar to the 'pencil skirt' style from his previous life, and its length made it difficult to completely cover her.

Zu An had to admit, even though he couldn't see anything, she still exuded an endless allure.

"Is it nice to look at?" Jiang Luofu's teasing voice rang out.

Zu An's heart tightened, and he quickly composed himself. "I didn't see anything."

Jiang Luofu scoffed. "Who was it, then, who kept staring at me while following behind me just now?"

Zu An's old face flushed, and he quickly explained, "I was observing your walking rhythm, Headmistress. Your cultivation is profound, and even your everyday steps must contain the most fundamental principles of cultivation. I hoped to gain insight for a breakthrough, which is why I took a few extra glances."

Jiang Luofu couldn't help but laugh. "You really can talk your way out of anything! So, how was your observation? Did you gain anything?"

Zu An shook his head. "The time spent observing was too short; it wasn't enough to gain any profound understanding. If the beautiful Headmistress would allow me to observe more often, perhaps I could comprehend some powerful movement techniques."

Jiang Luofu: "..."

"You don't need to observe anymore. The movement technique you displayed during the last clan competition was already extremely excellent."

"I still need to. As the saying goes, 'there's no end to learning,' and I can't become complacent," Zu An insisted, changing the subject, worried she might inquire about the "Sunflower Phantom" technique.

"Alright, let's get to the point," Jiang Luofu said, rolling her eyes at him. "I heard you were ambushed by the great bandit Chen Xuan on your way here?"

"Yes, beautiful Headmistress, you must take responsibility for me!" Zu An exclaimed, immediately rushing over to hug her legs, wailing dramatically.

"What does that have to do with me?!" Jiang Luofu snapped, suppressing the urge to kick him away.

"Of course, it's because the beautiful Headmistress killed Mei Chaofeng! That Chen Xuan knows he's no match for you, so he wouldn't dare confront you. He's simply taking all his rage out on me." Zu An then explained the relationship between Chen Xuan and Mei Chaofeng, also mentioning the fact that they were harbored by the Shi family.

"No wonder Chen Xuan couldn't be eliminated all these years! I suspected there was a mole among the higher-ups in Brightmoon City, and it turns out it was the Shi family," Jiang Luofu said, startled by his information. For a moment, she forgot to kick him away.

"Can we use this to bring down the Shi family?" Zu An eagerly asked.

Shi Kun's existence was a thorn in his side, and with such a powerful family backing him, such an enemy was simply too dangerous.

"It's not that easy..." Jiang Luofu was about to reply when her beautiful brows suddenly furrowed. "Have you felt enough? Let go now!"