Chapter 262: Spitting Fragrance

Zu'an hadn't had enough, of course, but he wasn't reckless enough to voice his true thoughts. He immediately released his hands, adopting the most innocent expression he could muster.

Jiang Luofu nodded in satisfaction and continued, "The Shi family is considered a top-tier clan in the capital, with countless members holding official positions. Even if we disregard your claim of lacking concrete evidence, any proof you might have would, at best, force them to offer a scapegoat without harming the family's fundamental power."

"So, how can one truly defeat a family?" Zu'an asked, frustrated. It seemed the Shi family could target him freely, while he had no means of retaliation. How could he possibly tolerate that?

"Unless you also have a powerful clan backing you," Jiang Luofu replied with a frown. "But even then, unless absolutely necessary, major clans typically avoid fighting to the death. Of course, if you personally become powerful enough, you could completely disregard these rules. However, reaching such a level is incredibly difficult. Even the Emperor, with all his cultivation, has many situations where he must compromise."

Zu'an fell silent, recalling the Chu family's past mention of the conflict between the Emperor and King Qi. The Emperor was widely acknowledged as the world's strongest, yet he still couldn't act entirely as he pleased. This thought left Zu'an feeling somewhat despondent.

As if noticing his change in mood, Jiang Luofu shifted the topic, reminding him, "You needn't worry too much. With the Chu family's protection and your position within the academy, the Shi family, no matter how powerful, will find it difficult to openly threaten you."

Zu'an sighed, "Unfortunately, they don't intend to confront me openly."

If Chen Xuan were to kill him, there would be no apparent connection to the Shi family, leaving the Chu family and the academy with no grounds to retaliate.

"Once you've overcome this challenge, you should be fine," Jiang Luofu assured him. "Shi Kun has already left Brightmoon City and returned to the capital. He's too far away to cause any more trouble."

"He really left?" Zu'an had heard faint rumors but assumed it was a smokescreen created by Shi Kun himself. After all, Shi Kun had always coveted Chu Chuyan; how could he give up so easily? But now that Jiang Luofu confirmed it, it must be true.

"Yes, he left in a great hurry," Jiang Luofu said, rubbing her forehead, clearly puzzled by the matter herself. "Do you know why he left?"

"I don't know," Zu'an replied, feigning ignorance, though he suspected it was likely connected to the silent assassination of the eighth-rank Shi Lezhi.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Do you remember what you promised me before entering the secret realm?" Jiang Luofu asked.

Zu'an paused, then tentatively asked, "Could it be about taking over the Plum Blossom Gang's assets?"

"Precisely," Jiang Luofu said, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "Mei Chaofeng is dead, and the Plum Blossom Gang vanished overnight. Their remaining territories and assets are now under countless watchful eyes. As I told you before, it's not convenient for the academy to intervene directly. However, since everyone knows you possess the Plum Blossom Gang's IOUs, it's perfectly legitimate for you to step forward."

"Moreover, you needn't worry about the professional details; I'll assign suitable assistants to you when the time comes."

Zu'an clarified, "So, I'm essentially just a figurehead, handling the public appearances while your people manage the actual asset acquisition?"

"You can interpret it that way," Jiang Luofu said before leaning back onto the sofa, casually twirling a pencil with a relaxed expression.

Zu'an didn't voice any objections. He had previously made a deal with the academy: he handed over the 7.5 million taels in IOUs, which were certainly unrecoverable, in exchange for a teaching position. Additionally, Jiang Luofu herself had personally dealt with Mei Chaofeng, who had been pursuing him. His current ease and comfort in Jiang Luofu's presence were largely due to this arrangement. Otherwise, with his usual self-destructive nature, he would have long been six feet under, given her position as a high-ranking principal.

While he didn't greedily seek further benefits, he considered for a moment and decided there was one point worth raising: "However, my life isn't currently secure, which makes it difficult to focus on taking over the Plum Blossom Gang's assets."

"That Chen Xuan fellow is certainly problematic. Though not particularly strong, he's as slippery as an eel, making him difficult to track. However, his attempt to kill you this time actually presents an opportunity to capture him," Jiang Luofu said, standing up and gazing out the window at the distant Brightmoon City. "Let me consider it further. I'll notify you once I devise a plan."

As Zu'an left the principal's office, Jiang Luofu's final words echoed in his mind. Did she intend to use him as bait? Unfortunately, knowing this was useless; for now, he was merely a pawn.

Zu'an returned to his classroom, his mind preoccupied. After his venture into the secret realm and nearly cleaving Shi Kun in half on the back mountain, few at school dared to look down on him anymore; even his teachers showed him much more deference during class.

Upon entering the classroom, he found a war theory lesson in progress. He initially intended to listen attentively for a while, but he was completely unfamiliar with the continent's history. He hadn't heard of many of the battles or ancient nations mentioned, so it felt like listening to an incomprehensible lecture. Giving up, he instead began calculating the rage points he had accumulated over the past while.

This was always his happiest time, like a diligent squirrel ceaselessly hoarding pine nuts. Now it was time to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Upon seeing the total rage points in his system, he was startled: units, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands... He initially thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but upon multiple checks, he confirmed he had accumulated a massive total of rage points! Recalling roughly, the two largest surges of rage points came from the Immortal's Dwelling last night and from when he made his classmates feel utterly inadequate in the secret realm.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind: if he were to walk naked through Brightmoon City one day, the rage points contributed by insecure men would probably be off the charts. However, considering the severe consequences, he quickly dismissed the idea. Never mind. He still had some self-respect; what would he do if he faced social death?

What he truly worried about was angering genuine top-tier powerhouses. As a man, he believed that cultivators, regardless of their level, would certainly take such an affront personally. What if he encountered a few psychopaths who, out of sheer jealousy, decided to dismember him...? At this thought, he instinctively squeezed his legs together, feeling a distinct chill.

No, it was better to stick to the original plan: find more beautiful female confidantes to earn rage points from those "simp-dogs." That would be much safer.

Having settled on his primary method for accumulating rage points, Zu'an began the lottery draw. He had 3,217 chances to draw from his accumulated rage points. He realized that as his rage points grew, so too would the number of draws. Continuously pressing the button like this might break his hand. Zu'an felt a pang of worry about the future, but he still pressed the "Enter" key and began the draw.

In the past, no matter how much he pleaded or prayed, the first results were always "Thank you for participating," a pattern that had left him completely numb. With over three thousand chances, he couldn't be bothered with rituals like burning incense, bathing, or praying to deities anymore. The cursor spun continuously and, instead of landing on a blank space, finally stopped on the number 8.

Zu'an's eyes widened. Filled with delight, he quickly checked the result. Before him appeared a small bottle containing a glittering green liquid. Beneath it was a description: "Poison Vial: Throwable. Induces paralysis and weakness in targets within a small radius. Ignores rank defense for those below fifth rank."

He then recalled having drawn this item before. Back when his cultivation was much weaker, he had used it to trick the Black Wind Stronghold members who were ambushing Yu Yanluo. For his past self, its ability to bypass rank defense had been incredibly useful. However, with his current strength, he had no need for it when dealing with enemies below the fifth rank. While it might be useful against fifth or sixth-rank opponents, it ceased to be effective against those above the fifth rank. As for opponents with higher cultivation, he'd simply have to surrender to their will—unless, of course, they happened to be a beautiful female master.

Wait, the Rich Madam's Pleasure Orb was gone now, so even a beautiful master wouldn't change anything. He could only rely on his good looks.

Tucking away the nearly useless Poison Vial, Zu'an initiated another draw. After enduring several consecutive "Thank you for participating" results, the cursor finally landed on a Vitality Fruit.

With over three thousand draws ahead, Zu'an numbly and mechanically pressed the "Enter" key, yearning for an auto-clicker from his previous life. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he noticed the cursor stopping on the letter "K".

"Congratulations! You've drawn the skill — 'Verbal Venom'!"

Skill Description: "When this skill is activated, anything you say will be perceived by enemies as the most extreme form of mockery and provocation. All hostile targets who hear your words will enter a state of extreme fury, gaining a ten percent enhancement to all their abilities, and will then relentlessly try to kill you. Rage points generated by enemies due to this skill cannot be collected."

Friendly Reminder: "Use this skill with extreme caution. Once activated, there is no deactivation period, and only two outcomes are possible: you kill all enraged enemies, or they kill you."

Upon reading the final reminder, Zu'an was utterly dumbfounded. What kind of a ridiculous, scamming skill was this? It even buffed his enemies! He'd have to be completely insane to ever use this skill! This skill might be useful for others, but he already possessed the inherent talent for "verbal venom." He could infuriate people to the brink of death with just a few words, all while collecting rage points, without needing to empower his enemies or commit to a fight to the death. So what was the point of this skill for him?

Zu'an realized it was no wonder this skill had no usage restrictions. After all, genuinely useful and miraculous skills like the Rich Madam's Pleasure Orb or "Stare at Anyone and They Get Pregnant" came with a plethora of limitations. Only worthless skills like "What are you looking at?" lacked usage limits. He figured this "Verbal Venom" skill wouldn't be much better.