Chapter 320: Knife in Hand Killing the Ancestral Dog

Seeing him emerge, Ji Xiaoxi’s eyes curved like crescent moons. "Brother Zu, I'm glad you're alright."

Zu An felt a warmth in his heart. "I heard you've been coming to the classroom every day to see if I was back. You must have been very worried."

"Not at all," Ji Xiaoxi replied, a faint blush spreading across her slightly chubby cheeks. "I didn't come every day…"

Zu An chuckled. "Xiaoxi, I'll always remember your concern. Oh, here, this is for you."

As he spoke, he pulled out an exquisite handkerchief from his pocket. "This is for you. I dirtied your handkerchief back in Jackal Valley and promised to get you a new one. But then various things came up and I almost forgot. I finally found a chance to buy one. See if you like it. If not, I'll get you another one."

"No need, this one is very pretty." Ji Xiaoxi admired the delicate handkerchief, clearly reluctant to put it down. "Oh, it even has gold thread. This must be very expensive, right?"

"Not at all, not at all. Your brother is rich now," Zu An said, patting his chest. "Only a handkerchief like this is worthy of you."

Ji Xiaoxi looked shyly at him and said sweetly, "Thank you, Brother Zu~"

"By the way, I have a bottle of medicine here. Can you help me figure out what it's for?" Zu An took out the porcelain vial he had found on Chen Xuan earlier.

Hearing the word "medicine," Ji Xiaoxi's usually shy face instantly became serious. "Okay, let me see."

After opening the cap, Ji Xiaoxi first generally observed the liquid's properties inside the bottle. Then she brought it close to her nose, gently fanning the opening with her small hand to smell its scent.

"Sweet?" Ji Xiaoxi seemed puzzled. "This medicine doesn't look like poison or a healing agent. Brother Zu, do you mind if I pour a little out to test?"

"Of course not," Zu An said with a smile. Without understanding its properties, the item was useless to him.

After getting permission, Ji Xiaoxi poured a tiny drop from the bottle onto her hand, then extended her pink tongue and lightly licked it.

Zu An was startled. "Hey, be careful, it might be poisonous!"

He didn't mind her testing it, but he hadn't expected her to taste it directly.

What if something happened after she tried it?

Ji Xiaoxi smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, Brother Zu, I know what I'm doing. I've been exposed to various poisons since I was little, and my father also gave me many spiritual medicines. While my body isn't completely immune to all poisons, most types would be hard-pressed to harm me."

Zu An finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Ji Dengtu was unreliable in other aspects, he was genuinely devoted to his daughter. Given her upbringing, it was likely that even if Chen Xuan had some poison on him, it wouldn't be able to harm her.

"Did you figure out if it's poisonous?" Zu An asked curiously.

Ji Xiaoxi shook her head, a hint of confusion on her face. "It doesn't seem to have any toxicity. It's a bit like a tonic, but it appears to have significant differences from ordinary tonics... Anyway, class is about to start, so I'll head back now. I'll let you know once I've slowly figured out its properties. You don't mind if I take this with me for now, do you?"

"Of course not. If I can't even trust Xiaoxi, then who can I trust in this world?" Zu An laughed.

Ji Xiaoxi's face flushed. *Does that mean you don't even trust your own wife?* she thought. However, most of her thoughts were preoccupied with exploring the medicine's properties, and she quickly became engrossed and departed.

Zu An returned to the classroom, where Wei Suo looked at him with admiration. "Boss, you truly are the boss! You just handled Qiu Honglei, who walks with such seductive grace, and now even Ji Xiaoxi, pure as a white flower, is completely devoted to you. You conquer all types!"

Zu An's face darkened. "Don't talk nonsense. We're just friends."

Having witnessed Ji Dengtu's protective, almost fanatical, nature regarding his daughter, Zu An didn't want any rumors reaching his ears. If that guy knew he had "bullied" Ji Xiaoxi, he'd surely come to flay him alive.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend, right? I get it," Wei Suo said with a knowing, somewhat lewd expression.

Zu An didn't want to dwell on the topic of Ji Xiaoxi with him, so he changed the subject. "By the way, what's so special about the Four Directions Pavilion you just mentioned?"

Wei Suo explained, "The Four Directions Pavilion is owned by the Wang family. Its name means 'welcoming guests from all directions,' and it's the most luxurious restaurant in Brightmoon City. That alone isn't a big deal, but the top floor of the Four Directions Pavilion is inaccessible, even with money."

"The Four Directions Pavilion has a rule: only the most outstanding individuals in each field are qualified to go up. For example, you must either be a genius in the cultivation world or a highly accomplished scholar…"

"Only by meeting these conditions are you qualified. The Four Directions Pavilion has been open for so many years, and fewer than a hundred people have probably been to the top floor. So, anyone who can ascend to the top floor of the Four Directions Pavilion considers it a great honor."

"So normally, I wouldn't be qualified to go up. This time, it's entirely thanks to you."

Zu An smiled. "The Wang family certainly has good marketing strategies. But isn't that a bit too much like currying favor? I don't believe they'd dare stop people like Duke Mingyue or the City Lord if they wanted to go up."

Wei Suo replied, "The Wang family isn't foolish either; they've already included exceptions in their rules. Figures like Duke Mingyue and City Lord Xie are highly distinguished in the official system and also powerful cultivators, so they naturally meet the conditions to go up."

"I see," Zu An said, growing curious. "Those prominent figures make sense, as they're famous. But for other guests who might not be well-known but possess genuine talent and learning, how do they determine if they're qualified?"

"That's simple. They just test them on the spot. Cultivators demonstrate their cultivation level; musicians present their works; and scholars undergo examinations in poetry and literature. I heard there are some ancient, unparalleled couplets left by great scholars on the upper floor, and if you can match any one of them, you naturally qualify to go up…"

Zu An's expression became odd. "Couplets, huh? That's an old trick."

"What, Boss, are you perhaps good at couplets?" Wei Suo asked, looking impressed.

Zu An calmly replied, "Seven out of eight orifices are open."

Wei Suo gave a thumbs-up. "Awesome, you've understood seven-eighths of it! You're truly the boss."

Zu An was speechless.

*That actually means I don't understand anything at all!* Wei Suo probably only understands things like women's stockings.

As the two chatted, Wei Suo suddenly nudged Zu An, winking and gesturing towards outside.

Zu An turned around and saw Ji Xiaoxi standing outside the window, her face flushed, waving at him.

"Isn't class about to start? Why did she come running here?"

Zu An noticed that Bai Susu, the teacher for this class, had already entered. However, seeing how anxious Ji Xiaoxi looked, he quickly stood up and rushed out.

"Old Bai, I have something to take care of, so I'm stepping out for a bit. You carry on with the class," Zu An said, patting Bai Susu's shoulder.

Bai Susu was speechless.

He was momentarily speechless. *"Big brother,"* he thought, *"aren't you a student right now? Can you please not talk to me in a colleague's tone during class?"*

However, his temper was always good, and he had some acquaintance with Zu An, so he naturally wouldn't make things difficult for him. He even chuckled and cautioned, "Just don't bully Xiaoxi, okay?"

Clearly, soft and adorable Ji Xiaoxi was genuinely liked by even the school teachers.

A chorus of jeers erupted from the classroom. Zu An chuckled. "Xiaoxi is so cute; it would be a waste not to tease her."

Bai Susu was speechless.

Wei Suo was speechless.

The students of the Huang class were speechless.

"He's gone too far! I swear I want to hit him."

"Face reality. He even defeated Shi Kun; you'd just be asking for it if you went up against him."

"Damn it, I'm even more furious!"

"Knife in hand, kill Zu the dog!"

...

Hearing the uproar from the classroom behind him, Zu An wasn't angry at all; in fact, he was quite pleased.

It had been a long time, but these classmates were still as adorable as ever, constantly providing him with Rage points.

However, hearing the students' comments, Ji Xiaoxi's face turned even redder. She quickly gestured for him to move away from the window to a place where they couldn't be seen.

"What's wrong, Xiaoxi?" Zu An asked, a little curious. Why was her face so incredibly red?

"Quick, take me to your room!" Ji Xiaoxi was so anxious she was almost in tears.