Chapter 335: Out of Trouble

Seeing the murderous intent in the other's eyes, Zu An was startled and quickly waved his hands. "No, no, absolutely not."

What a joke! If he found out Zu An had seen his daughter naked, and even touched her... he'd surely be dead.

"Then why does Xiao Xi run away when she sees you?" Ji Dengtu sneered repeatedly.

Zu An's eyes darted around as he quickly came up with an excuse. "Perhaps my charm is simply too great. It's perfectly normal for a young girl experiencing infatuation to feel shy and embarrassed."

Ji Dengtu immediately flared up in anger. "Are you saying my daughter is interested in you?"

[Rage from Ji Dengtu +444!]

Zu An quickly corrected himself. "That's not what I meant. I was saying that Xiao Xi is gentle and kind, with a delicate nature, so it's perfectly normal for her to feel a bit uncomfortable around men."

Ji Dengtu finally relaxed, though still somewhat suspicious. "But I remember you two used to be quite close."

"Senior, you must know that a young girl's mind is the most unpredictable. No one can ever truly know what they're thinking sometimes," Zu An said.

Ji Dengtu recalled how his daughter had been acting strangely recently, refusing to say anything when asked, and occasionally throwing temper tantrums. He couldn't help but nod in deep agreement. "That does make some sense."

However, he quickly remembered something else. "Hmph, I'll let the matter with Xiao Xi slide for now, but what kind of rubbish storybook was that you gave me last time?!"

[Rage from Ji Dengtu +666!]

Zu An's smile became awkward. "Wha... what's wrong?"

"Why were all of the protagonist's female confidantes..." Ji Dengtu fumed, but then suddenly remembered something. He glanced nervously behind him, and seeing his daughter was not there, he lowered his voice and said to Zu An, "Why were they all defiled by the villain?"

The thought of it instantly infuriated him. Previously, he had eagerly found a dark and windy night, then closed his door, drew the curtains, and hid in bed to enjoy the storybook Zu An had given him.

At first, it seemed normal, but the more he read, the more unpleasant it became.

How could the heroine have been captured by the villain?!

He had expected the protagonist to appear like a divine soldier at the crucial moment to stop it, but even after the villain had repeatedly defiled the heroine, the protagonist still hadn't arrived...

[Rage from Ji Dengtu +696!]

He suddenly felt as if he had been cuckolded, and glared at Zu An with an unfriendly expression.

Zu An's expression was strange; this guy was still dwelling on it.

"You can't immerse yourself as the male protagonist in this one," Zu An advised.

"If not the protagonist, then who?" Ji Dengtu asked, utterly confused.

"You can immerse yourself as the 'cuckolder'... ah, no, as the villains who defile the heroine, or even as the heroine herself." Zu An told him the "experiences" of people from forums and online communities in his previous life.

"The villain? The heroine?" Ji Dengtu looked displeased. "How do you immerse yourself as them?!"

The thought of having read that storybook, which had left him impotent for half a month, still gave him psychological trauma when he recalled it.

[Rage from Ji Dengtu +999!]

Feeling his immense resentment, Zu An tentatively suggested, "Why don't you try a different storybook?"

Ji Dengtu flatly refused. "No! It has to be this story. I must see the ending."

Zu An: "..."

This guy was a glutton for punishment; he was clearly uncomfortable reading it, yet insisted on finishing.

Ji Dengtu threatened, "Hurry up and write the second half for me! The protagonist must turn the tables later, and it must be pure love! No more plots like before!"

Zu An looked speechless. "How many times do I have to tell you? I didn't write this storybook; I merely transcribed it."

"I don't care! If I see it again, I'll beat you!" Ji Dengtu huffed.

[Rage from Ji Dengtu +200!]

"Uh, I'll try my best," Zu An thought to himself. *I don't have the time to invent a new story for you. I'll just stick to the old script; read it or don't.*

*Anyway, I'll buy more medicine this time, and then I won't come back here. You won't be able to beat me even if you want to.*

Ji Dengtu finally nodded in satisfaction. "That's better. Now, why did you come looking for me today?"

Bringing up the main topic, Zu An's spirits lifted. "I wanted to buy some medicine from Senior."

Ji Dengtu scrutinized him, then nodded. "Indeed. Excessive consumption. It's time to replenish."

Zu An: "???"

Ji Dengtu stroked the beard on his chin, speaking somewhat gossiping. "That girl from the Chu family is usually so aloof and detached, clearly a person of few desires. I never expected her to have such high demands."

Zu An: "..."

"Stop right there! I came to buy healing medicine."

*What is this guy rambling about? If Chu Chuyan found out, she'd be mortified. And if this gets out, what about my reputation, Zu An?*

"Healing medicine, huh..." Hearing this, Ji Dengtu suddenly lost interest. He casually pointed to the side. "Those over there are ten silver taels a bottle. Pick what you like."

Zu An went over and checked them, then said with dissatisfaction, "These are ordinary. I need the best quality, like the ones you gave Xiao Xi. I tried them in the secret realm last time, and they worked quite well."

"Damn it, no wonder they say having daughters is like throwing money away," Ji Dengtu grumbled, pulling a porcelain bottle from a nearby cabinet. "These are Jade Marrow Revival Pills. No matter how severe the injury, as long as there's still a breath left, they can usually save a life—of course, if you provoke someone far stronger than me, this medicine might not be effective. In short, each pill costs five thousand taels. And I'm only giving you this discount because you gave me that storybook. For anyone else, it would be at least ten thousand!"

"Five thousand taels?" Zu An was startled. *How much silver did I consume in the secret realm last time then?*

"Hmph, if you think it's expensive, don't buy it." Ji Dengtu reclined back in his armchair and began to sway, acting as if he didn't care if Zu An bought it or not.

Zu An smiled faintly. "How can life-saving medicine be called expensive? How many more do you have? I'll buy them all."

There were only a little over ten pills in the bottle; he felt it might not be enough in the future.

"I almost forgot you're a rich scoundrel," Ji Dengtu snorted. "This medicine is hard to refine, and the ingredients are rare. I have to save the remaining few for my Xiao Xi's self-defense. They're not for sale."

Hearing they were for Ji Xiao Xi, Zu An naturally felt awkward asking further. *He really is a doting father, always thinking of his daughter.*

"Then I'll buy some other ordinary healing medicines," Zu An said. *With this cultivation method, injuries are surely common, and I might not need such precious medicine every time.*

"Xiao Xi, come out and pack some medicine for Zu An!" Ji Dengtu bellowed. He was too lazy to get up for such trivial matters.

After a long silence, with no response, he felt a bit embarrassed. "Xiao Xi?"

He called out several more times before Ji Xiao Xi's voice finally echoed back, "I'm not coming out! Pack them yourself!"

"Heh, this little brat is getting less obedient than when she was a child." Ji Dengtu rose as if to scold her, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to. He turned back and glared fiercely at Zu An. "You really didn't bully her?"

"Absolutely not. If you don't believe me, call her out and ask her yourself," Zu An said with a calm expression. He knew Ji Xiao Xi's personality; there was no way she'd feel comfortable saying such a thing out loud.

Hearing his certainty, Ji Dengtu finally believed him and personally went to help him pack the medicinal ingredients.

Seeing the massive quantity Zu An requested, Ji Dengtu gave him a strange look. "How many enemies have you provoked, you rascal, to need so much medicine?"

"When traveling, it's always wise to be cautious," Zu An said with a harmless smile.

Ji Dengtu snorted. "I definitely need to keep Xiao Xi far away from you in the future, or she'll eventually be dragged down by you."

Zu An forced a wry smile. Ji Xiao Xi was already far enough from him now; she barely spoke to him anymore.

In the end, it cost a total of sixty thousand taels. Zu An secretly put the medicinal ingredients into his Glazed Pearl, and only then did his heart settle slightly.

With provisions at home, one's heart is at ease!

*Hmm, I also need to prepare some food and daily necessities.*

Zu An then swept through the market, knowing that the Glazed Pearl had ample space and items stored inside wouldn't spoil.

When he returned to the Chu Manor, he suddenly found the entire estate enveloped in a heavy atmosphere.

"Something has happened!" Chu Chuyan said in a low voice the moment she saw him.