Chapter 681: Annoyed and Furious

As soon as he said this, the surroundings first fell into an abrupt silence, followed by a burst of uproarious laughter. "Is this guy out of his mind? And the Crown Prince of Qi should apologize to him? Who does he think he is?!"

Chu Youzhao was both angry and anxious. She had finally managed to intervene and ease the tension, but who knew this guy would be so tactless? His very first words ruined all her efforts. Now, how could the Crown Prince of Qi possibly let him off?

Murong Qinghe, who was standing nearby, also frowned. The Murong family was definitely on the Prince of Qi's side, and this time, if Youzhao hadn't stepped forward, she probably wouldn't have gotten involved. She recalled her previous encounter with Zu'an at the Qin family residence, where she had been quite impressed by his cultivation. However, acting arrogant in front of someone he shouldn't made him seem more like a reckless brute now. "Humph, my Brother Chu is still as gentle and refined as jade. I'm most fond of that sort of handsome young man." As her eyes sparkled with admiration, the gap-toothed stable hand not far away also secretly shook his head. "The young man is still a bit too impetuous."

Just then, a light laugh came from inside the carriage. "Oh really? I don't quite think so."

The gap-toothed stable hand was utterly astonished. It had been a long time since he had seen his mistress smile. And now she was smiling for such a brash, foolish young man? "Does Madam know him?" he asked tentatively. His mistress's behavior today was very unusual; she seemed to be paying an unusual amount of attention to Zu'an.

Silence fell upon the carriage once more, and it was clear the mistress did not wish to answer.

At this moment, the Crown Prince of Qi looked at Zu'an with an expression of disbelief, then burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke. "I apologize to you? You? Are you even worthy?"

Zu'an also sighed. "You don't cherish the chance to apologize now, but later, when you want to, there won't be another opportunity."

The Crown Prince of Qi scoffed, completely ignoring Zu'an's words. He looked at Zu'an as if he were a madman, then turned to Chu Youzhao. "Young Master Chu," he said, "you've seen it yourself. This fellow is looking for trouble, and you can't blame me for what happens next."

Chu Youzhao grew anxious and quickly went up to Zu'an, speaking in a hushed tone. "Brother-in-law, why must you act on a whim? He is the Crown Prince of Qi and also an Imperial Army Captain. Neither of those identities is someone you can afford to offend. Yes, I know you're skilled at fighting, but the Crown Prince of Qi has an eighth-rank cultivation, and he has so many masters under him. How many can you possibly defeat?"

Zu'an chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Good, you're still worried about me at a time like this. Your brother-in-law didn't spoil you for nothing."

"Pfft, who wants your affection?" Chu Youzhao's face flushed slightly, feeling both embarrassed and anxious. For a moment, she forgot what else to say.

At this point, the Crown Prince of Qi spoke up. "I seem to recall something. If I'm not mistaken, the Chu family recently severed ties with Zu'an, didn't they? He has been expelled from the Chu family and is no longer the First Miss Chu's husband, and naturally, he's no longer your brother-in-law. So, Young Master Chu, you needn't worry about him." Although his status meant he didn't care much for the Chu family, the Chu family had an unusual relationship with the Qin family. The First Miss Chu and the Third Young Master Chu were both highly favored by the two Dukes of the Qin family. Furthermore, it was common knowledge that Murong Qinghe liked the Third Young Master Chu. He didn't want this minor incident to affect their respective relationships, which was why he patiently explained it to Chu Youzhao.

Chu Youzhao was about to say something when Zu'an took her hand and transmitted his voice with ki: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Chu Youzhao was startled. Hearing the calm in his tone, it seemed he wasn't simply being reckless or blinded by anger as she had imagined. Recalling all her past experiences with him—though he often annoyed her, whenever they truly faced danger, he was always as reliable as a mountain—she still couldn't understand why he would directly provoke the Crown Prince of Qi, but she gave up on trying to persuade him further.

It was then that she realized her hand was still clasped in his. Her heart pounded, and she quickly pulled her hand back, then hid beside Murong Qinghe. Only when she was with her usual companion did she calm down slightly.

Murong Qinghe looked at her strangely. "Brother Chu, why is your face so red?"

"Is it? I suppose I'm a bit worried?" Chu Youzhao touched her cheek, feeling it warm, and hastily replied, feeling guilty.

"Brother Chu, you don't need to worry too much. You've done all you can. If your brother-in-law insists on acting this way, there's nothing you can do to save him." Murong Qinghe secretly scorned Zu'an again, thinking he was just a brute, and that a handsome young man like Brother Chu was far more appealing.

At this point, the Crown Prince of Qi spoke. "Fine. For the sake of First Miss Chu and Third Young Master Chu, I won't make things too difficult for him. Let him sever one hand and one leg himself, and this matter will be over."

Murong Qinghe secretly nodded. Although the Crown Prince of Qi was quite ruthless, this was already the best outcome for Zu'an. At least his life was spared. As for losing a hand and a leg, he could recover after a period of rest.

Chu Youzhao's face was filled with anxiety. She thought, if only she had come with her sister this time! If her sister were here, this situation would surely be resolved.

Zu'an picked at his ear, speaking with some impatience. "Are you ever going to stop blabbering? Do you think you get by in this world with just your mouth? Do you think you're me?"

The Crown Prince of Qi's face hardened. "Very well. You've successfully provoked my anger. Come on! Since he's unwilling to do it himself, then you all help him break them."

Rage points from Zhao Zhi +888!

"Yes!" The surrounding riders had already received their orders, and one by one, they grinned viciously and spurred their horses towards Zu'an. They had been bored to tears from long confinement in the military camp, and today they could finally find something to do. The Prince said to break a leg, so they would do double that. You know, that *thing* is also called a third leg. They'd take the opportunity to cripple him later and see how arrogant he could still be.

"Brother-in-law, be careful!" Seeing the galloping steeds, Chu Youzhao's heart leaped into her throat. It was well known that cavalry held an overwhelming advantage over infantry. On the battlefield, a cavalry charge was like the arrival of Death for foot soldiers.

Murong Qinghe sighed. Since Brother Chu cared so much, she would intervene shortly and try her best to save his brother-in-law's life. She figured the Crown Prince of Qi would still grant her this favor.

Zu'an stood his ground, hands clasped behind his back, seemingly oblivious to the charging cavalry.

"He's scared senseless, isn't he?!" The same thought surfaced in all the riders' minds. Originally, their charge had planned for flanking maneuvers to completely cut off the opponent's escape routes, gradually forcing him until he had nowhere to hide. But unexpectedly, this guy just stood there foolishly, neither dodging nor evading. That made things even easier. If he was hit by these galloping horses, his sternum would probably be half-shattered. But then again, he provoked the Prince.

A cruel grin flashed across the corners of the riders' mouths, and they charged straight at him.

Just then, a sudden change occurred. The charging steeds abruptly halted, transitioning from extreme motion to absolute stillness in the blink of an eye. Many riders were caught off guard, and one after another, they were thrown violently from their saddles onto the ground due to inertia. Only a few high-cultivation riders managed to maintain their balance, but they swayed precariously, appearing quite disheveled.

The riders who fell to the ground had no idea such a sudden change would occur. Each one fell, getting bruised and swollen faces. Many even suffered fractures. A few unlucky ones face-planted, losing half their teeth after hitting the ground, their noses bleeding and blood bubbling from their mouths, looking utterly pathetic.

Everyone was stunned. Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe subconsciously rubbed their eyes, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing was real. The Crown Prince of Qi and his entourage looked on with confusion at the suddenly out-of-control mounts. It was well known that these were strictly trained warhorses that wouldn't even be startled on a battlefield raging with cannon fire. Why had they suddenly acted this way?

The gap-toothed stable hand by the carriage let out a gasp of surprise and mumbled to himself, "How on earth did that fellow do it? I can't even tell."

Zu'an calmly watched the groaning riders on the ground and said playfully, "It's not even New Year's yet, and you're all so eager to kneel and bow to me? I don't hand out New Year's money."

"You scoundrel, you're looking for death!" The riders were furious, ignoring their injuries. One after another, they drew their sabers and charged at him. They hadn't used their weapons during the charge, but now this guy had utterly enraged them.

Rage points from the riders +999, +999, +999...

The remaining riders who hadn't been thrown off their horses also lunged forward.

Murong Qinghe, who was standing beside her, explained, "Most of these riders are Fourth-Rank or Fifth-Rank, and several are Sixth-Rank. Crucially, they come from the Empire's most elite field army and are skilled in combined military formation techniques. Even a Seventh-Rank master would be in grave danger if they encountered them alone."

Hearing her words, Chu Youzhao's heart, which had just begun to settle, tightened once more.

***

I went to bed after 1 AM last night and was woken up before 6 AM by my child making noise, playing with various toys. I've decided that next time he's on holiday, I'll prepare all sorts of homework and test papers for him for the next day in advance, so he can experience what "a father's love, as vast as a mountain" truly means, hmph hmph...

The time for today's second chapter is still uncertain.