Chapter 899: 妖族 Invasion

"Oh, so it's Chu Chuyan's younger brother," Zheng Dan said, no longer flustered. They were all from Brightmoon City, and she was even Chu Chuyan's classmate. She looked at Chu Youzhao as if he were her own brother, naturally without the panic she had felt seeing the Sang family.

Zu An, however, felt his hair stand on end and hastily tugged at Zheng Dan's clothes.

Zheng Dan's face immediately flushed. "What are you doing? Chu Youzhao is about to come in."

Her meaning was clear: she wouldn't mind if he undressed her at another time, but with his brother-in-law about to enter, wouldn't it be too audacious to continue?

Seeing her strange look, Zu An realized she had misunderstood and quickly said, "Your clothes!"

In others' eyes, she currently resembled Chu Chuyan, which was more than enough to deceive Sang Hong and his daughter. However, she could easily be exposed in front of her closest relatives.

Moreover, Chu Youzhao undoubtedly communicated with his sister regularly and would know she couldn't possibly be in the capital at this moment.

Zheng Dan also realized her mistake. She didn't know her appearance had changed; she just thought she was wearing Chu Chuyan's clothes, which indeed could lead to misunderstandings.

She gave a charming smile. "Next time, when no one's around, I'll wear it for you to see."

After saying this, she swayed gracefully and hid behind the screen to change back into her own clothes.

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. This woman, Zheng Dan, was truly skilled at manipulating men's psychology.

However, he had no time to think about this now and quickly moved to the doorway to buy Zheng Dan some time.

"Sis..." Chu Youzhao ran so fast that he crashed straight into Zu An's arms.

Her small face slightly flushed, she quickly stepped back out of his embrace. "Stinky brother-in-law, you did that on purpose!"

Zu An ruffled her hair. "Who told you that you can't change your impetuous nature?"

Then he nodded to the tan-skinned, sunny young woman beside them. "Qinghe is here too."

This was actually stating the obvious; the two of them were inseparable all day, so it would have been strange if she hadn't come.

"Hello, Brother Zu." Murong Qinghe smiled shyly. In the barracks, she usually had a tomboy image, but in front of Brother Chu's family, she always felt a bit reserved.

"Huh, where's my sister?" Chu Youzhao stood on tiptoe, peering past Zu An's tall figure into the room.

Zu An feigned a bewildered expression. "Your sister? What about her?"

Chu Youzhao ducked under his arm and slipped inside. "I just ran into people from the Sang family outside, and they said Sis was here."

Murong Qinghe instinctively started to follow, but she felt too awkward to duck under another man's arm and stood there feeling extremely embarrassed.

Fortunately, Zu An immediately stepped aside from the doorway. "What sister? How could your sister be here?"

"It's indeed unlikely." Chu Youzhao was also skeptical; she knew her sister was probably tied up with troublesome affairs in Brightmoon City and couldn't possibly be here. However, Sang Hong's demeanor didn't seem deceptive.

Suddenly, her gaze fell upon a light blue dress on the screen nearby. She laughed, "Sister, it really is you!"

She rushed over, but the next moment, she cried out in surprise, "How could it be you?"

Zheng Dan walked out with a smile. "Otherwise, who did Young Master Chu think it was?"

At the same time, she subtly shot Zu An a sidelong glance. This guy didn't even try to stop her. If I hadn't changed properly, wouldn't I have been seen by other men? You'd be the one losing face.

Zheng Dan was naturally unaware that Chu Youzhao's disguise as a boy was the Chu family's biggest secret.

Chu Youzhao was initially bewildered, then quickly reacted, her gaze darting suspiciously between the two. "Why are you here, lurking alone behind a screen?"

Zheng Dan calmly replied, "I accidentally knocked over my teacup while drinking tea, which made my clothes wet, so I went behind the screen to tidy myself up."

Chu Youzhao's gaze swept over her for a moment, thinking, *I don't see anywhere that's wet,* but conceded that it might have been wiped clean already.

She couldn't help but sneer, "Miss Zheng... oh, no, I should call you Mrs. Sang now. You are a married woman, yet you're tidying your clothes in another man's room. Aren't you afraid of gossip?"

Hearing the words "Mrs. Sang," Zheng Dan's eyelid twitched. This young man is as sharp-tongued as a woman, hitting where it hurts the most.

She calmly replied, "Who said I was alone? I came with... with my father-in-law and sister-in-law just now. I only stayed a little longer because I needed to tidy myself up. As for anything else, your sister and I were classmates, and your brother-in-law is my teacher, a famously upright gentleman. Why would I worry about baseless rumors?"

Chu Youzhao caught her breath. She was genuinely happy that the other person praised her brother-in-law, but to call him an upright gentleman... This woman is quite pretty, but it's a pity she's blind at such a young age.

Zu An cleared his throat. "Alright, alright. Miss Zheng is an old acquaintance from Brightmoon City after all. It's a bit rude for you to question her like a criminal the moment you arrive."

Although Zheng Dan's explanation was reasonable, Chu Youzhao still felt the whole situation was strange. She suddenly pointed to the light blue dress on the screen. "Then why is my sister's dress there?"

Zheng Dan's face changed; she genuinely didn't know how to explain this.

Fortunately, Zu An reacted quickly, immediately saying in a somber tone, "Your sister and I have been separated for too long. During the perilous time in the mystic realm, it was your sister who supported me through it all. After coming out, I had no choice but to keep her old clothes to alleviate my longing, as if she were still by my side, accompanying me."

"Brother-in-law~" Chu Youzhao's eyes instantly reddened. So my brother-in-law is so deeply devoted to my sister. And I doubted him. I'm truly a terrible person.

Murong Qinghe, on the other hand, had a strange expression. Having grown up in the barracks, she had heard many stories about soldiers. She knew that hot-blooded men, when their urges built up, often had to find ways to relieve themselves, and they particularly liked using women's clothing...

Could Brother Zu be doing something like that too?

Thinking this, a faint blush appeared on her honey-colored skin.

Seeing one young girl with reddened eyes and the other with a flushed face, Zu An secretly felt pleased, thinking, *Good thing I reacted quickly.*

Fury value from Zheng Dan +55 +55 +55...

However, a series of small surges of fury brought Zu An back to his senses. Clearly, his passionate display for Chu Chuyan had offended the other woman.

He quickly whispered an explanation, "This was to resolve the immediate crisis. I often thought of you in the mystic realm too."

Zheng Dan wasn't so easily fooled and responded via vital energy transmission, "Heh, what did you think about me?"

"Uh," Zu An immediately replied, "I thought about your fiery lips, your soft hands, and..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Zheng Dan finally couldn't maintain her composure. Although she was quite passionate in private, she still felt a bit embarrassed in front of others. "Since everything's fine, I'll take my leave now. I won't disturb your reunion."

After speaking, Zheng Dan fled as if escaping, though her walking seemed a little unnatural.

After she left, Chu Youzhao couldn't help but mutter, "The Sang family is more outrageous than the last. Not only did they bring their daughter, but they also left their widowed daughter-in-law here. What are they trying to do?"

She was clearly still upset about Sang Hong's earlier deception.

Zu An cleared his throat. "Gossiping about others behind their backs really doesn't fit noble etiquette."

Chu Youzhao snorted. "You feel sorry for those 'vixens' just because I said a few words about them?"

She felt that as soon as her sister left, various beautiful girls began to linger around Zu An, and she had a duty to keep a close watch for her sister.

Zu An's breath hitched. He knew reasoning was useless at this point, so he had to fight magic with magic. "Oh, it's been so long! Your brother-in-law missed you terribly. Come here, give your brother-in-law a hug. Let's see if you've gotten fat!"

Chu Youzhao gasped, her attention successfully diverted. She quickly hid behind Murong Qinghe. "Rogue brother-in-law!"

Just as Zu An was about to embrace her, he saw Murong Qinghe and quickly pulled back his hand, awkwardly saying, "We're all men, what's wrong with a hug?"

Murong Qinghe also found it very strange. What was more vexing was that Brother Chu had pushed her forward. If she had been hugged by his brother-in-law, whose responsibility would that be?

Chu Youzhao's expression became a little unnatural. That stinky brother-in-law knows perfectly well that I am...

However, in front of Murong Qinghe, she naturally couldn't show her true feelings and quickly changed the subject. "Brother-in-law, quickly tell me what happened to you in the mystic realm."

At this, even Murong Qinghe's eyes widened as she looked at him. After all, besides the few survivors, no one else truly knew what had transpired in the mystic realm.

Perhaps after so many days, the family elders had heard some rumors through various channels, but juniors like them certainly wouldn't have access to such information.

"Ah, that's a long story..." Zu An pulled over a stool, sat down, and slowly recounted his experiences from that period.

Of course, he omitted crucial details such as King Qi's assassins and the Emperor's fragmented soul. Even so, the story was full of twists and turns and extremely dangerous, making the two girls' expressions change from grave to surprised, gasping repeatedly.

"Brother-in-law, I never imagined you encountered so many dangers."

"The Shi family people are truly despicable."

"And the Gu family, using those two brothers to betray their master for glory, is even more detestable."

...

Murong Qinghe's expression was more complex. To some extent, they were allies of King Qi, so what the Shi family and Gu family did was actually beneficial to them. If it hadn't been for Zu An, King Qi might have already become the rightful Crown Prince.

Brother Chu truly forgets everything else when he's with his brother-in-law. Oh well, I'm definitely going to stick by Brother Chu through thick and thin.

Next, Chu Youzhao pulled Zu An towards the exit. "Brother-in-law, let's go! I'll treat you to a grand feast at Deyue Tower to celebrate your safe return!"

Deyue Tower was one of the most famous restaurants in the capital. It was said that even the Emperor, during his incognito visits, praised its cuisine endlessly, which spoke volumes about the quality of its dishes.

Naturally, the prices were high, but for the Chu family's heir, the Qin family's beloved grandson, this was nothing to worry about.

Originally, such celebrations should have been held at home, but without a mistress of the house, it inevitably felt a bit lonely and unprepared.

As for the Qin family, bringing Zu An there was unthinkable; he would likely be thrown out by the Qin family members.

Dining with two beautiful young women, Zu An was naturally delighted. He even entertained the thought of encountering some arrogant noble brat who would try to harass the girls, giving him a chance to step in as a hero.

Unfortunately, no incidents occurred until after their meal and he had escorted the two girls home.

"What's written in novels really is all lies," Zu An muttered to himself, sitting in the room. But then he reconsidered, "Maybe it's just that I'm not as annoying as those novel protagonists who naturally attract trouble. Hahaha."

Having nothing else to do, he took out the tiger talisman he had just drawn, along with the ones he hadn't used before, totaling six.

"What should I draw this time? Xishi or Diaochan? Hmm, even Xiao Qiao wouldn't be bad..." Zu An mused, letting his imagination wander, as he began to draw.

He once again felt his soul ascend, as if he had entered the cosmos, and saw various shimmering specks of light in the distant starry sky.

He cleared his mind and tried to communicate with them.

Soon, there was a response, and a bright spot rapidly flew towards him.

"Xishi, Xishi..." Zu An secretly clenched his fists.

However, when the bright spot finally appeared before him, Zu An was dumbfounded.

Because it was a bright green hat!

Damn it!

Zu An couldn't help but curse his bad luck, then continued to draw. This time, he dared not push his luck, nor directly hope for something of Xishi's caliber. He just wished for anything useful.

...

After all six draws, Zu An's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Staring at the six neatly arranged green hats before him, he felt like he was losing his mind.

Don't play with me like this. The Emperor bestowed a 'Cuckold King' title upon me, and now all I draw are green hats? And they're just ordinary ones, with no special functions whatsoever.

Damn it, I need to get this title changed as soon as possible. Otherwise, if I ever make a name for myself, and people introduce me as Zu An, the Hereditary Cuckold King, I'll literally want to die.

Finding the green color an eyesore, Zu An simply summoned Phoenix Flame and burned them all to ashes.

From now on, I'll specialize in wholesaling green hats for others to wear!

The more Zu An thought about it, the angrier he became. Unfortunately, it was late and quiet, and there was no one to talk to.

In his helplessness, he summoned Daji and recounted his grievances. However, from beginning to end, Daji simply gazed at him with her beautiful, alluring eyes, offering no response whatsoever.

"I forgot you don't have a soul," Zu An sighed, then thought for a moment and took out the vital energy fruit he had previously won from a draw, giving it to her to consume.

She was now at sixth rank. To advance from sixth to seventh rank, she needed 800 vital energy fruits, and she had already consumed 360, meaning she was close to sixth rank, fifth stage.

It was important to remember that her "Bewitching Charm" skill was linked to her cultivation level; the higher her own level, the higher the rank of individuals she could control.

Previously, to control the Head Imperial Physician, he had tried various methods to enhance her "Bewitching Charm" skill, including refining pills and preparing rare materials. Yet, the improvement was only from being able to control those below her rank to being able to control those of equal cultivation.

The increase was truly small, far less cost-effective than simply raising her own cultivation level.

He studied for a while and roughly concluded that it was easier to raise Daji's cultivation level initially, but in later stages, it would be much harder to advance, as her cultivation system currently seemed to cap at ninth rank.

After that, raising the level of the "Bewitching Charm" skill would be more useful.

"You'll reach seventh rank with just 440 more vital energy fruits. Huh..." Zu An was examining the system's explanation of her cultivation system when he suddenly noticed more relevant information appearing as her cultivation increased.

These Valkyries, after reaching sixth rank, required not just a simple accumulation of vital energy fruits but also special items to assist in breaking through to each major rank.

For example, for Daji to break through from peak sixth rank to seventh rank, she would need 5 Wuyang Jade, 10 Azure Wolf King Fangs, 30 Qinghuo Flowers, and 20 Nine-Headed Pheasant Feathers.

Zu An had never heard these names before and hastily checked the descriptions. Daji belonged to the Nine-Tailed Fox clan of Qingqiu. Her homeland, Mount Qingqiu, was rich in jade on its sunny side and abundant with Qinghuo plants on its shady side.

Wuyang Jade was likely a fire-element jade, while Qinghuo was a yin-cold plant.

The greatest enemy of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan of Qingqiu was the Azure Wolf clan. Young Nine-Tailed Foxes were often hunted and slaughtered by Azure Wolves, so for generations, Nine-Tailed Foxes had to prove themselves by hunting Azure Wolf Kings to protect their kin and grow stronger.

Azure Wolf King Fangs, as the name suggested, were the teeth of Azure Wolf Kings, specifically their two sharpest canine teeth. A single wolf pack had only one wolf king, meaning only two such fangs could be acquired from it.

Zu An was filled with regret. They had encountered wolf packs in the mystic realm before; if he had known this, he would have captured a few and stored them in his spatial ring.

He quickly read on. The Nine-Headed Pheasant Feather was the most unique feather from under the Nine-Headed Pheasant's wing. Once this feather was lost, the Nine-Headed Pheasant would lose its ability for rapid flight.

As for why Daji needed this feather for her breakthrough, the description stated that the Nine-Tailed Fox clan loved eating chicken, and the Nine-Headed Pheasant was an exotic wild fowl with the most delicious meat.

After reading these descriptions, Zu An was utterly bewildered. Looking at the impossibly beautiful woman in white before him, he wondered if he should find a roasted chicken to place in front of her to see if she would eat it.

However, he immediately realized that increasing her cultivation might not be as easy as he had initially thought, mainly due to the restrictions imposed by these special items.

Azure Wolf King Fangs were manageable; he could pry a few off next time he had the chance. Nine-Headed Pheasant Feathers were also available in the previously unlocked store, and although each required a significant amount of fury value, at least there was hope.

As for Wuyang Jade and Qinghuo Flowers, he had never even heard of them, and they weren't available in the store system.

"I'll go to the Imperial Hospital tomorrow and ask," Zu An thought as he drifted off to sleep, while Daji, dressed in white, sat quietly by his bedside, watching him.

The next day, when Zu An woke up, he was startled to see someone by his bed. However, upon recognizing Daji, he couldn't help but smile. "Oh, it's you! Sorry, I forgot to dismiss you. You must have been very bored sitting here all night."

Daji continued to gaze at him silently.

Zu An felt a bit disheartened. "How can I find your soul? It's such a pity otherwise."

Daji blinked, seemingly touched, but then became speechless upon hearing his next sentence: "Once you have a soul, the first thing I'm going to do is hold you while we sleep."

Daji: "..."

After washing up, Zu An headed to the imperial palace, intending first to inquire at the Imperial Hospital about Wuyang Jade and Qinghuo Flowers, and second, to meet with Bi Linglong and rekindle their connection.

However, upon arriving at the palace, he noticed a heavy atmosphere pervading the grounds.

He quickly sought out imperial guards to inquire. Knowing he was currently favored, they didn't hold back and began to chatter, explaining:

"Last night, an urgent military report traveled eight hundred li to the capital. It's said a major event occurred in the north: the demon race, dormant for many years, suddenly launched an army south, breached the Great Zhou's border defenses, and plundered and burned everything in their path, even massacring an entire city."

"Those damn demons! Truly, those not of our kind are bound to have different intentions. The Emperor should have annihilated them back then."

"It's not that easy. The demon race is also very powerful. After their defeat, they hid in the far north, and we couldn't do anything."

"Will the Emperor lead the army personally this time?"

"How could that be? I think Duke Cheng will most likely lead the army."

"Indeed, given Duke Cheng's reputation in the military, it will probably be none other than him."

...

Hearing their discussion, Zu An's heart stirred. Duke Cheng was Qin Zheng, Chu Youzhao's maternal grandfather. Earlier, Sang Qian had mentioned that the Emperor's first target would undoubtedly be the Qin family. Now, Qin Zheng was about to be transferred to the border. Was this intentional, or merely a coincidence?

He went straight to the Imperial Hospital, but unfortunately, several imperial physicians he asked had never heard of Wuyang Jade or Qinghuo Flowers.

However, one imperial physician offered a suggestion: "I'm not sure about Qinghuo Flowers, but regarding Wuyang Jade, one person might know. The Yu family deals in jade throughout the realm, and Madam Yu Yanluo is the helm of their jade business. If anyone in the world knows about Wuyang Jade, it would definitely be her."

Zu An's heart skipped a beat, and a peerlessly beautiful figure appeared in his mind. He couldn't help but smile, "This woman truly has a connection with me."

With this progress, Zu An felt much lighter and headed straight to the Eastern Palace.

Upon seeing him, Bi Linglong's eyes first lit up, but she quickly composed herself and said calmly, "Lord Zu has suffered such serious injuries; you should be recuperating properly. Why come to the Eastern Palace so soon?"

Zu An smiled. "I'm thick-skinned; these injuries are nothing. On the contrary, when I remember that my insufficient protection caused Your Highness to lose some lifespan, I can't sleep at night, constantly thinking of how to cure you."

Two faint blushes appeared on Bi Linglong's pretty face. She, of course, knew how her condition was to be treated. This scoundrel is flirting with me in front of so many people.

Today's two chapters are combined. Happy National Day to everyone!