Chapter 35: Transaction

Volume One: First Steps in Another World

Half a day had passed, and the woman hadn't even given him a proper glance. It was clear that the good-for-nothing son-in-law from her original world wasn't worth remembering; she only needed to know that her best friend had an incompetent husband.

Yet, upon reflection, he felt relieved. From every perspective, the gap between them was vast, like heaven and earth. It was only natural that she wouldn't remember him.

“My name is Zu An. Have you remembered it now?” Zu An said fiercely. Understanding was one thing, but he was genuinely angry. He had foolishly believed his handsome appearance and extraordinary conversation had left a deep impression on this beautiful woman.

“I have!” Pei Mianman gritted her teeth slightly. After their recent intense 'brawl,' it would be hard *not* to remember. “Why are you here?”

“That should be my question to you, shouldn’t it?” Zu An scoffed.

Pei Mianman’s expression darkened. “You said we could cooperate. I’d like to hear what brilliant ideas you have.” Her fingertips moved slightly, and flames danced on them again.

“You must be looking for something, right?” Zu An asked.

“That’s right.” Pei Mianman knew her recent actions must have been seen by him, making denial pointless.

“By the looks of it, you haven’t found it. I can help you,” Zu An said.

If she had heard him say that before, she would have merely laughed him off and paid no attention. But after their recent life-or-death struggle, he had actually managed to subdue her, making her unable to take him lightly. “What do you want?”

Zu An said, “As Chu Chuyan’s best friend, you must be aware of my awkward status in the Chu Manor. She and I only have the name of husband and wife, but no actual marital relationship. So, if you help me win her over and become the true son-in-law of the Chu family, I’ll help you find what you’re looking for.”

Pei Mianman was startled at first, then burst into laughter. “I didn’t expect you were after her! But Chuyan is such a stunning beauty that even I, as a woman, find her captivating. Alright, it’s a deal!”

“You’re agreeing so readily?” Zu An was taken aback, suddenly feeling a bit uncertain.

“Are you worried I’ll trick you into letting go?” Pei Mianman sneered, wiggling a finger in front of him. “If you hadn’t managed to convince me just now, you’d already be burnt to ashes.”

Zu An noticed the black flames at her fingertips and was startled. Recalling what he knew about cultivation realms, this woman was a Fifth-Rank expert. No wonder he had almost died by her hand.

Seeing him stunned, a blush flashed across Pei Mianman’s face. “Isn’t it great to take advantage of your wife’s best friend? Now let go!”

Seeing her finger poised to jab him at any moment, Zu An quickly released her and retreated to the side.

Pei Mianman stood up and tidied her dishevelled clothes. Noticing the dust and handprints on her body, and recalling their previous struggle where their bodies were intertwined, her expression grew cold. She wondered if she should just kill this brat.

Noticing her expression, Zu An quickly asked, “What are you looking for?”

Pei Mianman hesitated. “A ledger.”

“What kind of ledger?” Zu An was surprised. She had gone to all this trouble just for an account book?

Pei Mianman didn't answer, instead giggling, “I’ll tell you when you have more standing in the Chu family.” She hadn’t initially intended to agree to such an alliance, but on second thought, she had twice searched the Chu Manor at night and found no trace of the ledger. Perhaps with his help, she might actually find a clue.

Of course, all of this depended on him being qualified to participate.

Pei Mianman suddenly remembered something and looked at him suspiciously. “By the way, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

Zu An gave a sheepish laugh. “Would you believe me if I said I was just taking a walk?”

Pei Mianman rolled her eyes, then suddenly noticed a corner of silk peeking out from his chest. “Oh, what’s this?”

Zu An tried to stop her, but she was too fast, and the item in his arms was already in her possession.

Gazing at the woman’s intimate undergarment in her hand, Pei Mianman shook with laughter. “You snuck in here in the middle of the night just to steal your wife’s underwear? I’m genuinely a little disgusted with you.”

Zu An’s old face flushed. He quickly stepped forward, snatched it back, and stuffed it into his embrace. “What business is it of yours?”

Pei Mianman’s gaze at him grew increasingly strange. “As expected of the man who climbed into his sister-in-law’s bed on his wedding night. I used to think you weren’t so daring, but it turns out you really are a lecherous and shameless fellow.”

Zu An’s heart stirred. From her words, it seemed she wasn't the one behind him being thrown onto the Chu family’s second young lady’s bed that night. So, who was it?

He took the opportunity to tease, “Compared to a sister-in-law, a wife’s best friend seems quite attractive too, doesn’t she?”

Pei Mianman wore a charming smile, but a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes. “Many men have set their sights on me over the years, but not a single bone was left of them in the end. If you’re not afraid, you can try.”

Zu An shook his head. “Then I’ll pass. Anyway, I’ve already tried what should and shouldn’t be tried.”

“What did you say?” Pei Mianman’s face darkened.

Rage from Pei Mianman +256!

“Nothing, I was just saying that the commotion we made wasn’t small, so it’s better to leave here soon. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good if we alerted the Chu family.” Zu An secretly disdained her. On the surface, this woman appeared wild and flirtatious, but he hadn't expected her to be so humorless.

“That makes sense.” Pei Mianman nodded. “That’s enough for today. But if I hear any rumors in the future, I will cut out your tongue.”

Zu An covered his mouth. “Don’t worry, I promise it’ll be known only to heaven, earth, you, and me.”

Pei Mianman scoffed. “You’d better forget about today’s events too.”

With a flash, she leaped to the window. Suddenly, she turned back, her figure looking even more graceful and captivating under the moonlight. “Oh, right, what exactly was that ability of yours just now? Why did your strength suddenly become so immense?”

Zu An looked just as bewildered. “I don’t know. Maybe it was a burst of potential during a life-or-death crisis.”

“Fine, don’t tell me, you stingy man.” Pei Mianman snorted, and her beautiful figure vanished into the night sky.

Zu An gave a wry smile. He truly didn’t know. However, he had no time to ponder it, worried someone might discover the anomaly. He hurriedly ran back to his own room.

Then he pulled out a bottle of pills and swallowed them directly.

Having learned his lesson last time, he didn't want to repeat the mistake. He knew the 'Rich Madam's Pleasure Orb' had a time limit. Once its effect wore off, all pain and weakness would return, which was truly debilitating.

This bottle of medicine wasn't the 'Brother Chun's Red Potion' he had drawn from the keyboard, but a healing medicine Ji Dengtu had given him earlier. Ji Dengtu had tossed him this medicine when he heard Zu An say he was going to Jackal Valley.

“That guy wouldn’t intentionally trick me, would he?” Zu An was a little worried, but he quickly thought that since the man was a divine physician, he probably wouldn't play tricks on him regarding this matter. Moreover, with such an innocent and kind daughter like Ji Xiaoxi, how bad could the father be?

He had initially worried about inadvertently setting himself up for failure, but as the pills entered his stomach, a warm sensation spread, and he could feel the medicine repairing and nourishing his injured body.

Zu An finally relaxed. Ji Dengtu’s medicine was indeed extraordinary. Although it couldn’t instantly restore him to full strength like the 'Brother Chun's Red Potion' he had drawn, its healing effects were nearly as good, just a little slower.

It was indeed medicine refined by a generation’s divine physician!

At this point, the 'Rich Madam's Pleasure Orb' was gradually nearing the end of its validity. Since Ji Dengtu’s medicine provided slow recovery, he began to feel pain spreading throughout his body.

“This thing is truly a divine artifact,” Zu An thought, disregarding the pain as he looked at the 'Rich Madam's Pleasure Orb' in his hand. If not for it today, he probably would have lost his life there.

Before, when he was struck by the 'Whip of Wails,' he hadn’t fully appreciated it, only experiencing its pain-immunity function. But today, he discovered that when used correctly, its functions were incredibly powerful.

If not for the 'Rich Madam's Pleasure Orb' today, he would have had no chance of survival. Thinking of how he had used such a life-saving miracle for a mere bet last time, he felt a pang of regret. Now, only one use remained, and he didn't know when he would ever draw this item again.

He suddenly recalled the prerequisite for this item: it only worked if struck by a woman richer than him. He couldn't help but feel fortunate that Yu Yanluo had been away these past few days. Otherwise, if he had truly received a thousand taels of gold from her, there would likely be far fewer women richer than him in the world. In a real fight, who would know how much money the opponent had? One misstep could be fatal.

It seemed better not to take those thousand taels of gold for now.

Zu An had made up his mind, yet he felt incredibly reluctant. Was he truly destined to be poor for his entire life?

Rage from Qin Wanru +333...

Zu An was stunned. Had he offended Madam Chu again? Her frequency of getting angry seemed a bit high. Could it be an endocrine imbalance, an early onset of menopause?

Meanwhile, in the Duke’s chambers, Chu Zhongtian poured his wife a cup of tea before asking, “I heard you punished Zu An by making him copy the family precepts a hundred times? Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

Qin Wanru scoffed. “That fellow won’t amount to anything unless he’s disciplined. You don’t know what he did! Today, he dared to openly skip school—no, according to reports from the academy, he didn’t even enter the school gates! It’s utterly preposterous!”

Chu Zhongtian gasped. “That fellow is indeed a bit much, but he’s always been somewhat insecure. Marrying into our manor already puts a lot of pressure on him, and I hear many people in the manor look down on him. Won’t punishing him so severely make him resentful? Our household would truly never be peaceful then.”

Qin Wanru cast a resentful glance at her husband. “It’s all your fault! Otherwise, Chuyan wouldn’t have had to choose such a useless man as a husband. As her mother, I can’t do much else for her, but at least I can discipline her husband for her, to make Zu An strive harder. Even if he lacks cultivation talent, studying diligently and learning skills to manage the world and govern the country wouldn’t be bad, lest everyone ridicule our Chuyan.”

“Madam, judging by your words, are you saying you believe Chuyan will be with him for life?” Chu Zhongtian couldn’t help but ask.

“Hmph!” Qin Wanru pursed her lips. “If you nod, I’ll kick that fellow out immediately.”