Chapter 58: Illusion of Being Able to Counterkill

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Volume One: First Steps in a New World

"Retaliation?" Chu Chuyan was startled. "You call gambling retaliation?"

"Exactly," Zu An said matter-of-factly. "I originally thought that with your Chu family's power, dealing with a small gang would be a simple matter. Who knew you only look good on the surface? So, I'll have to do it myself. You can't expect me not to stand up for myself when you can't help me."

"Then how do you plan to stand up for yourself?" Chu Chuyan asked.

"By winning all their money, of course," Zu An said earnestly.

Xue'er, standing beside them, sneered, "And you still say it's not gambling?"

Zu An replied, "Gambling involves both winning and losing. Only winning and never losing isn't gambling; it's simply withdrawing money. The previous Chu family head set this rule precisely because he feared his descendants would repeat past mistakes, which is why gambling was forbidden. If he knew his descendants would find a 'God of Gamblers' like me, who only wins and never loses, as a son-in-law, he would definitely agree."

Chu Chuyan snorted, "Gamblers in this world all think they'll win more than they lose, but they don't know how many end up losing everything."

Zu An pulled out the silver pouch he had obtained earlier. "Don't worry, I won't use the Chu family's money. This is what I got from Plum Blossom Thirteen. If I truly lose it, it'll just be returning it to its original owner. What do you say?"

Seeing her still silent, Zu An gave her a deep look. "As a wife, you should trust your husband."

Chu Chuyan froze. In that instant, the other person's demeanor seemed to have changed slightly. *Huh, why am I having such an absurd feeling?*

Just then, Xue'er stood on tiptoe and whispered into her ear, "Miss, this guy is clearly determined to gamble. Even if you don't agree now, he'll come alone later. It's better to let him lose this money under your supervision, lest he starts thinking about buying a house outside and keeping concubines or beautiful maids."

Chu Chuyan nodded slightly. The other person's words resonated with her, especially the part about him getting cocky and wanting to buy a house and pretty girls outside just because he had some money. If he really did that, where would the Chu family's reputation stand?

No wonder mother often said that men with money easily turn bad.

"Alright, it's a deal. We leave once this money is gone, otherwise, don't blame me for using force," Chu Chuyan said indifferently.

Zu An said with a shy expression, "Actually, you don't need to use force on me. You can come anytime; I won't resist."

Chu Chuyan snorted. *This guy is always so frivolous.*

Just as they were about to enter, Xue'er suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out. Chu Chuyan turned back and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xue'er, blushing, whispered something into her ear. Chu Chuyan nodded, "Go ahead, come find us inside later."

"Okay, thank you, Miss."

Seeing her run off, Zu An asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Chu Chuyan gave him an annoyed glare. "That's a girl's business; don't pry."

"I won't pry, I won't pry," Zu An smiled faintly, as if things were becoming clearer.

The two entered, quickly drawing many eyes. This was primarily due to Chu Chuyan's striking appearance: her flawless, exquisite face, tall and graceful figure, and impeccably elegant demeanor, which stood out incongruously against the lively, boisterous atmosphere of the casino.

Few of those gambling in the casino were virtuous. Seeing a peerless beauty like Chu Chuyan, many men's hearts stirred with desire, and some couldn't resist whistling frivolously.

However, some recognized her identity and quickly pulled their companions aside:

"Do you want to die? That's the Chu family's eldest daughter!"

"Wow, no wonder she's so beautiful! Hey, who's that smug-looking guy beside Miss Chu?"

"Must be Miss Chu's husband, that good-for-nothing son-in-law."

"This guy looks so ordinary. How could he win Miss Chu's favor?"

"Exactly, he's just average. A bit handsome, a bit fair-skinned, but nowhere near as manly as us."

"Damn it!"

There were quite a few people with such sentiments. Zu An, however, was beaming with joy as he watched the large pile of rage points he received in the background. He thought to himself that from now on, he would just bring his 'cheap wife' out for a stroll whenever he had nothing to do, and he would never have to worry about rage points again.

If Chu Chuyan knew what he was thinking at that moment, even with the best temperament, she would probably be unable to resist beating him into a pig's head.

"Miss Chu, what brings you here?" The casino manager, Plum Blossom Seven, had been alerted by his subordinates. He quickly rushed out from the inner room and approached Chu Chuyan with a professional smile, while inwardly feeling surprised and uncertain. *What is Miss Chu doing here?*

*Is she here to cause trouble for the Plum Blossom Gang?* He had just sent someone to notify the gang leader, but he wasn't sure if he would arrive in time.

He didn't believe he had the ability to stop a dignified Fifth Rank master, let alone the Chu family's eldest daughter, whom he couldn't hit or scold. This was simply not something he could handle.

Chu Chuyan was clearly unaccustomed to the smoky and chaotic environment. She gently fanned the air in front of her nose before replying, "You don't need to concern yourself with me; I'm just accompanying him."

Only then did Plum Blossom Seven notice Zu An beside her. In front of a woman of such exquisite beauty, anyone would instinctively overlook the ordinary person standing next to her.

"Oh, so it's Young Master Zu. May I ask what brings Young Master Zu here this time?" Although Plum Blossom Seven wore a smiling face, he was cursing inwardly. *This guy was formerly a well-known good-for-nothing in Brightmoon City, useless in both literature and martial arts, who clung to a higher branch thanks to his good looks.*

*Before, I wouldn't even bother with such a guy, but now I have to flatter him. Damn it, it makes me want to be a kept man myself.*

Rage points from Plum Blossom Seven: 200!

Seeing the income in the background, Zu An said with a smile, "Are you cursing me in your heart right now?"

Plum Blossom Seven's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly denied it. "No, no, how could I dare? You are the Chu family's son-in-law." The implied meaning was clear: *If you weren't the Chu family's son-in-law, who would take you seriously?*

"Young Master Zu, are you planning...?" Seeing the other man looking around, Plum Blossom Seven probed.

"Coming to your place and not gambling, am I supposed to watch a show?" Zu An said grumpily.

Plum Blossom Seven couldn't help but curse inwardly. *You good-for-nothing, you truly have the look of a petty person who becomes arrogant the moment he achieves something. Did you dare speak to me like this before?*

Rage points from Plum Blossom Seven: 300!

*Wait, gambling?*

Plum Blossom Seven suddenly realized and looked at Chu Chuyan in disbelief. *I didn't hear wrong, did I? Someone from the Chu family actually came to gamble, and brought Miss Chu along.*

Chu Chuyan said indifferently, "I said I'm just accompanying him; you don't need to look at me."

Plum Blossom Seven couldn't help but confirm with Zu An again, "Did you just say you came to gamble?"

"Are you deaf? Do I have to repeat myself?" Zu An glanced at him with disdain. "What, not welcome?"

Rage points from Plum Blossom Seven: 99!

However, Plum Blossom Seven's anger was quickly replaced by ecstasy. "Welcome, of course, welcome! Come, Young Master Zu, please come upstairs to the VIP lounge."

He had heard about the gang leader's previous intention to deal with Zu An. Originally, Plum Blossom Thirteen's plan was foolproof, but today not only was the IOU taken, but his legs were also broken. However, since it was Lu De from Brightmoon Academy who did it, they had no way to retaliate.

Now, Zu An was not only the Chu family's son-in-law but also a student of Brightmoon Academy. Neither side was someone the Plum Blossom Gang could afford to offend. They had been worrying about how to deal with this guy, and who knew he would actually deliver himself to their doorstep!

*Come to gamble?*

What kind of place was a gambling house? Even if you had immense wealth, it could make you lose everything overnight!

Everyone knew that the Chu family most abhorred gambling among its family members. Although it was unknown why Miss Chu was here today, this casino had plenty of ways to make the man named Zu incur massive gambling debts.

At that time, they could send people to publicize it throughout the city. Where would Duke Brightmoon put his face then? His days as the Chu family's son-in-law would be over, and Brightmoon Academy's rules also seemed to include clauses prohibiting gambling.

Without the protection of the Chu family and the academy, *I will definitely chop this guy up and feed him to the dogs!*

*Oh, wait, it might not even be my turn then. Plum Blossom Thirteen will definitely rush to do this.*

*If I had known this was a false alarm, I shouldn't have sent someone to notify the gang leader earlier. Wouldn't it be much better if I waited until this guy lost tens of thousands of taels before reporting the good news to the gang leader?*

Zu An raised a hand to stop him. "No need. I prefer the lively atmosphere down here." His plan later couldn't do without people, so he naturally didn't want to go to a deserted VIP room.

Meanwhile, at the Plum Blossom Gang's main headquarters, Mei Chaofeng, feared by everyone in the gang, was currently fawning over a green-clad young girl. "Miss Qiao, what brings you here so suddenly today?"

If Zu An were here, he would surely recognize the green-clad girl as Xue'er, the one who was always at odds with him.

Xue'er glanced disdainfully at the woman beside her, who was hastily covering herself with clothes, and said coldly, "You need to have some moderation when it comes to women. You killed her husband and still keep her by your side? Aren't you afraid of revenge?"

This woman was the wife of Tan Wei, who had been lured and killed by Plum Blossom Twelve outside the city.

Mei Chaofeng laughed heartily. "Rest assured, Miss Qiao, I have completely conquered this woman, both physically and mentally."

The woman beside him clutched her clothes to her chest, lowering her head as if shy.

Xue'er's delicate brows furrowed. She clearly didn't want to discuss such topics with him. "I came to remind you that Zu An has arrived at the Silver Hook Casino."

Mei Chaofeng froze. "What is he doing at the casino?"

"Have you played with women so much your brain has turned to mush?" Xue'er glanced at him disdainfully. "He's at the casino to gamble, of course."

Mei Chaofeng was secretly enraged by her scolding. *If you weren't the Young Master's favorite and held his An Yang order, I'd make sure you couldn't close your legs if you dared speak to me like that!*

Of course, he thought this but didn't dare show it on his face. "Is that Zu An an idiot? He just lost a thousand taels here last time, and now he's back?"

Xue'er shook her head. "You can't be careless. From what he said, he's very confident this time. According to him, he's here to 'withdraw money'."

"Hahahaha!" Mei Chaofeng threw his head back and laughed, making the roof tiles tremble. "He thinks our Silver Hook Casino is some kind of place where he can just take money? No matter how large his fortune, I can make him lose every last bit of it."

Xue'er was clearly somewhat displeased with his attitude. "It's better to be careful. I went out of town with Chu Chuyan for two days, and when I came back, I suddenly found him a bit different. I can't quite pinpoint how, but if he dared to brag like that in front of Chu Chuyan, he must have a reason."

Mei Chaofeng wagged a finger. "Miss Qiao, you don't understand the ways of a casino. Those gamblers who've lost their minds all have the illusion that 'I can turn the tables.' It's a pity that one by one, they end up losing even their wives."

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