Chapter 8: Wife's Best Friend

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## Volume 1: First Steps into Another World

He didn't hesitate at all, directly swallowing the Marrow Cleansing Pill. A cool sensation spread from his mouth, rushing straight to his head and throughout his entire body. Soon after, black impurities slowly seeped from his skin. This continued for half an hour before stopping. When Zu An opened his eyes, he felt lighter, and the world, even every blade of grass and tree, seemed clearer.

Previously, due to his weak constitution, he had always felt a constant ache in his back and waist. Now, however, he felt completely re-energized. His palms and soles, which used to be perpetually cold, were now warm, as if his entire body was brimming with vitality.

"This stuff actually works?" Zu An exclaimed, surprised. Although he didn't know how much his aptitude had improved, the changes to his body were instantaneous. If only he had drawn this earlier! With his previous D-grade inferior aptitude, seven strikes from the Whip of Wailing were almost enough to fill three magic arrays. If he had had this Marrow Cleansing Pill back then, he probably could have filled at least five arrays. D-grade inferior aptitude—in his previous life, that would have been a D, right? It truly was abysmal.

It was only then that he noticed the black grime on his skin. He instinctively brought his hand to his nose and sniffed, his expression instantly becoming a masterpiece of disgust. The stench! He hurriedly ran to take a bath, then returned to his room and got into bed. Gazing at the mere 44 anger points remaining on the keyboard, he wondered if he should go to the anger point source tomorrow to earn some more, just to see if he could draw anything good.

As the body's memories gradually merged, he recalled that the head of the Chu family was the current duke, and Brightmoon City was his fiefdom. The Chu family head had one son and two daughters: the eldest daughter Chu Chuyan, the second daughter Chu Huanzhao, and the heir, Chu Youzhao. The original owner of this body, a commoner, was an orphan raised by his uncle and aunt. He was famously known throughout the local area as good-for-nothing, neither skilled in academics nor martial arts. Apart from being handsome, he possessed no other discernible qualities.

Zu An was somewhat perplexed. Why would such a prestigious family take in a good-for-nothing like him as a son-in-law who lives with them? A conspiracy. There had to be a conspiracy.

However, now that Zu An had the keyboard as his trump card, his confidence had grown considerably. He was no longer as fearful as before, felt increasingly optimistic about the future, and, full of pleasant thoughts, soon drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, as he was still half-asleep, he was woken by a clamor:

"Wake up quickly! Master and Madam are waiting for you in the ancestral hall!"

"Stop bothering me, let me sleep a bit longer," Zu An mumbled, still half-asleep. He had been restless until midnight and was extremely tired. He turned over, ready to go back to sleep.

Unexpectedly, a basin of cold water was suddenly splashed over him. He jolted upright, his sleepiness instantly vanishing. Opening his eyes, he saw several menacing household retainers standing by. Another young warrior, holding a copper basin, was sneering at him.

"Did you throw that water?" Zu An glared at the young warrior. Fragments of memory surfaced: this man was Diao Yang, a junior captain in the mansion's guard squad, and he seemed to have always targeted Zu An in the past.

"So what if I did?" Diao Yang sneered. "Do you really think you're the master of this mansion? I don't know what the young lady saw in you."

Zu An instantly understood. Given Chu Chuyan's beauty, there were undoubtedly many who coveted her, like a toad lusting after a swan's flesh, and Diao Yang was likely one of them. Although their differing statuses meant he would never achieve his desire, it didn't mean he could tolerate another "toad" getting the "swan."

Bah, bah, bah! He was the toad, and his whole family were toads!

Noticing the mockery in Zu An's eyes, an unprovoked anger flared in Diao Yang's heart. "Why are you staring? Want to hit me? Go on, I dare you!" he challenged, leaning his face closer. This useless son-in-law was weaker than a woman; he could easily handle him with one hand and one foot tied. Hadn't he beaten him up before? The man was cowardly and wouldn't dare speak out even when bullied, which was why Diao Yang dared to act so brazenly.

But this time, he miscalculated. Little did he know, the person before him was no longer the same. All he saw was a blur as a fist swiftly struck his nose bridge, and then tears and blood gushed uncontrollably from his nose.

Zu An withdrew his fist, shook his head, and said, "What's wrong with people in this world? Why do you all love to make such humiliating requests?"

"Bastard! I'll kill you!" After a brief blank in his mind, Diao Yang, enraged that he had been hit by the good-for-nothing he always despised, pulled out his waist saber and lunged forward.

Wait, why was this guy suddenly so strong?

"Anger points from Diao Yang: 537!"

Just then, a steady voice called out, "What's going on here?"

A man as burly as a mountain strode in from outside. The group in the room immediately saluted him, "Greetings, Captain!"

Zu An remembered this man as Yue Shan, the Chu family's guard captain. Diao Yang immediately rushed over to complain: "Captain, we kindly came to call him to the ancestral hall, but who knew he not only refused to get up, but also, relying on his status as the son-in-law, started punching and kicking us! Look, my nose is broken!"

Zu An quietly watched his performance. This man was truly quick to change his tune, and his ability to twist facts was truly impressive.

Yue Shan frowned. He glanced at Diao Yang's profusely bleeding nose, then at the soaking wet Zu An and the basin on the floor. He roughly deduced what had just happened.

"Everyone is waiting in the ancestral hall, and you're making a ruckus here?" Yue Shan snorted. "Go to the ancestral hall first. We'll discuss other matters later." He couldn't be bothered with the petty squabble. He had some understanding of Diao Yang's character and knew he deserved it. Of course, he had no interest in sticking up for Zu An; he also looked down on such a useless son-in-law and didn't think it was worth offending his colleagues for him.

Zu An's eyes darted. He suddenly collapsed and groaned, "Oh, I'm gravely injured! I can't get out of bed!"

"You're injured?" Yue Shan walked over to check and noticed the whip marks on Zu An's body. His expression changed slightly.

Zu An thought to himself, *Good thing I'm quick-witted!* He had conveniently slept in his blood-stained clothes from the night before. "Yes, yesterday, the second young lady came to find me and gave me quite a lashing with her Whip of Wailing."

Everyone present changed color; it seemed many had experienced the second young lady's formidable whip themselves. Only Diao Yang remained unconvinced. "Nonsense! You just hit me with plenty of force. You don't look injured at all!"

Yue Shan interjected, "The esteemed guests are waiting impatiently. Let's go to the ancestral hall first. Whether it's true or not, it will become clear then. Someone, carry the son-in-law to the ancestral hall." He simultaneously instructed his subordinates to find a stretcher and told Diao Yang to see a doctor.

However, Diao Yang stubbornly refused, simply bandaging his nose quickly and insisting on going to the ancestral hall with them. As Yue Shan turned away, Diao Yang leaned close to Zu An's ear and whispered, "Don't get cocky, brat. Soon, you won't be the Chu family's son-in-law anymore. When that happens, I'll show you what it means to wish for death."

Zu An was somewhat puzzled. Where did this guy get his confidence from? Was it just because he had crawled into his sister-in-law's bed on his wedding night? But judging by Chu Chuyan's reaction, the Chu family didn't seem to make a big deal out of it, especially since he had already 'dealt with' the aggrieved party herself. Pondering this mystery, he was carried to the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was vast. At the head of the hall hung a large plaque inscribed with the characters "Hall of Revered Remembrance." The calligraphy was steady and resolute, instilling a sense of solemnity. Below the plaque, two large portraits hung on either side. There were also couplets and other inscriptions. Judging by the official robes and signatures, they depicted two ancestors of the Chu family. Beneath the portraits were an incense table and ancestral tablets, dedicated to the Chu family's ancestors.

In front of the incense table, a middle-aged couple was seated. The man had a refined, handsome face, with a few strands of beard on his cheeks, exuding a scholarly and gentle aura. Beside him sat a noblewoman, whose eyebrows resembled distant spring mountains and whose eyes sparkled like autumn waters. Her hair was styled in a 'Flying Apsara' bun, adorned with a peacock gold hairpin whose fanned-out tail feathers perfectly blended with the bun, making her appear even more graceful and luxurious.

Zu An knew they were Chu Zhongtian, the head of the Chu family, and his wife, Qin Wanru. Catching Mrs. Chu's gaze, an involuntary sense of awe surged within him. He surmised that the original owner of this body must have feared her greatly, and some of that instinct still lingered. He suddenly noticed many men in the ancestral hall involuntarily glancing in the same direction. It was then that he saw a girl in a red top and black skirt seated beside Chu Chuyan. Her first impression was one of pure allure: an oval face with skin like congealed jade, seductive and expressive "peach blossom" eyes that seemed to speak, embodying an indescribable allure that was enough to make any man who saw her entertain improper thoughts.

"What formidable allure!" Zu An's gaze fell upon her chest, and he realized why everyone was looking her way. Seemingly noticing his gaze, the girl didn't get angry. Instead, a faint smile appeared on her face. Her radiant smile was highly infectious, making people instinctively feel goodwill towards her.

In his memories, this woman was Pei Mianman, Chu Chuyan's close friend. She was a young lady from the prestigious Pei family in the capital, who had recently come to Brightmoon City for a study tour and had become quite close with Chu Chuyan. There were also other people seated in the room, too many for him to fully discern in his haste. He only noticed that some wore sullen expressions, while others had looks of schadenfreude.

Noticing that many people in the room were still glancing at Pei Mianman, Mrs. Chu's face flashed with a hint of displeasure. She gave a slight cough, and Chu Zhongtian, as if waking from a dream, hastily spoke up: "Zu An, do you know why you are here today?"

"Of course," Zu An replied directly. "Yesterday, on my wedding night, I climbed into my sister-in-law's bed."

A soft giggle escaped. Pei Mianman covered her mouth, her cheeks slightly flushed, clearly not expecting such brazen shamelessness to exist. The gazes of the others in the hall became even stranger as they looked at Zu An. Not only had this fellow committed such a disgraceful act, but he had also made a spectacle of himself before someone from the Pei family. What a scoundrel!

Before Chu Zhongtian could speak, Mrs. Chu, in a fit of rage, smashed the teacup in her hand onto the floor. "Bastard! You did such a thing, and you're proud of it?" She had always doted on her two daughters, and now one had been humiliated, and this brute was speaking with such nonchalance.

"Anger points from Qin Wanru: 254!"

The entire ancestral hall instantly fell silent. Everyone in the Chu family knew that the Master was honest and gentle by nature, while the Madam, on the other hand, had a very fierce temper.

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