Only now did Zu An notice that this young man bore a slight resemblance to Chu Chuyan and Chu Huanzhao. He sighed. These really were outstanding genes!

He was stunned speechless by his words, though. It was another brat! What kind of tone is that?

He might have been slightly more tolerant if he was a girl, but this was a damned man! A potential sister-in-law had suddenly become a brother-in-law. This difference between expectation and reality only served to make his crass tone seem worse.

“Of course she fell for me because I’m handsome and outstanding. She was charmed by me, and did not fall for a certain someone who blurts out crude words at the very first meeting.”

This young man’s expression flickered when he heard the mockery in Zu An’s voice. “The rumors were true, after all! You’re just a smooth talker, a good-for-nothing hoodlum.”

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 477 Rage points!

Zu An immediately became annoyed. “Damned brat, where is your respect for your brother-in-law? What the heck is all of this nonsense? Has everything you’ve studied in the capital all these years passed out of your ass instead of going to your head?”

“Such filthy speech!” Chu Youzhao scoffed. “Leaving aside the fact that my big sis already divorced you, I would never acknowledge you even if you were still together!”

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 571 Rage points!

Zu An leaned casually into his chair. “Your elder sister acknowledged me, and your dad and your mom did too. Who gives a shit about your opinion? Do I need your approval?”

Who knew what lay ahead for him? Moreover, he was already annoyed because he didn’t get to meet Chu Chuyan or Pei Mianman. Since this brat had shown a terrible attitude from the start, it was only expected that he would receive the same in return.

“You!” Chu Youzhao immediately erupted in fury.

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 999 Rage points!

He finally couldn’t hold back anymore, and sent a fist flying towards Zu An’s face.

Zu An’s eyes narrowed. Peak of the fourth rank! This kid’s pretty good for his age.

However, Zu An was already used to opponents on a whole different level. If they weren’t at the eighth or ninth rank, then they were master rank or higher. To him, any attack on this level would be full of flaws.

He turned to the side and grabbed his fist. With a pull and push, he disrupted Chu Youzhao’s center of gravity, and then easily twisted his arm behind him, pressing his body against a nearby table.

“Aren’t you embarrassed by your lack of skill? It’s honestly a miracle that you’ve managed to survive for this long,” Zu An said with a sigh.

“I was just caught off guard! If you have the guts, then let me go and face me again!” Chu Youzhao was ashamed and angry. Why is this guy so strong? Could his cultivation be much higher than mine?

Impossible! The teachers at the Imperial Academy and the seniors of the family all praised me for my outstanding aptitude! Only my big sis could compare to me back when she was my age!

With such amazing aptitude, access to a sea of resources from a young age, and the best teachers at his disposal, there was no way a random hoodlum who had grown up on the streets could be stronger.

Perhaps it’s a lack of fighting experience. This fellow had grown up in the slums, after all, so he was surely more experienced when it came to a real fight. I was surely just caught off guard.

Zu An picked up one of the decorative scrolls from the table. “All right, your brother-in-law will teach you your first lesson today. If you lose, you lose! There’s no excuse for losing. Would your enemies give you a second chance?”

With that, he slapped the scroll that he had picked up against the brat’s buttocks. This little brat seemed to have been spoiled, growing up in a luxurious environment. He was used to being bossy and unruly, and was in urgent need of a beating.

“You… how dare you hit me there?” Chu Youzhao was instantly dazed. A mixture of shame and anger made his face go red.

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 999 Rage points!

“What do you mean? Do you want me to hit your face instead of your buttocks?” Zu An smacked him again.

He still had the Chu clan and Qin clan to consider. If he hit his face, it might leave a mark, which would make things awkward for everyone.

However, there was no problem if he smacked the brat’s bottom. Even if this kid told on him, there was no way he would pull down his pants as proof.

“I… I’m going to kill you!” Chu Youzhao struggled fiercely. Unfortunately, Zu An was too strong, and he could not wiggle free.

“Your brother-in-law will teach you your second lesson now. You should submit when it is time to submit. A wise man submits to circumstances.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Zu An smacked the scroll down again.

“Ah!!” Chu Youzhao screamed. “You hoodlum, how dare you do this to me! My father, my big sister, and my grandfather will never forgive you for this!”

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 999 Rage points!

Zu An snorted. “Weren’t you acting all high and mighty just a second ago? Why are you suddenly relying on others now? It’s time for your third lesson from your brother-in-law. When outside, you need to rely on yourself. Don’t abuse your position to kick others around.”

Chu Youzhao was about to go crazy. When had he ever been treated like this before? He couldn’t stand being hit in such a sensitive spot by a man. He cursed Zu An furiously.

Unfortunately, each curse was met by a furious strike.

Zu An couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey, do you have some weird fetish? Are you cursing more, hoping that I’ll hit you harder?”

“You!” Chu Youzhao was almost whimpering at this point. He didn’t dare curse anymore. In fact, he was starting to grow afraid after such a fierce beating.

The worst thing was, even though it had hurt in the beginning, a strange feeling had now begun to arise within him each time the scroll hammered down, making his heart rate quicken.

Zu An was speechless when he saw the tears brimming within the brat’s eyes. “Come on, you’re already a grown man. Are you really going to cry just like that? Ah, forget it. I’ll let you go if you call me ‘brother-in-law’.”

Chu Youzhao turned his head to the side and pursed his lips tightly, stubbornness written all over his face.

Zu An wasn’t freaky enough to force a man to call him ‘brother-in-law’. Since he wasn’t willing, he immediately turned his attention to something that was puzzling him. “How did you get in?”

There were guards everywhere, and he was a criminal. How had this fellow managed to strut right in?

Chu Youzhao wanted to ignore him at first, but when he saw that Zu An was about to hit him again—and he was not willing to call him ‘brother-in-law’—he had no choice but to reply, “My grandfather told me to come here. He gave me his command token. He is a high-ranking official in the military, and my elder sister… wanted me to pass some words to you. We’re all family, sort of, so those guards didn’t stop me.”

“Where is your big sister? Why isn’t she here? Also, what did she want you to tell me?” Zu An asked impatiently.

Chu Youzhao snorted. “My big sister obviously feels disinclined to meet with you, so she told me to tell you to cease your delusional thinking. The two of you have been fully separated… Ah!!! Why are you hitting me again?!”

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 233 Rage points!

“Why would your big sister tell you to say that? You’re obviously making that shit up, so you deserve to get hit.” Zu An obviously didn’t believe a word. “Your big sister was probably detained by the Qin clan and couldn’t come.”

“How did you know?” Chu Youzhao blurted out.

Zu An snorted. He’d seen this cliché far too many times in TV dramas.

Chu Youzhao said, “Indeed, my elder sister wanted my grandfather to save you, but grandfather refused. His Majesty wants your life. How can my grandfather save you? You’re dead anyway, so if you really care about my big sister, then just be the bigger person and write a letter of separation. It’s better to get the pain over with than to prolong the agony. My big sister is so beautiful and stunning. How can her life be ruined at the hands of… Ah!!! Why are you hitting me again?!”

Zu An sneered. “You were trying to instigate your brother-in-law’s separation from your own sister. Doesn’t that deserve a beating?”

“Nonsense! You’re clearly hitting me because you like it!” the hint of a sob crept into Chu Youzhao’s voice.

“You’re not even a pretty girl, and I’m not a freak. Why the hell would I enjoy this?” Zu An let him go with a disdainful expression. “Look at you, already a man yet still crying so easily. Stop being a sissy.”

“I…” Chu Youzhao, filled with anger and embarrassment, almost charged at him again after just being released. However, as soon as he saw Zu An’s expression, he immediately grew terrified and hurriedly said, “I’m only doing what’s best for my big sister! You can’t be so selfish and ruin her whole life just for your own sake!”

“Look at you, sitting on your moral high horse.” Zu An eyed him coldly. “Keep spouting such nonsense, and I’ll hit you again.”

“You!” Chu Youzhao could not erase the humiliation from his mind, and he charged at Zu An again. “I’m going to fight you to the death!”

Right then, a glint of cold light streaked into the room. Chu Youzhao was about to run straight into it. Zu An pressed a hand against his chest and pushed him away. “Be careful!”

Staggered by the sudden shove, Chu Youzhao fell onto his bottom. A black arrow was stuck to the wall behind where he had been standing, still vibrating. It was easy to imagine what would have happened, had they moved a moment later.

Zu An stared at his hand absentmindedly, then looked at Chu Youzhao, “You’re a…”

The softness he’d felt was just too real. What man had pecs like this?

Zu An was stunned. So the heir to the Chu clan was actually a girl! Should he praise Chu Zhongtian or blame him for not trying harder? He’d actually sired three daughters in a row.

Having been in this world for quite a while now, he understood the order of succession within the Zhou Dynasty. It was common for clans to lose their titles if no male heirs could be produced. It wasn’t surprising at all that Chu Zhongtian would choose to pass his youngest daughter off as a man.