Chu Chuyan blushed slightly. Over the years, many people had praised her beauty, but they were either behind her back or quite tactful when they were speaking to her face. This guy was so direct and enthusiastic, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
Madam Chu, who was standing to the side, frowned as she listened. This guy was so glib and smooth-talking; the more she looked at him, the more annoying he became.
Chu Zhongtian, who was standing nearby, coughed and reminded them, "Don't talk while eating or sleeping."
Zuan knew when to stop, and the group ate their meal in silence. The meal was quickly finished, and then a servant brought in mouthwash and cleared away the bowls and chopsticks.
Zu An felt a little strange. In the past, the food was always delivered to his room, but today they invited him to the main table to eat with them. Could it be that he, as a son-in-law, had already gained their approval and acceptance?
Just as she was pondering this, Chu Zhongtian spoke up: "Chu Yan, how was your trip to Luling this time?"
Zuan was taken aback. It seemed they were about to get down to business. They were telling him all this? Did they really not consider him an outsider?
Chu Chuyan replied, "I investigated and found that the shipment of goods that was intercepted was probably done by the Black Wind Stronghold. Unfortunately, when I led a team to search the area, they seemed to have vanished into thin air and we couldn't find them at all."
"Black Wind Stronghold?" Zu An was taken aback. It seemed that the people he rescued Yu Yanluo in the valley outside the city last time were also from Black Wind Stronghold. Humph, just thinking about it makes me angry. That woman Yu Yanluo wrote a blank check and left. Is it true that the prettier the woman, the more likely she is to lie?
Chu Zhongtian sighed: "That's the characteristic of Black Wind Stronghold. They come and go like the wind. As soon as our main force arrives, they hide in Dragon Hidden Mountain. We can't send a large force to escort the goods every time. It's a real headache."
He paused and then said, "I heard that they ambushed the Yu family's convoy a few days ago and many people died. I wonder if there is any chance to join forces with the Yu family and completely get rid of this cancerous black wind stronghold."
"I think you're after Yu Yanluo," Madam Chu snorted. "The Yu family is already embroiled in a lot of troubles; how could she possibly have the energy to deal with Black Wind Stronghold?"
Chu Zhongtian blushed and hurriedly tugged at his wife's sleeve: "It's not what you think, besides, we have children here..."
Madam Chu turned her face away and ignored him completely.
Zu An smiled knowingly. So Master Chu had pursued Yu Yanluo back then. No wonder, that woman was indeed incredibly beautiful.
Chu Chuyan cleared her throat and stepped in to ease her father's embarrassment: "Our family's weaponry business is in some trouble right now. The spiritual spring was polluted before, and the weapons we make have lost their biggest advantage. The Yuan family seems to have recently found a powerful rune master whose weapons are no worse than ours, and they sell for less. They have already taken over a lot of our market share, and if this continues, it may shake our foundation."
Zu An's heart skipped a beat. Runemasters—he had seen some faint blue light shimmering magic array lines on Chu Chuyan and Yu Yanluo's carriages before. These must be the work of the runemasters she was talking about. They could add many auxiliary functions, and when engraved on weapons, they would naturally be more powerful than ordinary weapons.
The lousy school he attended only taught etiquette and law every day. If it had taught more of that kind of knowledge, he wouldn't have found it so boring.
Actually, he misunderstood Mingyue Academy. As the best school in the nearby prefecture, the teachers for these courses are all top-notch. It's just that because he was in the Yellow Class, he rarely had such classes.
Anyway, they don't have much aptitude for cultivation, so attending classes would be a waste of time. There might be one or two cultivation courses a week, which can be used to educate them on relevant knowledge.
In contrast, the other classes, especially the top-tier class, mainly consist of spiritual practice classes, with very few courses on etiquette and manners.
"Where did the Yuan family find this rune master?" Madam Chu frowned. "Do they even have the resources?"
Chu Chuyan replied, "They don't have it, but the Wu family in the neighboring county does. Their patriarch is also a duke, and they have always coveted our Chu family's market share. I have also found out this time that the Yuan family is secretly supported by the Wu family. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to be so blatant now."
"Not bad, not bad. That guy surnamed Yuan was really arrogant at school today. He even told my brother-in-law that he would teach him a lesson in the family competition." Chu Huanzhao, who had been anxiously waiting to get a word in edgewise, couldn't wait to show off her presence now that she finally knew something.
"This Yuan family is simply going too far! Even a servant or a dog from our Chu family shouldn't be bullied by them!" Madam Chu slammed her hand on the table in a fit of rage. "Let's go, we'll go to the Yuan family and have a word with them!"
Zuan gave her a long, brooding look, indicating that he had been offended.
"Madam, please calm down. The new prefect, Sang Hong, has already taken office. He's just looking for an excuse to deal with us," Chu Zhongtian hurriedly pulled her back. "At this stage, a small act of impatience could ruin a great plan."
Zu An's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this. It seemed that the Chu family's prosperity was only superficial, and that many crises were brewing beneath the surface.
While comforting his wife, Chu Zhongtian turned to look at Zu An and asked, "Xiao An, Yuan Wendong made things difficult for you. Are you alright?"
Before Zu An could answer, Chu Huanzhao preemptively said, "Not only Yuan Wendong, but even Hong Xingying is targeting him. He is clearly from our Chu family, yet he betrays us. He's a complete scoundrel!"
Seeing her huffing and puffing, Zu An couldn't help but feel secretly touched. This sister-in-law was much more considerate of him than his wife.
“Hong Xingying?” Chu Zhongtian frowned.
Madam Chu, who was standing nearby, said, "I know this child. He has always been proud and has a crush on your sister, so naturally he doesn't have a good impression of Zu'an. Young people are like that, so it's normal for them to be hot-tempered."
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