I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 548: A knife on the head of the word sex
Inside the Listening to the Tide Pavilion.

When Xu Fengnian led Zhou Chengan and Nangong Pushe into the room, Xu Xiao was already waiting on the first floor.

"Brother Cheng'an, Mr. Nangong."

Xu Fengnian was displeased as soon as he greeted him.

"You call him Brother Cheng'an, so what should I call him?!"

Xu Xiao always had a good temper when facing Xu Fengnian, so good that it was as if he were the son.

"I'm just going along with what you call me."

"According to you, I should call him cousin, so wouldn't you have to call him cousin too?" Xu Fengnian joked.

"Let's each talk about our own point of view."

Zhou Cheng'an was speechless. Even if they were to discuss their own issues, it didn't even come down to the topic of brothers.

“King of Beiliang, let’s not call him brother. If my mother finds out, she’ll definitely scold me. Let’s call him Cheng’an, or Master Zhou will also be fine.”

"Then I'll call you Cheng'an. Let me introduce you and Mr. Nangong to the situation in Tingchao Pavilion."

"Excuse me."

Zhou Chengan bowed deeply.

Minister Nangong clasped his hands in a fist salute but remained silent.

Xu Xiao smiled and waved his hand, introducing, "The west hall on this floor has 30,000 volumes of introductory martial arts manuals from all over the world. They're not very valuable. I just collected them to reserve a place and add a touch of scholarly atmosphere to my collection of thousands of books."

The second floor is a hidden level, containing four thousand rare books on Yin-Yang and Divination, as well as forty-nine extraordinary weapons from across the land. It's my second daughter's favorite place to be.

“Hmm, not bad, my second sister likes to stay in this place.” Xu Fengnian picked up the conversation and said with a smile, “Cheng’an, I remember you said you wanted to practice swordsmanship. When you come, see if there’s anything you like and take it. Don’t be shy with your brother. I’m going fishing now.”

“Yes, Feng Nian is right. Cheng An, if you like anything, just take it.”

Upon hearing Xu Xiao's words, Xu Fengnian gave him a look that said, "You're quite sensible," before turning and leaving Tingchao Pavilion.

Xu Xiao smiled indulgently and continued his introduction.

"The third floor contains 20,000 volumes of profound and secret manuals, and the fourth floor has a hidden collection of rare stones and antiques, which Feng Nian always scolds for being too money-grubbing."

"The fifth and sixth floors are what those chivalrous martial arts masters who risked their lives to sneak into the Prince's mansion were after. Beyond that, I believe even ordinary experts wouldn't be able to understand it."

"As for the top floor, it is empty. If you two wish to climb up and enjoy the view, you can go to the White Crane Tower on the top of the mountain."

Zhou Cheng'an and Minister Nangong were not fools, and they naturally understood the meaning behind Xu Xiao's words. They nodded almost simultaneously.

Xu Xiao narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Shall we go straight to the fifth floor?"

Minister Nangong shook his head: "Once you go up there, you probably won't be interested in looking at the 60,000 volumes on the lower floors anymore."

Zhou Cheng'an paused for a moment, then asked, "King of Beiliang, may I go downstairs to meet that sword master?"

"Ok?"

Xu Xiao was startled and exclaimed in surprise, "You can sense his presence?!"

"I also use a sword."

"This……"

Xu Xiao hesitated for a moment and said, "That person has a rather bad temper. Whether I see him or not is not up to me."

"Then I'll trouble the King of Beiliang to ask him for me. If he doesn't want to see me, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Zhou Cheng'an did want to see Li Chungang, but he didn't insist. He smiled and said, "I'll start from the first floor too. The King of Beiliang doesn't need to worry about us. You go and do your work."

Xu Xiao didn't stand on ceremony with him, leaving him with the words "I'll call you for dinner when it's time," before walking up the stairs alone and disappearing into the shadows.

Zhou Cheng'an and Minister Nangong exchanged a glance, and the two headed straight for the west hall.

Time flies when you're reading, and before you know it, it's almost evening.

After having dinner at the Prince's residence and chatting with Xu Xiao for a while, Zhou Chengan prepared to take his leave.

"Cheng'an, aren't you staying at the Prince's residence?"

Hearing Xu Fengnian's slightly surprised question, Zhou Chengan shook his head.

"There's no need for me to stay at the Prince's Mansion. After all, my residence in Lingzhou isn't far from the Prince's Mansion, and it won't take much time to get there. It's just that I might have to bother you for a while."

"I know about reading. You can read any of the books at Tingchao Pavilion. You can even use them to roast sweet potatoes."

Using martial arts manuals to roast sweet potatoes—I doubt only Xu Fengnian in the whole world could come up with that idea.

He truly deserves to be called a notorious spendthrift and dissolute young man.

Zhou Cheng'an thought this to himself, but didn't comment on it aloud. He simply said, "There's one more thing. I'd like to practice my boxing in your lake."

"Practice, practice however you like."

"Thank you. In that case, I'll take my leave now."

……

The next day.

After seeing Zhao Huaien off, Zhou Chengan and Minister Nangong arrived at the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion.

Before they could even enter, they were stopped by two young noblemen from the royal palace.

"Oh my, where did this beauty come from? I like you all..."

Before he could finish his teasing words, the young master from the noble family who had spoken was kicked away.

It wasn't Zhou Cheng'an or Nangong Pushe who made the move, but Xu Fengnian who was following behind them.

"Feng-ge'er, why did you kick me?"

"Li Hanlin, you're asking for a beating! Do you even know who he is? He's not only my half-brother, but also my cousin."

"what?"

"You idiot! Come over here and apologize right now!"

Xu Fengnian yelled at him, then pulled the young master from the noble family next to him and introduced him: "Cheng'an, let me introduce you. He is Yan Chiji, the second son of the governor of Lingzhou. As for the bastard who was just joking with you, he is Li Hanlin, the son of the governor of Fengzhou."

Noticing Zhou Chengan's strange look, Xu Fengnian wisely changed his teasing to joking.

"Besides those two, I'm also close to a martial arts fanatic surnamed Kong, but he moved to the capital with his father and I haven't seen him for four years. I'll introduce him to you when I have the chance."

In fact, as early as the day Xu Fengnian returned to the city, many of the playboys from Lingzhou who were on good terms with him came to his door eagerly. However, since he had just returned and was fast asleep in the Prince's mansion, Xu Xiao chased them all away.

Only today have people been able to enter the mansion and disturb us.

These are the two people in front of me, Yan Chiji and Li Hanlin.

Zhou Chengan also remembered some of these two people.

Yan Chiji was nicknamed "Master Chicken" by the spoiled young men of several neighboring prefectures because of the homophony of his name. He was a rare gentleman and a bookworm, but his pedantry was rather endearing. He was vague about small matters but sharp-minded about important ones.

As for Li Hanlin, he was an absolute bully. Throwing living people into animal cages to watch them being dismembered was just one of the grotesque hobbies of this number one playboy in Fengzhou. He was also indiscriminate in his affections for both men and women, especially for handsome young men with red lips and white teeth. He always had one or two good-looking young men in blue robes by his side for his pleasure and debauchery.

Zhou Cheng'an and Nangong Pushe are so good-looking that even a real man might be swayed, let alone Li Hanlin, who is attracted to both men and women. Only Xu Fengnian was quick to act, otherwise he would definitely have made a move in the end.

Of course, if a fight breaks out, Li Hanlin will suffer more than just a kick.

In Zhou Cheng'an's view, Li Hanlin, that kind of scum, deserved to die.

Zhou Chengan gave him a cold look and said to Xu Fengnian, "I'll let it slide today because he's your friend, but let me make this clear: if I ever see him again, it won't be as simple as just kicking him."

Xu Fengnian nodded: "Don't worry, there won't be a next time."

"It better be."

Zhou Chengan snorted coldly and was about to enter the Prince's Mansion.

"Wait." "Is there anything else?"

"We're going to the Purple Palace, Cheng'an, why don't you come with us?"

"Don't go!"

“There’s a great terror in the Purple Gold Tower, Cheng’an, why don’t you accompany your brother there?” Xu Fengnian said pitifully.

This scene left Li Hanlin and Yan Chiji speechless, as they had never seen the famous playboy prince in such a state before.

I wouldn't even dare to think about it, let alone see it.

Zhou Chengan glanced at him, and Xu Fengnian immediately cowered.

"If you don't want to go, then don't go. White Fox Face, you come with us and let the girls in the Purple Gold Pavilion see what a real beauty is. It's just a pity that Cheng'an doesn't want to go, otherwise I would have..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Fengnian was sent flying by Zhou Chengan's block and punch.

"White Fox Face, are you just going to stand there and watch? Don't forget, you're my guard."

Minister Nangong succinctly replied: "We can't beat them."

"Okay, you're fine. Come with me to the Purple Gold Tower to protect me, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

Clearly, Xu Fengnian was setting a trap for Nangong Pushe so that he could show off at the Zijin Tower. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said something like, "It's a pity Zhou Chengan didn't want to go."

However, Minister Nangong didn't care. Since she could now freely enter and exit Tingchao Pavilion, she wasn't in a hurry and accompanied Xu Fengnian to Zijin Tower.

Zhou Chengan didn't bother with it and went straight into the Prince's mansion.

He encountered Xu Xiao at Tingchao Pavilion. After learning that Li Chungang had no intention of seeing him, he picked up a sword manual and began to read it.

He reads extremely fast, almost a page in a single glance.

After finishing each sword manual, he would pause for about fifteen minutes before moving on to the next one.

It wasn't until dusk, when Zhou Cheng'an was preparing to leave, that Minister Nangong returned.

"Xu Jiaohua was assassinated at the Zijin Tower," said Minister Nangong.

Zhou Cheng'an was already used to Xu Fengnian's assassination attempt and laughed, "That's why the ancients said that lust is a double-edged sword. I'm going back now, I'll come again tomorrow."

Nangong Pushe nodded and said, "I will stay in the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion until I reach the first rank, then I will fight you again."

"it is good!"

Zhou Chengan agreed and walked out of Tingchao Pavilion, where he saw Xu Fengnian.

"Cheng'an, have dinner before you leave." Xu Fengnian didn't look like he had just been assassinated; he still had that carefree attitude.

"Is this your idea, or your father's?"

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is. If it's your father, he's an elder, and it's not appropriate for me, as a junior, to refuse."

"Oh, then you can go ahead. I'll go deliver some wine to that old man upstairs," Xu Fengnian said with a smile, ignoring Zhou Chengan and heading straight into Tingchao Pavilion.

……

the next day.

When Zhou Chengan arrived at the Northern Liang Prince's residence, Minister Nangong was already reading a book.

The two nodded to each other as a greeting, and then each began reading their own books.

As time went on, Zhou Chengan turned the pages faster and faster.

Nangong Pushe was somewhat affected. In the end, she put down her book, held the Spring Thunder in her hand, sat cross-legged, and did not open her eyes until half an hour later.

When she opened her eyes, Zhou Chengan was no longer in Tingchao Pavilion.

At this moment, he had already jumped into the lake and was practicing his boxing in the water.

Upon hearing the news, Xu Fengnian rushed over, but seeing no sign of Zhou Chengan on the water, he feigned surprise and exclaimed, "Oh dear, I forgot to tell Chengan that there's an old monster at the bottom of the lake!"

Behind him followed a cool and aloof woman dressed in green, who was none other than Qingniao, the head maid of Wutong Garden and the daughter of Wang Xiu, one of the four great masters of the past.

The bluebird remained silent.

Xu Fengnian didn't care and just stood by the lake waiting.

An hour later, seeing Zhou Cheng'an emerge from the lake, he hurriedly asked, "Did you see the old monster at the bottom of the lake?"

At the center of the lake bottom is a huge luminous pearl, illuminating the surrounding area as bright as day. Even if Zhou Cheng'an wanted to, it would be difficult for him not to see the old man in the lake who was bound by iron chains as thick as three arms.

"I saw him, but seeing that he was cultivating, I didn't challenge him to a duel."

"Can you beat them?" Xu Fengnian pressed.

When he was young, he got a cramp while playing in the water and almost drowned. It was the old man who had been feeding on live fish at the bottom of the lake day after day and year after year who used his supernatural powers to pull him out of the lake.

After that, Xu Fengnian developed the habit of throwing cooked meat into the lake as a way of repaying a debt of gratitude.

When he was in a bad mood, he would dive to the bottom of the lake, take a few glances at the old man sitting at the bottom, and feel that life was actually very beautiful.

At first, he thought Old Kui was a demon or monster punished by heaven, but he later learned that he was a person who also needed to eat.

He just couldn't figure out how the bottom of Old Kui Lake had been breathing for over a decade.
Won't you suffocate?

His internal strength was so profound and terrifying, it reached an astonishing level.
In short, in Xu Fengnian's view, the old man at the bottom of the lake was a top-notch master in the world.

Zhou Cheng'an dried the clothes with his internal energy and said calmly, "It shouldn't be difficult."

Before Xu Fengnian could even speak, Zhou Chengan knew what he was planning.

"I'll study the sword manual for a few more days, and then I'll defeat him with the sword. After all, using my fists would be too unfair to him."

"Cow batch!"

These were words Xu Fengnian learned from Zhou Chengan, and he gave a thumbs-up while speaking.

……

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Cheng'an has already read all the sword manuals on the first floor of Tingchao Pavilion.

While these sword manuals might not be considered top-tier techniques in the martial arts world, their presence at Tingchao Pavilion suggests they weren't simply there to enrich the collection, as Xu Xiao claimed; they must possess unique merits.

After reading these sword manuals, Zhou Cheng'an felt that fighting Chu Kuangnu with a sword was not a difficult task.

"Have you finished reading?"

Seeing Zhou Cheng'an put down the last book, Nangong Pushe couldn't help but speak.

Every time Zhou Chengan read a book, it was a test and torture for her.

At first, she thought Zhou Chengan read quickly but didn't really understand the material.

It wasn't until a few days ago, when he read a book called "A Simple Explanation of the Broadsword," that Nangong Pushe realized how wrong he had been.

Just as she finished reading "A Brief Explanation of the Broadsword" and was about to put it down, Zhou Cheng'an, who was reading a book next to her, suddenly said, "There's a rather interesting move in the book; you can take a closer look."

Since Zhou Cheng'an had never offered any warning, Minister Nangong, with a skeptical mindset, carefully examined the document.

Then she discovered that the book's insights into the horizontal slashing technique were indeed quite unique.

In other words, she wouldn't have noticed it at all if Zhou Chengan hadn't pointed it out.

This made Nangong Pushe feel frustrated, but she also had to accept the fact that her martial arts talent was inferior to Zhou Cheng'an's.

Zhou Chengan nodded and smiled, "I've finished reading. I'm going to go and test my skills with Chu Kuangnu at the bottom of the lake. Do you want to come with me? Chu Kuangnu is quite accomplished in swordsmanship. Sparring with him might give you some insights."

Minister Nangong shook his head: "I have no plans to draw my sword for the time being, but it would be nice to take a look."

(End of this chapter)