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Chapter 152: Chapter 152: How should he seduce the young woman to fall in love with him?
Vermilion Bird escorted Zhan Lan back, then immediately returned to report.
He entered the innermost room of Mu Yan’s residence, hearing the sound of flowing water.
A servant stood respectfully outside the curtain, and upon seeing Vermilion Bird, he bowed and said, "Master is bathing."
Vermilion Bird reported: "Master, I have sent Miss Zhan back, and Yun He and a few others have also been withdrawn."
"Good, you may leave now!" Mu Yan’s voice came from inside the room.
He sat in the mist-filled hot spring, his slender fingers gently touching the freshly medicated wound.
Such minor injuries were nothing to him.
He had intentionally let Zhan Lan come because he wanted to see her, yet he couldn’t find a legitimate reason.
He had Yun He return because Zhan Lan now had her own Hidden Guard organization and no longer needed his protection.
Mu Yan looked at his reflection in the water, ever since the night Zhan Lan jumped into the water to save him without hesitation, his feelings for her had changed.
Now, his mind was filled with images of Zhan Lan.
Her righteous demeanor when kneeling before Emperor Xuanwu;
Her child-like vulnerability when drunkenly crying; her heroic demeanor in battle, not falling short of men;
Her cunning and sly demeanor when using his name to scare others, her emotional state when he kissed her...
Mu Yan leaned back in the huge hot spring, thinking of Zhan Lan, the first person in twenty-three years who had entered his heart and lingered there.
But the thought that Zhan Lan hadn’t yet developed feelings for him made Mu Yan’s expression turn colder.
Mu Yan propped his arms on the edge of the pool, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as the water flowed down his chest.
He frowned in thought, pondering how to make the girl fall for him.
Could it be that she was too young and naive? Perhaps he just needed to wait a bit longer.
Or maybe he should play hard to get, ignore Zhan Lan for a while, and maybe then she would remember him.
Never had a problem troubled him so much.
...
Troubled by Zhan Lan, who had returned to her residence, she was not concerned with romantic interests.
Zhan Lan treasured the ’Nine Nether Spear Technique,’ flipping through it page by page, a stark contrast from her previous sorrow due to Liu Jinxiu’s death.
Life must go on, and recognition of kinship paled in importance compared to revenge.
The Martial Arts Examination was six months away. If she could come out on top, she could form a new military force.
Then, she could feign loyalty to Emperor Xuanwu.
Based on Zhan Lan’s understanding of the Si Family, once the military force was trained, Emperor Xuanwu would surely stir enmity between her and the Zhan Family.
Turning them against each other.
Zhan Lan sneered, but Emperor Xuanwu didn’t know that she was actually the biological daughter of Beicang!
She looked forward to the day he would learn the truth, seeing his livid and furious face!
Zhan Lan felt a surge of excitement after learning the techniques from the manual.
In her previous life, the manual had been sought over the entire Nanjin by Si Jun, who eventually bought it at a high price and gave it to Hei Yu.
That was why Hei Yu was so devoted to Si Jun, because Si Jun was willing to sacrifice for him.
Zhan Lan was curious, it seemed too easy for Mu Yan to be given this manual—was he lying?
She felt a bit heavy-hearted.
Truth be told, Mu Yan had been quite involved with her in this lifetime. If Mu Yan said he had no romantic feelings for her, was he, like Si Jun pulling Hei Yu in, trying to woo her?
Doubts arose in Zhan Lan’s mind.
Mu Yan was ambitious; as long as he did not involve the Zhan Family, she didn’t mind overthrowing the Si Family’s reign with him.
Gazing out the window at the lush green leaves, it was June. Half a year was enough time for her to improve her spear technique.
But where was her unnamed war spear now?
...
Zhan Lan was sparring with Zhan Hui at the Zhan Family’s Martial Arts Arena, with dry yellow leaves falling all around, signaling the approaching winter.
There was a little over a month left until the Martial Arts Examination.
Zhan Lan’s arms and legs, and around her waist, were wrapped with sandbags, and her strength had visibly improved over the past five months.
With a sound of crashing waves, Zhan Lan’s spear knocked Zhan Hui’s sword to the ground.
Zhan Hui smiled, picking up the sword from the ground, and praised, "Lan, you’re amazing now, I’m completely no match for you!"
"It’s just luck, you always used to beat me, I had to win at least once!" Zhan Lan wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Then, with a buzzing sound, her war spear broke into two pieces.
Zhan Hui’s pupils dilated, the force of Zhan Lan’s strike was so great that even her war spear broke.
He knew, especially in the past two months, Zhan Lan’s strength had rapidly improved, and her spear technique had become more refined. If not for the sandbags she wore, he would definitely not be her match.
Zhan Hui looked at the broken war spear on the ground and said, "Lan, you need a war spear that suits you well now." 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
Zhan Lan nodded, "Yes, big brother, a suitable weapon is indeed hard to come by."
As Zhan Lan and Zhan Hui were speaking, Liu Xi’s voice came, "Miss, young master, the Old General asked both of you to come to the front courtyard."
The two exchanged glances, Zhan Lan took off the sandbags and handed them to Liu Xi, and together with Zhan Hui they went to the front courtyard.
The siblings were led by a servant into the Zhan Family’s living room, Zhan Lan’s eyes surveying the surroundings, finding that all members of the Zhan Family were present, including Mrs. Li.
Zhan Xinzhang sat in the main seat, Beicang and Qin Shuang, along with Mrs. Wang from the second branch of Zhan Family, Zhan Xincheng and his wife Mrs. Zhang sat beside.
Among the younger generation besides Zhan Rui and Zhan Heng, both Zhan Xuerou and Zhan Liluo were also there.
In the past six months, Zhan Xuerou could finally walk by herself without anyone’s help, but she was still frequently frail, eliciting pity.
Her eyes icily stared at Zhan Lan, clutching the handkerchief tightly, thinking inside: Several months not seen, Zhan Lan became even more radiant, like a dazzling pearl that one could not ignore.
They eat the same food, yet why is she so frail?
Zhan Liluo’s health was obviously much better than Zhan Xuerou, her face rosy, the eighteen-year-old’s features now fully blossomed, looking even more beautiful than before.
Her expression, when looking at Zhan Lan, was still haughty, with even a trace of barely noticeable resentfulness.
Zhan Lan could feel, including Mrs. Wang from the second branch, their attitude towards her had worsened than before.
But since the grandfather was still here, they kept up appearances well, hiding their hostility towards her.
Mrs. Li, pushed in a wheelchair by Xiao Tao, greeted everyone and then nodded, saying, "Today, I brought my daughter here because there is something I want to inform."
Zhan Lan’s eyebrows furrowed, Mrs. Li had called all the Zhan Family members together, what trick was she planning to pull?
