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Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Feigning Retreat to Lure the Enemy
Zhan Liluo was completely oblivious to her father’s abnormal behavior.
She watched Mu Yan once again coming to Zhan Lan’s rescue on the stage, with jealousy nearly driving her mad!
Why was Zhan Lan so lucky?
Not only was she set to become the Martial Arts Champion now!
Moreover, it seemed like Mu Yan had a special regard for her; the two seemed to have known each other for a long time.
Zhan Xuerou held a hand warmer, her palms icy cold. Listening to Zhan Hui’s excited voice by her ear only intensified her jealousy towards Zhan Lan.
Zhan Lan looked at the crowd below; she could distinguish who was genuinely happy for her and who was just feigning their smiles.
Zhan Lan approached Mu Yan and retrieved her grandfather’s Zhan spear, gratefully saying, "Lord Mu, thank you. Is it possible to buy this Zhan spear from you?"
Mu Yan raised an eyebrow at Zhan Lan and refused, "No!"
"Alright," Zhan Lan nodded, understandingly. After all, it was Mu Yan who found her Zhan spear, so it was only natural if he didn’t want to sell it to her.
She had no right to coerce him.
Zhan Lan clutched the Iron Blood in her hand, looking reluctantly at Wuming one last time before bowing to Mu Yan and saying again, "Still, thank you very much!"
After speaking, she left the Martial Arts Arena.
Mu Yan watched her desolate figure depart, glanced at the Zhan spear known as Wuming in his hands, and realized the young girl truly adored this weapon.
He saw a sparkle in her eyes brighter than when she drank wine, rare for her to cherish something so much.
If he gave the spear to Zhan Lan too easily, how would he find reasons to see her in the future?
The extremely clever Vermilion Bird watched his master feigning retreat to advance, he understood, all too well, this was the master’s way of finding a reason to see Miss Zhan again in the future.
Yun He, the naive youth, curled his lip, realizing his master wasn’t all that fond of Miss Zhan after all. Did Vermilion Bird really believe so firmly that Miss Zhan was destined to be the future Madam?
He thought Miss Qingcheng had more of a chance.
Once everyone had left, four veteran warriors entered the temple behind the Martial Arts Arena, where a martial deity was worshiped.
Old Master Zhan Xinzhang stood inside, watching everything transpiring outside.
Zhang Zhao said with a hearty laugh, "You old man are quite something, if you wanted to watch the contest, wouldn’t the front seats have given you a clearer view?"
Wang Chen, holding his round belly, laughed, "Big brother, you’ve come but didn’t want to be seen, so you really do dote on your granddaughter with no blood relation, huh?"
Zhan Xinzhang smiled warmly, his brow unfurling, "Have you four decided who will teach Zhan Lan?"
"Of course, it’s me!" all four exclaimed in unison, moving as if they were about to clamber over each other, nearly yanking the hair off one another’s heads.
With a deep look in his eyes, Zhan Xinzhang bowed to his four old friends, "Enough, gentlemen, then I entrust my granddaughter to you all!"
"What are you doing!" the four hurried to assist Zhan Xinzhang.
The old man always held his pride; when had he ever bowed his back?
Now, for the sake of a granddaughter with no blood relation, he was offering them such a grand gesture.
With the approval of his old friends, they no longer needed to fight over who would be Zhan Lan’s master.
"Don’t worry, we see that Zhan Lan is a good seedling, she will surely surpass your son in the future!" Zhang Zhao praised.
The other three agreed, nodding their heads.
After they left cheerfully, Zhan Xinzhang stood in the Martial Arts Arena, looking up at the sky.
The day Zhan Lan wielded the spear with her left hand, coupled with her revealed talent in leading troops, it was hard for him not to suspect that Zhan Lan carried the blood of the Zhan Family.
Could this girl really be his own granddaughter, could his daughter-in-law have switched the babies all those years ago?
Was the reason she didn’t reveal the truth due to lack of evidence?
Or was it because she wanted to protect this family and not provoke Emperor Xuanwu’s increased wariness with her strength?
Zhan Xinzhang looked at the bright sky with teary eyes, pained for his granddaughter who had suffered so much!
When the time is right, even if Zhan Lan doesn’t mention it, he will definitely get to the bottom of this and reveal the truth.
He can’t let Zhan Lan suffer any more injustice.
...
The Heavenly Slaughter Sect, a group of people carried the injured and unconscious Ouyang Qingming back.
The entire sect now knew that Ouyang Qingming had been defeated by a young girl.
When Ouyang Song saw his son lying in bed, with his leg bloody and mangled, his vision went dark, and he almost fainted.
After the doctor finished bandaging, Ouyang Song pulled the doctor aside and asked, "How is my son?"
The doctor hesitated and did not dare to speak.
Ouyang Song sneered coldly, "Speak!"
The doctor then said, "Sect Master, let the young master rest well. Even if he recovers, I’m afraid he will be a... cripple..."
Ouyang Song’s eyes turned bloodshot as he clutched the doctor’s throat and said, "You quack, what nonsense are you spouting!"
The doctor’s face turned red, "I speak the truth..."
"Ah!"
With a crisp snap, Ouyang Song broke the doctor’s neck, and the doctor’s body was carried out. Wiping away the tears from the corner of his eyes, Ouyang Song said, "Find another doctor, we must heal Qingming at any cost!"
The bedridden Ouyang Qingming woke up and asked his father, "Father, will I be okay?"
Ouyang Song comforted him, "You will be fine, definitely."
Ouyang Qingming propped up his upper body and looked at his leg wrapped in wooden boards; anger consumed his heart like flames.
If his leg became immobile, how could he practice martial arts, how could he find women and live a carefree life, how could he inherit the sect!
Ouyang Qingming said viciously, "Father, you must avenge me!"
Ouyang Song’s gaze was cold and predatory as he said, "I won’t let Zhan Xincheng and Zhan Lan get away with this!"
His eyes darkened, "However, Zhan Lan is now the Martial Arts Champion, now is not the best time to make a move. Let’s wait, we will discuss this after this storm passes."
...
Zhan Lan set off back to her own residence, receiving praise all along the way, but she paid no mind.
After all, she had already experienced these events in her previous life; there were no real surprises for her.
As she walked on, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Don’t do this, guys, I’m not out of options to the point of selling my ass here!"
"Hey hey hey, don’t push me, I almost became the top scorer!"
"Let me ask sincerely one more time, take a good look at my handsome face, I’m sure I could charm..."
"Scram!" a brothel owner cursed.
A man was pushed and laughed at as he got ejected from the brothel.
Zhan Lan lifted the curtain of her palanquin, her lips twitching, Huang Gun, was he serious?
He didn’t make it into the top three and now he’d fallen so low as to consider selling his ass?
This is absolutely humiliating!
Zhan Lan glanced at Xiao Chen, who also wore an awkward expression, and said, "Go help him out."
"Alright..." Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and got out of the carriage. With people watching on the streets, Huang Gun didn’t seem embarrassed but rather thought he was being suave as he said, "Really lack taste, I am someone you can’t afford to hire!"
Xiao Chen approached him and said, "Follow me!"
Huang Gun turned around, saw it was Xiao Chen, and said excitedly, "Oh, are you here to buy my ass?"
Xiao Chen: "..."
