"Still not coming to get this craz— get your eldest miss away from me! Can't you see she's having another episode?" Concubine Fang desperately wanted to slap the living daylights out of this mad and foolish good-for-nothing, but her husband was watching.
She had no choice but to channel her spiritual energy to fend off Lan Qinghuan, who was punching and kicking her with her eyes tightly shut.
Doing her utmost to maintain her graceful posture, she shouted instructions at Xi Yun'er, who was standing beside her in a daze.
She had no desire for the family head to catch wind of her resentment toward that waste of space; after all, she was supposed to be the most virtuous and gentle of beauties.
Xi Yun'er had been completely dazed by Concubine Fang's previous slap, her ears ringing constantly, so Concubine Fang's shrill, artificially gentle voice naturally failed to reach her.
When she finally came to her senses and saw Lan Qinghuan suddenly brawling with Concubine Fang with such agility, she was too terrified to even move a muscle.
What on earth had happened to her young miss?
Was she possessed by a ghost? How had she suddenly managed to shatter even Concubine Fang's spiritual energy defense?
Concubine Fang was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, whereas her young miss possessed not the slightest trace of spiritual energy fluctuation. How on earth did she pull that off?
Could it be that her young miss had recovered from her illness and regained her cultivation?
With her own cultivation at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation, she simply couldn't see through it, so Xi Yun'er cast a questioning gaze toward Lan Qinghuan's uncle.
The family head's current cultivation had already stepped into the Early Nascent Soul realm; he would surely know what was going on with the young miss.
Indeed, the family head formed seals with both hands, erecting a barrier of moderate size to shield the young miss and Concubine Fang within. Meanwhile, the servants and guards who saw Concubine Fang getting the worst of it and rushed up to intervene were all bounced backward onto the ground by the barrier's backlash.
Then, under the family head's shushing gesture, everyone quietly watched the fine show of two beauties rolling around and grappling with each other.
Concubine Qianqian knew that Lan Zegu had always doted on this niece, but never in her wildest dreams had she expected this.
As her husband, seeing her being thoroughly beaten up by this unfilial niece, not only did he fail to pull them apart, but he even set up a barrier to keep others from helping her.
What was even more infuriating was that he had cast a spell within the barrier to isolate spiritual energy, intending to prevent her from using spiritual energy to harm Lan Qinghuan. Yet she had no desire to be beaten into a pig's head by this madwoman either, which meant she had no choice but to throw all dignity aside and go claw-to-claw with this lunatic.
What on earth had this little bitch taken? How had her strength suddenly grown so formidable?
Could this be soul-bewitchment? Didn't that Daoist priest Jia claim that anyone who drank the soul-bewitching broth would lose their wits and seek to end their life all day long?
Did this look anything like someone trying to end her life? Damn it, this was clearly the rhythm of someone trying to beat her to death!
No, she had to think of a way to wake her up, or this madwoman was going to pull out every last strand of her hair.
An idea struck her. Concubine Qianqian pulled a golden hairpin from her hair, preparing to jab it straight into Lan Qinghuan's philtrum, but right at that moment, Lan Qinghuan let out a loud shriek of "Ah!" and snapped her eyes open.
Startled by the cry, Concubine Qianqian froze, halting the hairpin about to strike. Lan Zegu, who had been keeping his eyes glued to the barrier the entire time, withdrew it instantly, rushed over, and swept the trembling Lan Qinghuan back into the bed.
"Qinhuan, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Uncle is here, the monsters won't bully you..." Lan Zegu pulled the quilt over Lan Qinghuan, gently patting her shoulder and soothing her with warm words.
Poor Qinhuan, just how much longer was heaven going to torture you?
If only I had discovered this sooner...
Lan Zegu didn't even glance her way. Concubine Fang, sitting dazed on the floor, decided to stop wasting her tears; supported by a servant, she stood up, found a chair, and sat down on her own to rest.
In her heart, she cursed every single ancestor of Daoist priest Jia down to the eighth generation—along with Lan Qinghuan, who had stolen all of her husband's attention.
"Don't kill me, I'll be good... I'll be good..." Lan Qinghuan buried her head in the quilt, curling her body into a ball as she murmured feebly in a display of terror.
She wanted to give that venomous wretch Concubine Qianqian a taste of her own medicine and teach her a proper lesson. Pouring soul-bewitching broth down her throat was one thing, but this time she had even tried to stab her with a hairpin. Did she, Lan Qinghuan, look like the sort of person who could be pushed around and harmed at will?
Though her entire body ached right now and her delicate hands trembled involuntarily from the sudden exertion, she needed to put on an even more dramatic performance to make the scene look convincing—ideally one where anyone could tell at a glance that she was terrified out of her wits.
As Lan Qinghuan trembled, Lan Zegu patted her even more firmly. The quilt was wonderfully soft, and the rhythm of the patting was just right. Her eyelids grew gradually heavy, and the muscle-sore girl unexpectedly drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
"Qinhuan, don't be afraid. Uncle is here, Uncle will protect you..." He patted her gently until he felt the body beneath the quilt stop shaking, at which point Lan Zegu cautiously turned back the blanket to uncover Lan Qinghuan's head.
He meant to say a few more words to comfort her, but finding that she had fallen asleep once more, he could only shake his head helplessly. With a glance, he signaled Doctor Jiang to examine Lan Qinghuan, and upon confirming she was completely fine, he led his massive retinue away.
Those who had wanted to watch the spectacle or genuinely cared about her had no choice but to disperse, seeing as the family head had given the order.
Since Lan Qinghuan was sleeping and could not be disturbed, everyone went their separate ways with their own thoughts, regardless of where they had come from.
Lan Qinghuan slept exceptionally soundly and comfortably, without dreaming at all. She was woken up by her own rumbling stomach.
"Ah, this feels great. It doesn't even hurt anymore..." She stretched out in a massive yawn and decided to formulate an exercise plan starting today.
Since cultivating spiritual energy was out of the question for now, she would begin by conditioning her physical body.
This body of hers was truly the epitome of a pampered young miss; it gave out after just a brief skirmish with someone, ruining her plans to teach Concubine Fang a lesson.
Sigh, what terrible luck. Who knew where that girl Xi Yun'er had gone? Her face must be swollen quite high, right?
"Miss, you're finally awake? You must be starving. Here, drink this bird's nest and adlay porrage while it's hot... The family head specially ordered this to be brewed for you, so finish it up quickly. Shortly after, we can head over to the main hall."
Just as Lan Qinghuan was thinking of Xi Yun'er, she saw her push open the door carrying a supersized, intricately carved yellow pearwood food box.
"Yun'er, are you the tapeworm in my stomach? How did you know your young miss was already so hungry her back was sticking to her chest?" Since they were family, Lan Qinghuan didn't stand on ceremony the moment Xi Yun'er finished arranging the side dishes, pastries, porridge, and utensils; she plunked herself right down to eat and drink her fill.
"Ah, so hot! Mmm, this is so good..."
"Miss, eat slowly. You've slept for three days; you shouldn't gorge yourself like this right after waking up.
No need to rush. The Third Prince has returned and will be staying at the estate for a few days. Yun'er will go pick out an outfit for you, guaranteed to dress you up real pretty..." Seeing her young miss eating with such relish, Xi Yun'er chattered a few words before heading to the wardrobe to pick out clothes for Lan Qinghuan.
"Three days? Yun'er, are you saying I slept for three days straight?
Feng Jingxuan—he's in the main hall?... Yun'er, fetch my most magnificent and dazzling bright red dress; I'm wearing that one..." He had arrived so soon? Very well, let this old lady properly meet this peerless genius of the Fengxu Continent, the Third Prince, and see precisely why he was so set on marrying a good-for-nothing idiot like her!