"What do you mean by you heard Yi Xuan tell me to stop, so you didn't step out? Also, what do you mean you didn't think I wouldn't even give him any face today? Am I related to him in any way? It's not like I'm a shameful concubine of the Chi Clan that can't be shown to public." Lou Mu Yan chuckled and asked in reply disdainfully. Since Gu Yan Ran wanted to 'chat', she'll see it to the end. She wasn't like the original owner of this body who could only use brute force to solve problems.
"You—" Gu Yan Ran's face paled. She hated that lowly status the most, that's why she hoped to improve her strength in the Empire Academy and eliminate her identity as a concubine.
She wanted to become Yi Xuan's official wife, and not some lowly concubine. Lou Mu Yan did well—she successfully roused her fury."
'You' what? Nothing to say? I really don't know why the little concubine set by the Chi Clan is still coming to the Empire Academy to learn. The Chi Clan sure is at ease. Are they not afraid of wearing a few green hats1?" It was utter nonsense, but Lou Mu Yan just wanted to irritate and provoke Gu Yan Ran.
Hearing Lou Mu Yan's words grow more and more outrageous and unwarranted, Gu Yan Ran's face paled even more. She tugged at Chi Yi Xuan's clothes and called him softly, looking wronged and delicate, "Yi Xuan."
"Lou Mu Yan, have you had enough? Whatever you do, I will never like you, just give up. Yan Ran will be a part of the Chi Clan in the future, she's not someone that you can slander baselessly." Although Chi Yi Xuan didn't have any romantic feelings for Gu Yan Ran, she was still the concubine that the Clan set for him—insulting her was equivalent to insulting the Chi Clan. Especially the part about 'wearing a green hat', he just wanted to choke Lou Mu Yan to death when he heard it.
Lou Mu Yan rolled her eyes, raised her eyebrow and sneered: "Us two females are quarrelling, what is a male like you butting in for? Or do you want to be known as the crazy househusband in the Empire? This Miss has no interest in you already. The person who liked you is dead, so please don't misunderstand and narcissistically think I still have feelings for you anymore."
"Humph, you sure are glib now. So unreasonable." Chi Yi Xuan simply couldn't communicate with Lou Mu Yan anymore. She was absolutely unreasonable today—he couldn't outmatch her.
Seeing that Chi Yi Xuan clearly didn't want to continue to speak to Lou Mu Yan, glee rose in Gu Yan Ran's heart. She had always felt that Chi Yi Xuan actually did care for Lou Mu Yan, but he just hadn't realised it yet. After all, they were childhood sweethearts. So that's why, ever since she enrolled into the Empire Academy, she tried her best to deepen the conflict and completely destroy the relationship between the two.
Now the idiot Lou Mu Yan actually said such things, her schemes really didn't go to waste. But the debt of insulting her must be paid.
"Lou Mu Yan, you were too much. Was last time's lesson not enough? I want you to publicly apologise to me, or else I'll pursue this further." On the surface, Gu Yan Ran appeared to be slightly aggrieved, yet was unyielding as she looked at Lou Mu Yan. It made many men nearby pity her and cast unkind gazes onto Lou Mu Yan.
Lou Mu Yan folded her arms, raised her eyebrows lazily and said: "Look at you deliberately showing off a delicate appearance. The men around you don't even need to drink alcohol and their already drunk for you. I think it's not far from wearing a green hat with such obvious seduction. And apologise in public? You think you're worthy with your status? And how do you plan on pursuing this further, hm?"
"You're courting death!" Even though Gu Yan Ran was conniving, she was still only a fifteen-year-old girl. How could she endure such insults from her most hated person? Blinded by anger, she pulled out her sword and leapt at Lou Mu Yan.
A smile flashed past Lou Mu Yan's face—she was waiting for this. She used her Silk-Mist Steps and glided around Gu Yan Ran. When her Mental Energy captured Gu Yan Ran approaching, her figure stalled, allowing Gu Yan Ran's sword to pierce through her left shoulder.
Gu Yan Ran was taken aback for a moment before she was sent flying back from a wave of energy.
"PU!" A mouthful of blood spurted out. Gu Yan Ran held her chest and lifted her head, staring at the white-clothed man who suddenly appeared. Her pupils constricted—that man actually returned.
All everyone saw was a white-clothed man who walked over slowly. He was extremely handsome, with a gentle temperament that carried a sense of otherworldliness like a fallen immortal. He simply flicked his sleeve earlier, and Gu Yan Ran was injured, showing his insane strength.
'The young woman was a jade beauty, and the young man was peerless2'. This was the impression he left on others.
"Yan'er, are you ok?" The white-clothed man walked to Lou Mu Yan's side, asking dotingly and in concern.
Lou Mu Yan pressed her injured shoulder with a look of grievance, crying: "Big brother, you're finally back."
This man that was like a fallen immortal was precisely Lou Mu Yan's blood-related eldest brother, Lou Mu Bai, and was also the entire Yan'zhou Kingdom's peerless genius. He entered into the powerful ranks of the Sword Spirit Stage at the age of sixteen. At nineteen right now, he was already at Peak-Phase Sword Spirit Stage, was in the Heaven Class of the Empire Academy, and was one of the most influential figures of the Academy.
He was cold and indifferent, but he was exceptionally protective, especially towards his younger sister Lou Mu Yan whom he doted on and cherished. A year ago, he left to train and gain experience, that's why so many people in the Academy dared to openly bully Lou Mu Yan.
"Senior Lou, don't you need to explain why you injured me without even asking who's right and wrong?" The jealousy and unwillingness in Gu Yan Ran's eyes were quickly hidden by her, then she asked Lou Mu Bai in a harsh, yet meek tone.
Lou Mu Bai didn't even bother to look at her, took out a bottle of medicine for physical wounds from his interspatial ring, and poured it on Lou Mu Yan's wound. After seeing the wound stop bleeding, he replied flatly: "So what if I injured you? A shameful outsider like you isn't even worthy of teaching my little sister."
"You two are using your status to bully others. If Lou Mu Yan doesn't apologise to me today, I won't let this slide. Otherwise I'll go straight to the Emperor to ask for an explanation." Gu Yan Ran choked with teary eyes as if she had been wronged yet wanted to appear strong and unyielding against forces of evil.
The corner of Lou Mu Yan's eye twitched. This woman was so deeply immersed in her character. She snorted coldly: "What does my big brother need to explain to you? The fact that you stabbed me today, I similarly won't let it slide."
Lou Mu Yan thought a little more, then provoked Gu Yan Ran, saying coldly: "Since you're that powerful, how about we have a fight after three months during the Academy's Grand Competition to see who's stronger? If I lose, I'll apologise to you in front of the whole Academy. If you lose, you'll admit that you plotted against me first, then purposefully injured me, and apologise to me. How about that? Do you dare?"
"Sure." Gu Yan Ran honestly didn't know what was going on in that trash's brain. She actually wanted to compete against her in combat? What a joke. She was stronger than that trash by an entire stage—she definitely wouldn't lose. This was a perfect chance to ruthlessly trample on Lou Mu Yan, a noble, under her foot. She definitely wouldn't refuse such an opportunity.
A trace of cunning flashed in Lou Mu Yan's eyes. She deliberately let Gu Yan Ran injure her, then took the opportunity to allow others to think she declared this challenge while emotional. On the day, she'll make sure Gu Yan Ran couldn't even cry.
A few days ago, she received a message that Lou Mu Bai would return to the Academy today. Based on the memories of the original owner, this big brother doted on and loved this little sister dearly.
And Lou Mu Bai's aura had long been imprinted into her memory, so she used her Mental Energy to lock on to Lou Mu Bai's aura. The moment she felt Lou Mu Bai near her, the moment she used her words to anger Gu Yan Ran, then proposed a competition. Gu Yan Ran was already emotional due to the insults and humiliation, coupled with Lou Mu Bai's forceful oppression, so as she expected, the 'white lotus'3 readily agreed.
The original owner of the body was previously schemed against by Gu Yan Ran and her company, resulting in her death. Now they were still relentless. Lou Mu Yan adhered to the principle of 'if one didn't offend me, I wouldn't offend them; if one offended me, I'll pay them back thousand-fold'.
The most important thing to Gu Yan Ran was face and vanity. If she were to be defeated, in front of the Academy's teachers and entire student body, by a trash, she definitely couldn't take it. By then, it would ultimately leave a heart demon, so if she wanted to break through the bottlenecks of higher cultivation stages, she would meet with obstacles set by a demon. From then onwards, she would never be able to step into the pinnacle of cultivation in this lifetime. The most ruthless return to her enemy was not to let her die, but to toy her to her death.
And everything fell into the eyes of a devilishly handsome man who stood by the window of an old building beside the scene. He turned to leave and muttered: "What an interesting woman."
[1cheating
2basically Lou Mu Bai is very handsome
3a girl who is fake in personality]