The First Prey

Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The First Prey

General Mansion's back door, Zhan Lan vaulted into the backyard.

She pushed open the door to her room, a small yet neat and tidy room with only a wooden bed, a pine table, and a carved cabinet along with a copper mirror.

Starting over, she knew since she was affected by the Leisurely Powder, she could find its antidote.

She took out a medicine pouch from her bosom and swallowed an antidote for the Leisurely Powder.

Just now when she passed by the medical hall, she bought a packet of pills, leaving only a few Copper Coins in her purse.

Zhan Lan took off the man's clothes.

Under the lamp light, she noticed the material of the clothes was Shu brocade, a dark long robe embroidered with gold threads.

It seemed this man's identity was not low; such exquisite and complicated craftsmanship, along with a certain amount of gold thread, must be worth at least several hundred taels of silver!

After all, if it were a common household, a few taels of silver could suffice for several months!

Zhan Lan put away the long robe and changed into her own clothes, musing that this man was very dangerous, and it would be best to avoid him in the future.

After bandaging her wound, she heard the sounds of the night watchman.

A little later, her maid Qinglian would be back.

According to the memories of her last life, tomorrow morning, Aunt Ji Yue and her illegitimate daughter Qingqing would go to Zhaixing Building to catch a cheater.

The reason was that her grandfather secured a chance for the Zhan Family grandchildren to attend the Book Forest Conference.

Since as an adopted daughter, Zhan Lan was also eligible to attend, Aunt Ji Yue naturally was not pleased.

Additionally, next month Qingqing was to marry her betrothed fiancé Zhu Touyuan; she didn't want to marry and thus hoped to make Zhan Lan replace her in marriage by seducing the man.

This way, Zhan Lan could be married off instead!

In her previous life, Zhan Lan saw the assassin, and to avoid attention, jumped out of the window and escaped the calamity but also twisted her ankle, taking a month to recover.

In this life, she wouldn't let them have their way!

Aside from Si Jun, Aunt Ji Yue and the second branch's family schemed endlessly, causing her to lose her loved ones and comrades-in-arms.

Her father Zhan Beicang and her subordinate Deputy General's bodies were hung on the city wall for seven days and nights!

Zhan Peng slandered her older brother Zhan Hui of having illicit relations with a concubine, was gouged out his eyes, was castrated, and turned into a broken man, who took his life out of disgrace!

Her younger sister Zhan Rui, tortured by an elder fond of young girls, and when her mother Qin Shuang and her brother Zhan Heng went to seek justice, they were burnt to death by someone!

In this life, she was reborn to clean up the scum of the General Mansion one by one!

Zhan Lan's eyes swirled with flames of hatred.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open and footsteps sounded from afar, approaching step by step towards Zhan Lan's boudoir.

Zhan Lan's gaze was freezing cold, she extinguished the candle, sat at the table, and with her left hand, gently tapped on the table as she quietly awaited her first prey.

After a short while, the door creaked open, and a maid sneaked into Zhan Lan's room.

The maid holding a Fire Lighter lit up the surroundings, placed a letter by Zhan Lan's bedside, and then attempted to leave.

As she turned around, she saw Zhan Lan's face under the firelight.

Qinglian shuddered, panic-stricken, she said: "Miss, why are you..."

Zhan Lan grasped her wrist, looking disdainfully at the maid before her.

On the surface, Qinglian was her maid, but in fact, she was Qingqing's confidante, and later, she sided with Zhan Xuerou.

Indeed, she was adept at seeing which way the wind blew, betraying trust effortlessly!

It was Qinglian, who followed her from the General Mansion to Kunning Palace for over a decade, who personally poisoned her.

Regretfully back then she was blind to not have spotted such a huge threat by her side!

Indeed, a dog shouldn't be fed too full, and people should not be treated too well!

"Why can't I be here? This is my boudoir, Qinglian, is it you who wants to steal something?" Zhan Lan's hand clenched around Qinglian's neck.

Qinglian's pupils dilated, she knew Miss Zhan Lan practiced martial arts, but she had never felt such strength before.

At this moment, her neck felt like a chopstick before that force, easily breakable.

Zhan Lan, only fourteen, had always concealed her prowess.

She never showed her strength in front of her sisters, because her grandfather told her, "Tall trees catch much wind."

If not for her encounter with Si Jun, she would not have demonstrated her abilities and attracted his attention.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Qinglian couldn't stop coughing as Zhan Lan's eyes chillingly released her.

Qinglian collapsed to the floor like a heap of mud; the usually amiable Miss Zhan Lan terrified her exceptionally today.

In panic, she said, "Miss, it was Aunt Ji Yue and Miss Zhan Qingqing, they asked me to place a letter on your bedside."

Zhan Lan sneered coldly, lit the candle, and opened the letter, which was filled with slanders under Zhu Touyuan's name.

"Qinglian, to think I trusted you so much; take this as your reward!"

Zhan Lan grabbed Qinglian's chin, and a pill slid down Qinglian's throat.

Qinglian frantically scratched at her throat, "Miss, what have you given me!"

Zhan Lan flicked the residual powder from her hand, "It's Miao Border Gold Cicada Poison; being poisoned feels like a million bugs biting you, only I have the antidote! You will soon feel an unbearable itch..."

In the darkness, Zhan Lan's lips curled into a cruel smile; the so-called poison was merely an itch-inducing drug, not fatal.

Qinglian hadn't outlived her usefulness; Zhan Lan wouldn't let her die so easily.

ALready scared, Qinglian immediately felt as if numerous bugs had burrowed into her body, her face pale as she clutched at Zhan Lan's robe, pleading.

"Please, Miss, I'll do anything for you, just give me the antidote!"

Zhan Lan, with a look of disdain, gently patted her cheek, her voice as if from hell, "Qinglian, start working for me now; accomplish the task, and I'll give you the antidote!"

Qinglian had never seen such a terrifying Miss Zhan Lan, who was usually unpretentious and kind.

But now Zhan Lan appeared as a superior, high above, daring her not to look directly.

Like a demon from the eighteen levels of hell coming to collect a debt, she shivered.

Terrified, Qinglian's face ashen, she gasped for air and nodded incessantly, "Yes, yes, yes, your servant will listen to the Miss!"

...

An hour later, in the southern part of the city, Zhan Lan and Qinglian were in a dilapidated temple.

A loud slap echoed from the temple as Zhan Lan rebuked, "Qinglian, you almost ruined my innocence!"

Qinglian knelt down and pleaded, "Miss, it was Zhan Qingqing, she said she didn't want to marry Mr. Zhu because he is too ugly. She also said, she wants to save her body for Mr. Wang Qingchen!"

"Miss Zhan Qingqing deliberately arranged a meeting with Mr. Zhu today to frame you, so she wouldn't have to marry him!"

Outside the window, Zhu Touyuan had just woken up in the inn, where he received a message from Qinglian saying: Zhan Qingqing couldn't make it to Zhaixing Building because it was too crowded.

As an apology, she arranged a private meeting at the run-down temple in the southern city.

Zhu Touyuan hadn't even pushed the door open yet when he overheard all this!

Initially, seeing a woman lying on the bed in the inn, he thought it was Zhan Qingqing, only to realize it was Zhan Lan from the General Mansion!

Zhan Qingqing had played him for a fool, and he awaited his chance for revenge!

At the moment, he didn't mind spoiling Zhan Lan! This beauty was even more gorgeous; anyway, he wouldn't be at a loss!

Zhu Touyuan clenched his fists, ready to pay Zhan Lan back in kind.

Behind him, two servants whispered, "Young master, this Miss Zhan Lan is said to know some boxing skills, should we call for more people?"

"Just a mere girl, why would I be afraid of her!" Mr. Zhu whispered back, massaging his temples, which still throbbed in pain.

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