Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 63 Senior Brother?

"Lingyi has arrived!"

Inside the study, Pang Ji heard the soft tinkling of jade pendants and immediately stopped talking.

Looking up, he saw his daughter gracefully enter. Although they were together day and night, a tender smile still appeared on his lips.

With more children, it's inevitable that parents will show favoritism, no matter how much they try to treat them equally.

If a family has three daughters and one son, the son will undoubtedly be the most favored, as he is the only heir to carry on the family line.

Conversely, Grand Tutor Pang had three sons and one daughter, who was the apple of his eye.

She was given the name Lingyi.

The phrase "The gentle and kind gentleman, none of them are without proper decorum" comes from the Book of Songs and refers to a grand and beautiful ceremony.

Later, it also came to mean "dignified bearing" and "beautiful appearance," as in "elegant demeanor and virtuous character, like jade and orchid in full bloom."

So much so that in a certain era, this term was used directly to refer to the rank of the imperial harem.

Pang Lingyi, though only fourteen years old, already possessed remarkable beauty.

Her hair was as black as clouds, her skin as white as snow, her eyebrows naturally dark and her lips naturally red. She possessed the features of a noble lady from an imperial family, and her overall demeanor was no less impressive than that of Princess Zhaoning.

As she entered the study, the fluttering of her robes carried a subtle fragrance. The patterns on her skirt shimmered in the candlelight, making her appear like a jade sword, bright yet sharp.

At this moment, Pang Lingyi was carrying a food box.

Upon opening the food box, the first thing you see is a bowl of wolfberry and mutton soup. The soup is clear like amber, with a few golden-red wolfberries floating on top.

There was also a plate of pine nut and goose fat rolls, the flaky crust slightly cracked, revealing the aroma of honey-soaked pine nuts inside;

Two cups of ginger and longan drink were served, the steam rising and wafting over her delicate white fingertips.

"Father, this is what your daughter cooked herself."

"Eh!"

Pang Ji took it, warmed his hands with the mutton soup first, and before even drinking it, his face lit up with a smile.

"Second brother! Here!"

Pang Xu had just leaned closer when his favorite goose fat roll appeared in front of him. He happily accepted it, saying, "Little sister's cooking skills are getting better and better!"

Pang Lingyi looked at her father and brothers with a smile, then suddenly frowned almost imperceptibly, vaguely sensing a peculiar aura.

She glanced around out of the corner of her eye but didn't notice anything spying on her.

In fact, Zhan Zhao did return to the outside of the study to re-observe the three people inside.

Judging by martial arts skills.

Pang Ji has some martial arts background, clearly having practiced martial arts in his youth, though he has now neglected it. However, due to his existing foundation and the pampered diet he receives, he is in good health.

In ancient times, people over forty were considered old, and Pang Ji also referred to himself as such. However, his spirit and energy were more like those of a middle-aged person in their forties in later generations, full of vigor and with few wrinkles.

Pang Xu is a typical martial artist, with vigorous blood and steady steps, clearly having been taught by a famous master and receiving ample medicinal baths. Even if he doesn't practice very hard, he can still maintain a certain level of martial prowess.

As for its general level, it can only be described as second-rate.

In the martial arts world, the classification of martial artists' strength is mostly a general estimate.

Take the Four Great Constables for example. They are recognized as top-notch masters, but there are differences between them. They are also stronger or weaker than the local masters who are also top-notch masters. How do we differentiate them?

It cannot be further subdivided.

You'll only know once you've tried it.

Only by entering the realm of martial arts grandmaster is one truly at a completely different level. In the eyes of the world, one stands at the pinnacle of martial arts, radiating brilliance. Even at the height of their power, there were probably only a hundred martial arts grandmasters in all the countries combined.

Let alone in the dog-eat-dog societies of the Liao and Western Xia dynasties, where such a figure could be courted and supported by the imperial court, even in a central dynasty like the Song dynasty, no one dared to ignore such a powerful figure. Of course, the central court was adept at checks and balances, using martial artists against martial artists. No matter how powerful an individual was, the court had ways to recruit them, or even directly support major martial arts sects.

For example, among the five major sects in the Central Plains, the Buddhist and Taoist branches of Daxiangguo Temple and Laojun Temple flourished only because of the support of the Song court.

The remaining Daqimen is the All-China Escort Alliance, and its escort agencies have many dealings with local governments. Cangjian Villa, on the other hand, has close ties with the government in the business of weapons and military equipment.

Only the Xianxia Sect was a pure Jianghu sect, located in the mountains and forests, and focused solely on martial arts. Therefore, it was the first to close its gates after its decline.

Judging from the influence of the imperial court on the martial arts world, it would not be difficult for the Pang family, as a deeply rooted military family, to cultivate martial artists. Therefore, Pang Ji's second son, Pang Xu, does not seem to be a hard-working martial arts student, but his martial arts skills are not weak.

But the strongest one is actually the youngest girl.

Pang Lingyi, the future Consort Pang, is actually the most unfathomable of the three.

He is at least a top-tier expert, and may even be comparable to veteran powerhouses like the Four Great Constables.

Strangely, the aura emanating from her gave Zhan Zhao a strange sense of familiarity, but he couldn't quite place it.

In front of such a person, secretly planting the Yao Guang Sword Qi into Pang Ji's body and damaging his health would risk being exposed.

So Zhan Zhao walked around the study, calmed himself down, and began to wait silently.

Pang Lingyi was there to deliver a late-night snack to her father and brothers, and wouldn't stay in the study for long. They would decide whether to make their move after she left.

As expected, amidst laughter and cheerful conversation, after a quarter of an hour, Pang Lingyi, having finished feeding her father and brothers, was once again surrounded by maids.

But this time, as soon as she stepped out of the study, she said to those around her, "I want to take a walk. You may go ahead."

For other wealthy ladies, such a request would be extremely abrupt. Their personal maids would not dare to leave their mistress's side completely, for they could not bear the responsibility if something happened.

But as soon as Pang Lingyi gave the order, the maids around her seemed to be used to it, and they all bowed and replied, "Yes!"

A moment later, all the servants had left, leaving Pang Lingyi alone to stroll through the inner courtyard of the Pang residence.

She was wrapped in a silver fox fur cloak and walked lightly towards the backyard.

When they reached the fork in the road, he suddenly spoke up: "I wonder which fellow martial artist has graced the Pang residence with their presence? Would you be so kind as to come out and meet me?"

There was no reaction from the surroundings.

Pang Lingyi said calmly, "If you come out now, I will treat it as a misunderstanding and guarantee your safe departure. But if you continue to hide, don't blame me for being impolite!"

There was still no reaction from the surroundings.

"If you don't eat the toast, you will be punished with alcohol!"

A cold glint flashed in her phoenix eyes, and Pang Lingyi's jade-like fingers unfastened the silk-bound buttons at her collar, causing her silver fox cloak to cascade like a snow waterfall, suddenly unfolding under the cold moonlight—

The plain white satin fabric seemed to rise into the air as if alive, its cloak billowing like a crane crying in the sky, the black gold trim drawing a dark arc in the moonlight.

"Om-"

The cloak, infused with true energy, transformed into sharp blades, spinning and sweeping across the surroundings.

Wherever it passed, the plum branches were broken cleanly as if cut by a knife, sparks flew from the bluestone steps, and even the falling snow was split in two.

After the silver light had circled around in a big circle, Pang Lingyi's delicate hands fluttered as if she were weaving through flowers, the red gold buttons clicked softly, and the cloak was now neatly draped over her shoulders.

In the blink of an eye, she returned to her dignified and noble appearance; were it not for the chaotic scene around her, it would have seemed like a dream.

But without a doubt, this attempt yielded no results.

But Pang Lingyi was not disappointed. She vaguely grasped that fleeting moment, raised her eyebrows slightly, looked around with her beautiful eyes, and let out a sound of surprise and delight:

"Senior brother?"

(End of this chapter)