The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

Just as Wang Long was about to lie down and rest, there was a knock on the door.

Chunlan's voice rang out from outside the door.

"Master Wang, the First Madam has summoned you, saying she has important matters to discuss."

"The competition is tomorrow, why are you calling me so late?"

Wang Long muttered to himself in confusion.

"Could it be that they're going to give me extra tutoring again to help me break through?"

Wang Long got out of bed, opened the door, looked at the timid Chunlan, and said in a deep voice.

"Lead the way."

"yes!"

Led by Chunlan, Wang Longluo went to Hanyi's courtyard.

"This servant will take her leave now!"

Having arrived, Chunlan respectfully bowed to Wang Long and then walked away, showing great tact.

Pushing open the door, Luo Hanyi was leaning against the soft couch, wearing a moon-white nightgown, her black hair loose, playing with the black soft whip in her hand.

"You're here?"

"This old servant greets the First Madam."

Luo Hanyi looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on him for a moment.

"Peak of the first rank, just one step away from the second rank."

Her voice was cold and aloof.

"Spending these past two days with Minglan hasn't interfered with my cultivation."

Wang Long's heart tightened, and he quickly bowed.

"This old servant dared not delay and has been diligently cultivating."

Luo Hanyi didn't press further, but simply nodded.

She didn't want to stop him; as long as Wang Long didn't do anything excessive, she could turn a blind eye.

Most importantly, Qin Minglan really broke through.

"Are you ready for the big competition tomorrow?"

Wang Long nodded.

"This old servant will certainly not disappoint the First Madam or bring shame to the Marquis's mansion."

Luo Hanyi looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Do you know who your opponents will be tomorrow?

"This old servant does not know."

"The servant of the Marquis of Zhennan's mansion is named Tie Xiong. He is at the peak of the second rank and is skilled in external martial arts. He has a body of copper skin and iron bones, and ordinary swords and knives cannot harm him. He is quite powerful!"

Luo Hanyi's voice carried a hint of solemnity.

"Although your sword energy is sharp, you are only at the peak of the first rank, and the gap in realm is too great."

"The other servants are all at the second rank. If you give up now, I can find someone else."

Luo Hanyi really couldn't bear to see Wang Long, a tool who could help her cultivate, go to his death.

Wang Long shook his head, his tone firm.

"Old servant, do you want to try?"

Luo Hanyi stared at him for a long time, then suddenly sighed.

She sat up from the soft couch, took something out of the storage ring on her finger, and tossed it to Wang Long.

"then."

Wang Long quickly caught it and looked down to see a palm-sized bronze mirror. The mirror surface was smooth as a mirror, and the back of the mirror was engraved with dense runes.

"This is a low-grade Xuan-level spiritual artifact called the 'Heart-Protecting Mirror,' which can block an attack from a fourth-grade martial artist in a critical moment."

Luo Hanyi's voice remained cold, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible concern.

"Tomorrow is the grand competition. If you can't win, just admit defeat. Don't die out there. If necessary, this protective mirror can save your life."

Wang Long held the bronze mirror, feeling a warmth in his heart.

This cold woman, though she can change her mind faster than turning the pages of a book, still cares about him when it matters.

Regardless of Luo Hanyi's purpose, the underlying reason was that she was worried about Wang Long.

"Thank you, Madam. This old servant will definitely return alive."

Luo Hanyi nodded and leaned back on the soft couch.

"Alright, go back and rest. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

Wang Long bowed and turned to leave the room.

Although he couldn't cultivate with Luo Hanyi, he gained a lot from obtaining this Heart-Protecting Mirror.

He hummed a little tune happily as he walked towards his courtyard.

The next morning.

As dawn broke, a large crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the Marquis's residence.

Luo Hanyi sat upright in a large sedan chair carried by eight men, with the crimson curtains hanging down, obscuring her face.

Qin Minglan rode the Snow-Treading Horse and stood beside the sedan chair, dressed in a light yellow outfit with the Frost Sword hanging at her waist, looking heroic and dashing.

Shen Yue, the commander of the Marquis's guards, led twenty guards, who lined up on both sides.

Wang Long, as a servant participating in the competition, walked behind the sedan chair.

"Let's go."

Luo Hanyi's cool voice came from inside the sedan chair.

The procession slowly started moving, walking along the bluestone path towards the center of the imperial city.

Along the way, pedestrians made way for each other and whispered among themselves.

"Are the people from the Marquis of Zhenbei's residence going to participate in the grand competition?"

"I heard they changed the rules this year, allowing household servants to fight. Can the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion handle it?"

"Who knows? I've heard that the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion has been quite turbulent these past few years, and even the First Madam's cultivation has stagnated..."

"Shh, keep your voice down, are you out of your mind?"

Wang Long ignored him and simply followed quietly behind the sedan chair.

Ta Xue walked beside the sedan chair, glancing back at him every now and then and snorting.

Qin Minglan rode on Taxue's back, following beside the sedan chair, occasionally turning her head to glance at Wang Long, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

After walking for about half an hour, the group arrived at the long street in the center of the city.

Just then, a muffled groan suddenly came from inside the sedan chair.

Wang Long paused, his ears perked up.

He recognized the sound; it was the sound of Luo Hanyi's technique backfiring.

Haven't you already stabilized your realm?

Why did it suddenly flare up today?

Qin Minglan dismounted and leaped onto the sedan chair. Through the curtain, she lowered her voice and whispered her concern.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

There was a moment of silence inside the sedan chair before Luo Hanyi's voice came out, trembling slightly.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

Qin Minglan nodded upon hearing this and jumped back onto Taxue's back.

After a moment, another suppressed gasp came from inside the sedan chair.

This time, even Shen Yue noticed something was wrong and turned to look at the sedan chair.

"The First Madam?"

"It's nothing, let's keep going."

Luo Hanyi's voice was noticeably weaker than before.

Wang Long frowned, vaguely sensing that something was wrong.

He knew better than anyone else about the backlash from Luo Hanyi's cultivation technique.

With her mid-stage sixth-rank cultivation, she could easily suppress her emotions and avoid losing her composure in public.

unless……

This backlash is more severe than ever before.

After another short while, the sedan curtain was suddenly lifted slightly.

Luo Hanyi's face was revealed, her complexion flushed, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Her eyes, which were usually as cold as knives, were now misty with tears.

Her gaze passed over Qin Minglan and landed on Wang Long.

"Wang Long".

"This old servant is here."

Luo Hanyi's alluring voice lingered in Wang Long's ears.

"Come in."

Wang Long was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"Madam, what did you say?"

"I said, you can come in."

Luo Hanyi's voice carried a hint of impatience, and a tremor that was suppressed to the extreme.

Wang Long swallowed hard and looked around.

People came and went on the long street, and the procession was filled with people from the Marquis's mansion.

Although the sedan chair was completely covered up, ...

Here?

Qin Minglan was also stunned. She looked at the sedan chair, then at Wang Long, her face full of confusion.

"Sister-in-law, why did you let him into the sedan chair?"

"I have some questions for him. You all wait outside and are not allowed to come near."

Luo Hanyi's voice returned to its cold tone, carrying an undeniable authority.

Qin Minglan opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept it closed.

Seeing that Luo Hanyi was in a bad mood, the guards around her summoned Wang Long to enter the sedan chair.

They felt no envy, only schadenfreude.

Luo Hanyi was unpredictable and liked to punish her servants, so they thought Wang Long was in for trouble!

Wang Long had no reason to refuse; people were coming and going on this main street.

Inside this sedan chair?

Wang Long got more and more excited. Was it going to be a bit too stimulating?