Ms. Diviner: The Prodigal Daughter's Return

Chapter 694: 694 pat pat, the feel is really too good

Yue Fanling looked at Mu Hanyan’s confident demeanor and smiled softly, reaching out to gently arrange Hanyan’s hair beside her ear, ”I believe in my Hanyan, she will definitely accomplish it, certainly there will come a day that will astonish everyone in the world.”

The mother and daughter talked for a long time until Mu Rui’an came to urge them to eat, only then did their conversation come to an end.

...

In the Zhao Family, within the age-old and worn ancestral hall, Family Head Zhao’s face was haggard and aged, filled with a bleak sadness.

”So many days have passed, and Ling Xian still hasn’t returned, it seems, most likely she has met with misfortune,” Family Head Zhao said hoarsely, shedding a few tears of old age.

”Family Head, it’s all my fault, I couldn’t protect Ling Xian thoroughly,” Zhao Sinin also said with a choked voice.

Guessing that Fourth Miss Zhao had left the Exotic Beast Valley ahead of time to return to the Zhao Family, Zhao Sinin returned to Heishi City with the last glimmer of hope, only to find out that she never came back. At first, he comforted himself, guessing she encountered some delays on the road, but after waiting so many more days without a sight of Fourth Miss Zhao, all of Zhao Sinin’s hopes were utterly crushed.

He was certain, Fourth Miss Zhao must have died by Mu Hanyan’s hands.

”It’s not your fault, it was her fate,” Family Head Zhao shook his head.

”Family Head, rest assured, one day, I will avenge Ling Xian’s blood feud, Mu Hanyan, I will make sure he has nowhere to be buried,” Zhao Sinin was filled with even more guilt after hearing what Family Head Zhao said.

Yan Yuchu was invited by him; if it weren’t for Yan Yuchu, perhaps Zhao Lingxian wouldn’t have suffered this calamity.

During these days, with the assistance of Pang Dezong’s hands, he started to thoroughly investigate, only to learn that besides Fourth Miss Zhao, Zha Zhenglin and others had also disappeared. If he wasn’t wrong, it must have been Zha Zhenglin and the others despising Mu Hanyan’s character and thus, they collaborated with Fourth Miss Zhao to confront Mu Hanyan.

In reality, he had only guessed half correctly; Zha Zhenglin indeed chose to ally with Fourth Miss Zhao, but not because of disdain for Mu Hanyan’s character, merely because they couldn’t resist Fourth Miss Zhao’s enticing charm. Of course, Zhao Sinin would never think of it that way.

In any case, with the strength of Zha Zhenglin and the others, combined with Fourth Miss Zhao’s cunning (well, actually mean and poisonous), even if they couldn’t kill Mu Hanyan, they shouldn’t have lost their lives. But he had invited Yan Yuchu.

Only when he opened the barrier of the Exotic Beast Valley and saw with his own eyes how obedient Yan Yuchu was to Mu Hanyan, did he realize these two had already become totally in cahoots.

He was somewhat familiar with Yan Yuchu’s temperament, unpredictable and merciless in killing. Since he was now in league with Mu Hanyan, it would be extremely difficult for Fourth Miss Zhao and Zha Zhenglin to survive.

After all, it was he who had harmed Fourth Miss Zhao, Zhao Sinin’s self-reproach and guilt were imaginable.

”Heh heh,” upon hearing Zhao Sinin’s words, spoken through clenched teeth, Family Head Zhao just gave a faint smile.

If Zhao Sinin truly had the strength to confront Mu Hanyan, how would his precious granddaughter have fallen to such a plight? By now, he had also seen through Zhao Sinin; apart from Pang Dezong’s favor, he was utterly useless. Expecting him to avenge Fourth Miss Zhao was as ludicrous as expecting pigs to fly.

Seeing the smile on Family Head Zhao’s face, Zhao Sinin’s face flushed red. He knew well that he lacked strength, and his wits were no match for Fourth Miss Zhao. The notion of seeking vengeance for her was but a foolish pipe dream.

”Pass on my orders, please invite the heads of the Zhou Family, Yuan Family, Cao Family, and Xu Family over. Tell them that there is an important matter to discuss,” Family Head Zhao said to the old butler standing by.

”Family Head, what is this about?” Zhao Sinin asked, puzzled.

”The future of the Zhao Family... I had intended to pass it on to Ling Xian. It never occurred to me that she would leave us so soon. Among the Zhao descendants for three generations below me, all are mediocrities; none can compare to Ling Xian. To hand the family over to them... not to mention revitalizing the family, even holding onto our property would be in question.

While I’m still alive, I have no choice but to make a bold move,” Family Head Zhao sighed wistfully.

”In that case, I’ll go contact the Yue family immediately. Zha Zhenglin was acclaimed as the once-in-a-millennium genius of the Yue family, and with his death by Mu Hanyan’s hand, they will surely not rest until justice is served,” Zhao Sinin said, his eyes lighting up.

He doubted his own ability to seek revenge against Mu Hanyan, but if Family Head Zhao and the other families were willing to take action, he could lend some assistance.

”That’s fine,” Family Head Zhao nodded in agreement.

After Zhao Sinin left, Family Head Zhao took out an old key, covered in verdigris, and approached the ancestral hall, underneath numerous spiritual tablets. He swept away some cobwebs, then gently wiped the dust from the dark stone bricks, revealing a hidden keyhole, cleverly concealed.

Inserting the key into the keyhole and turning it several times, a series of clicking sounds from the mechanism echoed from the wall, and a hidden compartment opened to reveal an ancient token.

Life on the front, death on the back, and at the very top, the word ”sacred” was carved in ancient seal script, exuding a sense of solemnity and majesty.

”Ancestors above, unworthy descendant Zhao Yuanji has failed in guidance, and among the progeny of three generations, apart from Ling Xian, none are fit to uphold the family legacy. Now that Ling Xian is gone, there is no hope for future generations to rejuvenate our clan. The only option left for Zhao Yuanji is to stake my life on it, in hopes of preserving our family’s estate. I beseech the protection of our ancestors,” Family Head Zhao murmured, holding the token with a resigned and tragic expression.

The survival of the Zhao Family would hinge on this single effort, as would his life.

...

In the garden, the sunlight was dazzling, and Mu Hanyan was instructing Mu Ze and others in the arts of swordsmanship and the mental method. Once she left them to cultivate on their own, she sat leisurely by a small stone table, basking in the sun while chatting casually with Huayue and a few others. Occasionally, she’d stroke the pleasantly plump Liu Guang, who was sweetly asleep on her shoulder, savoring the delightful softness.

During these past ten or so days, she had mostly been accompanying her mother, enjoying the rare warmth of their mother-daughter relationship, and the rest of the time advising Mu Ze and the others on their cultivation.

To her knowledge, the Zhao Family and Yuan Family, among other major clans, would act against the Mu Family in a few years’ time. But since her rebirth, the course of many events had changed, and the assault might come sooner. Unable to pinpoint the time, she couldn’t just wait in Heishi City indefinitely. Should a crisis arise, it would be up to the people of the Mu Family to overcome the hardship.

Therefore, Mu Hanyan was eager to urge Mu Ze and the others to accelerate their cultivation. She didn’t expect them to turn the tide, but rather hoped they would have sufficient self-preservation skills to avoid the heavy casualties they suffered in her previous life.

However, the results proved unexpectedly favorable. Relying on the elixirs and cultivation techniques obtained from the Great Elder, within just over ten days, the strength of Mu Ze and the others had increased significantly. Mu Ze and Mu Yuying, who had the most solid cultivation foundations, had even advanced a whole rank, so effortlessly that even Mu Hanyan herself found it somewhat incredible.

Logically, the elixirs from the Great Elder, though valuable, shouldn’t have had such a profound effect. The key truly lay in those cultivation techniques.