novelraw Chapter 1316: You’re Jealous of Others Being Attractive
Chapter 1316: You’re Jealous of Others Being Attractive
Mu Hanyan also had followers herself, so she naturally knew how difficult it was to cultivate a few outstandingly skilled followers. If it weren’t for having Nanyan Commerce as a backing, being somewhat adept at making money, and being able to continuously provide the necessary elixirs for their cultivation, not to mention using the Heavenly Heart Technique (which should actually be called the Divine Martial Sky Breaking Technique, but Mu Hanyan had been cultivating her ancestral Heavenly Heart Technique for two lifetimes, so it became a habit, and she often subconsciously referred to it as the Heavenly Heart Technique) to help them unlock their Hidden Meridians in Fang Village, greatly enhancing their strength, she doubted they could now reach even the third-tier Swordsman level.Yi Xingtian having two such powerful maids wasn’t simply a matter of personal strength.
As for the two men named Zhan Li and Meng Xun, with their upright and focused demeanor, Mu Hanyan knew that they were merely embellishments.
Mu Hanyan took a few glances at Yi Xingtian and his group, then at Lv Junran and his group from West Qin, mentally crossing Lv Junran and his group off the list of competitors. Although Lv Junran and his group were also quite skilled, just as her grandmother said, they couldn’t pose any substantial threat to her.
However, this Yi Xingtian was somewhat unexpected for her. Just the day after seeing her grandmother, Mu Hanyan received the list of participants from Beiqi and West Qin, including sword skills and other information. While West Qin hadn’t changed much, Beiqi had originally dispatched a different group, and it was a mystery how they ended up with Yi Xingtian’s group.
This competition, trying to successfully acquire the Heavenly Destiny Star Plate, was not going to be as easy as she imagined. Mu Hanyan took another glance at Yi Xingtian, secretly increasing her vigilance.
"As for Anyun Country, who are those from Anyun Country?" someone curiously inquired after introductions of the experts from West Qin and Beiqi.
Although Yi Xingtian had a fiery figure and a stunning appearance, she also exuded a heroic aura, which gave most men an inexplicable pressure, whereas the ethereally beautiful Mu Hanyan was more likely to catch their attention.
To prevent Mu Hanyan from attracting too much attention, which might affect her mood before the competition, Yue Fanyi hadn’t yet spread the news of her being granted the title of Princess. Hence, from the royals to the commoners of Shangyue Country, not much was known about her.
"The leader, the stunning beauty, is called Mu Hanyan. She is the eldest granddaughter of the Mu Family, one of the Eight Great Families of Anyun Country, and the top expert among the new students of Long Yan Academy, reportedly at the Sixth Rank Sword Master level. However, her strange and mysterious arts make her true combat power far exceed that of experts of the same level," some well-informed person introduced.
"What about the ones around her? The really good-looking ones." A young girl looked at Huayue, then at Zirong, again at Jiang Yuzhe, and Tang Bufan, asking with infatuation, with another girl beside her showing a similar expression.
It’s undeniable that these guys were quite the lookers, almost as attractive as Mu Hanyan, just aimed at a different audience.
"It seems the guy who likes to act cool is called Huayue. I don’t know about the others," said a man with a hint of envy.
"Come on, you must be jealous of their looks and don’t want to say!" the infatuated young girl said discontentedly.
"It’s not jealousy, he just looks a little better than me, that’s all. What’s there to be jealous of? I honestly don’t know, just heard they’re all Mu Hanyan’s guards and followers, probably not that strong." The man remarked, slightly unconvinced.
"Just guards and followers, huh? Weird, isn’t this competition a group battle? Why didn’t Anyun Country dispatch more experts, and instead let Mu Hanyan bring a few followers?" The infatuated girl lamented, puzzled as she spoke.
"Maybe Anyun Country couldn’t find any decent experts, so she had no choice but to bring a few followers over, hahaha." The man laughed mockingly. Shangyue and Anyun had been rivals for generations. Although rumors had it that the two countries were preparing to restore diplomatic ties, with Anyun sending people to participate in the Royal Sword Sound Academy’s freshman competition being a signal, many wouldn’t miss a chance to mock Anyun.
"Even if Anyun Country isn’t strong militarily, they should manage to find a few experts. As far as I know, Guanshanhe, Qi Kaiyun, Cheng Zhicheng, and the one known as Little Witch Long Yan, Jiang Qiling, are all experts among the younger generation in Anyun, not much inferior to our young elite of Shangyue Country." Not everyone was completely ignorant about Anyun, and indeed, Long Yan Academy had produced many experts throughout history, its reputation on the continent no lesser than the Royal Sword Sound, as someone quickly rebutted. Though the two capitals were far apart, he didn’t know Jiang Qiling had already left Long Yan Academy.
"Then why not send them, and instead have Mu Hanyan bring a few followers?" The previous man questioned, unwilling to concede.
"That you wouldn’t know, Mu Hanyan was actually tricked," the other said mysteriously.
"Oh?" Everyone looked at him curiously.
"Have you heard about the Exotic Beasts attacking Dingbian City recently? Let me tell you, things weren’t as simple as the rumors..." the man recounted the incident in Dingbian City, eagerly narrating how Wu Ziyue wanted to set up Mu Hanyan as a scapegoat but ended up gravely injured by her sword.
"Are you saying that the Shoulder-to-shoulder King arranged for this group battle rule just to deal with Mu Hanyan?" Someone immediately understood.
"Of course, although previous competitions between academies and inter-country swordsman duels did feature group battles, when was the Royal Sword Sound Academy’s freshman competition ever not one-on-one? This time it’s group battles, if not to deal with Mu Hanyan, then what for? The Shoulder-to-shoulder King has only that one treasured son, who as City Lord harms the people and exploits them, plundering countless resources, yet even His Majesty couldn’t do much about him. But Mu Hanyan gravely injured him; even if he recovers, his future cultivation path might be completely ruined.
The Shoulder-to-shoulder King must hate her to the core. But since the fault was Wu Ziyue’s first, and Mu Hanyan held the identity of An Yun Envoy, as much as he resents her, he wouldn’t dare openly target her, leaving him to manipulate the competition instead.
Don’t be fooled, as accomplished as Mu Hanyan is, her reputation resounds in Anyun Country, yet those around her are greatly lacking. This time, forget about winning; I reckon there’s a risk to their lives if not careful." The man sighed.
"Who would’ve thought there’s such a complex entanglement behind this competition? Mu Hanyan probably didn’t expect this outcome either, or she might have brought some experts over."
"What a pity, even if she regrets now, it’s too late. No matter how strong she is, with her companions being so weak, they’ll surely drag her down," the others sympathetically looked at Mu Hanyan.