sjar Chapter 828 Plunder (5)
Chapter 828 Plunder (5)
Chapter 828 Plunder (Part 5)
*Sizzle sizzle sizzle!*
However, the demonic energy surging out from inside the stone gate had not yet gotten close to Han Yi.
All the demonic energy was ignited and quickly burned away, producing a large amount of black smoke and ash that fell in scattered showers, like a black rain.
"I want to see for myself... what this so-called seal... the true Demon King... is like..."
Han Yi slowly walked towards the stone gate. Within a three-zhang radius around him, everything was isolated and remained as clean as ever.
With a muffled creak.
The massive stone gate closed again. Han Yi's figure gradually disappeared into the gap.
……………
……………
rumble…...
Streaks of pale lightning flashed across the gloomy clouds, while blue-purple lightning appeared and disappeared in the low-lying dark clouds.
"Boring! Boring!! It's not fun!!! Lanlan... I really want to go out and play..."
The little girl wore a gauze dress, a gold and jade hairpin in her hair, and bright moon earrings. She was beautiful and lovely, and it was clear that she was not a child from an ordinary family.
This is true.
Looking down from the air.
The area where the girl is located.
Gardens, pavilions, waterside terraces, and flowing streams.
The towering buildings, arranged in concentric circles from the inside out, form a neat and orderly ellipse. A clear, pale green river runs through the middle, dividing the buildings in two, creating distinct layers like fish scales.
Such a large-scale manor complex is not something that can be owned simply by having money.
Not only do you need to be rich, you also need to be powerful.
Especially in the Central Plains, in Luoyang. This was once an incredibly prosperous imperial capital, where every inch of land was extremely valuable.
To be able to own such a large estate in a core urban area.
Aside from royalty and nobility…
In other words, apart from the true royal family of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Tantai family, no one else could have such a privilege.
"My sister is so mean, she said she was coming to play with me... but she lied again..."
The little girl's gaze swept over the pond, the garden, and the pavilion, her voice filled with deep disappointment. "Busy, busy, busy! My sister is like this, and so is Father!" she exclaimed, puffing out her cheeks. "With so many servants working, what's there to be busy about?!"
How vast is the entire Tantai family?
The core family members alone number nearly a thousand.
The number of collateral relatives, distant relatives, and all sorts of servants totaled over ten thousand.
The entire area where the Tantai family lives is a city within a city, a country within a country.
The vast Tantai family estate, with its enormous population, was practically a self-sufficient town.
It is even much larger than a typical small town.
Its enormous size causes it to move slowly.
In the courtyard, many servants had not rested for several days and were packing and tidying up their belongings overnight.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and it looked like heavy rain could fall at any moment.
The servants became even busier.
The things I packed a while ago, especially the things I prepared for the move, were huge packages.
They all need to be covered with tarpaulins or moved indoors as soon as possible.
"Since they're not coming..." The little girl finally grew impatient, biting her finger, "Then I'll go find them!"
clatter…...
Like a kitten, the girl nimbly jumped down from the window and tiptoed to the door.
"Oh no, it's Sister Wenwen! My sister must be worried I'll run off, so she sent her to keep an eye on me!"
Lanlan exclaimed in surprise, realizing to herself that something was wrong.
She disliked Sister Wenwen who stood guard at the door. Anyone else would eventually give in and let her out under her relentless pestering.
As for whether it was out of respect for her status as the second young lady, or because she was moved by her soft and pleading voice...
That's unknown.
Everyone has their own ideas.
Only Sister Wenwen was quiet and always had a cold face. Even when she threw a tantrum and rolled around on the ground, she remained unmoved.
"What a mean sister! Not only does she not play with me, she won't even let me play by myself!" Lanlan's little brain quickly came up with an idea.
When her older sister was too busy to be in two places at once, and felt that things were not peaceful outside, she would always ask Wenwen to watch over her and not let her go anywhere.
The Tantai family's estate is so large, with such a large population and such a massive scale of buildings...
There will always be some unsettling things happening. The unsettling things are happening here.
It doesn't mean there will be robbery, extortion, or murder.
Instead, it is a more subtle and secretive internal family competition.
There is an unwritten rule in the Tantai family.
Only the strong can take over the position of family head and lead the family to continued glory.
The strong can only emerge through competition.
Brothers fighting each other, fratricide...
Brothers and sisters who grew up together and were born in the same era.
The relationship between them is first and foremost one of competition and struggle, and only then do they become brothers or sisters.
this process.
Intrigue and open schemes.
Set traps, use deadly poison. Attack from behind, crush from the front.
No matter how tragic the process, as long as it does not involve damage to the family's foundation, it will be tacitly allowed.
After all, the sole victor will gain not only the position of family head, but also the entire Great Xuan Kingdom.
Simply being strong does not necessarily qualify one to be a leader or manager.
Therefore, combat strength is only one aspect.
Strategic thinking, ruthlessness, and unscrupulousness are also part of the evaluation.
This unspoken rule.
For thousands of years, what has sustained the Tantai family from weakness to strength and continued to grow strong has become a family tradition.
Recently, a reformist and enlightened ruler named Tantai Sheng has come to power, intending to cleanse the clan of its corrupt practices and eliminate its abuses.
Thanks to various reform policies, the situation appears to have improved significantly on the surface, but in reality, many unsavory practices still exist in the shadows.
only…...
These things...
For a little girl around ten years old... it's too heavy and distant.
Even though Lanlan grew up in such a treacherous and scheming environment, she was protected by her older sister and father.
Overall, he is still an innocent and playful child.
Seeing that Sister Wenwen was blocking the doorway, she rolled her bright eyes and quickly came up with an idea.
Click click...
The rear window was raised to provide support, creating a narrow gap.
Lanlan nimbly climbed up, glanced back to make sure she hadn't been discovered, and then quietly jumped out of the window.
Behind the window was a small garden. Red flowers, purple flowers, pink flowers... all kinds of precious flowers competed for beauty, creating a pleasant fragrance in the air.
Lanlan's trip was originally scheduled to end here.
After all, there are quite a few servants in the garden who are responsible for watering, cultivating, and pruning the flowers.
People come and go, there are activities every day.
Unfortunately.
It just so happened that the house was being moved, and it was also rainy. Many servants were called to the front yard and were busy with various tasks, so they couldn't pay any attention to the small garden.
Lanlan's small, thin body was hidden in a bush as tall as a person, and no one could find her.
She cautiously peeked around to make sure no one was watching, then dashed out along the path.
The Tantai family is very, very large. Their dark and bloody family practices have led to widespread suspicion among them.
This resulted in them living in separate courtyards, which were quite far apart.
Outside Lanlan's house is a small grove of trees, with a stream flowing quietly inside.
Once she left the garden, she was like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins.
Picking a couple of wildflowers, chasing dragonflies, occasionally encountering butterflies, and then laughing and playing around—it's all incredibly fun and joyful.
These are games that are common among children, and this is the first time she has ever truly experienced them firsthand.
In order to maintain the second young lady's dignity and to follow family etiquette, Lanlan, who was usually watched over by her older sister, had no chance to come into contact with these inappropriate behaviors.
Running, jumping, laughing...
Lanlan felt a little tired, so she found a clean spot and prepared to rest for a while.
She sat by the pond, her little feet swinging in the water, occasionally poking the small fish with the willow branch in her hand.
Green willow branches swirl and splash in the water, while red carp swim around, creating a fascinating scene.
Time passed slowly, and she became so engrossed in staring at the pond that she was completely unaware of what was happening.
They didn't notice at all that the clouds were getting lower and lower, and the sky was getting darker and darker.
The shadow of the gnarled willow trees seemed shrouded in a layer of gray mist, making one feel disoriented.
Click! ! !
A thin flash of lightning streaked through the dark clouds, turning the world a ghastly white for a moment.
"oops!"
Lanlan then woke up with a start, and the willow branch in her hand fell into the water.
She glanced at the sky; it was clearly getting late. "Oh no! What if my sister gets home and finds I'm not here..." Lanlan panicked.
She couldn't finish copying that thick book of family rules even if she worked for three days and three nights without sleep.
"Where am I...?"
But when Lanlan remembered that she needed to go home, she froze on the spot.
She was surrounded by weeds and bushes that were taller than her, so she couldn't see anything clearly.
“Strange…” Lanlan frowned, trying to discern the footprints and find the way she came.
The weird thing is.
The grass was incredibly lush, and each plant stood tall and intact, with no trace of footprints visible.
Rumble...
Another wave of thunder, like the incessant beat of a drum, heralded an impending downpour.
"Never mind. It should start from here..."
Lanlan quickly determined the direction based on her memory, and her little feet started moving very fast as she headed home.
They struggled through the thorns and pushed aside the bushes.
Soon, she found a small path that had been built by man.
clatter…...
A drop of rain gently landed on Lanlan's little face.
Without thinking twice, she ran forward along the path.
Unlike her sister, she didn't have such good aptitude. She was born with a weak constitution and her blood was mixed. If she caught a cold from the rain, she could become seriously ill and it could endanger her life.
The path, lined with lush flowers and plants on both sides, winds its way forward, its end seemingly invisible in the hazy gray environment.
Huff... huff...
Lanlan was panting heavily, and her pace slowed down.
She was, after all, just a child of no more than eleven or twelve, spoiled and pampered, with little physical strength.
The raindrops fell faster, gradually forming fine streaks of rain.
Lanlan dared not stop to rest. She gritted her teeth, tore off a part of the bottom of her gauze skirt, covered her head, and ran forward with her head down.
They ran for an unknown amount of time.
She finally caught a glimpse of a gray courtyard.
"anyone there?"
Lanlan knocked timidly on the door, but there was no response.
The courtyard was pitch black, and she felt a little uneasy.
"Is anyone there? I need to get out of the rain. My sister is very generous; she'll pay you." Lanlan shouted, invoking her sister's name to try and bolster her courage. Unfortunately, no one paid any attention.
The courtyard grew increasingly desolate and silent; not only were there no human voices, but even the chirping of insects and birds could not be heard.
Only the soft patter of rain could be heard.
“Here…” Lanlan felt a chill run down her spine as she stood at the doorway, hesitant and uncertain.
She had never been to this villa before.
It appears to be an area where other collateral relatives live.
The Tantai family is a large clan with over a thousand members, including the main family and collateral branches. Within an area the size of a town, there are many other clan members they have never met before.
Lanlan is still young and doesn't even recognize all her own relatives, let alone outsiders.
Snap snap snap…...
The rain intensified, with large raindrops falling rapidly, turning into a downpour. "Just a little while! I'll leave as soon as the rain stops!" Lanlan said anxiously, knocking loudly on the door.
creak...
It seems she used too much force.
The door suddenly opened, revealing a crack; it seemed to be ajar, not locked.
"Is nobody here...?"
Lanlan leaned closer to take a look. The courtyard was quite large, quiet, and shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
"Perhaps the rain was too heavy and I didn't hear the knocking," she comforted herself.
The gap was neither too big nor too small, just enough for her petite body to pass through.
Turning to the side, Lanlan nimbly stepped into the courtyard.
"Is anyone there? Is anyone there???" she called out several times. Seeing that no one answered, Lanlan did not rush into the inner room.
Having received a good education, she still understands the most basic manners.
They will not open the door and enter without the owner's permission.
Look left and look right.
Lanlan had no choice but to go to the covered walkway and wait for the rain to stop.
Splash...
The rain grew heavier and heavier, pouring down like a silver river being poured out.
Lanlan hugged her legs with both arms, leaning against the chair, trembling all over and feeling cold all over.
She knew she had caught a cold.
I ran so fast just now, and even though I protected my head, quite a few raindrops still got through my gauze skirt and touched my skin.
but.
The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and there were no warm blankets, no maids to look after me, no hot ginger soup...
The only solution Lanlan could think of was to jump off the bench and walk around in the corridor to warm up and get rid of the chill.
She hadn't walked far when she suddenly heard a faint sound, like noisy children making noise.
A hint of joy immediately appeared in Lanlan's eyes.
no doubt.
In this kind of environment, being able to hear the sounds of people moving around is definitely a reassuring thing.