Chương 17: Cang Yao, a former prince of the previous dynasty

Just as Cang Lian was talking with Elder Huang, the heavy, ornate iron gate of the mansion creaked open.

A gleaming black Western-style car slowly drove in and stopped under the porch.

The driver quickly stepped forward and opened the car door.

A woman got off first from the back row.

She wore a smart Chanel suit with a knee-length skirt that revealed her legs clad in sheer stockings, and a pair of mid-heeled leather shoes that made a crisp "clack-clack" sound as she stepped on the cobblestones.

Unlike other socialites who sport permed hair, she had a neat short hairstyle, which made her already delicate oval face even more radiant.

Her eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and there was a faint smile on her lips. She exuded a confidence and heroism that came from years of experience, as if there was nothing in this world that she couldn't do.

Information from Cang Lian's memories surged instantly, revealing that this was Cang Yao, the daughter born to the third concubine, Bai Wanyu.

Third wife Bai Wanyu is the apple of the eye of the Bai family in Shenghai.

The Bai family's core business is multinational banking; they are truly incredibly wealthy and have connections everywhere.

Bai Wanyu herself is a top student who studied in the West. She is proficient in international law, speaks eight languages, and can handle various foreign-related disputes. She has won huge benefits for the Cang family from foreigners, so she has a very high status in the Cang family.

Cang Yao holds a prestigious position in the Cang family because of her mother, and this is one of the reasons.

Another, more important reason is that she is also a martial arts genius!

It is said that she reached the peak of the Transformation Realm at a young age and is the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Cang family.

She was one of the few young masters and ladies in the Cang family who were entitled to ride in a car and come and go freely.

The clothes of the person who got off the car with her caught Cang Lian's eye a few more times.

That person was actually wearing... the robes of a prince from the previous dynasty!

It was a long, dark blue silk robe with wide sleeves embroidered with intricate cloud patterns in gold thread.

A bright yellow belt was tied around his waist, from which hung a piece of Hetian jade of excellent quality.

She was wearing a pair of thick-soled black satin boots.

This attire makes one seem like a nobleman from a previous dynasty, incongruous yet strangely integrated with this modern Western-style mansion.

This man was no more than thirty years old, with a handsome face, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, but his eyes revealed a sense of vicissitude and coldness that did not match his age.

He stood there, his posture ramrod straight, without any unnecessary movements, yet he gave the illusion of being as solid as an iron rod, an invisible sense of oppression emanating from him, even the surrounding air seemed to become viscous.

This person is truly extraordinary!

The two walked over side by side. Upon seeing this, Cang Lian composed herself, forced a perfectly measured, gentle smile, and called out, "Sister!"

"Hmm." Cang Yao stopped and nodded to him, her tone calm but with a hint of concern.

"You should come out more often, instead of staying cooped up in the house all day. You'll get moldy."

"Okay, sister." Cang Lian nodded.

Cang Yao hummed in agreement and then walked with the young man dressed as a prince deeper into the mansion.

Once the two figures had completely disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Cang Lian turned around, lowered her voice, and asked Elder Huang beside her, "Elder Huang, who was that person?"

Old Huang glanced in the direction the young man had left, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes. He replied in a low voice, "That was a prince from the previous dynasty. His real name is unknown, but I heard he later changed his name to Jin Shiwu. He is a descendant of a noble family from the previous dynasty, a true descendant of the imperial family. In recent years, he has frequently come to our mansion to exchange martial arts techniques with Miss Cang Yao."

"Oh? To exchange martial arts techniques?"

Upon hearing this, Cang Lian's heart stirred.

The strength of a martial arts genius who can be regarded as an object of "communication" by Cang Yao is self-evident.

He left the front yard and did not return to his own small building. Instead, he pretended to stroll leisurely and slowly walked towards the martial arts hall.

The Martial Arts Hall is the core of the Cang family's martial arts, and it's also a place he's always been forbidden from entering.

Sure enough, as soon as they reached the vermilion gate of the martial arts hall, they were stopped by two guards at the entrance.

The two men were not dressed in the traditional short-sleeved clothes of servants, but in sharp gray suits, with capable expressions and sharp eyes, like two cheetahs ready to pounce.

They stretched out their arms expressionlessly, blocking Cang Lian's path.

"Young Master, please stop. This is the Martial Arts Hall, not a place you are allowed to enter."

"I am the young master of the Cang family. Is there any place in my own home that I cannot go?" Cang Lian raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone carrying a hint of questioning.

"Young Master, you can't enter without the Madam's permission. Please don't make things difficult for us!" Although the two addressed each other as "Young Master," their arms remained still, their eyes resolute, clearly showing that they only respected the rules, not the person.

Cang Lian's brows furrowed even deeper.

In my memory, it was the first wife, Shen Peiyu, who forbade him from stepping into the martial arts hall since he was a child, citing his "weak physique and unsuitability for martial arts practice."

Today, this ban remains as imposing as a mountain.

He took a deep breath, and a nonchalant smile suddenly appeared on his face: "Fine, if I don't want to go in, I don't want to. I can just walk around outside the wall, is that alright?"

"Please go ahead, young master!" The two men withdrew their arms, but their gazes remained fixed on him—a professionally trained gaze that could pin a person to the spot.

Cang Lian turned around and walked out along the high wall of the martial arts hall, seemingly casually.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said to Gu Guolong, who was following him at a distance, "Guardian Gu, we're at home, so there shouldn't be any danger. Please let me walk around in peace and quiet."

Gu Guolong stared at him with his hawk-like eyes for a moment, as if weighing something.

Finally, he hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded and stopped, but his gaze never left Cang Lian's back.

Having received permission, Cang Lian felt slightly relieved.

He strolled leisurely along the wall of the martial arts hall, as if he were really just taking a walk.

But in reality, his ears had already quietly perked up, unleashing all his senses to the extreme, like an invisible net covering the wall in front of him.

Before long, he was standing on the back wall of the martial arts hall.

This is the inner side of the training ground.

Soon, he could clearly hear the sounds of martial arts practice coming from inside the enclosure, even from outside the wall.

"drink!"

A loud shout, deep and resonant like thunder, was filled with explosive power.

Immediately following was the sound of "whoosh! whoosh!" as the force of the punches and kicks was so strong that it even tore through the air.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Those were the sounds of heavy punches or kicks striking sandbags or wooden stakes, each impact causing a barely perceptible tremor in the ground beneath Cang Lian's feet.

Among these powerful voices, there was also a sharp one.

"No! Your strength is too scattered! Internal strength emphasizes 'where the mind goes, the energy follows, and the force penetrates the muscles and bones,' not just simple muscle bursts! A hundred of your blows like that are less effective than one of my strikes!"

"Your training over there is wrong too! The key to neutralizing force is 'no gaps in the whole body, movement as stillness,' not a single feather can be added, not a mosquito can land! You haven't even achieved the relaxation and sinking of the superficial fascia layer, how can you develop 'listening force'? Look, you haven't even shaken the dust off your sleeves! Watch me!"

Before the words were finished, a loud "bang" was heard, as if a heavy hammer had struck a thick cowhide drum, and the entire wall trembled slightly!

Upon hearing this voice, Cang Lian suddenly had a thought: Hong Jiuru, the martial arts instructor of the Cang family.