Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

When Zhou Feng returned to the guest room, only Zhao Pan'er was sitting by the window, flipping through the commentary on the Book of Changes.

They also frequently practiced the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), and their understanding of the I Ching was still very important.

"Where are the others?"

"Zhong Ling insisted on going to the garden, so Jing Ru and Xiao E followed her. Then they also pulled Mu Guniang and San Niang along, and finally took Bai Ling with them."

"I thought it wouldn't be good for the room to be empty when you come back later, so I stayed."

Seeing Zhao Pan'er's gentle and graceful appearance, Zhou Feng couldn't help but step forward and hug her.

After Zhao Pan'er entered the palace and secured her position as Empress, the earthy air about her gradually disappeared, replaced by the calm, intellectual, and gentle demeanor of a woman in charge of the household.

"Perfect timing. Let me tell you about the progress of our objective this time. As we discussed before, I've used Duan Zhengchun to lure Li Qingluo into a trap. Judging from her expression, it seems like it's going to work out. Once we get the Lesser Formless Skill, we can head to Leigu Mountain."

"Alright, before you acquire the Lesser Formless Skill, Your Majesty should diligently practice the Six Meridians Divine Sword. As the plot progresses, masters like Xiao Feng and Ding Chunqiu will appear. Although we are protected by firearms, our own strength is also very important, after all..."

Zhao Pan'er didn't finish her sentence, but Zhou Feng already understood what she meant.

Zhou Feng never hid anything from Zhao Pan'er about these worlds, because she was different from others; she had no ideological awareness and no particular religious bias.

This woman's whole heart was devoted to Zhou Feng, so Zhou Feng could tell Zhao Pan'er all his thoughts without any reservations.

She also knew that Zhou Feng had some reservations about this world, so she couldn't completely trust Tie Jianguo and the others who had passed the initial test.

Just as the two were discussing, there were two knocks on the door.

"Junior brother, it's me!"

Zhou Feng and Zhao Pan'er exchanged a glance. The latter straightened her clothes before Zhou Feng spoke.

After receiving permission, Li Qingluo, who was standing at the door with her knuckles white from clutching a handkerchief, let out a long breath before pushing the door open and entering.

"Junior brother, about that matter you just mentioned... I agree! As long as you bring Duan Lang... Duan Zhengchun to my Mantuo Manor and can keep him here, I will grant your request!"

Zhou Feng, who was about to say something polite, paused for a moment, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. Zhao Pan'er's eyes also brightened slightly, and she nodded at Zhou Feng.

"good!"

Zhou Feng let out a soft sigh and clapped his hands: "Then, Senior Sister, shall we..."

"No!"

Before Zhou Feng could finish speaking, Li Qingluo abruptly interrupted him, her eyes flashing with anger as she looked at him: "Even if I agree to give Yu Yan to you, you can't be in such a hurry! I won't force Yu Yan to marry you. You need to win her heart yourself!"

"what?"

Hearing Li Qingluo's words, Zhou Feng was stunned. His eyes widened and his mouth slightly open, not knowing what she was saying.

Sitting to the side, Zhao Pan'er's eyes widened slowly. She looked at Li Qingluo, then at Zhou Feng, her expression changing from confusion to astonishment. Finally, she calmed down, but her gaze towards Zhou Feng was full of complex emotions.

"Senior sister, the precious item I mentioned before..."

"It's just Yu Yan, isn't it? Let me tell you, Yu Yan is my most precious daughter, not an object! If you ever mistreat her in the future, I will never let you off the hook!"

Isn't this utter nonsense?

Zhou Feng scratched his head and looked at Zhao Pan'er, who shrugged at him with a half-smile on her lips.

Left with no other choice, Zhou Feng quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

If he were to explain to Li Qingluo now that he didn't want Wang Yuyan, even if she didn't believe him, the humiliation of looking down on her would be enough to make Li Qingluo turn against him immediately.

"Could you please wait a moment, Senior Sister, while I speak with Pan'er for a few moments?"

Hearing Zhou Feng's words, Li Qingluo stared at him for a few seconds, then looked at Zhao Pan'er, pursed her lips, nodded, turned around and left the guest room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door closed, Zhao Pan'er's expression changed immediately.

She turned to look at Zhou Feng, her arms crossed over her chest, her gaze completely calm.

"Pan'er... well, this is actually a misunderstanding!"

Zhou Feng touched his nose.

"What misunderstanding?"

"My senior sister and I originally wanted the Lesser Formless Skill, but she misunderstood and thought I wanted Wang Yuyan. Before I could explain, she said that, and I couldn't refuse her."

"Oh? Then why didn't you explain when Senior Sister spoke up, Your Excellency?"

Zhao Pan'er didn't believe Zhou Feng's words at all, and asked in a calm tone, "Before Senior Sister goes out, you can make it clear to her that between her daughter and the Lesser Formless Skill, Senior Sister will choose her daughter, right? After all, this skill has been with Senior Sister for so many years, and she has never practiced it."

Zhou Feng was silent for a few moments, then suddenly smiled and leaned closer to Zhao Pan'er: "Pan'er, I admit I have feelings for Wang Yuyan. Think about it, Wang Yuyan looks exactly like you. If she marries someone else, how would I feel watching from the sidelines?"

Hearing Zhou Feng's words, Zhao Pan'er fell silent, a hint of annoyance in her eyes. She then sighed softly, "Your Majesty is right. If that girl were to marry someone else while wearing my appearance, it would indeed be awkward! But Your Majesty needs to think carefully. At this moment, Wang Yuyan's heart is with her cousin, and she later got together with Duan Yu. If you force your way in, you might not get the better of it. Don't forget, she won't even listen to her own mother, Senior Sister; she's purely love-struck."

Don't worry!

Zhou Feng patted Zhao Pan'er's hand: "As long as you can force your way in, everything else will fall into place naturally!"

After persuading Zhao Pan'er, Zhou Feng breathed a sigh of relief.

Given Pan'er's personality, once she admits it, she will take the initiative to help Zhou Feng persuade other women, which is one of the reasons why Zhou Feng loves being with her the most.

As for Wang Yuyan…

Now that he has come to the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, how could he possibly let Wang Yuyan go?

Just like how you can't miss Xiaolongnu in the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes, or you can't miss Huang Rong in the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes!

Zhao Pan'er rolled her eyes at Zhou Feng, knowing her master's nature. Wang Yuyan's resemblance to her was one thing, but wanting to bring her into the harem was another.

However, bringing Wang Yuyan into the fold is also a good thing, since she can be called a master of martial arts theory.

If Wang Yuyan could return to her original world, there would be no need to send many martial arts manuals back to her original world; Wang Yuyan alone could research and develop cultivation methods.

"Your Majesty, I will help you with Miss Wang's matter. But this cannot be rushed; we must proceed gradually."

"Don't worry, I know. Besides, we haven't mastered the Lesser Formless Skill yet, so we'll definitely have to stay at the manor for a while and take it slow."

Zhao Pan'er pulled her hand out of Zhou Feng's palm and got up to open the door.

At this moment, Li Qingluo was standing under the eaves with her back to the door, showing no intention of eavesdropping at all.

Zhao Pan'er stepped aside to clear the doorway and smiled at her: "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister. We've reached an agreement. We agree to what you asked for."

Not seeing Zhou Feng come out, Li Qingluo simply nodded to Zhao Pan'er, hummed in response, and then turned and walked towards her own courtyard.

She didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, as it sounded like she was selling her daughter.

After seeing Li Qingluo off, Zhou Feng followed Zhao Pan'er's instructions and headed towards the garden of Mantuo Villa.

The villa was much larger than he had imagined. It took him a long time to reach the garden. Along the way, various camellias were planted among the rockeries and boulders.

After entering the garden, there is a small pond with an octagonal pavilion by the pond. Inside the pavilion, there are stone tables and benches, and several girls are chatting and laughing around.

Wang Yuyan, who had never left Mantuo Manor, was inevitably excited to meet so many sisters of the same age as her, and her face was full of smiles.

However, different girls have different personalities and are in completely different states.

For example, Zhong Ling is sitting directly on the stone table, her legs dangling in the air, holding a handful of melon seeds, smiling, and chattering away. Qin Jingru, Lou Xiao'e, and Wang Yuyan are all playing along with her.

Mu Wanqing sat on a stone bench on the other side, her face cold, listening silently.

Sun San Niang and Bai Ling were near the outside of the pavilion, looking at the camellias in full bloom.

At this moment, Wang Yuyan was wearing a light green dress, her hair was loosely tied up, and she had a simple white jade hairpin in her hair.

A faint smile played on her lips, and the gentle and mild temperament in her eyes and brows was very similar to Zhao Pan'er's, but she was younger and more innocent.

Sunlight streamed in from the eaves of the pavilion, falling on half of her face and casting a soft golden hue over her delicate profile.

Even Zhou Feng, who had spent a long time with Zhao Pan'er, couldn't help but show a hint of amazement!

When Zhou Feng approached, Zhong Ling was the first to see him.

The little girl suddenly jumped off the stone bench, scattering sunflower seeds all over the ground: "Brother Zhou! You've finally arrived! This garden is so beautiful, much nicer than my house! Let's go play together!"

Startled by Zhong Ling, Wang Yuyan also raised her head, her gaze falling on Zhou Feng's face. She immediately stood up, placed her hands in front of her abdomen, slightly bent her knees, and performed a shallow curtsy, her voice soft and gentle: "Yuyan greets Martial Uncle."

Zhou Feng nodded to him and then sat down at the stone table. The other women also greeted him, but they were much more casual than Wang Yuyan, after all, he was their man.

As for that arrogant girl, Zhou Feng was too lazy to pay her any attention. He would only give her a response when she lowered her pride.

Nodding to Wang Yuyan to signal her to sit down, Zhou Feng asked curiously, "You two seemed to be having a good chat. What were you talking about?"

Wang Yuyan sat down again, her fingers unconsciously twisting her sash, a slight blush on her face: "Ling'er is telling me about what happened to you in Dali, Uncle-Master... I heard that you killed three great villains on Wuliang Mountain and also repelled the Great Wheel King Kumārajīva..."

She had been raised in the manor since childhood, and her understanding of the outside world was limited to snippets of conversation with Murong Fu, most of which were self-aggrandizement and self-promotion. She had never heard such a dramatic story from Zhong Ling.

The Four Evils are plotting against the Dali Duan family again, and Kumārajīva has stormed Tianlong Temple, trying to seize martial arts techniques. She really wants to see it for herself.

"Actually, it wasn't really me who repelled them, more or less."

Zhou Feng gave a casual reply without elaborating.

Why isn't the killing of the four villains by Tie Jianguo and others counted as part of his achievements? He even brought back the guns!

However, looking into Wang Yuyan's bright eyes, Zhou Feng suddenly realized something.

That means this girl is quite interested in stories about the martial arts world, and if you want to win her over, you really have to start with what interests her most.

But when talking about the martial arts world, one cannot avoid the formidable obstacle in the way, namely Murong Fu.

Since that's the case, it's better to guide than to block, so Zhou Feng decided to take the initiative to steer the conversation toward Murong Fu.

"What does Miss Wang usually do at the manor? I see you seem quite interested in the martial world; have you ever ventured out?"

"No... I... I just read books and play the piano. Sometimes Azhu and Abi come to keep me company. They live in Yanziwu, so it's not easy for them to come over. Therefore, I always let them stay for a few more days."

At this point, a hint of sadness appeared on Wang Yuyan's face. She wanted to go out, but her mother was too strict with her.

"Miss Abi, we have met once before. After all, it was Miss Abi who led us to Mantuo Manor. But where is Swallow's Nest? If we have the chance, we must go and pay her a visit."

Zhou Feng feigned interest, and Wang Yuyan's eyes lit up instantly: "The Swallow House is my cousin's residence! My cousin's surname is Murong, and his given name is Fu. He's a descendant of the Murong family of Gusu. In the martial arts world, they say 'Northern Xiao Feng, Southern Murong,' have you heard of that, Uncle-Master?"

When she spoke of Murong Fu, her entire demeanor changed completely, and her words were tinged with pride.

"Of course I've heard of it. The Murong clan of Gusu used their own methods against them!"

"That's right! Martial Uncle has indeed heard of it."

Wang Yuyan also became excited, leaning forward slightly: "My cousin's martial arts are amazing! Although he's young, he's already mastered all the family's martial arts techniques and has read extensively about the martial arts secrets of various schools and sects throughout the world!"

"Is that so?" Zhou Feng's lips curled up slightly. "That Young Master Murong is indeed exceptionally talented. How long would it take for the likes of us to master a martial art? Yet he has not only mastered all his family's martial arts but also read extensively about the secret techniques of various schools and sects throughout the world?"

At first glance, Zhou Feng's words did seem to be praising Murong Fu, but Wang Yuyan instinctively felt that something was amiss.

My cousin's mastery of the family's martial arts seems... probably... not very deep... right?