Because of this unexpected incident, Lan Yan decided to stay by Jun Yelan's side and not leave him. She sent a message to the Lan Manor, informing them of her whereabouts and requesting some supplies.
Then, resting her head on her hand, she sat in the courtyard, staring intently at the entrance.
When Doctor Lin brought the medicine, he was startled by Lan Yan's appearance. "Little girl, your heart is truly sincere. If I cannot heal your beloved, I will smash my own signboard."
"Beloved?" Lan Yan's cheeks flushed, and she waved her hand, "No, it's not."
Seeing Lan Yan's shyness, Doctor Lin chuckled, "Young people are thin-skinned, I understand." He smiled and went inside with the medicine.
Lan Yan: "...It's over, I can't explain. I'll just go with it."
Soon, people from the Lan Manor arrived, bringing some food and the chess set she usually played with.
Bored, she set up the chessboard.
Doctor Lin, seeing the chessboard, was puzzled. "Little girl, what game are you playing? Why are there only differently colored marbles?"
"Doctor Lin, this is Chinese checkers. It's very fun, I'll teach you." Lan Yan narrowed her eyes, revealing a cunning smile.
Seeing this, Doctor Lin sat down and said with a smile, "Alright. I'm a master at chess, I won't lose to a little girl like you." He rolled up his sleeves and stared intently at the chessboard.
Heh heh! That's not necessarily true. After Lan Yan taught Doctor Lin the rules, they began to play.
Half an hour later, Doctor Lin, looking at his losing position again, exclaimed, "Again. Let me add some medicine first." He went to Jun Yelan's room and returned shortly after, sitting opposite Lan Yan.
Lan Yan smiled, holding marbles in her hand, and continued to place them.
Doctor Lin became increasingly interested, pulling Lan Yan to continue playing.
Their laughter also reached the room, and Jun Yelan, with his eyes closed, curved his lips slightly upward.
By the third day, the most crucial moment arrived. Lan Yan stopped playing chess and waited in the courtyard for Jun Yelan to emerge.
On the back mountain, Du Yin looked at the group of people behind him and shouted, "Our plan must succeed this time!" Otherwise, once Jun Yelan recovered his martial arts, he would be a huge threat to the Master.
The men nodded in unison and followed Du Yin.
Lan Yan, who was eating snacks, almost choked when ten people suddenly appeared in the courtyard. These people meant trouble! She looked at the whip and medicine bag on the table and called out, "Gentlemen, can't you wait a little longer?"
The ten people, led by Du Yin, rushed towards Jun Yelan's room door.
Lan Yan scattered the medicine bag, and the powder fell onto the ten men. Seeing them still bewildered, she swung her whip, knocking down half of them.
She laughed, "You thought I wasn't prepared!" Ever since that incident as an apprentice, she had prepared some things to protect Jun Yelan.
Du Yin, seeing that half his men were already down, was furious. He stood his ground, waiting for an opportunity.
Seeing that Lan Yan no longer had any powder, the remaining men charged again.
Lan Yan, with a smile, stood in the corridor and pulled a rope beside her. Several short arrows rained down, hitting three men in front. "Sorry, I have more tricks up my sleeve."
Now, the remaining man dared not approach.
Hatred flickered in Du Yin's eyes. He grabbed that man and hurled him towards Lan Yan. While Lan Yan dodged, he attacked her.
Lan Yan looked at her now tattered sleeve and said angrily, "Despicable." She gripped her wrist and stood at the main entrance.
"Get out of the way, I'll kill you too today!" Du Yin thought Lan Yan was standing there to protect Jun Yelan. He reached out to grab her and was stunned when Lan Yan didn't dodge this time.
Lan Yan curled her lips and shouted, "My final trump card."
The door to the room opened, and Jun Yelan walked out, exuding a chilling aura. His eyes were deep, filled with hatred, and he struck Du Yin's chest with a palm.
Du Yin was sent flying back, lying on the ground in a pathetic state, spitting blood incessantly. He cried out in shock, "You, your martial arts have recovered!"
"You deserve to die!" Jun Yelan's words carried a powerful resonance. The murderous aura emanating from him also surged, and when he saw Lan Yan's torn sleeve, his eyes darkened.
He approached Du Yin, placing a foot on his chest, and looked at Du Yin's despair. " I was also crippled by you back then, so despairing. I swore to get revenge, and you are the second!"
"I will send your corpse to your Master!" With that, he grabbed Du Yin's neck and twisted it fiercely.
Du Yin's pupils contracted sharply. He looked up at the sky, "Master, I can no longer help you." His hand dangled limply.
Jun Yelan retracted his foot and used a handkerchief to wipe his fingers. He walked back and saw Lan Yan still standing in the corridor. Damn it, he had forgotten Lan Yan was there in his anger.
Now Lan Yan might be afraid of him. He walked over uneasily, his steps slowing.
Lan Yan was blinking her starry eyes, waiting for Jun Yelan to approach, and exclaimed, "Jun Yelan, you're so powerful now. This way, no one can bully you anymore." She could also be her bodyguard.
Jun Yelan was slightly taken aback. Looking at Lan Yan's smiling face, the unease in his heart gradually disappeared. He said, "Yes, I will protect you from now on."
"Great! Then I'll be under your protection." Lan Yan smiled and went to call Doctor Lin for a pulse check. Only when she was sure Jun Yelan was truly alright would she feel at ease.
Moreover, she felt her rescue mission was at least half complete. Next, she needed to help Jun Yelan restore his identity and live a good life.
Jun Yelan watched Lan Yan's skipping figure and curved his lips slightly. When he looked at the corpses in the courtyard, his eyes turned cold again. He directly used his snake tail to coil them together and set them ablaze.
He looked at the fire, eagerly anticipating the Crown Prince's reaction upon receiving the corpses.
Doctor Lin arrived and was startled by the murderous aura emanating from Jun Yelan. He took Jun Yelan's pulse and said, "Little girl, go to the front and get the pills from the top of the cabinet."
Lan Yan left immediately.
Jun Yelan stared at Doctor Lin and asked, "You have something to tell me."
"Who you are, I don't care," Doctor Lin said. "But that girl has done everything for you. If you betray her, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
He once had a son who fell in love with a snake clan woman. He disapproved, poisoned the snake clan woman, and drove her away. He thought his son would give up, but instead, he confronted him for the sake of the snake clan woman and committed suicide in front of him.
He gave the antidote to the snake clan woman, but she did not take it; she left with his son's corpse.
After this incident, he fell into despair and vowed not to associate with the snake clan again. But seeing the genuine affection between Lan Yan and Jun Yelan, he wondered if the outcome would have been different if he had acted the same way towards his son.
Jun Yelan saw that Doctor Lin was lost in thought. When Doctor Lin regained his composure, he said, "I will never betray her." Even if Lan Yan never fell in love with him, he would protect her until his last breath.
His snake tail would only change for Lan Yan.
"That's good," Doctor Lin said, relieved. Seeing Lan Yan approaching, he said, "It's alright, you can leave today."
Lan Yan felt a bit reluctant to part with Doctor Lin and asked, "Doctor Lin, what are your plans from now on?"
"Wander the world." Doctor Lin intended to find the burial place of his son and the snake clan woman to atone for his sins. "Little girl, take care! Your road ahead is long."
There were still many people in the world who thought like him, unable to accept the love between different clans.
Lan Yan left the Chinese checkers behind and left the temple with Jun Yelan, returning to the manor.