Fifty-five

The car drove smoothly, with Xiaobao personally behind the wheel.

He Mian sat in the back seat, legs crossed, fingers gliding across his tablet as his eyes skimmed rapidly through the content.

“A Mian, I looked into Mrs. Duran just as you suggested. She’s really something—makes you wonder if Mr. Duran knows he’s wearing such a dazzling green hat,” Xiaobao said, gloating.

He Mian gave no reply.

...

The blond youth, his face patched with several band-aids, rushed forward to start a fight as soon as he saw Ning Feng come out.

What on earth was inside this box? The air was thick with mystery, all eyes fixed on Chu Yuyun—even Dabao’s critical yellow gaze was riveted to her.

As Ning Feng spoke, a series of images flashed through his mind like a slideshow. Seeing those slides, he couldn’t help but grin and then withdrew his hand.

With the two most experienced people in the field both vouching, the rest were mostly convinced and began to whisper among themselves.

The Turkic princess uttered a few more words tinged with contempt before finally ordering the city gates opened, allowing the people of the Celestial Empire to depart.

After all, Ye Zhusheng had struggled every day for a whole month just to survive, an ordeal Gao Yang clearly had never experienced.

“What about Dr. Liu…” Nurse Huang glanced hesitantly at Liu Zhenpeng, who had been beaten half to death. Though she felt sorry for him, she had no intention of meddling further.

And so, the regiment from Wuxi, bamboozled by Ai Nengqi, was discovered when they were still three miles from the Ming army’s encampment. Suddenly, a swath of bonfires flared up ahead, illuminating the area before the Ming camp as though it were daylight.

At Xinyu Chenyun, almost all the guests had arrived—only Tang Junchi was missing. Everything was ready but for this, and Su Manting, anxious and expectant, strained her eyes for any sign of the man.

With just three steps to go, Zhu Da’s body hadn’t yet fully loosened up. But now, there was no room for hesitation—he leveled his broadsword and charged forward in great strides.

If it took his life to break Yan’er’s seal, he was more than willing.

The busy children, sweating profusely, were terrified of the stern housekeeper. When Zhu Da and the others entered, they didn’t even dare to look up in curiosity.

“So, if I had to guess, your answer was a refusal,” the pale-faced man asked with a smile.

“Grandpa, you mustn’t! Allow me to pour your wine,” Situ Xuan insisted, refusing to let the old man serve the drinks himself. “How can the younger generation let their elders pour for them? That would be disrespectful.” With no other choice, the old gentleman relented.

The Fairy Zixia paid no heed to the two of them, tending to her own matters. Now that her senior had left on urgent business, she finally had this rare opportunity—the rest was up to her.

He finally had a monk’s robe at last—a brocade one, no less. How could he not be overjoyed? Yet his joy turned to disaster: leaping up in excitement, he crashed straight into a pit.

Yu Weiyan listened to these words, and when she looked again at the tall man, her eyes were full of disgust.

Xiao Zhen struck the black-robed fiend in the chest with his sword. The figure screamed in agony, blood gushing from the wound—clearly, he was gravely injured.

In just two years, he had advanced from a novice to the late stage of Earth Venerable. What on earth had he consumed? He refused to believe that Lang Yu had achieved such progress solely by absorbing the world’s spiritual energy. At this rate, in less than twenty years, their cultivation levels might be on par.

Bai Chuan and Liu Xu struck with all their might, their swords sending blades of energy crashing against each other mid-air. The shockwaves rippled out like waves, distorting the very air around them.

“Hey!” A low voice echoed through the silent hall via the speakerphone. Just that one word—though the speaker was unseen—carried a strange, oppressive power that made everyone feel stifled.

Zhong Li’s face changed abruptly. He flung aside the shattered jade slip in his hand, raising his head to stare fixedly at the pitch-dark entrance of the Battle Witch’s Cave. His expression was a mix of confusion, bafflement, and a deep, sullen refusal to believe the suspicion growing in his heart.