Thirty-two whales

The three ministers were momentarily stunned, exchanging uneasy glances. They wondered how Fu Luoxuan had come to know of this, but being shrewd men, they quickly realized the truth: Su Jinyue was Fu Luoxuan’s operative, and by capturing their children, she had provided him with the leverage needed to threaten them.

The Wish-Fulfillment Pawnshop was legendary in Tiandu, renowned as the city’s premier establishment. Its proprietor was known to the public merely as a merchant, but his true identity was that of an illegitimate prince of the imperial family, as well as a fearsome underworld overlord who ruled over nearly half the criminal factions of the Xiliang Kingdom.

For the past few days, Su Jinyue had been unusually quiet. She had neither mentioned A-Ling nor shown any signs of grief, though she would often fall into a trance, lost in her own thoughts.

Li Lan frowned. "I find this strange as well!" After speaking, she examined Tu Ruicong’s palms, noting they were slightly flushed and slick with a faint sheen of sweat.

"Slow down. Your sister-in-law is safe; she has already left the imperial palace. The Great Kang exchanged a thousand warhorses for your life." Seeing Hu Erhe’s frantic state, Hu Yuanzhu hurried to reassure him.

Seizing a moment when she was distracted, Fu Zichen slipped his hand into his dress trouser pocket, covering the bulge and gripping it firmly, ready for whatever might come.

"It may not be impossible to defeat it! I have a bold idea, though I am not sure if it is feasible," Li Lifei said with a grave expression.

In an instant, Di Junchen’s figure vanished from where he stood, dissolving into wisps of green smoke that slowly dissipated into the air.

Fortunately, with Zhang Da there to handle the heavy labor, Qiao Nuan and Luoluo only needed to manage the registration formalities; moving luggage to the dormitory was a task left entirely to him.

"Yu" refers to the expanse of space in all directions, while "Zhou" encompasses the passage of time from the past to the present. Space and time are the two most fundamental elements that constitute the universe and the world; without either, the entire cosmos could not exist.

Ye Xiao nodded. "How pitiful." But the world is full of pitiful people, and no one’s life is necessarily easier than another’s, so there was no need to let his compassion run wild.

According to his original plan, this operation was intended to wipe out the demon race if possible; if not, it was essential to at least sow discord between the demons and the bone race.

***

Perhaps Wang Zhongfa could not hold his liquor; after two drinks, his face flushed, and his gaze grew noticeably unfocused.

Although he appeared to be in a wretched state, his words carried a resilience rarely seen in ordinary men, and his underlying air of arrogance was enough to move even someone of Yun Tian’s temperament.

"What is wrong with Mu Chunzi? Why hasn't he eliminated the devil?" Dule stamped his feet in lamentation.

Furthermore, the fat man likely did not want Ye Xiao interfering in his affairs, so Ye Xiao saw no reason to meddle. Although exorcising evil spirits yielded dozens of times more merit than dealing with ordinary ghosts, Ye Xiao was no miser; a gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it through proper means.

Thinking this, Niu Juming took a few more steps until he reached the gates of the Wuqing Marquis Mansion, where he laid eyes on the most valuable item in this desperate "fire sale": the imperial decree granting the title of "Wuqing Marquis Mansion."

His gaze fell upon the Fairy Chuchu, causing her heart to pound wildly. It was not that she had fallen irrevocably in love with Li Zhi due to his sudden display of virility, but rather that she feared she might be his next target.

"That is just Old Huang’s worrying nature. Not like me—I don't dwell on tomorrow. The most important thing in life is to be happy. What is the point of fretting like Old Huang?" Luo Mengde said with a laugh.

It was evident that they all came from excellent families. At the very least, they were well-provided for and never lacked for money.

"It looks like we have no choice but to go to Osaka Castle." Kazuha pulled a travel guidebook from somewhere and read aloud.

The two men kept their eyes fixed on Lin Yixue’s silhouette until she entered the restroom, at which point they turned and exchanged a look.

"Caught a cold?" Conan shifted his gaze away from the statue of Yoshitsune Dainichi Nyorai in the park and raised an eyebrow at Hattori.

His son had been slaughtered; no matter who it was, they would not take that lying down. It was no wonder Ao Xian was stirring up such a massive conflict.

***

"Stinking monkey... don't stop me!" The Bazhen Chicken’s face turned purple from holding its breath, its wings flapping feebly as its beak remained stuffed full of fruit.

Facing the two, the masked man fell silent for a moment before slowly removing his mask, revealing a face they all recognized.

"Understood!" Alized’s expression turned stern. Having read the note, he understood the gravity of the situation and turned decisively to leave the room, setting out to rally the people of Black Rock Town.

The Wind and Thunder tribes and the others exchanged glances and remained seated, while Xue Tianhan of the Snow People, the Elves, and the Giants turned their eyes toward Qiong Cang of the Dragon tribe.

As for strength, there was no need to compete. If Ling Yun were to unleash his full power against these vampires, it would be nothing more than bullying.

Stepping out of the teahouse, Zhang Tianyi immediately spotted Yang Lekang waiting outside, whose eyes were filled with unmistakable malice.

Looking at the platter of food, Li Xiang suddenly had a thought: if everyone were eating dishes from Baiweifang right now, what kind of scene would it be, and what would the consequences be?

However, upon seeing Lin Yuming once again, Liu Mei’s heart began to stir uncontrollably. She loved seeing him, loved his temperament—steady yet understated, humorous yet roguish. These were two completely different personalities, yet they combined perfectly within Lin Yuming, making him all the more enchanting.

In their shock, the two were quick to react. Knowing their current state, they knew they could not withstand a direct blow and hurriedly retreated.

The guy’s kick was clumsy in form, but it made up for it with sheer, heavy power, sending Liu Bin sliding more than two meters across the ground.