Volume 1, Chapter 38: The Meeting

"Did you see Jun Xie?" Ning Rui asked, his gaze sweeping over Gu Ying’s bloodied hand. The blood had yet to dry, and a few droplets had fallen onto the floor.

Gu Xinyan’s eyes widened as she looked from her father to Gu Ying, her expression filled with concern.

Not far into the valley, there stood a massive boulder. The cultivator led them around it, and only then did everyone discover the hidden world that lay beyond.

"Let’s go." Wu Xiu gestured with his hand, and a black flying sword rapidly expanded, carrying the four of them away toward the distance.

No sooner had Yue Qingcheng left than Jin Yuhua arrived with Shangguan Jue in tow, demanding to see the person in charge of the medicinal pill auction.

For a moment, the entire hall fell into a heavy silence, the atmosphere so oppressive that breathing felt like a struggle.

Ji Yun hesitated, wondering whether to reveal the truth. But seeing Yan Jing’an finally in good spirits, he couldn't bear to see her frown again. After some thought, he decided against it; even if he spoke up, not only would he be unable to help, but he might also arouse that person's suspicions.

Ji Quan was, after all, an expert—a true master of cultivation. If even he found the situation tricky, it meant they had surely provoked someone or some power that should not be trifled with. However, such thoughts were still premature.

It wasn't that Ji Yun couldn't win, but he simply didn't want to be too conspicuous. Furthermore, he didn't want to expose his sword techniques too early; doing so would benefit neither him nor the Black and White Academy.

The cold metal door gleamed with a faint, eerie light. After a long while, with no one coming to open it, Zi Jin knew he wasn't home. She called his company and learned that Yue Lingfeng had taken leave; since it wasn't the holiday season yet, he naturally wouldn't be returning.

In the end, Nangong Jin ascended to the seat of supreme imperial power. With the assistance of Feng Tian, he quelled the fires of war across the continent of Shihuo within three years, unifying the land and becoming its sole monarch. From then on, the continent was known as the Kingdom of Shihuo.

Qin Chuan was quite surprised by such terrifying power. However, while the power was formidable, it was not his most satisfactory state; the weight caused the flight speed to be a bit slow, and the flight trajectory was not particularly stable.

"Even if you can detect my position, so what? You still have to be fast enough to catch me."

***

Mrs. Wang nodded and said, "You are right. Your aunt has been blinded by greed and wealth; there is no need for our Fang family to muddy these waters." Whether or not Li Jingyi married Wang Zhang would not affect their relationship, so why should Mrs. Wang play the villain?

"Good." Xi Ruobai sat beside him, reaching into his chest for a handkerchief, but then suddenly withdrew his hand and used his fingers to gently wipe the blood from the corners of his mouth.

As soon as Li Jingyi stepped out of Xian’an Court, she saw Eunuch Liang guarding the door and couldn't help but smile. She had been wondering why he wasn't serving Princess Jinyang today; it turned out he had been waiting for her here.

Mu Xuanling looked him up and down, sensing something was missing. She glanced around, grabbed a piece of red cloth, and covered his face with it. "There, now they won't be able to recognize you..." Her eyes swept over his gaze, and she found her hand frozen in mid-air.

Not only was that mysterious young man in white calm, but the twins—brother and sister—and the burly man were equally composed.

Fishermen all believe in feng shui. After all, there is so much unknown and fear when out at sea. They need psychological comfort; they would rather believe in these things than risk the alternative.

Moreover, once his brother-in-law could become in-laws with the family of the third-ranked official at the Provincial Investment Bureau, he would surely soar to great heights in the future.

She entered through the main gate and saw that lanterns had been hung on every pear tree. Countless faint lights illuminated the path, and the sound of cicadas grew from soft to deep. She walked forward slowly; tonight, the full moon hung high, as if in a dream.

The blue bird flew to the window and chirped for a moment, causing an expression of "just as I thought" to appear on the assassin’s face.

Even if Li Xifeng were foolish, she finally realized that Shen Miaoyin had merely been provoking her on purpose to make her look like a fool.

Several times, Lu Wuya was deeply drawn to her, casting a secret glance before quickly walking away.

But now that his father had said those words, Han Mozhan felt that all his efforts had been recognized. The feeling was incredibly stirring.

He found a general template in his brain computer, wrote out the IOU, and sent it to Ji Chengyi.

***

At night, thick mist rose from the river. There were no stars, and the sky was pitch-black, as if plotting a violent rainstorm.

Jing Ye turned, and as he met the clear gaze of the Supreme Deity, his heart stung again. That strange, familiar sensation returned, yet seeing the divine mark on the deity's forehead, he knew clearly that the person before him was not her.

Liu Cuilian had already realized that the man surnamed Jin was intentionally making things difficult, waiting for a bribe. But the funds in their hands were only enough to buy salt; there was absolutely no money to spare for gifts.

"Impossible, how could this be done!" As a local of Jiangzhou and a hotel manager, if such a method truly existed, she would have long since acquired it. Unfortunately, no such method existed at all.

Zhao Tiezhu had naturally considered this, but unlike Fang Yan, he felt no optimism—only overflowing rage. Zhao Tiezhu had repeatedly shown his bottom line to his opponent, yet this Han Jinsong dared to act this way regardless.

Before long, Qiu Deyang’s skin began to crack. His clothes had long since turned to ash, and the herbal residues, refined by the exotic fire, were discharged into the bottom of the Nine-Dragon Cauldron.

Seeing an old man with his head wrapped in black gauze kneeling among them, the many princes understood everything. The killing intent radiating from them poured out like a tidal wave, making the already frozen atmosphere even gloomier. Those with weaker strength could barely breathe.

I tried to calm myself down, peering through the gap in the stone door. I discovered that the design was unique; it was not a door that opened from the sides, but one supported by two rods from the top.

However, Su Qinghan’s principles were always firm, so even Yaya couldn't do anything about it, and she followed her boss into the room, trailing behind him.

Looking at his state, one could only describe it as tragic. His holy body was drenched in blood and exposed bone; his spine was half-broken, and a terrifying blood hole in his chest still spewed holy blood. Every wound and furrow of flesh was entwined with imperial laws, dissolving his fundamental vitality, causing the injuries not only to refuse to heal but to continue to expand.