Volume 1, Chapter 29: Today, Bingzhou rebels.

Lu Yunduan spurred his horse to gallop back to the Prince of Yan's residence, rushing in haste to see Li Di.

"Father-in-law, what has happened? Why did you summon me back in such a hurry?"

Li Di sat in his chair, silent, and handed a sheet of paper to Lu Yunduan.

With a heart full of doubt, Lu Yunduan took it and read the contents. He had not expected that the damn emperor would secretly dispatch troops toward Bingzhou. It seemed the sovereign was intent on curbing the power of the vassal lords. He simply hadn't realized she would be so impatient.

"Father-in-law, what is the meaning of this? Why would the imperial court..."

Li Di sighed helplessly. He knew all too well that the current emperor had long harbored the desire to dismantle the power of the fiefs...

A violent collision erupted, birthing ripples of destruction that engulfed them both; every strike between them echoed like a thunderclap.

He swayed, his hands trembling with exhaustion, before slowly bending down to retrieve the dragon-scaled dagger and turning back toward the melon shed.

"Hmph, who makes such a clamor here, disturbing our cultivation?" one of the disciples asked coldly.

On this day, the entire planet of Zhongxing was filled with joy. The imperial guards were all smiles, beating drums and gongs as they formed a long welcoming procession across the sky.

Sun Xiang frowned. By his calculations, the Jingzhou army numbered around four or five thousand—two or three times the size of the force Fang Ji had led out.

Originally, Xia Zhenhai and Xia Zhentian were a generation of prodigies renowned throughout the Great Liang. The two cooperated perfectly, balancing offense and defense: Xia Zhenhai’s Five Dragon Heaven-Ruling Disk was hailed as the ultimate defense, while Xia Zhentian’s Five Dragon Sky-Roaring Sword was the ultimate offense.

A sudden alarm struck his heart as a beast resembling a black dragon roared, charging toward him with ferocious momentum.

"Pfft..." Tang Lu could not help but laugh; it was the first time she had seen an employee dare to speak to a boss in such a manner.

Of course, this was merely a prerequisite; He Xi still had much work to do before he could slay the Angel Poring. Suppressing the surging excitement in his heart, He Xi once again used a Butterfly Wing to return to Prontera.

Kaiji Ito did not show his cards. He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking incessantly; he appeared to be weeping.

Having done it once, Ren Hai was not as surprised this time. He glanced at the hoe handle and saw that the crack was indeed still there; it seemed this transformation had not changed that.

As expected, once Li Yang asked, the Azure Bird chirped at him to follow, then transformed into a streak of azure light and darted forward.

Emperor Hongzhi knew full well that this might be the last long journey of his life, so he did not intend to return early—he wanted to see and experience all he could.

Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors reigning over the New World, was a monster in the truest sense. Long ago, the title of "World's Strongest Creature" had already echoed across the seas for this beast.

Back in the greenhouse, Ren Hai ate a meal with Li Meng and checked the condition of the land; it would soon be ready for plowing.

"Why would he be in this vicinity?" When it came to those who might have directed Xu Ji, Li Weiyin’s first suspect was Lou Yucheng.

As Yang Chen brewed tea, he explained the precautions for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage to Li Yang, who listened with rapt attention.

"Since the Songshan Sect refuses to show respect, then to hell with them!" Zhao Qingchan clenched his fists.

Just as Qin Yu often said, those who kill shall always be killed; before they thought to kill him, they should have considered whether they themselves would be slain.

Li Xiang sneered imperceptibly, cursing inwardly: *You want to play the saint while acting the harlot? How convenient for you! If not for your father’s position, you fool, where would you find such glory?*

It was as if Wang Erhei were the true keeper of the records. Thinking of this, Tian Buqi felt a mounting pressure; even this messenger from the mortal realm seemed so much like a Heavenly Sovereign.

If she were a man, she would certainly choose those daughters of noble families; as for a country girl like herself, they wouldn't even spare her a glance.

A kick landed on him, and the man toppled to one side. He lifted his head slightly to glare at Lian Cheng with eyes full of disdain, then endured the pain to sit back in his original position, ignoring Lian Cheng entirely.

"I knew you were impatient. Meet me at the café where we last saw each other at four tomorrow afternoon. I will bring you along then—congratulations on officially joining the Special Task Force," the beautiful voice replied coldly.

The previous awkwardness had vanished, and the two chatted happily along the way, as if they were old, intimate friends. Yet, people they passed on the road kept looking toward them, and Fan Sisi’s face turned bright red quite naturally.

"This... this..." Jie Chen’s pupils dilated, for he realized this was no ghost at all, but a frail, dying old man.

"Sister, just let me see the Smiling Thief! I’m his fan," Luo Fu insisted stubbornly.

Summoning her courage, she used all her strength to push Sun Buqi away, then chased after her best friend in the distance with laughter.

Mo Zining blinked, then quickly picked up a meat roll from the table and... performed a live demonstration of wolfing down food for Baiwei Liushang.

Fucui Lake was also frozen over; the lotus flowers that bloomed in summer were now nothing more than a few stalks frozen in the ice. Snowflakes swirled, and looking toward the palace from afar, the white snow atop the roofs contrasted sharply with the vermilion walls.

Whether intentional or not, Concubine Shui was implicated, yet she was inexplicably released and received many rewards, leaving everyone baffled.

Ning Qiuchan had never been with a man and remained a virgin to this day. However, her team was vast, and because they were all beautiful and skilled in the arts of seduction, she gathered much intelligence through charm.

Xin Xin felt her heart ache once more. Whether it was the memory of the man’s once-cold yet tender hand on her neck, or his simple words, she could make no sound. She could only stare at the man as calmly as she could, hoping he would regain his composure—or at the very least, not kill her.

Su Yuqing blinked as she watched Long Moting’s travel-worn appearance; remembering what he had said earlier, she felt truly moved, yet also a trace of apology.

He was as enchantingly beautiful as a flower, his bright, vivid features set off by a pair of captivating, purple, phoenix-like eyes; it seemed that if one stared at them for too long, their very soul would be ensnared.