Chapter 38

Enraging the Chongzhen Emperor, Li Guodong felt that rescuing him was entirely worth it. When the Emperor's butcher knife finally swung down, countless gentry would undoubtedly meet their doom.

The clerk roared until his voice was hoarse and his face flushed crimson, stirring the blood of the surrounding onlookers who burst into loud cheers.

The third person is True Person Qingxu of the Eight Immortals Temple in Chang'an. He is wholly devoted to the Dao and normally indifferent to worldly trivialities, but the Prince of Xiang showed him kindness in his early years. If we make the request, there is a strong possibility he will agree.

The force behind these two arrows was immense; they pierced the leather armor of the Mongols, entering from the backs and protruding through the chests. The two Khorchin men struck by the arrows collapsed to the ground, their mouths opening and closing as bright red blood gushed forth like a fountain.

From palace gossip to the recent internal strife between the Crown Prince and Prince Mu, the two chatted about everything under the sun, completely losing track of time as the moments flew by.

"Please, Uncle, speak your mind freely." Zhao Ying was puzzled; what could Master Wang Jie possibly want?

"Then wasn't there a time when we requested troops from Zheng Zhilong? How did his naval forces manage to enter the Yangtze River Estuary?" Li Guodong asked.

The Prince of Zhennan maintained no defenses whatsoever against his family members. Li Guodong had already rummaged through the Prince's residence from top to bottom without finding a single thing. Consequently, his target naturally shifted to the heir apparent, one of the only two people in the estate who could actually make decisions.

Accustomed to the adoration of others over the years, she was still dwelling on what had just happened—to think she had actually been cursed at by some rustic village girl! The thought filled her with extraordinary rage.

"We have indeed crossed into Yizhou territory. I've long heard that Yizhou's flowers are not only varied in species but also brilliantly colored, and it's completely true. Even here in the countryside, it already feels vastly different from anywhere else." Listening to Ying Lan'er sing a song about flowers, Li Bing felt his spirits lift and lighten.

However, from Ye Zhi's perspective, this transaction was hardly a loss. She felt that her own existence had lost all inherent meaning; even if she were granted another few decades of life, it would merely be a way to pass the time by finding trivial occupations. Her only disciple, the one person who could accompany her and dispel her boredom, had gone off to become an emperor, leaving her alone in this world to drink in solitude under her own shadow.

Spanning over 800,000 square meters, such a scale within a metropolis like Zhonghai with a population exceeding twenty million gave a clear glimpse into the immense power wielded by the hotel's ultimate owner.

The Black Dragon wanted to employ its old trick, casting teleportation once more to widen the distance. Battles between spellcasters and warriors were always like this: one side sought to create distance to maintain their spellcasting rhythm, while the other relentlessly closed the gap to bring the opponent into their attack range.

"Don't argue, don't argue! The magic lion was hunted by these two lords, and they gifted its carcass to us as a present!" Haman shouted loudly in explanation.

One had to know that in duels between Xiantian experts, unless it was a fight to the death, true qi auras were rarely unleashed to their fullest extent, as doing so wasted precious internal energy. Moreover, opponents were rarely allowed to land a direct hit, because against peers of the same level, a protective qi aura was little better than paper. Thus, martial arts techniques and stances became critically important at such moments.

Murong Xue's greatest concern right now was the Emperor. The toxins in his system had only just been cleared, and his body remained terribly weak. If he were to be drugged into unconsciousness once more, wouldn't that simply hand Dongling He another opportunity?

Ye Zhan hurriedly explained, "Master, it was the Xie family of the Nine Great Surnames..." He then proceeded to briefly describe the entire matter from beginning to end.

"What on earth is going on?" Wen Zi frowned as she dialed Mo Zixuan's phone number, only to find it already powered off. She then turned to her assistant to ask for the full story.

Liu Changqing stared blankly at the few treasures, lost in a daze for a long time before letting out a sigh. Although the items were exceptional, alas, he had only just stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage; he would have to reach the Golden Core stage before he could wield magical treasures. For now, he could only look and not use them, so he might as well put them away first.

Everyone's breathing grew somewhat more rapid. Just how long had their Tiannan City Appraisers Association remained dormant?

Actually, Zhu Chongba had not thought through so many complex matters; he simply figured that whenever an issue arose, repeatedly asking the abbot for instructions could not possibly be wrong. No one had ever taught him to act this way; he knew it instinctively by nature.

Tohka's eyes widened. If the newcomer was likewise a Spirit, her heart would naturally feel a strong sense of affinity—much like her feelings for Yoshino. Meanwhile, the *Fraxinus*, which monitored Tohka's emotional fluctuations at all times, had also caught Kurumi Tokisaki's declaration. Operating on a "let's try investigating" mindset, the crew looked into the matter and discovered that the girl truly was a Spirit.

Though the Extreme Heaven Tiger was the First Valley Master of the Myriad Longevity Valley and stood on equal footing with figures like Bodhizi in the upper realms, before the Kunpeng, all of these things were utterly hollow. Matters had to be handled exactly as they should be, regardless of status.

Compared to the commendable Xuantu Commandery, Yan Dong—who had supposedly secured Lelang through sheer military might—always seemed to lack somewhat in local dinner-table conversation value.

The Well of Destiny was actually located on the cliff behind the Crystal Palace. When Long Yun beheld its true appearance, he was immensely surprised.

"Then, let us begin! Brother Tianhuo, clear your mind and open your heart!" Wu Kui suppressed the joy in his heart, focusing his full concentration without daring to harbor the slightest distraction.

As Qi Bao spoke, Xian Wuqing had already arrived before him, closely followed by more than a dozen members of the Heaven-Wild Wilderness Hunting Team.

Furthermore, within the two cities, the government held massive stores of grain, meaning they had no need for provisions whatsoever.

Test Subject 999 seemed fascinated by everything around him, yet he had caught the scent of an unfriendly aura emanating from this Chief Executive of the Restoration Society before him. Tilting his head, he seemed to scrutinize the face in front of him. Clearly, Haynes no longer looked as he once had, which was why 999 failed to recognize him immediately.

"Ha!" Yu Sheng jumped in fright. Such an unforgettable face appearing suddenly right before her eyes provided more than just a little scare.

"That's good. Keep a close eye on him recently, and see if he displays any other unusual behaviors. I'll find a moment to call you," Gu Jinchen said.

Liu's father asked nervously, "What is it?" A knot tightened in his chest—could something have gone wrong with the talisman paper, or did the issue lie right there?

"Hello," she answered, her voice slightly weary. Leaning sideways against the car door, she reached one hand into her shirt pocket to retrieve a cigarette.

"Since I haven't gotten payback yet, running away is completely out of the question." Shen Xiu knew Jin Hu meant well, but she had no intention of accepting that path.

"Sigh..." Yu Qiumin wanted to say something, but that tall figure had already strode out the door.

The weather was fine today, and though it wasn't the weekend, there were unexpectedly quite a few people about. After browsing through several shops, the two walked up to the entrance of a dessert parlor.

Returning to her room, Yu Sheng caught sight of the items left on the bed—a pile of new clothes. As she casually sorted through them, she discovered a stack of cash tucked inside one of the pockets, evidently slipped in secretly by Zhou Ziyue.