Chapter 30: The Day Before School Begins

Xiao Ningxue rose early the next morning, having completely cast yesterday's events from her mind. It was a classic case of a "let it be" attitude—the feeling that since she was already buried in debt, one more trouble hardly mattered.

When she stepped out, she discovered Zang Zexin and Feng Jingxuan already seated in the living room.

"Morning! What time did you wake up?" Xiao Ningxue greeted them with a smile, unable to see their faces as their backs were turned toward her. At the sound of her voice, both men turned around simultaneously. Though their expressions remained unreadable, their eyes—

He had barely climbed a few steps when the distant figure vanished. Xun Yi stood frozen, staring forward with tear-filled eyes, unable to move.

After a week of grinding, Mother Xiao brought them to their new home. It was a spacious, bright apartment in a mid-to-high-end complex with an elevator. She told them to settle in, assuring them this was their home now.

"This... this is the result of the election! How could we have used any devious schemes?" Heidi retorted indignantly. However, her righteous tone lacked conviction; after all, she had not yet mastered the art of lying without a change in expression or heart rate, nor had she developed a face as thick as a city wall, as Lin Feng had.

The massive crater had been formed by the Kun-beast constantly clawing at the ground. Deep claw marks were scattered everywhere, arranged in groups of three—deep in the center and shallower on the sides.

"Are we going to attack Dengzhou?" Tao Min did not answer his brother’s question; instead, he walked to the map and stared at it in silence, occasionally tracing points with his finger.

"Fine, I get it!" Lin Feng snapped. He then glanced at the group before him, his eyes widening in surprise. While he didn’t recognize the others, he knew Lu Jiansheng. Today, Lu Jiansheng wasn't wearing his usual Daoist robes, but rather casual clothing for an elderly man, and his entire demeanor had shifted.

Do not assume that all noble families in the world were as thinly populated as the Pei clan of Luoyang. The only reason their line had dwindled was that during the transition from the end of the Yan to the beginning of the Xia, a collateral branch had seized the family assets, forcing the first Lord of Shangwan to defect to the founding Emperor of Xia.

The man from the Hengshou Sect was more decisive; he swiftly re-applied the sealing charms at the entrance and turned to leave without another word.

"Qingdi! We were together for only ten years, but we have been apart for forty-nine. We were innocent and naive back then, but now that we have grown into adults, we are nothing but strangers."

Fortunately, Ji Xi’s worries were unfounded. He learned from Cao Qing that Ku Hai had not left and should be held in the Luoyang prefectural prison.

That would require thousands of charm points, which meant only an event on the scale of a concert could generate such a massive amount.

Seeing his son’s response, the father seemed to have fulfilled his greatest wish. He closed his eyes in agony, allowing his son to scoop him up and run frantically toward the exit...

"Why are there so many people? I recall your business never being this good before," the dark-faced man remarked.

The most pressing matter was not to get to the bottom of what trouble Zhao Zhongxiu had caused that led to him being wounded by Dufeng, but to treat his internal injuries first.

Afterward, they arrived at the teleportation array. Using its power, Bing Xian'er transported them directly into the Thousand Flame Tower.

Logically, this shouldn't have happened. Perhaps the daytime hours had left them in a uniquely weakened state.

The moment Chen Daocing contained it within the Nine Tripod Universe Map, it erupted with endless agitation.

"This ground was inscribed with countless talismans and restrictions by our master, and then tempered by the Samadhi True Fire; it has long been harder than refined gold. Even a standard flying sword couldn't leave a mark, so how is it showing signs of softening now?" Shi Ji and his companion exchanged glances, both struck with horror.

Although Zhang Yifei had dared to return Zhao Huyue's blood, he had been forced into it. Deep down, Zhang Yifei still acknowledged him as his father. After all, he had spent over twenty years hoping to find his parents and did not want to lose them; it was simply Zhao Huyue's methods that had left him dissatisfied, which led to that act of self-harm.