Volume 1, Chapter 27: The Young Master of the Shi Family Struck Down by Multiple Blades

Li Shoude had never witnessed such a scene; he was completely stunned. No matter how Li Yishui shouted, he remained standing there like a wooden puppet, clutching a branch without moving an inch.

"By the Empress Dowager's order?" The old palace servant’s eyes flickered with suspicion. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "Follow me." With that, she turned and walked into the inner palace, and Wei Zifu, not daring to delay, followed closely behind.

The giant bird descended upon the herb garden, summoned the local deity in charge and the herb-gathering immortal child, registered the immortal grass of immortality in the ledger, and then took the herb and departed.

Hearing the mention of S City, the two men trembled slightly, like dying people catching sight of a miracle doctor who could save their lives.

So that was it; the waning divine power Yuan Bo had revealed from time to time was actually due to this physical vessel.

A-Luo gently gathered more branches from outside, adding them to the fire while taking care not to disturb him.

Yet this was enough to make the other five overjoyed. It proved that Chu Heng had not yet broken through to become a deity, and they still had a chance to defeat him.

Suddenly, Qi Hengye seemed to have discovered a new world, his eyes bursting with a brilliant light.

Although the "Fire God" had not succeeded in his self-detonation, he had still helped him—and it was a massive help, far more beneficial than if the self-detonation had succeeded.

If things continued like this, it boded ill. If the Ghost Realm really caused some major catastrophe, Chang Qi would inevitably be held responsible.

The meal was heavy with tension. Madam Ye and Ye Lusheng did not stay long before leaving. Tong Shuang glared at Shen Yun, her eyes filled with fury, and neither could bring themselves to eat.

"Hey, you still haven't told me where you took Linlang," Li Tianqi asked, feeling helpless.

In reality, the straight-line distance between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Song is approximately 9,191 kilometers, but traveling overland—crossing countless mountains and rivers—the winding journey totals about 12,500 kilometers.

Fortunately, Li Lingyi did not have to endure for long. After about three minutes, the radiance slowly faded, and Ani landed gently.

These nest dwellings were incredibly ingenious; they could avoid the predations of wild beasts, protect against floods and rain, and were warm in winter and cool in summer—far superior to any cave.

***

Li Tianqi heard her voice and looked up, seeing that Zhuoya was indeed gazing at him.

However, she knew well that Chi You was not the man he once was; his magic was profound, and he had many spirits aiding him, making it truly difficult to defeat him easily.

At this moment, Meng Fan was in a rather compromising position with the eccentric man. He had been holding the man, but due to dodging a broken blade, his body tipped forward, and the two were pressed directly against each other.

The members of the Green Dragon Gang looked at one another, not knowing how to respond. Boss Yu had been full of vitality while making his rounds earlier today, and just last night, he had taken his men to the Shen family's birthday banquet, giving the Third Master of the Shen family a polite reception. How could he be dead tonight? They hadn't received any notification at all.

Ordinary eighth-turn warriors were only good for filling out catalogs or acting as tools; even a large number of seventh-turn warriors were only capable of clearing out minor soldiers—at best, they were efficient cleaners.

Since Qiaomuyi was willing to take him back, Ren Suo stopped worrying. He had originally planned to take a taxi with Luna back to Baiyun. Getting a ride from an acquaintance was naturally much more convenient.

At least a hundred Thunder Spirits hovered behind him, their momentum heaven-shaking. They all stared at Xu Hao and his three companions with fierce, murderous intent, though they did not move.

Su Yun’s heart tightened instantly. This monster was too powerful—so powerful that he was completely incapable of confronting it in his current state.

Zhong Li took a deep breath, circulating his blood throughout his body, gathering it into a surging tide that poured into his right wrist and rushed straight toward his vital energy points.

He swallowed hard. "Brother Xu, you still don't know what my illness is, do you?" He gripped Chu Xu's left hand tightly, as if it were a life-saving straw for a drowning man.

What shocked them even more was that after Nan Minglang kicked him, he grabbed Xiao Zizhan by the hair and slapped him across the face.

And so, things had devolved into this state. Facing the increasingly formidable Zhong Li, Chen Qian was stuck in a dilemma, unsure of how to respond.

Thinking back on everything he had seen, Nan Minglang felt a chill run through him. He hugged himself tightly, struggling to force the thoughts away, but his body only trembled more violently.

Although there was no direct, ironclad proof, Lin Yiren had divorced Wang Pao precisely because she discovered his infidelity.

It was just such a coincidence: the hound didn't run anywhere else, but straight to the garden where Consort Li was enjoying the cool air. It rushed at her, scaring her so badly she fell. And just like that, the four-month pregnancy she had worked so hard to maintain was lost right then and there.

***

Jin Lianxin gasped for air, as if she had died once and come back to life. She was drenched in sweat from head to toe, feeling utterly wretched. She stole a glance at True Monarch Cangyue, her heart pounding in her throat, but she dared not move, let alone attempt to escape.

Before long, two boys sat on either side of her; it was clear that Xia Yimo had succeeded in switching seats.

Wei Anning watched him go down to the bathroom to get the hairdryer. She sat on the bed, clutching a pillow, rubbing the back of her head while her eyes scanned the bedroom.

"..." Lu Ming knew that this kind of professional husband was unreliable, but given Xue Fanghua's current situation and what she had just said, Lu Ming remained skeptical.

Meng Ze widened his eyes, snapping his gaze toward Gu Chengxi, yet the other party’s expression didn't change at all, as if Ye Jingyan were stating something completely mundane.

If Jin Lianxin had been following True Monarch Cangyue... then she was undoubtedly the one who leaked the secret of the Flavor Essence. One could imagine that when she leaked the news, her intentions were certainly not kind.

Wei Anning nodded slightly at her, then glanced calmly at Leng Youchen. She had many questions in her heart: How could he be attending such a banquet? Was he really just a chief designer in London?

Each of the four hundred paper cranes already folded contained a short message like this—each one a thought she had written on a whim.

"..." Feng Tianleng only smiled without answering. The person he loved had finally come to his side; how could he possibly let her go so easily?

Tang Weiwan had no choice but to push aside her doubts; at a time like this, asking about Huo Jingting and Jun Wei didn't seem appropriate.

In terms of knife skills and wok-handling, Jing Qingge was indeed not an expert, but when it came to the exquisite balance of flavors and spices, the head chef, after tasting her dish, felt ashamed of his own inferiority.

Because this ordinary-looking cylindrical object, when triggered, opened up like a peacock spreading its tail—brilliant and magnificent. And just as the enemy was dazzled and mesmerized, they would lose their souls; that was the origin of its name.

The role Jin Ruoyun was playing was a princess consort bestowed upon the second male lead, Prince Jing, by the Emperor. Prince Jing was a rising star in the imperial court, and the Emperor had long been wary of him. Consequently, Prince Jing suspected that the princess consort was the Emperor's spy and tested her identity in every possible way.