Volume One: Main Text - Chapter 25: Don't talk to me, you make me sick!

Yun Duoduo thrashed in the lake for a long while. The ubiquitous water surged into her throat, and as she coughed violently, she relied on the water's buoyancy to struggle desperately toward the surface.

Scenes from the day drifted into her mind unbidden. La La felt a twinge of regret—that fat guy must have been deeply hurt by her words, right?

Nan Xiying said, "That... that snake-demon lady, she hurried off in that direction before dawn." He pointed toward the east side of the city.

After an afternoon of training, Li Renjie felt as though he had "died" several times over. By dinnertime, he had to crawl into the mess hall, sitting there without even the strength to hold his chopsticks.

The Long-Tongued Ghost and the zombie scrambled back to their feet, staring in terror at the two magical artifacts in Zhao Yuan's hands. Although they were usually impervious to harm, these two items actually caused them physical pain.

An Miaoren departed. She did not return to her residence to rest; instead, after a moment of contemplation, she left with her retinue.

"Su Ruoyin." Fang Monian suddenly appeared behind me while I was lost in thought, giving me a fright.

Judging by the surface, which showed no signs of wear on its carvings, it must have been made of some well-preserved material.

Everything about the scene looked staged. The only suspicious point was why Dias's partner had died; was it simply to prove that their ambush was genuine?

"I—I admit that I recognized you at that time!" Mu Chao hesitated for a moment before confessing.

Afterward, You Fang did not probe, and Xiang Yinghua did not bring it up. You Fang only knew one thing: Qi Ruoxue had certainly not gone to work for the Songhe Mining Group. She was starting a new investment firm to integrate, manage, and operate the assets under Meiland's name, and she had even convinced Xiang Yinghua to buy in.

What remained was only shyness, gratitude, a few questions, and other complex emotions.

"Not at all! You flatter me, reporter Wan. The opinions above are for reference only; please don't take them to heart," Wang Baoyu said, his face beaming with pride.

When Chen Yuan told her he had to leave, although she felt a pang of reluctance, Zhao Yi still acted like a tolerant wife.

***

But this person was not a disciple of the Wuchong Sect, nor was he privy to the internal affairs of the Chaohe Group; he was simply conducting his own "business."

The two bodyguards knew that pleading for mercy was useless. One of them pointed to the window behind Ye Zhu, and without checking to see if she had fallen for the diversion, they both turned and bolted, hoping to rush out of the private room and alert the others, which would ensure their safety.

Su Yan naturally understood the implication, his expression appearing somewhat hesitant. This matter required Chen Yuan's active assistance, as Emperor Renzong would certainly seek his counsel.

However, if Mulihe were allowed to join the alliance, it would be tantamount to acknowledging his status to all the vassal states, which could lead to many future complications. Yet, if they refused him now, the Song Dynasty would have no suitable justification.

By the time Ye Chen arrived, a vast crowd had already gathered. Looking out, it was a sea of darkness, a spectacle of countless moving heads, with the roar of noisy discussions rushing toward him.

Seeing Xingtian and Jiufeng arrive, Feng Bo and Yu Shi struggled to open their weary eyes. They looked at the two and shook their heads, signaling for them to stop and not waste their efforts on their behalf.

Reflecting on this, the Old Lord felt at ease, his face even showing a hint of schadenfreude. The flat-staff in his hand whirled with increasing vigor, whistling through the air.

Yu Yitian felt the density of the surrounding air molecules suddenly increase, and his body was instantly compressed, unable to move. *Damn it! Because I lost focus, I was outsmarted by that wind mage.*

"Look, Governor, there are officers maintaining order!" Just then, Tan Zhen noticed several men in police uniforms moving through the market and reminded Xiao Han to look.

"Leader Fu, let's stop talking in riddles. You've told me so much, talking about recruitment and friendship—in the end, this is what you're really after, isn't it?" Liu Qi finished, opening his right hand to reveal a pale purple flame burning in his palm.

After quite a bumpy ride, the car crossed most of the county and finally reached Jingzhi in the far north. At his feet, there was a small nursery; this was Chen Shi's home now.

I was stunned. Was the boss implying that since I couldn't drive and wouldn't learn, he was so anxious that he paid out of his own pocket to enroll me in driving school and force me to get a license?

Hou Yi reached out to take the Liquan Spear, bid farewell to the others, and set off with Yunxiao toward Xiangzhou in Hebei, where the Great Peng had been reincarnated.

However, the Golden Behemoth Martial Saint, who had been following closely behind the crimson meteorite, finally made his move at this moment.

***

"Grandma, I've already called my fourth uncle. He said he would rush back too, but it will have to be tomorrow." Jiang Yan used his phone to contact his fourth uncle, Liu Jiangsong, and relayed the news to the old lady.

"Since you are convinced that she is not Han Jingxuan, then you should let her go," Duanmu Hao said sternly.

Zhi Yun read the letter with amusement. Truth be told, treating Consort De's letter as mere entertainment was quite enjoyable.

Ze knew that no matter what he said, Feng wouldn't listen. Besides, Zhou Hui's affairs had nothing to do with him; as for how Zifeng dealt with her, that was Zifeng's business! He had no right to interfere. Although Zifeng knew that Ze and Zhou Hui were at odds, he wouldn't make things difficult for Ze. They were good brothers, weren't they?

"Bai Ziming, how old are you?" Yao Beibei, unable to discern anything, tried to ask indirectly.

After Tao Siyue rushed out, her tears fell uncontrollably. She had spent a lifetime loving one man. She had thought she could watch him find happiness with grace, but now, he only allowed her to see his pain.

The next day, around noon, the Imperial Hotel was bustling with people. Ouyang Xue had been forced into a blind date. She gave a cold smile; when had she fallen to such a state?

If they were to face Lao Busi in a fair fight, it was doubtful that even they, along with Hua Qianqiu, could emerge victorious.

Tian Tian was a bit surprised; Mu Qinghan's voice sounded different, as if... as if she were acting coquettish?

"Ever since five years ago, she has always been surrounded by so many protectors." Although she had noticed the girl's abnormalities, she never imagined doing something like that. She hardly recognized her own child—was this really the Jing'er who used to cling to her and act spoiled?