Chapter Sixty-Eight: Danger

Now, foreign invaders run rampant on the land of Huaxia, their expatriates committing arson, murder, and looting with shocking regularity. Yet, thanks to extraterritoriality, they remain beyond the reach of the law, free from consequence. The common people suffer unspeakably, but when confronted by a foreign master, they have no choice but to bow and scrape; otherwise, even death would be in vain. Of all these foreigners, none is more despicable, shameless, and hateful than the Japanese expatriates, who stop at nothing to achieve their goals, their depravity seemingly woven into their very bones.

Matsumoto Taro is the very embodiment of this. He is the chief representative of the Imperial Japanese Corporation in Huaxia, styling himself as a Confucian merchant. He treats others with impeccable courtesy, is well versed in Huaxia’s culture, maintains close relations with influential figures in both politics and business, and has established numerous factories in Shanghai and elsewhere. The workers there enjoy good conditions, and the goods produced are of high quality and inexpensive. Once—

Bai Feng’er was so astonished that her delicate, fair hand flew to her lips in a light gesture of surprise—something she, as the poised and dignified senior sister, would never have done in the past.

“Li Linpu colluded with foreign traitors and plotted to usurp the throne. The commander of the Imperial Guards enabled his crimes, but Shi Haonan, in killing him, acted without fault and with merit. Moreover, Shi distinguished himself by slaying enemies on the battlefield. He is hereby pardoned from the death penalty and appointed as Commander of the Imperial Guards. With the title of Golden Blade, he may henceforth command the various divisions of the Imperial Guard at will,” the emperor declared again.

Almost simultaneously, several domestic clubs turned their attention to the viral video that had exploded across the internet.

Underestimating the two of them, the remaining Ouluo people failed to gather and mount an organized assault on Ziying. Instead, they charged in small, scattered groups.

As an enforcer, Ouyang Yiyong would never hand down a sentence arbitrarily. He seemed confident that today, he would succeed in throwing Du Feng into prison.

She found it odd—Li Chengjie didn’t seem the type to act so rashly. He should have had a more tactful solution. Why had he chosen such blunt force, such unvarnished directness?

In the first year of the Second Emperor, Zhao Gao advised him to emulate the First Emperor’s grand tours, using them to overawe any princes or ministers harboring rebellious thoughts. Along the way, any local officials who showed even the slightest disrespect were summarily executed by Zhao Gao on charges of disloyalty, leading to countless deaths.

Yang Hao was left speechless. It seemed the man was indeed fast, but his constitution hadn’t changed, and the recoil alone had nearly cost him his life—a display of utter frailty.

“Are you two trying to annoy me on purpose? … Very well, tonight let her share your chambers as well. I’d like to see how you handle that!” Du Ruoqiu grew more infuriated as the others disregarded her words.

In this era, it was commonplace for even ordinary men to have three or four wives, let alone the Duke who stood just below the king. Only Ziying, a man from the modern world, found the idea of dalliances somewhat surreptitious, worrying whether his queen would object to his wandering affections.

The next morning, outside the Commander’s residence, they exchanged a brief embrace, their eyes conveying everything that words could not.

All Zhang Baoyu sought were the elemental laws contained within the Five Element Feather Tails; as for the feathers themselves, Kong Xuan could reclaim them at any time.

After much effort, Aldrich’s hard-won, beautiful fruit fell to the ground with a series of thuds, but he didn’t spare it a glance. Instead, he sprinted to the corner of the wall where Missu had disappeared.

The rickshaw puller spat fiercely behind him, then collapsed, exhausted, onto the curb.

Time was running out in the game. Mo Mengchen unleashed his full firepower, dazzling at the arc with his dribble, weaving the ball between his legs to shake off Penny’s defense. He stopped and started abruptly, and after sinking a three-pointer, the Knicks called for a timeout.

Having received considerable benefits, the Gate of Immortal Aspirations had now established a key partnership with the royal family of Yuanlong Kingdom. This meant relations with the Green Mountain Sect would inevitably deteriorate.

Fortunately, although there was no one about, the road was clearly marked. As long as the three of them followed the path, they were bound to encounter human settlements eventually, if indeed this world held any.

Mo Fan offered an awkward, ingratiating smile. Good heavens, to have someone witness such an embarrassing gesture—what now?

By the two ornamental trees to the left of the entrance, two Japanese wolfhounds were tethered. Two guards, rifles in hand, paced the courtyard.

“Really?” He Shanshan, all traces of her usual pride gone, looked at Mo Fan with delight.

Li Ronghua’s brow furrowed deeply. Matters concerning the Wang family were growing ever more bizarre. Yet, whether these oddities were the work of some schemer or simply the way things were, he could not say.