Chapter 108: The Curtain Rises (Two-in-One)

Pei Xiunian stood in the stone pavilion of the Chengqian Hall, waiting for Su Zhiqiu to change clothes. He glanced at the sky as he waited. The sunlight was warm, and the clouds were not particularly dark. There would be no snow today.

At that moment, the palace doors opened softly. Hearing the sound, Pei Xiunian turned around and saw the Imperial Princess of Qingqiu dressed in splendid embroidered robes. A sash stitched with cloud patterns encircled her waist, from which hung a small, translucent jade tablet.

Naturally, this was not Su Zhiqiu’s own jade tablet. The character “Year” was carved upon it.

This character, Su Zhi—

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As soon as he finished speaking, Red Boy’s eyes went wide once more. It was plainly just an iron rod.

“I want to study artificial intelligence and automation. Once I graduate, I’ll be able to help you with your research,” Ji Ran told Huo Wushang of his plans.

“This could very well be a smokescreen meant to conceal the real professionals. In fact, we’ve already discovered a few clues.” Roy picked up several photographs from the table and waved them in the air.

That had happened only a few minutes earlier. The Zaft fleet in orbit had not anticipated a counterattack from the ground.

An explanation from a supreme expert was itself a rare opportunity. Chen Feng seemed not yet to have emerged from the state induced by that lecture, and his senses had therefore become extraordinarily keen. He had originally believed that, apart from Xiongba, the First Peak Under Heaven was deserted. Yet now, in his heightened perception, countless indistinct figures had appeared.

Xue Yue was different. His speed was in no way inferior to theirs, but his control over his strength was far too poor. More often than not, a single swing of his hammer would smash a miner—and the submachine gun or rocket launcher in his hands—into utter pulp.

Yet no one knew that this ordeal had indeed become the “fruit of merit” Shiyue had specially arranged for him. He intended to have the man kill Supreme Lord Lao’s mount, just to see whether the Great Sage would once again ask him to show mercy.

Amid the thunderous roar, he could feel himself, the vehicle, and even the entire shuttlecraft trembling. It was the second time this had happened to him in a matter of days. The equally terrifying vibration he had experienced when leaving HSD still seemed to linger in the memory of his buttocks and thigh muscles.

This state of heightened perception was another breakthrough Chen Feng had achieved over the past few days. He had discovered the technique by chance while trying to sense Xiongba’s presence: concentrating the tiniest thread of inner energy between the brows, at the Hall of Impression, could greatly sharpen the senses. As for the name, he had simply come up with it himself.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and nothing happened. If, by some misfortune, anything had gone wrong—wouldn’t Su Shan have advanced to the fifth rank?

As soon as Juyan heard this, he calculated the army’s wages in his mind. More than a thousand dollars a month was nearly ten thousand yuan, and they were fed and clothed by the ranch as well. That meant pure savings. Smiling, he asked, “So you’re planning to work for two years, save some money, and then go back? I have to admit, I’d be rather reluctant to see you leave.”

Early the next morning, I brought a large bundle of dried papaya, strapped my Hundred-Battles Saber to my back, and set resolutely out upon my journey amid the farewells of all my companions. In a corner by the mouth of the cave, the beautiful Nasha had already wept herself into a thoroughly broken-hearted state.

When the meeting ended, the director of the General Tea Factory appeared and presented each member of the inspection team with two boxes of General Tea.

For a time, both men were consumed by regret and anguish. It was the first time either had felt remorse. If they had known things would turn out this way, why had they acted as they did in the first place?

As he walked toward the house, Juyan said, “As long as you’re satisfied! That way, we’ll have someone to keep us company when the time comes.”

To gain a better understanding of the battlefield and command the various divisions of the Central Army more effectively, Liu Rushi had already moved her forward headquarters southward from Nanyang to Xinye.

The key to this plan was to have the Wang family prepare enough silver to purchase all five hundred thousand mu of estate farmland that He Tengjiao was about to put up for sale. They would then use tens of thousands of prisoners of war as unpaid labor to grow grain, mulberries, and cotton for the Wang family. For them, it was quite simply a business yielding immense returns from almost no investment.