Volume 1, Chapter 26: Intimidation at the Door

By the time the auction concluded, everyone realized that the man had already departed midway through the event.

The assistant spoke with a sense of frustration. Having followed Chu Ran for so many years and weathered countless difficulties, this was the first time he found himself completely at a loss as to where to begin.

The Mo couple was equally bewildered. Faced with people knocking on their door, they had no choice but to confront their own spineless son.

At that moment, the jade talisman in Zhuge Qingwei’s hand flew upward, hovering above everyone’s heads. Lines of formation markings descended from the talisman, and an altar manifested on the previously empty ground.

"That’ll teach you to pat my head!" Feng Yao performed a swift counter-maneuver, twisting Liu Juncheng’s hand a full hundred and eighty degrees. Following up with her signature cyclone kick, she struck him squarely in the lower back, sending him face-planting into the dirt.

Eunuch Hai felt utterly helpless. It was clear that the Empress Dowager was venting her anger on him simply because she could not find Princess Qingjia. Yet, as a mere servant, he had no room to argue; he could only bow his head, accept the imperial decree, and withdraw.

The crowd then broke into grateful smiles, though as they laughed, their faces were soon streaked with tears.

The only uncertainty remained Jia Ming. With Yue Qingming and Li Taikang dining together, it was unclear if he would once again shamelessly tag along.

For nearly a year afterward, Luo Chu had chased after Jiang Qiao, calling him "brother," longing to hear that word from him—soft, warm, and sweet, just like the "Third Brother" spoken by Qi Rui.

Jiang Qiancheng watched him with cold eyes. Whether Jiang Qianbo was a good man or a bad one no longer mattered to him. His primary goal now was to dismantle the intentions of those planning to propose marriage at the Yue estate, and Li Taikang was the most troublesome of them all.

Lin Feng had just neutralized the Taotie’s attack. With a wave of his hand, he summoned water-attribute magical elements, shaping them into a colossal ice dragon that surged to meet the fire-attribute blast unleashed by the Taowu. Upon contact, the fire and ice dragons erupted in a massive explosion, and the Taowu was forced back by Lin Feng’s strike.

Zhang Yuanfu asked abruptly, genuinely curious: how could something resembling an ancient weapon turn into an evil artifact?

Having said this, Lan Guang quickly led everyone to flee. Yet, even with the aid of the Heavenly Eye, this dragon’s den was the habitat of the dragon race; no matter how far one ran, it was akin to Sun Wukong being unable to escape the palm of the Buddha.

***

Lin Zhen had not yet finished speaking when Qin Yang’s eyes suddenly lit up. Seeing a disciple walking toward them, he rushed over to shake his hand, leaving the disciple stunned and at a loss for how to react.

Old Qian said in a deep voice, "The three-pointed double-edged spear is a long weapon, also known as the Erlang Spear. Legend has it that it was the weapon used by the god Erlang. The front of this implement features a trident-shaped blade, with edges on both sides. Its technique is unique; beyond the standard strikes of a great blade, the trident head can be used for locking or shoveling."

"It would have been better if they hadn't appeared. Once I started killing, I couldn't control myself; I felt compelled to eliminate anyone who might pose a threat. Whatever, forget it. Since they’re all dead, I’ll just pin it all on Lu Jie," Li Er sighed.

A halo of light slowly manifested diagonally above me, gradually taking the shape of an eagle. Suddenly, it lunged toward me.

If only I hadn't gone out to search for herbs—or even if I had, if I had gone with my fellow disciples, would any of this have happened? If I hadn't been so careless, so confident that in the Distant Mist Sea, especially near the sect, no one would dare harbor malicious intent, could this have been avoided?

The old woman was none other than Qin Honggu, the crone who had previously kidnapped Lu Rushuang; she was one of the guardians of the Rakshasa Gate.

"Since you’re the one treating, you’ll naturally buy me something delicious. I’m not worried about that," Fang Shiyun laughed.

With no other options and in a moment of desperation, James jumped on his third step and sent the basketball toward the hoop in an incredibly awkward posture.

When Jiang Xun returned from the mountain, Ji Feng, who had arrived early that day, was already waiting in the dormitory, ready to gossip about his time on the mountain—especially the confession. Hearing it left Ji Feng feeling sour.

As for those who hadn't been hit by the gunfire, Luo Hexi didn't bother asking. Some tried to step forward but were pulled back by the big shots nearby; if the "Fox Mask" supernormal entity were to lose its temper, wouldn't everyone here die?

He himself did nothing, standing with his hands tucked into his sleeves, directing Xie Nanjia to sort his belongings into their proper categories.

Zhou Tingyu’s expression shifted, his mood clearly foul. His thin, cold lips pressed together, and he stooped to sit beside Gu Xuan.

Zhao Jingyu rarely acted with such gravity. Hearing his words, Xie Nanjia understood that he had likely already made his choice between Cheng Zhiye and Eleven; even if Eleven were still a spy, he was willing to accept her for the sake of his brotherhood.

***

The Second Young Master was certainly no saint; even while inspecting the disaster relief, he was picky about the servants. Everyone knew exactly why he insisted on choosing those who were good-looking.

Just as Yor prepared to strike, a battle axe shattered the edge of the illusion. A massive shockwave collided with the angel’s beam of light, and the entire illusion began to crumble.

Su Shuyan stood there, wandering and pausing to admire the scenery, utterly enjoying herself. She was unaware that her calm, elegant figure, bathed in the sunset, was being captured by a pair of narrow, sharp eyes.

Could it be that she was truly trapped in such an unbelievable place, destined to die here?

"Why would I go to the palace!" Chen Yi asked a question to which he already knew the answer, for in his heart, he was resisting Shangguan Yunrui’s decision.

"I ask you all: when I traveled south, who did Assistant Magistrate Huang meet with? Are you aware of it?" Yang Shangjing squinted, his face dark as he stared at the yamen runners below.

At the same time, beads of cold sweat couldn't help but trickle down; the power of a Pseudo-Saint was not something they could withstand.

However, Mu Chen had long been prepared for such a situation. With a flicker of his mind, the pitch-black spiritual energy that had been waiting in his meridians surged forth, clashing against the rebounding force.

Perhaps in the Sanctuary, equipment of this caliber had become a joke, and no one was willing to use it anymore.

Because Zhao Chu had ordered a news blackout, none of the Qi people knew that Yu Ji had played a pivotal role in that battle. The world attributed the glory of the victory entirely to Zhao Chu.

In this space, Du Hua was the absolute master of the game, and he had to do his best to survive on Du Hua's turf, waiting for a chance to escape and send word.