24 Chapter Twenty-Four

I walked up to the old man's corpse and extracted his celestial vital essence; it was a precious treasure that could save a life in a critical moment.

Brother Jiu did not answer He Jing's question. I sighed and said to her, "He Jing, say no more. In truth, the reason we were forced to come to the Sky City is because of you."

"Huh?" A man caught sight of the photograph, his eyes narrowing in sudden suspicion.

Upon hearing this, Director Luo was rendered speechless. If the guards on duty had not been asleep, how could they have failed to notice the movements of Han Wei and Li Hua? Ultimately, the fault lay with the police. Director Luo’s expression grew increasingly grim, his gaze burning with fury, but he eventually restrained himself and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"You're dreaming!" Lin Xuanlan scoffed. Bringing jade to the international market—even the most prestigious jewelry companies in China hadn't managed that, so how could he?

Zuo Linlin showed no intention of stopping, continuing to support Li Hua as they walked forward in a silence so heavy it was terrifying. Han Wei had no choice but to follow; at this point, he could only leave his fate to the heavens.

To Ximen Wenxue’s surprise, Hu Qiyan, who had been so eager to reach Jieyang, wandered through the Jade Street for two days, inspecting many raw jade stones but failing to purchase a single one.

"I’m not angry!" Ximen Jinlian replied. She truly wasn't; there was nothing here worth getting angry over. She had seen far more outrageous things than this.

They never reasoned with others, but that was only because they had yet to encounter someone they feared. They were unreasonable only before the weak; before the strong, they had no choice but to be reasonable.

Her back was lifted forcefully, her body suspended in mid-air, and then a crisp sound ignited a desire for murder within her.

Jiang Chenjue nodded. "I am. I heard you came to offer a blade?" He looked at the sword in the man's hand.

***

Li Hai glanced at the Forbidden Forest, which was collapsing in its entirety. From its edge, he caught sight of a team of nineteen people—it was Yan Luo and his companions, who had left the cave earlier.

A sliver of dawn light pierced through the skylight of the dark prison. As the light grew brighter, a new day began, though what awaited Xiong remained unknown.

When Ye Feng awoke from his meditation on the second day, he felt a sense of ease and was brimming with vitality, making him appreciate the profound mysteries of the Bloodline Forbidden Arts even more.

"You are you, and she is she. Besides, this matter is not so simple. The Emperor has already punished her, so let it be for now," Chao Ge said with a faint smile.

"I understand. The Empress is not in good health, so get some rest. I have matters to attend to; I shall depart." The Emperor left with an expressionless face, yet the Empress knew he was displeased.

Once bitten, twice shy, Zi Ling gave a bitter smile and continued leading her horse forward, ignoring the strange looks cast her way by those around her.

"Brother Emperor jests. What would I know of such things? You have already made up your mind, and I merely voiced it," Prince Ting said with a smile. Internally, he thought that such a thankless task as tax collection was best suited for someone exactly like that Master Huo; since he was so bold with his words, let him be the one to do it.

Looking at the house, Qiao Rong thought of Fu Beijun’s face and felt a sudden, faint surge of sympathy for him.

At the same time, this made Li Qi realize his own naivety. To entrust one's life and the fate of the entire empire to someone like the Hongguang Emperor—what was that if not naive?

Yet, the high-ranking officials of the court treated it as if it were nothing, as if the five or six hundred people killed were not human, but mere pigs or sheep.

Yun Mo knew he was outside and that she had to keep up the charade. Jun Yuqi looked pathetic right now, but she maintained her usual cold demeanor.

***

From Hadong to Kele City, they had to pass through several Pu tribal territories, each with its own customs. With Danba accompanying them, Weng Rui and his party were spared much trouble.

By now, Weng Rui held no hope. Had it not been the same in the past? He could already foresee himself escaping in a battered, pathetic state once more. But it was not so easy to give up entirely; he felt he should at least fully experience this fellow’s martial arts techniques so that the beating would not have been in vain.

Thus, Guo Yunlong paid no mind to the suddenly appearing stone rollers. With a wave of his hand, he charged forward, leading two thousand cavalry in a direct assault against Liu Zongmin’s tens of thousands.

"Here, take a look at this," Xing Shuzi said, handing him the brief letter sent by the Elder of Tianchu.

After the siblings embraced for a moment, Nian Xingjian curiously reached to lift Nian Lingyu’s veil, but she dodged him.

Lan Xingyan’s mouth hung open, unable to close for a moment. Her palms were sweating, and she shuffled over bit by bit, finally seating herself in the spot next to Jun Moran.

Everyone logged off, and as for those players who could not settle their emotions after the great battle, they went off to do whatever they pleased.

She could feel how turbulent Aogui Jie’s heart was at that moment. An ocean named "confidence" seemed ready to swallow the world. She felt a charisma from Aogui Jie that far surpassed his face—it rushed toward her, invading her mind with an irresistible force.