Volume One, Chapter 21: Deceiving the World, Plastering Gold on One’s Face

Listening to the baffling and nonsensical dialogue between the father and son, An Xiaoxiao found herself completely perplexed. Judging by the reward of a mere 100 Divine Coins offered for the task, it was clear just how weak this fellow must be—although Zhang Wang knew that enemies in different task worlds were assessed by varying standards when it came to rewards.

Each of the Nine Spirit Kings possessed extraordinary bloodline heritage; their true forms were at least top-tier ferocious beasts. Among them, the foremost Spirit King, Lian Caini, bore the divine bloodline of the Spirit Clan, a descendant of the Star Soul lineage. Setting aside her cultivation, even the other eight Spirit Kings would bow down in stature before her.

Given the unusual behavior this time, Qian Nai couldn’t help but find it strange. Could it be that Ian had suffered some sort of shock?

“Brother Guoguang, it’s my fault that her hand got injured!” Qian Nai confessed, deciding to speak up first.

To Wei Xi’s ears, Wei Yunpeng had just publicly exposed his own shortcoming, which made him both ashamed and furious. Yet, he was not foolish.

Since sleep was impossible anyway, he decided to go see why Xiao Yunqi had come so late at night.

Song Ye muttered a curse under his breath, took the bow that Feng Guang offered, and led her toward the office. Meanwhile, the boys pretending to be dead on the ground begrudgingly got up and trailed behind them, looking miserable.

Appearance: Narrow, cold eyes shaped like phoenix eyes, tinged with a hint of seduction; a straight, prominent nose; thin, moist lips; dazzling chestnut hair in tousled strands; firm, resolute facial features that nevertheless conveyed a handsome, cold charm.

Luo Ben couldn’t help but chuckle. Every time it was the same room to inspect, the same monotonous and exhausting task repeated, and he guessed Da Mao must have been unbearably impatient by now.

Sending someone to the capital had become a vital topic at court. Now, with the Left Chancellor absent from the memorial on the heirship issue, only mentioning the northern frost disaster, they feared the grain allocation would be delayed. The wolfish ambitions were clear.

The young sect leader of the “Eccentric Sect,” Feng Xinglie, famed throughout the martial world, was blocked by three men on a high cliff while searching for his wife Jin Bingyun, who had disappeared without a word.

Zhu Han had decided to gamble, and with the influence of alcohol, he cared little about whether he would lose. As long as he was happy, that was enough. Men were often just that simple.

Gou Dan turned around, looked at the sect leader who had lost all signs of life, picked up a knife from beside him, and then walked slowly toward Rou Dan.

“I’m not joking. Once you see the investigation order in my hand, you should understand that everything I say is true.”

The two men right behind him were the Northwest and West emissaries among the Five Routes Envoys, He Bu Wei and Li Daqi. These three were elders of the Nine Bags. Several others were skilled operatives from the Northern Great Wisdom Branch and the Northeast Great Faith Branch.

The squad leader had beaten his father, and his father had beaten him in return, which explained why he later dared not casually give fortune-telling readings to others.

But Song Zhi knew that Li Shishi feared nothing more than ghosts and monsters. She could be scared senseless just by hearing a ghost story, let alone performing rituals or casting spells.

Looking back at the two children who had burst into the room, their clothes filthy and faces smudged with dirt, one of them holding a roasted fish, joyfully rushing inside.

Nangong Yunyao felt a sting upon hearing this and kept her gaze fixed on Yu Li, waiting for his response.

Wang Di stopped the car at the intersection but did not get out, staring intently at the light in room 518.

After the blood-colored lake water thinned, twenty-three large horsefish carcasses floated on the surface. The highest level among them was only level six, making up the majority—nineteen fish in total.

“However, these have never appeared in the mermaid tribe. It’s just that some elders mention their presence in those bustling big cities,” Fang Huatian said longingly as he watched the silver ship disappear into the distance.

Not long after, Emperor Gai Tiancheng was attacked while admiring the moon in the garden. Fortunately, the Tianzi guards had already been dispatched by Liu Yueyue. Though the remaining guards blocked the assassin, Gai Tiancheng was still struck by a sword and fell ill in bed.

Nangong Yunyao understood the implications of his words. Uttering them meant his share would be significantly reduced—perhaps by ten or twenty percent. Yet, he wanted to avoid trouble; these beasts were not of much importance compared to the prized silver fish he sought to catch.

At the same moment, a tremendous rumble echoed throughout the ruins. The distance did not seem far, and the scale was vast, like an earthquake. Even the cavern below began to tremble.

Though the Xuan Mountain Hunting Ground had no overseer, countless adventurer guilds frequented it. If others saw how you captured prey, they would surely compete for it, something Nangong Yunyao did not wish to see.

“That bastard! That bitch even brought her family here!” Feng Sumei exploded in anger and turned to give chase.

Consort Li, who had originally been pleased, was soon clouded by dissatisfaction and displeasure. Lifting her skirt, she strode across the overgrown wild grass in the courtyard and entered the hall with purpose.

Fortunately, when she was alive, her circle of friends was not vast but quite limited. This way, repaying those karmic debts should not take long.

I don’t understand why Old Lady Liu suddenly mentioned Huo Xiaoran. I’ve grown accustomed to Huo Xiaoran’s abilities! But what does that have to do with the sun?

Night had fallen. Sitting in the main hall, I was only allowed to stay because I wore the NIE badge. After sitting here all day, my back ached terribly. I even wondered if this matter truly had nothing to do with An Qiang.

Chu Qianlan liked the meals she cooked. Ruotang didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment, but the straightforward affection of the Jin Princess made Ruotang quite happy.

Tonight’s exposure was destined to be followed by their wedding night, yet how could Gu Nianxi’s heart’s resentment ever dissipate?

They could be considered three generations under one roof. Apart from the slight imperfection between Su Baobei and Hei Ya, there were no great regrets.

Hearing a sound, Chen Lishun looked toward the light source and saw Guo Qu sitting on a low leather stool, one foot clad in a leather shoe, the other bare, grinning and waving.

Liansheng’s body radiated with both fire and ice, shining brilliantly. He wore a brand-new, impeccably pure black bear fur robe that covered him from head to toe. White mountain-shaped patterns flowed faintly across it. The robe exuded restrained power and regal elegance, making even Hou Zhenshan’s eyes green with envy.

Once such a deed was done, it had to be carried out thoroughly. To be safe, even one’s own people might have to be silenced.