Chapter 31

"How is it?" I leaned in and whispered to Old Qin, my eyes still fixed on the inspection team currently in discussion.

To make herding easier, Bater, who was always disheveled and wore a tattered old robe of indeterminate color, had actually changed into a new outfit today—was there some holiday? Or had he conspired with Grandpa Sun to surprise everyone?

Yao Ling'er seized the moment to squeeze the Prince of Ji's palm, then slowly pushed him away and turned to walk gracefully toward the door. Upon reaching the threshold, she paused to look back, her eyes brimming with deep affection. That lingering gaze left the Prince of Ji feeling restless, his heart burdened with a newfound longing.

"Um, I might need to step out for a moment," Zhou Weiguang stammered. With no one left by Zhou Yingying's side, he felt uneasy leaving her, fearing that if something were to go wrong, he would truly be at a loss.

After sinking into complete despair, he had even contemplated death, but his strategist dissuaded him, reminding him that as long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood. Even if Yue Budan succeeded to the throne of the Yuexi Kingdom, it could still be seized back.

Aeria remained as calm and breezy as ever, saying softly, "Moderation is best. It should suffice to serve as a deterrent; excessive slaughter is never a good thing." Her voice was light.

"Brother Ling, do you not sense the danger ahead? Since we have reached this point, the path forward certainly will not let us pass so easily," Ye Yu said with a light, indifferent smile.

Lin Chong and Qiao Daoqing had been blocked outside the pass for several days, unable to advance. When Ma Ling arrived that day, they welcomed him into the main camp. After some questioning, they learned that Sun An had already broken through two cities and was heading toward Weisheng, while Lu Junyi had already set out for Taiyuan.

Before Deng Yuanjue could finish speaking, a signal arrow shot into the sky from Lu Junyi's army. A roar went up from the rear as Zhu Wu and Qiao Daoqing led Fan Rui, Xiang Chong, Li Gun, and one hundred thousand troops onto the scene.

Ye Qingxue wiped her tears with her damp sleeve and stood up, gripping the edge of the tea table. Her numb legs brought her senses back to reality, reminding her once more that this was not a dream: Xiao Yang was truly dead.

But before the two could finish speaking, Li Yongnian struck again, this time stabbing directly at the top of Zhang Teng's foot.

***

Indeed, to spirit away the "Paper Tiger" without a sound, right under their noses—the perpetrator's cultivation level must be formidable.

After three shots, the beardless man stopped his pursuit on the spot. With a roar of shock, anger, and pain, the energy within him fell into chaos, and his body plummeted uncontrollably to the ground.

The Era of a Thousand Stars has only lasted 2.2 billion years—how could such existences emerge one after another?

Bai Hanyue stood frozen, listening to the long string of words, her eyes fixed on Xiao Yang in utter shock. She struggled to tell if she were dreaming; after all, in her dreams, Xiao Yang had never once mentioned Ye Qingxue.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Su Hongxiu's eyes. Not being recruited meant there was still a chance; it was simply a matter of whose offer was higher.

Bringing over warm water, they chatted while helping them wash their hair; the room was filled from time to time with the hearty laughter of the old men.

Although he was currently living quite comfortably at the Black Rock Tribe, and it would be a pity to lose this foothold, he was certainly not about to risk his life for that group of primitives.

He turned his head only to find that the uncle who had been his companion in the secret realm was gone, leaving him momentarily bewildered.

However, the voice on the phone was resonant and firm; one could tell immediately it belonged to a man of power, most likely Wang Qingxuan himself.

After spending nearly thirty minutes answering questions for the other principal creators and letting fans in the audience ask a few more, it was finally time for the formal questions for He Fang.

When Liu Tianyi looked at him, her eyes held an expression of coy hesitation, as if a hook were gently snagging Chu Feng's heart, refusing to let go.

***

What He Fang spoke of were the true fundamentals of how a new director starts from scratch. Film academies, by contrast, teach as if every student is already a "half-finished" director who has mastered the basics, which leads to many directors being unable to handle basic filming upon graduation.

During the few days he spent climbing to the summit, Li Yuan had not been idle. While he did not attempt the "Temple Entry Trial," he had walked through every other corner of the peak!

After a moment, seeing Sun Wukong in a new form, she felt a sense of acceptance—no, that was not it; she simply did not understand.

Outward displays of anger are not truly terrifying. What is truly terrifying is someone like Xie Qianyu: outwardly calm and still as an ancient well, yet harboring a deep, hidden fury within.

Yan Jinghua said nothing, simply taking Song Shengsheng's hand, and the two walked down the mountain together.

Then there were the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, and Seattle SuperSonics, each having won a single championship. In other words, out of the league's thirty teams, eighteen had never won a title.

"He was originally the leader of the Ming Cult and had quite a connection with me back in the day. Besides, he has lived in seclusion for over twenty years; for me to... just after he emerged... is that appropriate?" Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated.