Forty-six

“Boss, you’re finally back! We’ve been waiting for you!” As soon as Xitianling stepped off the elevator on the eighteenth floor, Shu Zhiyu caught her right away and pulled her inside.

Zhang Wei sighed, realizing that the old really are the most cunning; compared to them, his own considerations had been far from thorough.

The so-called Dragon Treasure is the essence of every Longshou Peak’s spirit, a true soul born from the descent of one ancient star after another, an accumulation of millions of years of celestial refinement.

This time, even the man who had been silently eating put down his chopsticks. The three listened quietly.

At this point, Xiao Yuanying had no choice but to gamble everything; otherwise, it would mean sitting idly by, awaiting death. Suddenly, she took a decisive step forward, shaking the entire street with the force of her movement, then firmly assumed the opening stance of the Xiao family’s martial intent.

In the eyes of the officials, since Chancellor Du is the father of the Empress Dowager of the Chaoxiang Palace, it was only natural for him to know earlier. For a father to say such words in court was not inappropriate. But it seemed the matter was not so simple—there must be a reason behind it.

“Ah, theoretically it’s sound, but in reality, who can truly grasp the human heart? What if someone leaks secrets in advance? What if someone betrays outright? What if halfway through the plan, someone suddenly loses the will to continue? There are too many variables. It’s like the moon’s reflection in a mirror or flowers in water—illusory and intangible,” Zhang Fan sighed.

“Assistant Zhong, no need to say more; one sentence is enough,” said a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit with gray hair, frowning.

Xitianling could not break free by force; she could only open her mouth slightly and allow herself to be pulled toward the tank.

Zijuan took the item, brought it inside, and opened it. It was a jewelry box, with a letter pressed beneath it. Upon reading it, she recognized the stationery as the kind she often used to send to the Du residence, confirming that it was a gift from Chancellor Du.

That’s right. Directly confronting these people was wrong; nobody wanted to back down for face. Pulling them out one by one seemed excessive—killing them outright was an option.

---

It was clear the man was lonely; having finally found someone to talk to, he showed no disdain even though Zhao Jiugo only emitted the aura of a Nascent Soul. Instead, he casually threw an arm around Zhao Jiugo’s shoulder.

The man from the Five Poisons team sat atop a toad with a crimson body and a long, sharp red tongue that struck like an arrow, attempting to coil around Tong Feng.

Seeing Lin Banruo remain still, as if in approval, Zhao Jiugo quickly climbed onto the bed beside her, inhaling the faint fragrance and entering a state of cultivation.

However, after the purple light entered the coffin, there was no reaction at all, as if the light had never appeared.

Whether it was evasion, weakness, or self-deception, after the Soul Realm was established, the lonely souls from the Qin Sect eventually gathered there one by one.

Walking out, no one stopped them. Upon reaching the front yard, Su Jin spotted the gray-robed middle-aged man again. He cast a sidelong glance at Su Jin and He San and muttered something. Although Su Jin couldn’t hear, the contempt on the man’s face was unmistakable.

Du Ziping reckoned that he had been here for over two years, yet his cultivation had not advanced an inch. He then opened the jade bottle left by Master Luo Hua, finding ten green pills inside, undoubtedly the Yuqing Pills.

Even though the cave’s spiritual energy might not reach far, nearby animals, upon seeing or hearing the enormous magma fire lizard, would certainly flee the area... It was not hard to imagine a grand scene unfolding here.

“What on earth is this about?” Chu Muyou sometimes found it hard to keep up with his son’s leaps of thought.

The monkey was fearful; he knew well what kind of man Big Brother Wang was—possessing millions in assets and several thousand underlings, at least five or six hundred men, thriving beyond doubt.

Cui’er’s family was wealthy and often took taxis, which was a source of pride among classmates. Her father even had a Volkswagen Passat, but compared to others’ Citroëns, it was not impressive.

---

“I’ll go check on her,” Zhou Chu said, entering alone and leaving Qian Duoduo deep in thought.

Scarface felt uneasy, thinking this was already a small amount; a few broken chairs and two tattered tables worth no more than two hundred yuan was quite generous. He thought this was blatant extortion but dared not say so, quietly pulling out fifteen hundred yuan and handing it to Yang Lefan.

“Young Master Li, everyone knows you are the eldest son of the Li Group, and these recent incidents were all your doing. Only you can save us, father and son,” Ma Tianbao pleaded bitterly.

Kong Lingyu knew she shouldn’t anger Guo Feiyu now, or the consequences would be severe. She glared hatefully at the motionless Bai Luoxi on the bed, cursing silently that she would never wake.

Anyone with a bit of historical knowledge knew the Romanov family was the former royal family of Russia! The last Tsar, Nicholas, was killed along with his family after the revolution broke out.

“You scoundrel! You dare openly harass a servant of the state—do you understand the consequences?” Shen Qingyou warned, her voice trembling. She kept leaning backward, but the wall behind her prevented any actual movement.

Li Hao showed considerable restraint; his decades of experience in another world had not been forgotten.

Hua Zhengfeng spoke coldly to everyone before escorting Li Xianjing out, holding her hand. He had prepared a new residence for them and vowed to accompany her day and night from now on.

In the long, narrow alleys, fierce and terrifying men wielding cleavers clashed with one another. This scene played out across nearly a dozen lanes throughout Hangcheng.