Volume 1, Chapter 34: The Deceptive Trial

Page 1 of 3

Zhu Xiaozhi and Cui Zangzhuo followed the three young men from the banquet all the way. It was not that they did not want to search for the man with the eight-character mustache; it was simply that they had wasted too much time in front of the Exquisite Tower, leaving them no choice but to hope they could keep up with their classmates.

The young men raced along on foot without the slightest pause. In the narrow alleys, people were far more nimble than horses. Cui Zangzhuo had to exert all his strength just to catch a glimpse of their fluttering hems at every turn. Zhu Xiaozhi was already regretting having climbed aboard this pirate ship. She would have been better off running after them.

The young men disappeared at the end of a short side alley. To the left lay a dim flagstone road; to the right was a path barely wide enough for a horse’s shoulders.

Faint moonlight illuminated the road...

The Rakshasa Ghosts possessed battle strength on the same level as Sword Profounds, while the Impermanence spirits were certainly a grade higher. The fact that one of them had once been the master of an old Sword Profound bore witness to that. If even such wicked Impermanence ghosts had to kneel before an infant, just how terrifying must the infant’s battle strength be?

Identity plaques were issued uniformly by the Sword Academy. Only Quasi-Spirits were eligible to receive one. In the future, as one’s cultivation advanced, it was also possible to exchange it for a higher-grade plaque, though none of them came free.

“Is this your child?” Mu Qingge walked over and looked at the infant in his arms. The baby was so pink and adorable that anyone who saw it would want to kiss it.

Before coming here, Ye Fei had thought that Tsinghua and Peking University in Beijing were already enormous, occupying more than half of Beijing’s Haidian District. But after arriving in an American university town, he realized how narrow his understanding had been.

“The Black Tiger Gang! After school, I had planned to go over and take a look, but then a whole crowd of Black Tiger Gang members surrounded Thunderbolt Hall...” Lei Zhen drew a deep breath and slowly recounted the general course of events.

The moment Ji Zeyou finished speaking, he pounced on her like a ferocious lion. He did not even have time to carry her to the bed before his burning lips had already found hers.

If he had to choose between becoming a good husband and a qualified father, he would undoubtedly choose the former.

The patients in the hospital could still be divided into two broad categories: the sick and homeless people who came merely to squat there. There was little to say about the latter. They pretended to be ill so they could stay for a day or two, then went out to beg once the observation period ended. After some time, they returned for another “vacation,” rested for a day or two, and continued repeating that dull existence.

Shangguan Fei had clearly made just such a mistake this time. Thus, even Yu Hai could not protect him. Yu Hai had originally intended to bring Shangguan Fei to justice, but he had never expected him to insist on coming along, only to lose his life at Ding Yu’s hands.

The expenditure of manpower and resources had been well worth it, and it could also be counted as fulfilling the Bright Emperor’s commission. Friendly exchange, friendly exchange—I had been so very friendly. Just try being unfriendly and see what happens.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

“Yin Liuli, have you ever thought about forgetting your ambiguous lover and starting over?” Bai Yunyang asked.

Although Director Zhang had never gone into detail, the trouble with his stomach must have already been quite severe before he returned home.

The adults were thrown into chaos, yet none of them made a move. This was hardly surprising. The balcony where the child was trapped was five stories above the ground. Ordinary people could not fly over rooftops or scale walls, so how could they possibly reach the child and rescue it?

“What are we going to do? How will they get all the way to the capital? A-Fu, drive them there.” Pearl was so anxious that she stamped her feet as she spoke, pushing A-Fu toward Four-Nine.

Now that Ye Xiwu had been rescued, Shangguan Jin was naturally delighted. A faint smile touched his lips, and when a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, he merely wiped it away, completely unconcerned.

Indeed, if Croia’s inner knot had remained unresolved for so long, Han Kun’s burden must have grown heavier as well. Still, this conversation had at least let Han Kun know that Croia no longer cared about what had happened in the past. Perhaps Croia’s state of mind had also undergone a profound transformation.

Ying Shu listened, feeling as though she had been struck by a bolt from a clear sky. She grieved for Imperial Noble Consort Chunxi’s misfortune, but even more deeply, she worried about Wang Ying’s safety and health. Wang Ying might not have been a father overflowing with affection, but he was at least a competent one. At the very least, he was the protective umbrella over the entire Wang family. Without him, the Wang family would cease to exist.

Liuli did not know where she had found the courage. Su Liruo found it ridiculous. She did not even know what had happened, yet she was blindly pleading for mercy. Was she not afraid of being dragged into the affair?

Melissa kept muttering to herself. They had clearly agreed that if they could not find a place to stay, they would spend the night in a tent. But Han Kun still failed to appear, and Melissa’s tent had fallen through as well. She had no choice but to look for somewhere to spend the night.

Ye Xiwu had not yet been rescued. He could not concentrate on anything at present. The fact that he was able to teach the soldiers the techniques he had long since mastered had already exhausted the last of his patience.

When the family reached the gate, Shan Cuihua slid back the bolt. With only a slight exertion of both hands, she pushed open the two heavy wooden doors.

Mai Qiaoyue’s pig-like shrieks shattered the tranquility of the mountain village. The villagers came to watch the spectacle, while Mai Qiaoyue imitated her mother’s methods—making a scene, playing the victim, and twisting right and wrong.

“Brother, are you all right?” Su Nuannuan came over to support him, but her worried gaze remained fixed on Long Chen.

Su Mian seized the opportunity to pull Jing Xin’er into a private room to one side. She covered the girl’s mouth with one hand and, by the corridor light, gestured for her to keep silent.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Perhaps sensing Ai Lini’s downcast mood, Aquila, standing beside her, looked up. Then he sprang directly from the ground and planted a loud kiss on Ai Lini’s cheek.

Wu Xin’s eyes curved with laughter. She had heard those words for nearly twenty years, but hearing them again now filled her with genuine joy from the bottom of her heart.

Xia Nuanxin understood at once. She turned her eyes toward the clock on the wall. Very well—midnight. Murong An, you really are getting bolder by the minute.

Yan Zhuolang’s hand caressed her body. In truth, he had nearly lost control several times and wanted to do something more, but she was only in the early stages of pregnancy and her health was not very good. If anything happened to the child, she would surely hate herself. Thus, Yan Zhuolang could only rise and walk toward the bathroom, hoping that a shower would help him calm down.

During dinner, Shan Cuihua repeatedly apologized to Qu Hao and Tang Yujun. They had come from far away and were honored guests, yet she had not only failed to treat them properly but had also wept without end. It was truly improper of her.

Knowing that Xu Han was Mu Chuqiu’s only close friend besides Qiao Xinyu, he had dispatched people to search for Xu Han’s whereabouts a month earlier, when he first began plotting this wedding with Cheng Han.

Wu Anguo’s troops were equally spirited. Every proud face was filled with an unshakable determination to advance without fear.

Zhou Fang nodded, ignoring the guards’ curious glances at Zhao Ling, and led her straight toward the rear courtyard.

After Lu Guangda led his army in pursuit of Lai Huer, the opposing forces on the main battlefield both ceased fighting and withdrew to their respective camps.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing her life. Tomorrow, I shall send someone to select an auspicious burial site and give her a proper burial,” Empress Dugu promised.

Chen Mengyao knew that Wang Bing certainly would not come to keep her company today. Although she was deeply dissatisfied with his mixture of persuasion and coercion, she could only agree.