Volume 1, Chapter 29: The Price Is Not Enough

"Huh?" I certainly didn't expect Sister Xuemei to make such a request.

But she gripped my arm tightly. "I've heard from the other sisters that the first time is very painful. I... I don't want to be ruined by those men, and I'm so scared... Xiaohui, please help me? Just be gentle, that’s all I ask..."

"No... I can't." I shook my head and pulled my hand away.

After what happened with Sister Jing, I already felt like a thief who had betrayed Sister Yuzhu. How could I possibly have an affair with Sister Xuemei? Absolutely not!

Sister Xuemei lowered her head. Seeming to have anticipated my refusal, she curled up her slender frame and hugged her knees again.

Gong Qianzhu jumped off the bird's back. Although Spirit Peak wasn't massive, finding a piece of jade wasn't easy. Fortunately, the firebird was highly intelligent; it seemed to know she was looking for a Soul-Returning Jade. After flapping its wings and circling the peak, it returned, flying to her side with a translucent, emerald-green stone in its beak.

"Kind souls, this old woman thanks you both. Rest assured, I will definitely do a good job here." With that, she moved to kowtow to Tianci and Tang Yan.

"I possess a technology that can mass-produce 'Transcendents'... As long as you agree to one condition, I will hand this technology over to S.H.I.E.L.D. How about it?" The man in the grey suit spoke in a tone dripping with temptation.

"Pfft..." The Pipa Immortal, charred and blackened, spat out a puff of dark smoke. A basin of cold water was poured over his head, causing him to shiver violently before he collapsed stiffly to the ground.

Beneath my calm exterior hid a turbulent heart, so much so that even when I spoke in measured tones, my words remained sharp. I shouldn't have laid open Shen Yin's wounds to compare them with my own; it was clearly cruel.

She found it strange. It seemed that ever since she took possession of the Nine Glazed Lamp, she hadn't had a good night's sleep. She was either punished by her master, pulling all-nighters for makeup lessons, or being woken up by others. How long had it been since she’d slept soundly?

"Alright, go on," seeing that Fu Rongxi was truly at a loss for words, Zheng Chenheng couldn't bear to see him distressed and spoke softly.

Gong Qianzhu was shocked to realize she was resting her head on someone's lap. She let out a wail and scrambled away, rolling off.

***

Professor Albert did not choose to force Zhang Taibai and his group to stay; instead, he gave them another chance to choose.

Sister Wang and Xu Li were dumbfounded. They were police officers, and they were the ones who usually shouted "Put your hands on your heads and squat down." They never imagined that one day someone would shout that at them.

In the bronze mirror was a face of opulent elegance, with long hair cascading over her chest, from her delicate collarbone down to her slender waist.

By the time Tang Ke'er returned with her disciples, all fighting on Bandit Saint Mountain had ceased, and everyone had returned to their posts.

Several horse bandits from the Tianyun Stronghold were chatting and laughing in the main hall, cracking red melon seeds from time to time.

At this moment, Lady Liu was completely overcome by jealousy. The thought of Gu Muqing’s face, which was far more beautiful than her own, became utterly unbearable.

"Eunuch Wang, you are too kind. Since His Highness the Crown Prince is looking for Uncle Li, please go ahead, Uncle Li. I, Sichang, will pay a visit tomorrow," Chai Shao said, smiling at Wang De and Liu Ji as soon as he heard Li Shimin was looking for Liu Ji.

The King of the Northwest nodded and pulled the tiger skin draped over her legs higher. Ever since she discovered she was pregnant, she had been extra careful about her health.

The Moon Shadow Fairy’s voice was crisp. Her beautiful eyes scanned Tang Le, trying to discern whether this fellow was truly a Dragon-Python.

Ye Liangyi turned and left, her skirt rustling in the night breeze. Her silhouette was resolute and sharp, like a sword unsheathed, carrying the chill of the whistling wind.

Luo Tianci let out a roar. A point of light appeared in his hand, expanding as he struck, crashing down like a blazing sun.

"That's right, it's that scoundrel. Guanyin-bi, go and bring Gaoming, Qingque, and Lizhi. After eating Wang Xuan's cooking, they complained that the palace meals weren't good, didn't they? Well, today we'll take them to eat something good!" Li Shimin laughed after saying this.

Once things had reached this point, it couldn't be clearer. Considering Wei Zhaoyang's family background, this matter was almost a certainty.

After tidying her clothes, she nestled against his chest like a well-behaved kitten. The two sat in the chair whispering sweet nothings until, finally exhausted, Zhihan dozed off beside him.

Although Danny said this house had been vacant for a long time, it wasn't as dilapidated as I had imagined; the villa was, in fact, quite new.

Even though Lillard had treated her that way in the end, she felt no resentment in her heart. Instead, she felt guilty, believing it was she who had brought Lillard down.

***

Jiang Yi waited for three full days for Feng Bailu before finally receiving a nervous reply.

However, he hadn't expected that Su Fazhao was facing even more pressure than he was. At times, she was on the verge of a breakdown, yet he had been completely oblivious, even harboring resentment toward her perceived cowardice.

Lin Hanxi came to her senses to find herself sinking into the bed. Leng Wuchen stood by the bedside, dressing himself, his eyes wandering around the room with a leisurely air.

The paper windows didn't let in much light, but the sun still managed to peek through. I propped myself up, half-reclining on the bed, and watched the light filtering through the window cracks, smiling involuntarily.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. When I was checking the Princess's pulse just now, I realized her discomfort was likely caused by a conflict between cold and heat in her diet. I must perform a visual examination to confirm the diagnosis." The young gentleman’s voice was soft, calm, and steady—neither rushed nor arrogant.

She suddenly remembered how she had blushed repeatedly at Leng Wuchen's words earlier. She wondered if he had truly felt a flicker of attraction when he saw her shy appearance back then.

Just as Zhou Min didn't know what to do, the sound of running water stopped, and Wu Hua walked out swaggering, wrapped only in a bath towel. Seeing Wu Hua's solid chest, still glistening with beads of water, made Zhou Min blush crimson in an instant.

Wu Qian gave up on sleeping and emptied out all the seventh-grade spirit herbs he had collected, counting them one by one. Counting these herbs felt like counting piles of silver spirit crystals, and for a moment, he forgot his troubles.

A flash of clarity crossed Ning Jing's eyes. Jia Yu gently broke free from Zilin’s tight grip, her gaze shifting with a sharp edge as she walked toward Xiaoling. A coldness, never before seen on her face, settled in as she quietly observed Cai Xiaoling, who seemed unwilling to leave and intent on staying put.

In the far east, where the water met the sky, the morning sun slowly rose, staining the heavens red under Lu Fan’s watchful gaze.

Therefore, Leng Yue had to die. Only then could he honor the ancestors of the Wei family and the members of the Wei clan.

Compared to Qianlong, the Empress Dowager's political maneuvering and ruthless decisiveness were far more terrifying. Even now, the memory of escaping her clutches left Xu Yang trembling with fear.

Wu Qian thought that made sense, so he boldly approached the old Ancestral Dragon. The old man lifted Wu Qian’s left hand, placed his fingers on his pulse, and began to examine him.

"Ren Yizhao," as the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, he truly had no better measures to deal with this financial crisis than raising interest rates. Yet, the hike had negative effects on both the stock and property markets, playing right into Soros's hands.