Volume One, Chapter 23: The Overbearing Earth-Ranking Strongman

The one who made the move was a young man dressed in an ink-wash robe, his appearance eerie and otherworldly, with a Yin-Yang sword strapped to his back. After snatching the cultivation technique, he glanced at it twice with keen interest, nodded approvingly, and then turned to leave.

The phone rang again—it was still Ye Yuxuan. How dare he call again? A sinking feeling settled in my chest. Could Ye Yuxuan be in cahoots with the person who had set me up?

Tan Yan ate by the side, recounting bizarre tales from the palace, causing the others to be utterly captivated. Even Mo Fei chuckled softly along with them.

The other party showed no reaction at all. Wu You called out several more times, but there was still no response.

Hearing this, Wang Xuanyuan fell into deep thought. This outcome was expected; after all, no matter what he did, he couldn’t match the resources of the wealthy—so many people supporting them, so many projects promoting them—while his own side made little noise.

“Dad, eat this dumpling. It doesn’t smell as good as the ones Mom makes in prison, but as long as the family is together, even plain porridge tastes like a feast!” Lin Shi picked up a dumpling and placed it in his father’s bowl.

We found a relatively flat and sheltered spot, gathered plenty of dry wood from the surroundings, and built a large bonfire in the middle. The altitude was higher here, so the temperature dropped at night, making the fire essential for warmth—and it also kept wild beasts at bay.

Suddenly, Josh circled behind Qian Yunche and, taking advantage of a moment’s lapse, launched a successful sneak attack. Qian Yunche staggered but quickly regained his balance.

Xiao Ye and I desperately tried to dissuade the wandering souls approaching our position. But to my despair, there seemed to be an endless stream coming closer. Each time I used an exorcism spell to drive one away, two more appeared in its place.

I had a twinge of regret—had I said too much today? I should have persuaded him slowly. Was it too hasty to lay everything out all at once?

Keke glanced again behind the rock and faintly discerned the outline of a house, roughly three stories tall, its shape barely visible.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely easy, but some raw jade stones were simply exorbitantly priced. Though some contained fine jade, the quantity wasn’t much, so they were only considered average.

“That’s great! Working with a pervert puts so much pressure on me,” Chu Song said with a smile, putting on his sunglasses and walking away with his head held high.

“So, you sent the two who attacked the First Manor?” Lou Xiaoqian demanded fiercely.

Since Long Yinxuan last visited the hostage residence and ordered Captain Lin to tidy up the garden, entering the garden again revealed a completely transformed scene.

Regarding An Xiaoli’s appearance and her devilish figure, anyone who saw her would be struck by her beauty. Li Huan understood this well; the love of beauty is universal and natural.

Back then, when Gu Mengrong intended to deal with him and Li Feijing, Xu Fei showed disdain for Gu Mengrong, even claiming that with a single phone call, she could bring Gu Mengrong to heel.

She was still worried about Nurse Xu, but though Nurse Xu remained kneeling, she drank the entire bowl of porridge clean.

Because the court refused to allocate funds any longer, within a month, soldiers fighting in the northern desert would receive no pay; the Gold Guard’s accounts would run dry.

The job at the Eight Desolations Auction House was not easy to secure; he had no idea how much effort it took back then.

Gong Wu laughed heartily: “No, absolutely not. I just wanted to help you find some fun, but I didn’t expect you to make such a big mess. Although I think you deserve it, I’m still willing to give you a grain of sympathy—about the size of a millet seed.”