Volume 1, Chapter 21: As Expected, Loving Men Only Leads to Misfortune

Jiang Yunmiao feigned a look of lingering fear as she stared at Zhou Manhua, her voice low and fragmented. "I heard from Sister Xu that you had arrived, and since she happened to have just finished brewing pear soup, I thought I’d bring you a bowl. I never expected... I never expected..."

She paused mid-sentence, causing Zhou Manhua’s eyelids to twitch uncontrollably.

Damn it! If this girl had overheard the conversation between her and her son, there was no telling what kind of storm it might stir up. If this were to escalate and reach the ears of Duan Zhenhong or the Matriarch, and they were to conclude that the mother and son were harboring ulterior motives, it would be a disaster.

Zhou Manhua wrung her hands anxiously, racking her brain: How could she dispel Jiang Yunmiao’s suspicions? How could she resolve the situation at hand?

***

Although the Dong family held some status in the capital, in front of the eldest brother, they were effectively nothing.

"Father, Jiang Tian killed three members of our Qin family. This debt must be repaid!" Driven by a surge of murderous intent, Qin Feng gritted his teeth.

On the eve of the Great Examination, held four times a year, the Imperial Academy would deliberately extend the hours to allow disciples to practice. Ye Minghuan and Shi Qianqian also found a secluded corner to practice their swordsmanship.

"Let's talk about it later." Ran Lengdan looked toward the sky; time was already short, and there was no end to this chatter.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Jiang Tian sensed the spiritual energy, which was quite dense—comparable to what he had experienced at Green Park previously.

Su Lan walked to the side to find the person in charge of the arena. She whispered a few words to the manager, who then looked at Jiang Tian with evident surprise before asking Su Lan a follow-up question.

Bruce’s voice echoed in Sherlock’s mind, but Sherlock had no intention of replying.

Hearing this, Lin Ye finally understood the gist of the situation and immediately grasped why Yun Yi had been taking such special care of him.

Her reaction was enough to confirm Jiang Tian’s suspicions. Had he truly done something terrible to Xuanyuan Ao’s wife and children in the past?

***

"How are the preparations for the visit of the Immortal Realm’s Imperial Sovereign?" Mu Qianhan asked, his eyes closed, brows slightly furrowed, and a hand supporting his temple as he spoke with a weary tone.

He had always treated his company’s employees with genuine sincerity, believing he had done a good job. In fact, he had; otherwise, at the moment the company faced bankruptcy, at least sixty or seventy people would not have remained willing to share in his hardships.

Whatever she gave him, no matter how unpalatable, he would eat it. Even when the sourness made his teeth ache, he would keep his expression unchanged, still gazing at his wife with a smile, sometimes making even a seasoned veteran like Yun Ni feel embarrassed.

Two sets of clothes for himself, plus a watch, a haircut, a pair of shoes for his father, a new phone for Ke’er, and a cat cage and chew toys for Tuanzi.

However, just as Hun Ji made these arrangements, the Great Emperor Tianluo, who had been closely monitoring the number of soul entities on the Soul-Measuring Tower, could not help but have his own expression change drastically in an instant.

But he was desperate to save the people, thinking only of how to rescue them, and since those two were so bizarre, he had no choice but to come up with such a plan.

As Ming Xuan softly uttered the word "Go," the thousands of Soul-Shocking Awls before him instantly transformed into a thousand streaks of black light, surging forward like a torrential rain toward the giant soul sword that was hurtling toward him.

Insight—Scan! Ouyang Lang had discovered the teammate of this high-level sniper and seen him charge into the boxing gym. The 98K in his hands was already aimed at the player’s head. Bang! That shot crippled the opponent.

At that moment, at the foot of the mountain, Long Zhan suddenly saw a pillar of fire shoot into the sky, soaring upward with a roar.

This is youth—because they are young, because they are romantic, because they are full of vitality! Romance requires just a little bit of that.

Uncle Nine was worried about the deed to the righteous cemetery and other important items, so he brought Chu Nan along to clean up the aftermath.

The others also unbuckled their seatbelts one after another and stretched their limbs. They had been so shocked and frightened that their bodies had grown stiff.

Most importantly, sword cultivation does not depend on spiritual roots. Good spiritual roots are an advantage, but even without them, one can achieve greatness through temperament and effort. Once mastered, the destructive power is immense; there is no need for flashy tricks. No matter how many treasures someone has, I will shatter them with a single sword strike.

When they met this new teacher from the Tiankan Academy in the afternoon, Bai Ran’s eyes shone like stars, filled with adoration; Lin Anping was full of surprise, while Zhao Huaijin radiated coldness from his entire being.

***

The three of them met in the hotel lobby. The attendant informed them to board the vehicle at a different parking lot, explaining that the VIP entrance had been sealed off for an inspection and was currently inaccessible.

Ye Qian’s brows furrowed slightly as he reached out to retrieve the treasure hidden in his combat boots. A flash of red light streaked by, leaving the bandit’s jaw hanging in stunned disbelief. The red light came from Ye Qian’s personal dagger, known as "Blood Wave," which was blood-red, as if it were made of flowing blood.

Principal Chi glanced at her, recalling that it had been mentioned last year that the English teaching and research meetings would be rotated between the only two available teachers, with no selection process. But this year, the school had better candidates; why send a graduate of a secondary normal school to attend? It would only invite ridicule from other schools.

In truth, Liverpool’s financial situation was now much better than before. With the flood of Chinese sponsorships, the economy was far stronger, though they still carried massive debts. Recently, there were even rumors that Liverpool was going to be acquired again.

Later, during the land reform, everyone began farming and eating separately; the collective granary and woodshed were gone. The house had been vacant ever since. It was truly dilapidated, but when one was homeless, it at least served as a place to stay.

However, she didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she felt as if Lu Zeyan had moved a little closer to her.

Although he knew that these days of confirming their relationship and being together were like a dream that would eventually wake, he was still making excuses for her.

Sai Hua and the others returned to Fuzhou City and continued their training under the beggar-priest Li. By this time, there were already about forty children learning under Li, who dared not slack off for even a moment.

"Fine! If that’s the case, I will make an attempt. Once the Golden Core is perfected, I will truly become a four-clawed dragon."

"Brother Zhan, you are right, but who can truly escape the secular world? Those who have escaped are the true masters; even those high-ranking monks cannot help but bow before money!" Na Shijie said helplessly.

Along the way, there were still stern police officers guarding various points, and everyone could clearly feel that the people in the special military vehicles were filled with resentment.

"Fine, let’s not talk about it." Mu Ziyu did not want to escalate the conflict; it was not beneficial for either of them. Was Hua Rongyu just waiting for them to argue? He was not a fool, and he would certainly not hand Water over to another man over some trivial matter.