Volume 1, Chapter 29: Shikumen

Before Chief Hu could finish his sentence, Dong Ercheng splashed a cup of hot tea right into his face. Setting the teacup down, he cast a ruthless ultimatum: "I recall you have a daughter, sixteen or seventeen, and quite a looker at that. Why don't you send her to some pleasure house or brothel? I believe your daughter would be perfectly capable of handling such work."

Chief Hu wiped his face with his Rolex-adorned hand, awkwardly attempting to salvage the situation. "It’s just acting! You can’t take it seriously! The actors in those anti-Japanese films don’t actually die, do they? And those open-minded foreign movies aren't performing real acts either—why are you so angry?"

Seeing the man still trying to quibble, Dong Ercheng decided to lay his cards on the table. "Acting! Acting! The play is..."

"My failure to frame you, Shen Wuque, this time was simply due to my lack of meticulousness, Linghu Chong. The next time, it will not be so. I will surely drive you to your death."

Meanwhile, Emperor Yongchang had undergone a complete transformation, his entire being radiating with brilliance. To others—even to those with a primordial spirit—unless this specific thought were erased, no one would be able to detect anything amiss.

Bao Butong, unable to stomach the frustration, grew desperate. Ignoring the steel shield Zhang Fang swung toward his waist, he thrust his long sword directly at Zhang Fang’s heart. Using this mutually destructive tactic, he finally forced Zhang Fang to retract his shield and shift to defense.

Yuan Zuozong looked out over the battlefield, now a river of blood, and for the first time, he found himself hoping that the new King of Beiliang would return home soon.

These cultivators had struck with heavy hands, and it was only because the victims themselves were cultivators with tenacious vitality that none of them died after receiving such slaps.

Lu Ping had calculated everything clearly: this Inspector Huang was obviously a man of great wealth. Buying a sword—a hundred or eighty star coins couldn’t be considered expensive, could it?

Once others actually achieve results while I continue to do nothing, my position as a Star Official will be in jeopardy.

"The Yingque fleet intends to flee back to the Zhenhai City docks, relying on the ground batteries of the city to engage us in a war of attrition," said Duke Xiuyou.

"Having sailed through a thousand sails, seen the tides rise and fall, I have returned once more to the cycle!" he murmured, the words unintelligible to those around him.

"There is only this one entrance here. Even with an army of thousands, they cannot swarm in all at once. If we set up defenses at the valley mouth, they will surely launch an immediate siege. If we do not fortify it now, they will be wary and hesitate," I stated.

Charlene’s tone carried a hint of playfulness. She had become adept at disguising her emotions, wearing a mask of innocent, harmless, and obedient charm that made one want to cherish her all the more.

In truth, after investigating my background, he should know that I pose no danger to Tian Meizi. Thus, mentioning my abilities now must imply a specific need; if that is the case, I certainly won't blurt it out easily.

Upon hearing Yun Yan's question, An Shi looked slightly bewildered, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"By the way, why is there no movement from Xu Mu? Shouldn't he have fallen ill by now?" Recalling the person she hated most, Jia Mengyan could not help but ask again.

The three men who had been kicked away slammed into the door, but without losing momentum, they burst through it, the inertia of that powerful force carrying them backward until they struck the wall and finally came to a halt.

A few minutes later, Xu Mu came running toward her under an umbrella. Zhen Xin’s eyes welled up with tears—she felt as though she were seeing that slender youth again, using his not-so-strong arms to raise a protective umbrella over her life, time and time again.

I suddenly understood that he wasn't just doing this because he failed to protect Liu Hanyue in the game; he was releasing emotions that had long been suppressed in his heart. Although this wouldn't solve the underlying problems, it at least served as a catharsis.

In the Ditai Palace, chaos reigned because the Empress had fainted. Only after the imperial physician arrived and administered two acupuncture needles did she slowly regain consciousness. She could not speak; she could only let tears stream from her eyes, looking pitiful indeed.

As for the method, generally speaking, blocking is inferior to guiding. Professor X once tried to forcefully block Jean Grey’s power, which ultimately led to a tragedy. Naturally, he would not repeat the same mistake when dealing with the Scarlet Witch.

Therefore, to him, the idea that Chunlin would be willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of the Dao Province was inconceivable.

The righteous camp was already prepared to cheer for victory, but just then, a silver light barrier appeared out of thin air, enclosing Chen Weihang within it.

Fortunately, Zhang Tianshun had just enlightened him; had he allowed the inner killing intent to explode, the consequences would have been unpredictable.

For a moment, sounds of frolicking and crisp laughter erupted on the roof, drifting gracefully into the sky and carrying far into the distance.

At this moment, Shawn, who had never been clear about his own strength, felt even more adrift. Yet, although he didn't know exactly how powerful he was, one thing was certain: now that he possessed the Phoenix Force, he could absolutely crush his former self with ease.

After all, when Liu Can first arrived, he had come by car and was accompanied by Kelly, so many people in the estate hadn't paid any attention to him wandering around.

No matter how sweet a romance may be, it often loses out at critical moments to the mundane reality that everyone must endure.

Ni Ruier ran over from the distance, looking incredibly excited and appearing completely obedient—not at all the terrifying figure described in the rumors.

The night before he stormed the palace, I had desperately urged him to take his family and flee. Even if he chose not to contend for the throne, he should at least avoid a senseless sacrifice. But he flatly refused me.

Hearing Yang Baishun’s screams, Feng Yang knew for certain that Mother Yang had done this intentionally to make him witness it.

Now that the Appraisal Convention had begun, the three great treasure houses had reached an agreement: after nightfall, all teleportation formations would be shut down. Outsiders could not enter, and those inside could not leave unless they held a passage token.

Ever since that last incident, because she had no evidence and had lost the Emperor's favor, she could only keep a low profile in the palace. She feared that if she disposed of Cai Ping, Xiong Yuwei would only plant another secret agent that would be even harder to detect, so she didn't act immediately. Instead, she kept a close watch on her movements and generally did not allow her to get close.

Walking a bit further, Feng Yang discovered that there was actually a very well-hidden laboratory here.