Volume One, Chapter 34: The Knock and the Cleanup

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It was not until after two o’clock the following afternoon that A-Qing finally sent a message saying she had arrived outside the building.

She had been late on her very first day of work. I was so speechless that I did not even know what to say. All I could do was inform A-Long that she had arrived. He would have to take the board owner’s identification badge to receive her; only then would the two security guards at the entrance allow her inside.

A-Long did not even get up. Instead, he suddenly slammed his palm onto the table and cursed through clenched teeth, “Damn it, Zhu Bai, I’m not going to receive her!”

“If I weren’t doing it for your sake, I’d really give her a proper lesson. Does she think this place is her own backyard? She doesn’t have the slightest sense of rules.”

“Just tell her I’m busy and let her wait outside.”

“The sun is lovely today. Let it roast her properly—”

Qin Feng said nothing more about the matter. Then, hearing the change in his tone, he turned to Azure Dragon and said—

Xiao Ruyue glanced down at herself. If Kong Xiangzhen had not specifically reminded her, she would almost have forgotten again that she was dressed as a man.

The dream was deep. Those long-buried events from years past unfolded and reappeared one after another within it, each scene vivid before her eyes, as though the past were being reenacted.

“Master, they’re exchanging coded phrases.” Egghead’s hearing, however, was unaffected. He listened carefully to the two men whispering.

When he saw the door flung open, Cheng Tian paid it no mind. Instead, a fond smile appeared on his face. Within the City Lord’s residence—or rather, throughout the entire Blackgold City—there was probably no one besides Cheng Lan who would dare push open Cheng Tian’s door with such reckless boldness.

Afterward, he took them on a tour of the Luo Clan Machine Workshop. They saw the students studying and working, as well as several workshops normally forbidden to idle visitors. This time, he showed them all around.

Loneliness had once made me feel different from everyone else, allowing me to look down upon the ignorance of others. I had never feared loneliness, but why was the world it led me into so captivating?

Liu Ruoxue closed her eyes in despair, and a single line of clear tears slipped down her face. She deeply regretted how unclear-headed she had been.

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Wang Xu could not sleep. The thought of suddenly acquiring a master of dubious convenience filled him with unease. As a result, he was unable to enter meditation while practicing that night and nearly suffered qi deviation.

This was the Qin family of today—the very family that had once been Blackgold City’s foremost clan. So what? At this moment, even one of Li Shi’s dogs could openly berate the head of the Qin family.

The Metal Tough Guy was still extremely confident in the protective capabilities of his exoskeleton armor. He knew that Wu Wei’s defenses were formidable, but reasoned that it was impossible for him to be equally powerful in every aspect, and thus agreed at once.

At that moment, Shen Wei desperately wanted to do something for the frontier cities of the Western Territories and their people. Even if her strength was insignificant, even if the silver she invested was no more than a drop in the bucket.

That Elder Qing was also the sect master’s means of keeping watch over the inspector serving as city lord. Whatever happened in Wushan Town had to pass beneath Elder Qing’s eyes.

“I, your old minister Wen Zhong, have repeatedly obeyed the Son of Heaven’s orders and led campaigns against you. Yet you have not repented; instead, you have acted with wanton cruelty, slaughtered the imperial army, and brought shame upon the court. Your crimes are beyond pardon.”

Zhang You had once again fallen into captivity, but Luo Sigong knew nothing of it. Acting under Zhu Yijun’s orders, he carried the imperial decree bearing the vermilion seal and golden command arrow, sent to retrieve the edict that had wrongly conferred upon Zhang You the title of Prince of Shunyi. Then, without stopping his horse, he galloped straight toward Hohhot to proclaim the decree.

Qin Ling only briefly checked on the situation involving the Mountain Boar and Fire Monkey before immediately turning his attention back to what lay before him, focusing on the condition within the body of the One-Horned Mad Lion Beast.

“He isn’t stupid. Even if the monk escapes, his temple remains. Leave him be. Let’s hurry inside.” Lan Qi caught up from behind, tugged at Zhang You’s sleeve, and walked in first.

Chen Ao had already anticipated what might happen next. This was a conventional method of laying siege, without any particularly novel tricks. What followed would be the continual filling of the ground beneath the walls with human lives. Whichever side—attackers or defenders—could hold out longer would claim the final victory.

Lin Yan used his spiritual power to sense the message and discovered that it was merely a passage Li Shiyi had left behind for him through spiritual force.

They held out for most of the night. Although their losses were devastating, the enemy had still been unable to fully seize the walls. By dawn, when the eastern sky had begun to pale, Dacheng Biji, Rolan, and the others finally saw hope.

The situation was already so tense that Wuling would never allow anything so unpleasant to happen. Looking at the others, she called out somewhat anxiously.

This was completely beyond the expectations of the Despair Emperor and the Lady of Tianshui. They had never imagined that Yang Fan possessed such an extraordinary background.

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“No!” Just as he was about to give up and climb out, someone suddenly seized one of his legs and squeezed past him into the opening.

The three of them then examined everything carefully. Sure enough, as Lin Mu had said, although the Dao Seeds still bore patterns on the surface, they had already been completely ruined. They possessed not the slightest value for use.

Under ordinary circumstances, I might have cursed him a few times upon seeing what he was doing. But now I was in no mood for it. My mind was filled entirely with what had happened to Su Mengke.

The army galloped for an hour and was about to reach Shangcheng. Scouts had already begun appearing along the road. As for them, Gongsun Zan’s order was simple: crush them beneath the tens of millions of pounding hooves.

“Drip, drip…” Tears even began to fall. The touching scene was so moving that Zhang Jiao could hardly bear to look at it.

Yet the only survivor left behind apparently claimed that the ones who attacked them last night had been the Flash. This inevitably aroused suspicion: had the Flash truly taken dozens of lives in such a cruel manner? If so, what means did we now possess to put an end to his wanton brutality?

Besides, Goguryeo was rich in gold and silver, whereas the Liao people were a band of paupers. Even if plunder were permitted, there was probably little wealth to be squeezed from them.

This could now be regarded as another World Tree. If Lin Mu wanted to claim it, things would probably become extremely troublesome.

The young warrior known as Peter hurriedly drew his weapon. Turning around, he unleashed a murderous sword aura, which cleaved the demonic wolf leaping through the air cleanly in two.

However, the stream of light clutched tightly in Haotian’s hand had long since become formless and colorless. Haotian’s grip tightened further and further. Only he could sense it; neither Mao Dongxi nor Xi Nang could even see it.

A man like Huo Liancheng Shen naturally deserved a better partner—someone such as Zhuo Ya or Ying Li, for instance. Whoever they were, they would all have been a better match than Jing Rong.

After Tai Bai’s shout rang out, the School of Engineering and Management became orderly once more. Only then did he walk toward Gu Qingyan and her family.

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