Volume 1, Chapter 28: Introduction of New Minor Characters

Hearing the footsteps stop beside her, Qin Xianxian asked languidly with her eyes closed, "Has the Young Heir Shen left?"
She tapped her toes, and the rocking chair let out a rhythmic creaking sound.
"Does Xianxian not wish to see me?"
The rocking chair suddenly lurched violently.
Startled by the familiar yet mournful voice, Qin Xianxian jumped, spilling the melon seeds she was holding all over her clothes. She opened her eyes, pale with panic.
Concubine Qiao had kept her gaze averted, only looking up to watch Mu Zhizhao leave once he reached the doorway. His retreating figure radiated sorrow and desolation; it was as if her heart had been dealt a heavy blow, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the sight.
Suddenly, the coffin gave a slight tremor, and a harsh, grating sound emanated from within—sharp, like fingernails scratching against a stone slab.
There were three hundred and twenty-six wounded soldiers, and their meals were settled each evening by the Lin family with Sun’s parents.
Amidst the biting wind of the blades, Rodhart had already retreated to the edge of the ring. Even to a layman, it was clear that Stronk’s stamina was beginning to falter. The long-awaited counterattack by the hero was about to unfold.
Seeing Madam Xiao’s face turn deathly pale with rage, Yushan hurriedly tried to soothe her and offered her a cup of hot tea. Madam Xiao took a sip from her hand, but unable to quell the fury in her chest, she pushed the cup away with a wave of her hand. Though her health had improved significantly after recent medicinal treatments, she felt the world go black before her eyes and collapsed backward.
Angie turned to us and said, "Let's head from the end of the coffin toward that direction. When I was hanging from the top earlier, I think I saw an opening over there; it might be a passage leading inside." With that, she shouldered her backpack and beckoned us to gather toward where she pointed.
Suddenly, the old man seemed to age significantly. His face, once defined by strength and smiles, was now desolate, and even his spine appeared to bow. He walked away from the place in a single stride.
He was convinced that the opener outside had long since been consumed by the soul fragment he had split off; there would be no issues at all.
Chu Nan exhaled a long breath. He had often imagined how long he could endure being trapped in a world of absolute, pitch-black darkness, devoid of any signs of life.
In fact, within the few minutes that Saber remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings, the vast majority of tourists on Fuyuki Beach had already been captivated by this peculiar pair of master and servant.
"Do not blame Bai Qianhui. When he brought you back, it was I who drove him away. Do not blame me either; I truly did it for your own good at the time." Long Yu took Yin Ling’s hand and scrutinized her face carefully. He had no other choice but to look at her a moment longer, to etch her features into his heart.
From this map, it was clear that the Royal Guard was indeed intimately familiar with the death row prison; the layout of its various sections was precisely marked.
Lin Ying was also banking on the strategy of stalling for as much time as possible. He had been wounded again by the impact of the Ice Storm Bull, and although he had managed to stabilize himself on the beast's back, he could not control it in the slightest and was forced to let it thrash about.
Shadow One whispered, "Something is wrong. Very wrong. The North Courtyard is desolate, so a lack of guards might be expected, but we have already infiltrated near the inner courtyard without seeing a single soldier. This is highly illogical."
Though he had not said it to Liu Die explicitly, he had already rejected her in his heart, merely using a different method to nip the romance in the bud.
Feeling the substantial depletion of the invisible mental energy in his mind, Liu Ling wiped the sweat from his forehead—sweat that had already been evaporated by the flames—and ceased his manipulation of the Crimson Flame source.
Fortunately, Irisviel still understood the meaning of traffic lights to a small degree; although she only tapped the brakes slightly when seeing a red light, it was still far better than running them all.