Volume One, Chapter 31: The Mood of Dusk, the Yearning of Love

The afterglow of the setting sun spread across the earth, and the azure sky gradually took on a few gentle streaks of orange-red. The clamor all around seemed to be softly soothed by the gathering dusk.

Qin Xianxian stood at the foot of Reflection Moon Tower, facing the sunset. The rosy light made her entire face seem veiled in a layer of golden gauze.

Wang Hao, too, wore an expression of curiosity, eager to see how Yang Qianzi would face the intimidation of all those clan elders.

She very much wanted to hear about the platform’s incentive policies for bloggers, for they were directly related to how quickly she could monetize her work.

“Yes, War God.” The twelve special-forces soldiers had followed Nie Xiao for many years and had seen countless battles. Their skills in surveillance, pursuit, and tracking were nothing short of extraordinary.

Those few men were rather unruly. Once they arrived in Jiangzhou, they would likely steal the spotlight, whereas Xu Bin was more honest and straightforward and had experience managing factories. He was the most suitable choice.

After finishing her tea, she turned and returned to her room. The design drawings of the Bashu dams, which Lang Yue had completed earlier, were kept on the table. Chu Shi unfolded them that day and slowly ran her fingers over them for a while.

Following close behind her, the two of us passed through the corridor. Yet the servers we encountered along the way acted as though they could not see us at all. They did not even offer a greeting, simply walking past us on their own.

Zhu Shaoyan did not stop fleeing, but he could feel Tan Moyuan drawing closer step by step. He could almost sense the wind stirred by Tan Moyuan brushing against his back.

When the appointed quarter past the Chen hour arrived, the deep, lingering toll of the bells rang across Azure Cloud River, leaving layer upon layer of echoes amid the overlapping mountains.

“Brother Xiao, wait a moment!” Seeing Xiao Jian begin to loosen up again, Mi Fang quickly interrupted him. Under Xiao Jian’s somewhat impatient gaze, he changed his wording as well.

By the time the Ming army had completely withdrawn from Honshu, there was scarcely a place anywhere on the island, from south to north, untouched by the plague. The initial estimate put the number of infected at no fewer than two million.

I took Xia Mo by the hand and ran to the front of the hotel. The sky had grown somewhat dim, while the dark clouds overhead were driven about by the wind, colliding chaotically in every direction.

Guo Xiaotian glanced back at Chen Yuqi. Although he knew the remark was somewhat inappropriate, Guo Xiaotian was an upright and incorruptible man. As long as someone was a traitor or rebel, he would never show mercy, even if that person had once saved his life.

As soon as Mo Wentan arrived, he asked with concern what had happened. Ye Qing briefly explained the situation, then followed Mo Wentan outside. From Mo Wentan’s expression, Ye Qing could tell that he had come this time with something of great importance.

The three people eavesdropping outside the door flushed scarlet. Their desire had been stirred as well, and their bodies had even begun to react. Had they not been so reserved by nature, they would have rushed in long ago to join them and savor the sensation. Afraid they might lose control, the three hurried out of the room and returned to Qin Wu’s quarters.

Guided by the principle of avoiding battle whenever possible, Zhu Houzhao sent men to challenge the enemy before launching the final assault that day. This was not an act of provocation, but an opportunity for the opposing side to end the war peacefully and spare the lives of its many soldiers—in other words, to surrender.

However, Lin Yi did not want to do that now. They could not even determine the enemy’s position, so revealing their own strength rashly was clearly not a wise move.

Hu Sancai escorted Sakata Yu’s wife and child into Sakata’s headquarters. The two sides had already been in contact, and the Vengeful Ghost Anti-Japanese Brigade had agreed to return Sakata Yu’s wife and child unconditionally, so the journey proceeded relatively smoothly.

Ye Qing did not turn her head or say a word. Ye Xin, meanwhile, twisted her head in the direction opposite Dong Peng.

Old Cao, standing nearby, found Huai Guanghai’s transformation difficult to accept. He could not help taking another careful look at Lu Xuan, as though seeing him for the first time.