Volume One, Chapter 58: Another Day of Verbal Sparring

Liu Jixiang’s ability to build a vast enterprise from nothing undeniably stemmed from his sharp intellect. In a short span, he grasped the cause and effect of the situation, even if there was a slight misjudgment—the one involved was Long Ao, not Kong Xinyan. Yet, reaching such an understanding was quite remarkable.

When Lian Zhu deliberately provoked that family, they were indeed shocked, evidently unable to fathom how matters escalated into a full-blown brawl in such a brief moment.

Meng Zizhan, seeing his keen sense of propriety and clear mind, nodded slightly. No wonder Lord Lou held him in such high regard; he was not merely a sycophant blindly flattering others. From his earlier courtroom duel with the Shen family, he had shown considerable wit and tact.

“When is the wedding arranged?” Qingyuan closed her eyes, unwilling to believe Huanyinfeng’s words, yet deep inside, a voice urged her to trust him.

A few days ago, the hawk circled overhead before flapping its wings and landing beside Qingyuan. She gently stroked the bird, retrieving a note from its talons.

Qin Tian smiled and said all was settled, then suddenly leapt backward several meters before rushing toward Xiao Feng.

First came the scenes of Ivy’s sniper battalion and Old White’s infantry corps shooting down mutated rats. Even Black Dragon was surprised by Ivy’s unit—so many mercenaries armed with heavy mechanical sniper rifles were a sight he had never seen before.

“Rui’er.” Gentle words came from the palace entrance, and with them, a white figure appeared beside Zi Rui.

Zhao Che suddenly erupted into a thunderous cough, startling Fu Tianyou. Was this child overly naive?

“Mother,” Qingyuan looked at the bracelet shining brightly under the sunlight. Was that man the same—bullying her mother before abandoning her? Qingyuan did not notice her trembling hands, a fear she had never experienced before, concealed deep within.

Zhang Shan and Zhang Niu were oblivious to this scene; all they knew was that the place was a ruin, the scattered clods of earth proving it had once been a site of significance.

Soon, this fragment of will vanished into the Auspicious Star. Elder Yun, lying on the ground, truly began his death process, his eyes still open but empty and unfocused.

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Staring unbelievingly at the billowing smoke, I shook my head in shock, then snapped back to reality and tried to dash inside, brushing off Ling Luoxi. But the explosions kept erupting relentlessly, closing in step by step. In the end, Ling Luoxi pushed me down, shielding me firmly within his arms.

Crucially, the cave where the giant serpent lurked was clearly connected by a passage to the snake’s lair. Otherwise, the serpent would not have hurried back into the cave upon sensing something amiss at the entrance, refusing to expose itself.

As a chef, he knew better than anyone whether the ingredients were fresh. If the meat was from a sick pig, the chef would have known before using it; otherwise, it would be impossible to cleverly mask the flaws in the dish.

“Strange, truly strange!” Zhu Jun muttered. The world was indeed full of wonders. This person seemed to possess a touch of arrogance to match his abilities.

Awakening well past mid-morning, still a little dazed and confused, I wondered how Jing could have fallen in love with me.

By the end of today, everyone was drunk—Lin He, Mr. Jing, and Hou Xian. Chu Yi and Feng Qingya tidied up the aftermath.

Passing beyond the row of mountain peaks, I saw a man lying on a beach blanket, shaded beneath a large parasol.

“Mingyi.” I forcefully turned his body to face me, staring steadily into his eyes. He suppressed his inner anxiety, smiling faintly at me.

“It’s okay, I’ll make you sweet! Besides, it’s so cold—if I don’t hold you, you might catch a cold.” Ye Bingning said softly, her face full of pitiful charm.

At first, he was uncertain, but the situation was indeed strange and had unfolded. He couldn’t leave without understanding it fully. So he summoned Yan Xiangnuan, instinctively believing she could detect anomalies. When Yan Xiangnuan firmly asserted that something was wrong, Jin Weimo frowned again.

There was no need to guard against anything else; the greatest fear was that the prince might hear rumors and send assassins after the Bamboo Grove Trio to protect his identity.

This move even made Old Master Meng rise to his feet, while Emperor Ji Yan’s handsome face showed subtle changes.

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Meiqingcheng approached Yan Qi, her beautiful eyes flickering with fiery emotion. Her exquisite face was tinged with anger—resentful and, upon closer inspection, clenched teeth revealing bitter dissatisfaction.

The importance of the college entrance examination was undeniable, and he looked forward to that day. Yet at that time, he was preoccupied with other matters and hadn’t considered it. Hearing that Su Mengya had performed poorly because of him stirred a deep sense of guilt.

After years on this mountain, he had grown weary of the pure natural flavors. If those madmen who sought immortality and health saw Chang Li treating two kinds of food so, they might bleed with envy.

“Ten thousand trees have spirits: tree essence revival, plant cage, plant whip, earth wood spike…” Zhang Sheng muttered, recalling various wood-element techniques from memory. By now he had absorbed all the level-one spirit stones, holding only a level-two spirit stone in his hand.

Song Xi and Yan Jingzi suddenly froze in expression, Song Xi’s hand suspended mid-air, too afraid to move.

Ye Lingxi was right; Hongyu was indeed waiting at the city gate. They had avoided the common folk as much as possible, but some had still seen the big cat. Some were startled, others calm, even soothing those frightened.

“You just need to know that!” With a flick of his sleeve, Baili Cangming turned, his cold gaze sweeping over those below.

As they spoke, they arrived at the school store, choosing the items they needed together. Su Momo spotted a pretty hairpin she liked and reached for it, only to see another hand also stretch toward the same hairpin.