Twenty-fifth: I have been looking for someone.

Considering the treacherous terrain of the valley, combined with Apis’s prior concerns and premonitions before crossing, Aulus decided to take a detachment of cavalry and turn back to investigate.

When the candles made from fish oil burned out, a layer of black smoke permeated the entire room. If used in an enclosed space, one would find their nostrils filled with impurities after staying inside for even a short while.

It was emerald green, crystalline and translucent, shimmering with a strange, dreamlike luster. The blade was etched with numerous subtle patterns, resembling cloud motifs and archaic bird-script, profoundly mysterious.

“...I... I haven’t slept all night...” I stiffly stuffed myself into the exile’s quarters. “But finally, I can rest easy... phew.” Once the taut nerves relaxed, exhaustion came flooding in relentlessly. I didn’t even have time to give System any instructions before I was off to play chess with the God of Dreams.

As night fell on the mid-autumn night of the full moon, a bright, white moon rose slowly into the high sky like a silver platter, bathing the capital and its surroundings in a silver glow.

Severely wounded, Long E had lost all sense of restraint. Because the magnetic force had been depleted by Su Zizhan, the maddened Long E broke free from his control.

Su Zizhan sat directly across from Gu Lan. Just as Su Zizhan took his seat, Gu Lan let out another cold snort.

Gu Mu and Shi Li led the members of both clans to the village entrance to pay respects to their kin, while Wang Hao sat with the Black Armor Army at the site of the former Stone Village, eating food and discussing matters of the underground world.

“Really? You don’t look like him at all.” Hela’s hair fluttered wildly even in the absence of a breeze. Where did she buy the special effects? How much did she pay? Gold member? Diamond member? Or perhaps a premium member?

A look of struggle flashed across General Gao’s face as he pondered, while the other two waited for his answer.

He did not tell his parents far away in the United States, because telling them would be of no avail, and having them travel thousands of miles back would only add to their grief.

Ban Hua glared at him, though in the end, she did not mention that she had already eaten at the Duke of Jingting’s residence. After dining with Rong Xia, she finally washed up and went to sleep.

To eliminate any lingering malice in the heart of the deposed crown prince, Bai Zhi specifically had someone find a Buddhist sutra for him to copy, hoping the scripture’s teachings on karma and retribution would warn him and curb his aggression, preventing him from harming others in the future.

With the tiger tally, one could rightfully take command of the army; with the imperial seal, one could act on behalf of the state, handle political affairs, and even control the voices of the officials at court.

These water bandits did not head in a single direction after looting the ships; they arrived from all directions and dispersed the same way. Even if the Zhu family had the strength to pursue them, they wouldn’t know which direction to take.

By the time King Changqing tracked down the bird seller, the man was already dead, having drowned in a ditch after drinking too much. Those close to him claimed that the myna bird was his prized possession, and he never let anyone touch it.

They decided that from now on, whenever the hero was present, they would keep their distance, only providing close protection when he was away to avoid stirring up jealousy.

Ban Hua and Rong Xia followed the men from the Ministry of Justice all the way to the ministry. Only when Ban Hua saw Shi Feixian locked in a clean cell did the expression on her face soften.

He remembered having been registered in the military with the rank of colonel; even if he were to be arrested, it seemed the local government lacked the authority to do so.

Although the other party showed no intention of opening fire, Zhao Tie-zhu was burning with anxiety. He knew that Hanks might head to the Gela region at any time under the guise of an exercise, and if Hanks didn’t find Zhao Tie-zhu there, he certainly wouldn’t let the matter rest.

If he could fully absorb the internal energy within Wu Yuhan, he would surely be able to break through to the Shattering Realm quickly.

Having landed his strike, Zhao Tie-zhu performed a side flip and landed a whip kick on the head of one of the hoodlums. Fortunately, he held back his strength, otherwise, given his power, the thug’s head would have shattered instantly.

Biting the bullet, Zhang Haoyu stepped forward. Despite the turmoil in his heart, his face remained calm.

“That... I saw you had some herbs on you and wanted to brush them off, but I was afraid my hands were dirty, so...” Zhang Yang didn’t know what he had just done; he was a bit disgusted himself, wasn’t he?

Amidst the cursing, the scene was quite bloody. Poor Long Wu didn’t know how many kicks or blows he had received. Those beating him were settling old scores, hitting him with lethal intent, all while claiming they were “helping.”

Boundless shockwaves swept through the area, and the power of the Sun-Dazzle Technique to refine tendons and burn bones was truly astonishing.

These were things Wang Xiaolan dared not even imagine, for the big shots of Xiang City were an insurmountable chasm to her.

Looking around, these men were clearly from the Li family, bearing their marks. No matter how one looked at it, Zhao Tie-zhu seemed to be bluffing.

In that fleeting moment, a precious staff carrying the pressure of a mountain crashed heavily onto the red bone wings behind him.

It was a portrait of a man in military attire, riding a horse and brandishing a spear. He had thick brows, a broad forehead, dragon-like eyes, and a tiger’s gaze, looking majestic and imposing on horseback.

Qi Yuehua and her husband were barely able to fend for themselves. Hearing the screams, they realized something was wrong and tried to see who was striking from the shadows, but Ruyu and Dagui coordinated perfectly to block them, landing a punch squarely on their eyes.

“Don’t show any desire for the Earth-Core Fire Ganoderma now, or the fire birds will discover it and likely devour it,” Yirong said, solemnly warning Yang Buyi, who looked full of excitement.

Today was the second day; the children would return tomorrow, so they still had one night to themselves.

Thinking of the remedy mentioned in the talisman by Hyacinth, and the repeated “save the children” in pinyin at the end, Zhu An’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

“The Scarlet Vortex is a sign of the Mana ecosystem’s evolution. It will attract a large number of噬极兽 to gather, transmitting life essence to the Mana Flower. The flower will then select噬极兽 with evolutionary potential to provide feedback, allowing them to complete their evolution.”

The cacophony of street chatter drifted up to the second floor of the inn. Listening to these jumbled voices, Liu Mang pursed his lips. In the distance, when Geng Qing turned his head to look over, it made his eyelids twitch a few times.