Chapter 35: The Arrival of Malicious Competition

When Wang Peng returned home, he found neither his cousin nor the food cart.

He set out with five pounds of eggs, hailed a motorcycle, and headed straight for Li Village, over ten miles away. Since he was preparing to launch a delivery service, he needed delivery personnel, and his first thought was his second uncle and aunt. Li Longfei had warned him that the Dong family intended to crush his fried rice business with a price war, making it necessary to prepare countermeasures in advance.

When the motorcycle arrived at the Li residence, Wang Peng saw his uncle and aunt playing with their child in the courtyard.

"Second Uncle, I've come to visit you." Wang Peng paid the driver and walked in, carrying the eggs.

"Oh, you child," Li Guixi said with a wry smile. "I've told you so many times, don't bring things to our house anymore."

"I always..."

"It must have come over from the river," Qin Fengyi said. "The wind is already this strong here; in Fan County, it will be even fiercer. I heard from Old Fan that when the wind is high, it can blow the roofs right off—though, of course, those are just thatched roofs." As she spoke, her face filled with longing. "I’ve never seen a wind that strong before."

Moreover, the Police Chief was on excellent terms with the Military Governor, Lu Zongting. With such backing, Yan Manman relied on her power and felt completely emboldened.

Zhao Qian asked, "Who can deny it? By the way, what is your method for tempering the spirit? Would you like me to teach you this Lotus Rite of Offering?"

Linlang remained silent. The other person took this as consent, leaned in, lifted a corner of her garment, and guided her hand to touch his sensitive, firm waist. His callow body was impossibly scorching, and a suffocating surge of masculine pheromones invaded her space.

Linlang had recently planned to produce a Republican-era script. As soon as word got out, many were eager to participate. After the massive success of *Phoenix Emperor*, which had become a household name within a month, the value of her status as a director had soared. Seizing this opportunity, Linlang established a film and media company to scout potential new talent.

Rong Shun sighed inwardly. *Master must be speaking to the teacher, right? But the teacher is still recovering from his wounds! I wonder if he even heard him?*

Bathed in a bloody radiance, Che Zhi’ao channeled the golden Diamond Burning Heart Flame of his imperial bloodline and slammed a fist down onto the stone coffin.

***

Why was it that he, a mere assistant, had to do his boss's work as well? Especially since the young master and his wife had gotten together, his workload had increased dramatically.

The gentle, breeze-like tone made Xi Jiaojiao’s nose sting. In this world, aside from her father and brother, only her master had ever treated her with pure kindness. Yet, this master—so incredibly good in every way—why must he fall in love with her enemy? It must be that Wuma Linlang had used her face to bewitch him.

Walking in the center was a tall, broad-shouldered man with thick eyebrows and large eyes. With every step, he exuded an astonishing presence, his face naturally commanding respect without the need for anger.

Qin Ming’s words were neither servile nor overbearing, and Cheng Xin was particularly moved when she heard him say the song was dedicated specifically to her.

Fortunately, after a few seconds, the candidate realized the two men hadn't stopped because they had spotted him, but because this was their destination. After scanning the surroundings, they pulled out shovels—which might have been hidden in the grass beforehand—and began to dig.

Di He cast a spell to observe for a moment, and seeing that the toxic smoke would take a while to dissipate, he turned and pulled He Yuyuan to hide to the side.

This time she did not retreat—not because she was no longer afraid of him, but because she simply had no room left to back away.

Yet, just as the youth grew old enough to hunt with his father, the mountain collapsed with a deafening roar. Everything happened so suddenly; everything was beyond prediction.

She was intimately familiar with that voice and could not possibly be mistaken, for only recently had the owner of that voice plunged a long sword into her chest.

"Then how did you become so powerful? Was it through step-by-step, diligent cultivation?" Dona questioned Sun Yuan with skepticism.

Because the guardian beast had been sealed here from birth, it had no way to summon another magical beast of its own kind.

With that, he hauled the old Taoist Puji out of Wang Qiaozhi's house and toward the police station, handing over both the video and the man to Wang Dadu.

"I'll give him a call; it seems quite dangerous," Tan Yuehua muttered. She immediately dialed Lu Yan's number, but no one answered.

"What should we do next?" Hu Dayong held the imperial decree high in the air, striking a "Raising Fire to Burn the Heavens" pose.

Shi Tian-di was a man of similar inclinations; as soon as he heard, he understood the implication, his face breaking into a lecherous grin as he nodded in great satisfaction.

***

Generally speaking, confinement was considered a relatively severe punishment. It would delay many matters, effectively wasting an entire year.

In the face of such a bloody and horrific scene, some began to scan their surroundings, waiting for the right moment to make a run for it.

The shopkeeper used bamboo tongs to place slices of braised meat into a paper bag. After filling it more than halfway, he took a steelyard scale from the side, placed the bag on the pan, lifted the beam, and adjusted the weight with his right hand.

The golden crown stood on the ground half a carriage-length away, facing upward. It shimmered with golden light, and the red night-pearl in its center glittered brilliantly.

Even an adult could not withstand such torment; Man Luo-lan burst into tears, covering her face with her sleeves, her body trembling uncontrollably.

It is said that in the midst of a battle formation, if one side withdraws on its own, it inevitably gives the other side the impression of cowardice.

"Is what you say true?" Although Li Longji knew of the friction between Li Linfu and Li Heng, he also knew that Li Linfu cherished his reputation dearly. If it were not true, he would never have stepped forward to attack Li Heng directly.

Before his voice had even faded, he lunged forward, sidestepping through the narrow gap between two incoming blades like a bolt of lightning.

Wang Changfu suddenly sensed danger approaching. His recent troubles had all been aimed at the salad oil factory, and seeing Hu Qiang's demeanor, it seemed he had come specifically to pick a fight. He scanned the vicinity warily; not a single pedestrian was in sight. If Hu Qiang were to kill him, he wouldn't even have a witness.

Zhang Xin and the others listened from the side, thinking, *How can such a wretch exist in this world?* But even if they cursed him a hundred times in their hearts, it would have no significant impact on reality—unless one of them possessed those terrifying witchcraft arts that could turn dreams into reality.

Wu Qing couldn't hold back any longer and was about to speak, but I grabbed her and signaled with my eyes, causing her to fall silent.

The current state of this mercenary group was evident: dilapidated fortifications, shabby barracks, and a crumbling camp all showed that this was a group in dire straits.

"Are you a Sword Saint?" a burly man who stood with particularly steady footing asked, his voice filled with surprise.