Volume One, Chapter 77: The Empress Is Poisoned

Chen Tie always felt he had once been the luckiest man in the world, for he had many whom he cherished, and he, too, was cherished by many—a fortune indeed. Even though the Third Young Master intervened in time, that muffled groan and the heavy blow left his innards feeling as if they had shifted out of place.

Ye Si, though boisterous and carefree on the surface, possessed an acute sensitivity in certain matters. The delight ice cream brought was merely a wonder of taste, yet a kiss from a man stirred the soul—a trembling of the heart at the meeting of spirits… emotions easily awakened.

“No, no, absolutely not!” He loathed himself, yet could not bear the slightest disdain for her.

Gradually, as the moon climbed high, the night deepened. The two, without realizing it, had played in the snow for most of the day. Now, they lay heavily in the thick snow, utterly spent, unable to rise again.

At this moment, he was truly the winner in life—his beautiful wife in his arms, and a precious little one dropped from the heavens. When the Third Madam learned the truth, her joy smoothed even the deepest wrinkles from her face.

No one knew how long they stood like that, only that the temperature in the living room seemed to rise, heated by the passion from outside.

He was not his father of old; when he loved, he would give his all, leaving an indelible mark, not shrinking back like a turtle in its shell, manipulated by others.

Guan Yuehai sat upright, his thick waist suddenly giving way, nearly sliding to the floor in shock. He was truly terrified, “…You…” He stammered for a long while, a stack of scolding words and curses stuck in his throat, refusing to come out, making his meticulously groomed beard tremble with anger.

Yet Chen Yun also wished for his works to be taken seriously, so the matter of film rights would have to be considered carefully after he left.

Moreover, to survive alone in the entertainment world, one always had to pay a price—either one’s soul or one’s chastity. Chen Yun had no wish to wade into those muddy waters; to him, as in his previous life, studying diligently, earning his degree, and working a proper job was an excellent path.

It wasn’t the first time he’d said this, but as the saying goes, important things are worth saying thrice—this was only the second.

When he took out the refined material, Chen Daoxuan immediately sensed that this glob of liquid instrument-embryo was utterly different from that refined from red copper ore; it radiated a wholly distinct aura.

In the far distance, the Bridge of Sighs groaned under the strain, and the span, paved with the souls of the dead, suddenly shattered. Those ancient beings who had survived countless eras were so shocked that they lost their composure, feeling for a moment as if the very order of the world had been overturned.

The balconies of the two rooms were close; she breathed deeply, eyes fixed on her goal, never glancing down at the peril below.

Seeing her stand frozen, Zheng Jiacheng assumed she was frightened and impatiently lunged toward her.

A sudden, urgent noise rang out; in an instant, all movements were complete. Where Lei Ying stood, the void exploded, a thunderous blast sending shock and fear through everyone present.

When he saw the Zhou family lavish five hundred million spirit stones on the Guang’an Prefecture coalition, he had been so stunned he hadn’t dared utter a word.

All the members of the Dragon Soul gathered, forming a barrier as impassable as a mountain gorge, keeping the gifted ones at bay.

Zhang Luoye had once asked Dream Maiden her reasons; Dream Maiden replied that Zhang Luoye’s past kindness, coupled with the recent events, left her deeply indebted. No matter what she did, it could never repay the favor. Zhang could only yield, saying nothing more.

“Oh, move aside—I’m not into that anymore.” Watching Teng Zhong sidle up, Xingyang quickly shoved away his friend, who had transformed from a closet case to an overt one.

Upon reflection, it seemed the heart-stealing demon itself was the root cause. In nature, some creatures defend themselves with peculiar responses: chameleons change color with their environment, certain plants emit hallucinogenic scents to ward off threats, and so on.

If only Marshal Zhang—stubborn old man—would relinquish his post to a younger, stronger commander, the barbarians would be struck with terror; the plot to destroy the Imperial Academy would never have come to pass.

Jin’ao Island was vast, yet the entire island was covered by powerful arrays. Even a single step could trigger a deadly attack. The Imperial Capital’s eyes shone with divine light, carefully observing before choosing a spot of relatively lesser danger. Yet even here, the killing array was terrifying.

But this was enough. These five reserve regiments would not see combat; their only need was training. In addition, headquarters had assigned a mountain artillery unit to the 111th Division. Now, the temporary command had three artillery battalions under its control.

Since Commander Qi was asking, Ye Lei guessed it must be about training; after all, the other two had no connection to him.

“This fellow is rather cautious. Given such a blatant target, he only sent fewer than ten scouts,” Bo Zhou murmured to himself, lying on his side in a patch of withered grass.

“No, Wuhun Mountain has the Ghost Falls. Find it, and you can enter.” Chimei pulled Chiyuan toward the cliff.

“Oh! Is it true that to enter the Blood Transformation Realm, one must offer a sacrifice?” Shui Han ground her silver teeth, uttering a phrase that none of the spirits could comprehend.

Because Yazawa Nico suddenly stopped, everyone else had to halt as well, staring at her in confusion.

During the brothers’ meals and sleep, Fan Zhengxiu never took advantage of their misfortune; it was impossible to explain it away as an illusion.

After only a few breaths of flight, Yuan Zhi sneered. As expected, that corpse-faced man had caught up—impatient as always.

As the clock hands neared the amusement park’s closing time, long lines once again formed at the most popular rides. Many visitors hoped to experience their favorites one last time before leaving.

The Tooth Demon chief halted his golden-armored beast and laughed loudly. “If all the Spirit Clan were like you, there’d be no more wars.”

“Senior,” Yang Zhongbao bowed respectfully. He was well-traveled and knew Yuan Zhi was a cultivator—a being akin to a god. Somehow, the Red Hawk Hall had offended such a figure, leading not only to his own rescue but also to a mighty boost for his Baoxing Hall.

Nan Qinli sniffled sadly, finally steeling herself. She spun abruptly, leaving a trail of sparkling tears in the air, and pulled Ji Kong’s hand as they rushed out together.