Chapter Forty-Five: Murderous Intent

Kneel?

Lou Yu held his head high, every inch of him exuding untamed defiance.

In his personal lexicon, the word “kneel” simply did not exist.

He showed no reverence for heaven or earth, paid no homage to his ancestors, and even his father had never forced him to his knees.

His knees were unyielding and would never bend.

Madam Cui, seeing that Lou Yu remained as stubborn and fearless as ever, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

“What now, Dalang? Will you not even listen to your grandmother?”

He pondered the meaning behind her words. Could it be that these European sorcerers had already found the key to open the secret realm?

You and the other ministers possess only inner strength; there are more than ten thousand guards outside with skills comparable to yours. Even if you go, it would be a pointless sacrifice. I cannot bear to see you die in vain.

Mu Changfeng was not the least bit bothered by his mockery. He circled the goji tree several times, finally discovering that a time-freezing barrier had been placed here. This tree, much like the medicinal garden in Springwater Village, was frozen in time. Even after centuries, its fruits would never ripen and blush red.

One sentence was like a pickaxe digging a breach in a waterlogged embankment, causing Li Longji’s pent-up worries to flood outward, unrestrained.

“Don’t worry, there will be no shortage of food. The more they eat, the better.” After saying this, Ling Xia took away the empty bowls and brought out another tray of braised pork. Seeing that the canteen would indeed provide to their fill, the soldiers erupted in cheers.

“Yes, yes! The top four positions are for us humans. You dwarves and wood elves can forget it.” To everyone’s surprise, the first to echo this sentiment was Joaquin.

But the Celestial Emperor did not regret his decision in the slightest, for he knew that since the Three Heavenly Kings had already attacked his armory, it meant they did not regard him as a threat at all.

If it had been Lord Doug, he would never have wasted so many expensive shells just to buy a little time. If you can’t win, just leave sooner—why waste so many shells? Or perhaps, was there a hidden motive behind it?

If an accident occurred, with the exception of Xu Qianqian, the other three would likely not survive.

Perhaps Bacalia was just such a contradiction—a truly wretched nation. Yet, compared to this even more chaotic and miserable world, it was at least not the worst.

Jianwu then straightened his stance, drew both fists to his waist, extended his arms, changed fists to open palms crossed before him, and then slowly drew his arms apart.

If someone had predicted just half a day ago that the Insect Valley Misfits would be eliminated, they would have been called mad.

Now, as they were setting the specific date, the Liu family elders simply had to be informed.

Though Xiaomeng and Li Ming were both three years old, Li Ming was still a few months older.

He knew Lin Lin had been having a hard time lately and had caught a chill, so he planned to make her a nourishing soup tomorrow to help her recover.

The moment Jianwu pulled Youshalay away, a beam from the Dark Zeperi scorched a charred pit into the very spot where they had just stood.

Li Ming stood there casually, sword tip pointed toward the ground. Yet this relaxed posture filled Jing Ke with a sense of peril, as though a blade hovered over his throat; every fiber of his being screamed in alarm, urging him to flee at once.

Liu Yi and Zhu Yuanzhang had both promised that the current structure and ranks would remain unchanged, but that didn’t mean they would allow the local officers to band together for comfort. The commanders of Changshan’s myriad troops worried most that Liu Yi and Zhu Yuanzhang’s promises were but a stalling tactic—a sweet morsel before their units were ultimately dismantled.

Old Madam Dong had cursed her way from the town to the village, her mouth never pausing for a moment. By now, her voice had grown hoarse.