Volume One, Chapter 33: What If I Don’t Get Divorced?

Shen Shuhe remained expressionless upon hearing those words. By now, she had learned to control her emotions well when faced with such bitter, soul-piercing remarks.

Exhaling quietly, she lifted her gaze to meet Pei Jingmo’s eyes and got straight to the point: “Why target my grandfather?”

Liu Yi and Zhu Yuanzhang had promised that the current administrative structures and official ranks would remain unchanged, but that did not mean they would allow them to band together for mutual support. The great households and commanders in Changshan were most worried that Liu Yi and Zhu Yuanzhang were merely stalling, offering a sweet pretense only to dismantle their established order later.

To bargain with a tiger for its skin is folly; yet here was the Scarlet Sleeve Enchantress, the mistress of the southern borderlands, openly discussing an alliance to slay the Demon Emperor—a brazen act of bargaining with a tiger.

Xu Fu and Wu Dan formally took up duty at the foremost Prajna Zen Monastery. The old monk preferred solitude, so the monastery was usually peaceful. After sweeping the nearly dustless courtyard a few times, he tossed aside the broom and settled into meditation.

Loyal warriors’ hearts burn fiercely; the determined princes who keep their vows elicit pity. The great achievements of the past cannot be easily maintained—once glorious feats can crumble to dust in a moment.

“We… we’ve done all we can. Old Fang might have a solution, but he… he was taken by Cao Luo as well,” stammered the director of the Highland Institute.

Jin Fengbai looked at the silent assembly and let out a bitter laugh. He raised his treasured sword to his neck and took his own life on the spot.

He could only glance again at his phone, confirming once more that there was no signal. At last, the cheaply bought solar flashlight and multifunctional entrenching tool came into play.

It was a somewhat risky move, one that might bring unforeseeable consequences, though the chances were slim. The chat records contained no innuendo; even during private gatherings, Jiang Qinghuai would still speak and joke with him openly in front of Li Wanyi and Li Miaoyu.

Through the supercomputer, Jiang Luwei sensed that the vacuum corridor she had constructed had dwindled to only three remaining layers.

The moment the iron dart appeared, Gao Yingcai suddenly surged forward, leaping up. With a twisted expression, he thrust the dart fiercely into the eyes of the towering fat man, as if he intended to devour him whole.

But the more he acted like that, the more Liu Wei wanted to uncover what secret lay buried in his heart.

They had long heard about Minister Zhang and Qin Mu’s wager that morning and had gathered to watch the spectacle unfold.

Han Qi took the memorial; the earlier parts were fairly clear, but when he reached the figures section, the folds and creases blurred the hundred-character numeral into something resembling a thousand.

Seeing the old monster had made his move, Dou Yaer, always quick to strike first, drew her spear from her back and charged into battle against the four combatants.

This was also why passersby hurriedly avoided the scene. Naturally, it was not intentional on his part but a habit long ingrained.

Such greed—it seemed there were only three cigarettes left in the pack; he lit them all at once and handed them over.

“Of course, Director Lai also holds influence in Hong Kong. We will rely on him further in the future,” He Lansheng said with a smile.

The grasslands were always brewing the rise of a new overlord. After the Liao people dominated the steppes for years, the Song dynasty dealt them a sharp blow that left them dazed and stripped of prestige.

It seemed that Zhou Mengyuan, who had hoped for revenge, arrived early. Apart from merchants setting up stalls, few pedestrians or officials were on the wide streets of the county town.

The dragon coiled its limbs and lifted its head in a long wail. Everyone could sense the dragon’s unease. The thunder drew nearer, yet despite its fear, the dragon did not flee. It remained motionless, its massive body curled into a tight ball, its mournful cries stirring compassion in all who heard.