Chapter 31: Midnight

When Gu Sheng came out of her room after showering and putting everything away, she noticed that the living-room light was still on. She had intended only to pour herself a glass of water and go back to bed, but as she drew near, she heard a rustling sound. Curious, she walked over and found that He Wenzhou was still there.

He was in the kitchen. At some point, he had changed into a set of pale-gray loungewear, its loose, fluid fabric draping over him. Along with the disordered strands of hair falling over his forehead, it softened the chill that usually clung to him, making him seem almost…

Now that the house had been settled, they would have to discuss its renovation. Yet after dinner, just as Lü Xiang’er was about to speak with Huo Qingsong, he said he wanted to go see the ten guards who had escorted her. Lü Xiang’er’s heart jolted at once. She very much wanted to keep Huo Qingsong there.

The refined gentleman she had once cherished with all her heart had, to this day, left her with nothing but the scars of hairpins covering her arm and the vicious humiliation inflicted by his wife.

But the question was: When had this domain appeared, and when had they been drawn into it? Why had none of them sensed a thing?

Once he understood this, Tiantian could only obediently maintain an altitude of one hundred meters and continue flying. Sure enough, he no longer felt the slightest pressure.

Clad in a robe of crimson radiance, Qing Yao turned lightly, the sapphire-blue satin fluttering gracefully around her. Her waist moved with extraordinary suppleness, and she even cast coquettish glances at them.

Chen Feng carried the Deathspirit Battleblade and led the way toward the Dark Castle. Everyone else followed close behind.

“You’re Director Qin, aren’t you? You must be the new chief of police of the Guanghua Branch,” Tiandi Long asked tentatively.

As his voice faded, a green figure entered. Everyone turned toward the sound and was instantly stunned.

“What are you to Jing Mo Xian?!” Ji Xiao quietly withdrew her hand into the pocket of her coat and took out her phone.

To strengthen the discipline and organization of these people, every intake at the Imperial Manor was given an adjustment period of twenty-one days. Those with particularly stubborn temperaments were given twice as long. This also kept the Cloudbreaker vessels traveling between the Imperial Capital and the Heavenly Palace Mountain Gate from becoming too heavily burdened.

At the end of his words, a flicker of hatred passed through the young man’s eyes. His expression shifted, as though he feared something. He seemed ready to strike, yet forced himself to restrain the impulse.

With the corners of his mouth lifting, Huang watched the approaching Immortal Emperor experts without the slightest panic. His hands formed a spell seal, summoning the power of thunder and fire, which surged straight toward the two men.

When the Ruyi Golden-Banded Staff swept across the sky, leaving behind endless flames that devoured everything, the hundreds of thousands of allied cultivators vanished without a trace. Not even ashes remained.

Outside the carriage, Marshal Tianpeng and Huang sat on either side, keeping watch over their surroundings. Inside, Zhou Wushuang and Chang’e sat opposite one another, occasionally glancing toward the world beyond.

Confronted by her grandson’s doubtful gaze, Grandmother could no longer keep smiling. She had no choice but to call her husband and let him explain.

All he could rely on was his own strength and Joseph, whom he controlled.

Xia Ri herself had been a participant in an unhappy marriage. The consequence had been a life for her son deprived of a father’s love, so she understood that He Ying must also have been trapped in an unhappy marriage.

No—that was not quite right. All her mistakes stemmed from the hatred in her heart. If there had been no old grievances between them, he believed that she and Yunyun could have become friends.

Every trace of sharpness had been withdrawn from him. With a modest yet unyielding expression, he naturally faced the exacting elder.

“Qing’er, I will treat you as you treated Xue Yun. You are the truest friend I am willing to give my heart to,” Yinxiang said silently to Qing’er. Once again, he witnessed her chivalrous courage and her sincerity.

This was a letter from his old acquaintance Liu Songpo. It contained no attempt to persuade him to surrender. Instead, it spoke of how innocent the common people were and how they should not have to suffer the calamity of war. It also said that the Han King’s conquest of the realm was the inevitable course of events, ordained by both popular will and Heaven, and could not be resisted. As a subject, one ought to understand the principle of placing the welfare of the state above loyalty to the sovereign.

I turned around angrily and saw a thin man in beige casual clothes staring at me with an arrogant expression.