Chapter 23

"Mr. Yuan, you wanted to see me?" Xin Qing appeared at the doorway in simple, casual attire. Her light-colored top complemented her fair skin, giving her a clean and gentle appearance.

Fortunately, the Shen family had the means to spend some coin to ensure that those who were well-connected to them and held sufficient rank were appointed as prefects. This would guarantee that the local area remained under the Shen family's control, as solid as a rock.

The beer in Xin Qing's hand was a large 500ml can. Not having much of a tolerance for alcohol, she was already somewhat tipsy after only a few sips.

First of all, these men were locals from Henan who had suffered enough at the hands of the roving bandits from Shaanxi. After the Battle of Kaifeng, the Henan soldiers who were willing to defect to Shen Shuren already harbored a certain hatred for the Shaanxi rebel army. With Yuan Shizhong leading them, they would likely risk their lives to prove their loyalty when fighting Zhang Xianzhong.

As for Prince Lu, Zhu Honghuan, he had already spent several months in Ming City. The city was small and the living conditions were poor, so Zhu Honghuan had been living quite frugally.

"What?" Mutafi’s eyes widened in fury. With a single slap, he sent the native soldier stumbling until he fell to the ground.

An incense stick later, Long Li followed the group to the martial arts arena. Ten fighting platforms had been set up in the center of the field, with ten referees already in position.

"Everything I have done is for the sake of our Chamber of Commerce," Wuli said, his face pale as he argued sternly.

He stared at her, his face full of shock and bewilderment. When his gaze fell upon her delicate, slender figure visible through her thin, snow-white undergarments, he instinctively turned around and strode out in a hurry.

"Hou Qing, don't talk nonsense! Nanyang and I are just friends," Liu Buyi explained, finding their suggestions increasingly outrageous.

"Alas, Your Highness, to tell you the truth, I still feel guilty in my heart. If I had seen through the Crown Prince’s scheme earlier, or if I had been bolder, the late Emperor would not have... Alas!" Liu Chun sighed heavily.

The whole group, including Shu Xiaofeng, swept the food off the table in an instant, as if they were starving ghosts reincarnated.

As soon as the tea touched his lips, it tasted incredibly bitter, but a moment later, a hint of sweetness emerged from between his teeth. Moreover, because of the bitterness that preceded it, this trace of sweetness was even more pronounced, causing his mouth to water.

Su Xi closed her eyes and leaned against Feng Lingche, remaining silent. At this moment, this embrace made her feel very warm and secure.

During this period, the Mu family not only suffered heavy financial losses but also lived in constant fear.

Liu Chun didn't even know what to say. He had brought down the Suzhou bank and captured Li Shanchang and his son; Old Zhu was so furious that he wanted to peel Li Shanchang’s skin off.

Hearing this, Huang Zicheng actually felt a sense of relief, and a glimmer of color returned to his face.

Zhou Dian had not arrived, which was unlike him unless something very important had come up. Besides, Tangtang had said she would arrive on the afternoon flight.

"Commander, I do not support a frontal assault on Liu City!" Xilun hesitated for a moment before voicing his dissent.

"I announce: The Night Owl Division and Gu Shisan are the winners of this grand competition!" Black Dragon Tianjia appeared beside Zhou Yuan, grasped his hand, and shouted loudly.

Seeing that Momo was safe and sound was the greatest comfort to him. Once his mind was at ease, his vigilance dropped, so much so that he didn't even notice a hunting knife closing in from behind.

It wasn't like Shen Chuan, who had become the general manager immediately upon returning to the Qiansheng Group, ranking above everyone else but below only one.

"Could it be a plague?" It stood to reason that a plague would follow a major disaster, so Nangong Ling’s first reaction was that it was an epidemic.

"Debt doesn't weigh on a man who already has plenty. Since things have already come to this, I might as well go completely wild." Taking a deep breath, Xiang Yuan raised his gaze to the black and red figures on the light screen.

Tu Xingfeng’s thoughts stirred, and his body instantly appeared on a branch of a large tree atop a cliff. He looked up at the sun and whispered softly.

Seeing Su Yimo calm down, Yun Xijia cut off his impending explanation and spoke to him indifferently.

Previously, they had been bullied enough by Shen Chuan, and everyone had been thinking that they could seek revenge once Lin Hui returned.

When Su Yimo brought the items out after finishing up, Su’s parents had already gone to bed. For some reason, his father, who never slept on the sofa, had occupied it for the first time, leaving Su Yimo no choice but to return to his bedroom.

After realizing that Jing Fanhua’s words made sense, Zhang Jingtao used his internal energy with his other hand, which began to give Jing Fanhua an unprecedented stimulation—one even more intense than what she had felt from Jing Jian and his son. Furthermore, the act of cheating on Yan Nantian with another man was inherently thrilling.

A similar scene played out among other commanders and leaders, all of whom knew the truth about Bai Fuling, Li Luohua, and the so-called Snow Commander entering the Xunhu Secret Realm.

"Li Jianyang cut class early; he’s probably already left the school," Lu Fan noted, not having expected that the last period would be physical education, and that Li Jianyang would have departed early.

When Lin Kongxue said this, not only was Shan Jing stunned, but even some of those around them who were listening to the old man explain the True Void Realm were dumbfounded. Some were so shocked that they wavered slightly in mid-air while flying.

Although Xing Wei had initially thought Lu Fan was the murderer, a closer reflection revealed that Lu Fan would not have done such a thing. At his core, he was a very proud man who would never use such methods to finish off Zhao Fangqiong, as doing so would be equivalent to a total admission of defeat.

This was the form the Ancestor Saddler took after becoming the ruler of all parasites. After shedding his human guise, his body grew four massive arthropod limbs and countless tentacles. From the center extended a long neck, topped with a head featuring enormous jaws. Each limb was covered in eyes, and its outer shell was exceptionally tough.

Jiang Ze had learned many combat techniques and weapon skills during his time in the Special Operations Army, with a particularly high level of mastery in swordsmanship and kicking techniques.

"The Royal Academy!" Lu Fan had never heard of this academy’s existence. He wondered if Xing Yu’s words were a veiled attempt to extend an olive branch to him.

Li Qing was not in a hurry; he planned to find time to study slowly. The most urgent task was to gather all the materials required for the formula.

He would have Wang Er come to the Zheng family. The Zheng family had such a large estate and a daughter in the prime of her youth; this spirit tea would surely taste fragrant indeed.

Yu Meng could see that Jian Nan was playing with resentment today. Perhaps Jian Nan himself didn't realize it, but he was truly playing with lethal intent, showing no mercy at all. Yu Meng didn't know what Jian Nan was angry about, but as long as Jian Nan wasn't willing to talk about it, asking would be a waste of time.

"Mumu, be careful when you eat. You’re a girl, after all. I really envy you for having no concern for your image at this age," Jian Nan said, wiping Jian Lin’s hands and mouth clean.