Chapter Forty-Nine: Peril

Shu Yiming took a few steps outside and glanced at his pager, discovering that Ouyang Zhuo had already replied. The night at this moment was heavy and starless, as if rain were imminent. After walking a short distance, Shu Yiming deliberately slipped into a roadside thicket, choosing not to continue forward. This spot wasn’t far from the villa; anyone with sense wouldn’t choose to act here, so the real danger lay somewhere along the way.

To put it plainly, eliminating potential threats is a duty every citizen of Huaxia must earnestly fulfill. Yet, after such incidents, there are always those who hope their own people will stand out, gain the greatest merit. The defenders of the Valley of Burning Heavens dared not pursue, wary of deception, and besides, their losses today had already been severe.

This left many puzzled. It would be one thing if only Naruto was like this, but his child as well? It led people to wonder if the Namikaze clan possessed some unique trait.

Xiahou Jie reached out to accept the golden command token. “Your subordinate receives the order.” He turned smartly and strode out of the command tent to rally the troops.

Zhuansun Ji sprang forward, catching Mu Qingcheng as she fell. Frightened, Mu Qingcheng clung tightly to his neck, her body trembling slightly.

“Enough nonsense. If you’re alright, hurry up and go—the grand tournament is about to begin!” Madman Qin grabbed Wang Qiang and rushed outside.

Once inside the ancestral grounds, the Dark Blade King carried his beloved Princess Qian’er to the room that his brother-in-law Qian Jing—now the current Chieftain of the Blade Clan, Miao Qingshan—had kept untouched, the Dark Blade King’s former quarters.

Lan Die nodded indifferently, but her gaze shifted to Shen Shisan, who was the most bedraggled of them all, relentlessly chased by that rather pretty but deadly Cold Moon Warden.

Over three hundred people had gathered in the vast courtyard, some from the Murong family, others their disciples. They looked at their ancestor in confusion—bedridden for three years, and now suddenly well?

Jiao Ziqian opened his mouth but swallowed his words, quietly closing the door behind him. He tiptoed to sit on the rattan chair beside the bed, gazing at the silent Song Jiu. An odd feeling welled up in his heart. This comrade, who had survived countless bloody battles, now seemed to be struggling with unfamiliar emotions—regret, and a sense of loss.

"I..." Ye Feiyang did not wish to engage further; this man’s moods were unpredictable—who knew when the next outburst would come?

His worsening illness had begun to affect his body. Years of abusing medication had weakened his resistance—what started as a mild fever and cold had lasted over ten days without improvement.

Old Cat led his team straight ahead. The two sentries saluted him; he returned the gesture and signaled for the group to halt.

The pairing of two fierce tigers revealed Demon Moon’s wild arrogance—as if, in his eyes, only relentless attack mattered. For him, offense was the best defense.

Effie, sharp and perceptive, sensed the two groups had serious matters to discuss. She took Mifen and Sister Ci to clear the remnants of the meal and quietly withdrew. In Effie’s eyes, she was still an outsider, unlike Luoyu or Mengfan; in such situations, she always felt a bit reserved.

When they finally shook off their deep shock, all the martial masters—except those from the Xingyue Four Academies—looked at Wang Ying with fear and hostility in their eyes.

With a smile on their faces, Qiu Tian and Mo Yun faded from view. Touching his nose, Xie Dongya gazed into the void, pondering Qiu Tian’s recent words.

The little elf circled around Yun Xiao, adorable but seemingly not very talkative.

No one expected Bai Qingsheng to act so hastily. The monkey had only just been locked up when Zhuqing was thrown in as well.

Relying on the unreliable GPS signals of early 1999 and a paper map, Da Bao and I made our way toward Lucheng. After days of relentless travel, I finally returned to my hometown.