Chapter 84: Surprise

Vivian gazed at the people around her, feeling a wave of emotion stirring in her heart. She glanced at Shu Yiming, and for some reason, a sudden and intense sense of trust welled up within her. Without another word, she turned her head to the side, then declared, “Very well, I’ll bet that He Cheng will win!”

“Miss, no! You haven’t been taken in by this man too, have you? No matter how you look at it, this—”

But the great general did not give chase; his command numbered but a few hundred men, while those retreating numbered in the tens of thousands.

After a few more minutes, the spot above, where stones had fallen before, began to shift on a large scale. The flagstones turned, and then, as if by magic, retreated to the sides. Soon, a glimmer of light appeared before their eyes, the heavy metal wall inside the sphere slowly opened, and as the long-lost fresh air poured in, hope seemed to return to those present.

“Hongzu Blood Soul.” Dan Chen had been paying close attention to the movement within the seventh-level spirit talisman, and naturally heard Meng Tong’s frenzied cries, causing him to shudder in alarm.

Seeing these disciples strike with deadly force, each move meant to kill, Liu Xuanyu and his companion had no choice but to intervene. In moments, the disciples were left sprawled across the snowy ground, writhing in agony.

As he slowly regained his senses, Xiang Yuandong caught sight of the image projected on the wall. In an instant, his pupils contracted to needlepoints, then slowly dilated again, and a look of pain gradually overtook his face.

Just as expected. The moment the corpse insect lunged, the Cold-Blooded Exodroid unleashed a sudden burst of intense light. The searing brightness penetrated straight into the body of the corpse insect.

After Chao Ding’s final words, Nagakabe Uesugi continued to nod. In his view, as long as one could secure peace or merely preserve one’s life, that was already the greatest blessing. He was well aware of the atrocities the Ashina clan had committed these past few years, and now, the counterattack from the Nagao family was only to be expected.

Unlike the previous attacks, this time there was a powerful presence hidden within the unending tremors, and it felt as if it were right beside them.

Fang Xiaowu was certainly concerned about Shen Wuming’s wounds, but when he saw him return without saying a word, he chose not to press any further.

Li You had no time for such trifling doubts. Gripping the Demon Amethyst Sword in hand, he charged toward the mountaintop.

Inwardly, she thought with unwillingness, How have I degraded myself like this? All I’m doing is using the only thing I have of value to achieve the goal I desire.

The aroma of hot soup from dinner finally roused Staff Officer Wang from his deep slumber—he had slept through the entire day. When he opened his eyes, the pile of supplies had been turned into a makeshift shelter, covered with leaves, and several hot air balloons were returning and beginning to land outside.

But I simply didn’t have the energy to tidy up for him. After re-wrapping the wound on my hand, I went downstairs to find the porridge already cooked. Without fussing, I brought the whole pot upstairs and set it on the tea table beside the bedroom.

The Blood Knight, first to face the charge, was prepared yet still shocked. His sword barely left its sheath, and less than half his energy had been summoned before a blade pierced straight toward Xiao Chen’s chest.

The sky was overcast and rain fell steadily. Originally, Du Ruo wanted to set the table in the back room, but Lu Shi waved her off and told her to set it up in the kitchen alcove instead.

Still, judging by his manner, he hardly seemed the type to appreciate tea—he’d once been teased by Aunt Feng for it.

From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the fat on his belly and the bulge beneath it, and I was nearly sick to my stomach.

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to the wound on mine, sending a faint sting through me. I quickly turned away, covered my mouth with my hand, and warned him sternly not to touch me now.

The Ghost Doctor was drying herbs when Chu Mo swooped in with a gust of wind, knocking all the freshly dried medicines to the floor.