Chapter Ninety-Five: Astonishment

This time, it wasn’t only Fang Kun who was stunned—even Shu Yiming and Ouyang Zhuo stood there, eyes wide, as if struck dumb, not knowing how to face Shu Jinghan. Yet Fang Kun was, after all, Fang Kun; upon hearing Shu Jinghan’s words, he merely nodded and replied with a simple “Alright,” before turning and walking away.

Shu Yiming was dazed for a moment before he finally walked over to Shu Jinghan...

Of course, to Xie Shuning, who had grown up, these words seemed nothing more than the kind of stories told to comfort children.

Situ Tongyu’s voice was soft, but the crowded hospital room was unusually quiet, so everyone heard her low words clearly.

As the two were speaking, a man bearing some resemblance to Shen Anxu approached.

Whether they were aware of the circumstances or not, it hardly mattered; when something happened to their mistress, how could the maids escape unscathed?

“If you’re not willing, then get out.” Li Jiaxuan showed no trace of kindness to Fan Yiyi now. Direct words—simple, blunt, and harsh.

Ling Wushuang said, “The reason my elder brother cannot walk like a normal person is entirely because, when his leg was first treated, the broken bone wasn’t properly set. Once the bone grew together, it was clearly misaligned. That’s why my brother would rather sit in a wheelchair than attempt to walk on his own.”

Xie Shuning ate her meal unhurriedly, listening to Madam Rong’s barely concealed, triumphant words and couldn’t help but sneer. One should neither speak while eating nor talk in bed—such were the rules, but in Madam Rong’s case, it was as if these rules didn’t exist at all.

The calm, even voice carried not the slightest inflection, but to Ling Yushan’s ears, there was an indefinable sense of distance.

Old Deng was not one to stand on ceremony—he accepted my gift, praised my generosity, and remarked that in years past, only foreigners had been so generous. After taking a deep drag on his pipe, Old Deng glanced up at the sun and declared it was late, urging us to head back down the mountain if we needed anything and saying he would go on ahead.

As for Li Zhi’s journey to Japan, it was never mentioned again—this, too, was Emperor Gaozong’s deliberate intent, so that in Li Xian’s heart, there would be no lingering impression of Li Zhi’s achievements overshadowing his own, thus avoiding any seeds of suspicion.

Huaqing Pool, also known as Huaqing Palace, is situated at the northern foothills of Mount Li in Lintong. It lies just over sixty miles west of Xi’an, with Mount Li to the south and the Wei River to the north. Renowned for its hot springs, it was once a famous imperial retreat in ancient China.

The bright moon hung above the snowy expanse, its light mingling with the fragrance of plum blossoms drifting through the clear night. At the foot of Mount Taihe, a foot of snow blanketed the camp outside; now and then, a carriage or horse would pass, leaving ruts in the frozen tracks.

“Old Liu, are you alright? As long as you follow my advice and stay in the hospital for treatment, there’s still hope for your recovery!” Chu Xile was startled to see Old Liu in such a state, fearing that his frankness might bring trouble from Liu Fang or Cui Peng.

Hearing Zhai Ying’s reply, Wang Botang felt a headache coming on. Why couldn’t he just follow the usual script? Wasn’t he Shen Hou’s apprentice?

“So you want someone to dig up a grave in broad daylight? Then Guan Cang should just go to the prison and look for that fat man!” Li Xingyao retorted.

“If I take what’s yours, you won’t tell the clan leader, will you?” Ling Gu looked calmly at Cang Jianli, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Nian Hanjia glanced at them. Seeing that they were acquaintances, she let Tang Nian take them to settle in for the time being.

At the same time, Old Master Xu was worried about Shen Feng. He’d gone to the Sanqing Sect and hadn’t been seen all day. Could something have happened? Yet he hadn’t sensed any disturbance in Shen Feng’s energy. Or perhaps the boy was simply out having fun?

“Then what about my wish for a lifetime together, just the two of us?” She lifted her gaze, meeting his sincere eyes, her voice floating gently.

What’s more, once he broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, many things would become possible. Even the simplest formation techniques would be within reach, and most importantly, he was already a master of alchemy and artifact forging.

Time flowed by, and Ye Tian dared not relax for a moment. But before long, the Iron Tiger Gang would be upon him.