Chapter 24

She had been exposed as a man, and she did not know what lay in store for her.

Above the Ice Palace, countless elite demons suddenly emerged. At a command, a volley of demonic arrows, trailing red flames and purple lightning, rained down upon the disciples of the Green Robe Pavilion from all directions.

Intrigued, she rose, brushed the shell fragments from her clothes, and drifted toward the threshold to peer out. As they drew closer, she realized they were old acquaintances.

She heard Wu Yazi sigh, "Old Man Li’s son has really made something of himself. Over the past few years, the couple has opened a grocery store in the county seat, and it’s doing quite well."

Karina emerged from her room without realizing it, her eyes widening in disbelief as she saw Lanser sitting before the piano. She had heard countless master pianists perform, yet she felt that none of them could compare to him.

"My mother is conservative; let us drop the matter. It was merely a passing impulse, not born of true affection," Shen Zhetang refused with a faint smile.

Tian Jiang, disliking the way he stared at her so intently, excused herself to pay respects to the Old Madam and left, regardless of whether the Xue woman followed or not.

Liu Mo and Yan Fan, quick to catch the underlying meaning, exchanged a few polite pleasantries with Shang Wuqing before returning to their quarters in the Shang residence. They cared little for the so-called "meager gifts" of the Shang family, but since Wen Renhen had yet to return, they had to wait for him there.

Just as she braced herself for the slap, Mu Qin’s hand stopped merely two centimeters from her face.

Ye Man rubbed her face to rouse herself, watching Shi Sheng, who was driving the ox cart ahead, and wondered with curiosity what he had been in his former life.

Once they were ready, they led the way for a mile before Yue Chen summoned his sword, taking the two of them into the air to travel in the direction they had specified.

"I can guarantee they won't hurt you—in fact, they will likely take a liking to you. Perhaps there has simply been some misunderstanding between you," Ming Xuan said tentatively.

"Protect the provisions!" the Han commander urged his soldiers, ordering them to leave several carriages at the canyon exit. A line of archers took cover behind the wagons, using their bows to fend off the barbarian forces.

Cao Cao listened to the reports of victory sent during his coma with a grim expression, digging his nails into his palms to keep from fainting. Although Xuchang had not fallen, half the city was in ruins, and the casualties were devastating. Even his family had not been spared; his son Cao Zhang was dead... The bad news struck at Cao Cao’s soul again and again.

The wind wolf leaped high, snapping its jaws toward Tie Rui’s throat. Tie Rui staggered backward, his flank wide open. By the time he realized the danger, the wolf’s savage fangs were already upon him, the foul stench of the beast blowing against his face.

Meanwhile, in Jinling, news of the Xu family son’s arrival began to spread from some tavern, with some even claiming he was in the White Cloud Room of the Zijin Tower. Yet, despite the rumors, no one was foolish enough to go and investigate. As for why?

The foreign Taoist flicked a fire talisman at the wall and sneered meaningfully at Sun the Buck-toothed, "I’ll spare you today, but if I run into you again, I’ll burn you into a relic!" With that, he ushered us back to the car, slammed on the gas, and sped away.

"Though the journey was fraught with hardships, the harvest was plentiful," Ming Xuan summarized his two years of training.

The city gates swung open, and Lu Bu halted his army's assault. He ordered Huang Zhong to continue toward Xianyang while he led the Mounted Archers, Gao Shun’s Trap Vanguard, and Lu Lingqi’s Heroine Battalion into Fufeng. These three elite units, though numbering fewer than two thousand, dared to defy even the greatest of armies.

Seeing Jing Ye attempt to leave, Xuan Long blocked his path with a sweep of its massive tail, growling, "You won't be getting away so easily today."

"You know how the Master is. He insists on returning to the temple, and there’s nothing I can do about it." She had no choice but to load two large baskets of fresh vegetables to be delivered along with him.

Lan Shengxue watched Shangguan Ruoxue with cold eyes. How foolish. What did it matter to her now whether she was Lan Shengxue or not?

Could Du Zixuan truly have gone back to complain to the Du family? While in the car, she had clearly cajoled and tricked Du Zixuan into keeping her return to the country a secret from the Du family for the time being.

"This servant deserves to die! I have offended the Prince and disturbed the honored guests. I beg the Emperor for punishment!" Nangong Fei broke free from Duan Yuhua’s embrace and knelt before the Emperor to plead for mercy.

Deep in the night, Lan Shengxue tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feeling an inexplicable discomfort in her body.

On the journey south after leaving the Jing’an Prince’s estate, Yuchi Mu had remained secretive about their future residence. They had traveled leisurely, playing along the way, and it took over a month to finally arrive.

Gu Hanhan turned to Zheng Wenwen for inspiration, only to find that the latter had already won her drinking contest and was dancing in celebration. Gu Hanhan was immediately unsettled, filled with envy, jealousy, and spite.

"To think someone so defective could be so smug!" Gu Hanhan thought bitterly. But, hindered by the memory of Anthony’s skill in crushing walnuts with his bare palm, she kept the words to herself.

They had never expected to meet again—though, of course, had it not been for Mao Linlin, their paths would never have crossed.

Moreover, they had few friends in these parts. If Ming Yue did not remain so stubborn, she could have been an excellent ally.

Yun Qixi firmly believed that no news was good news. She trusted that, with Dan Liancheng’s calm and wisdom, he would never make any rash, major decisions while agitated.

"Right, now that my business is done, I must return to report. See you tonight!" She stood up and waved at Aimu.

After Xi Jianchen died years ago, his parents, who lived next door to Ye Chenmeng, had moved away immediately. Ye Chenmeng hadn't even had the chance to see him one last time.

Wei Renwu stepped aside, and Yue Ming stroked the wooden board before pushing it hard to the left; to his surprise, the board slid open.

The *Santa Cruz* was docked at the outermost pier. Its height and length far exceeded those of the other merchant ships, making it look exceptionally imposing in the darkness.

Dan Liancheng took the reins from Ge Feng and commanded, "Ge Feng, escort them back to the estate," referring to Qingli and Qiaoer.

The logic was clear. Once explained, it was no longer difficult for someone of great intelligence to grasp—especially since the wisdom for comprehension and learning in Wang Ming’s mind was akin to that of true gods and demons. He grasped these miraculous techniques of power application and the underlying principles of mechanics in mere seconds.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door opened, and a tall, burly man stepped inside.