Volume 1, Chapter 43: Stirring Up Trouble

Zhou San cast a sidelong glance at the two men, curled his lip, stuffed his cigarette back into the pack, and shoved his hands into his pockets. Leaning his head back, he mimicked the warden’s air of indifference and closed his eyes to rest.

The conversation was simple enough: he was identifying to Liu Hao which people inside were suspicious and which were not.

Upon arriving at the detached villa belonging to Yang Qiming’s family, Nan Binghuai noticed that although the interior was spacious, the decor was far from luxurious. It did not look like the home of a wealthy boss.

"It’s so similar! Truly, it’s uncanny." Princess Chengxiang sat beside Zhao Shu, gazing in astonishment at the two characters on the paper.

The tribes beyond the Great Wall shared a tradition that dated back to Genghis Khan: a fondness for precious treasures. They purchased rare artifacts from all corners of the world, mostly through traveling merchants. In the end, these treasures were usually buried with their owners, never to see the light of day again.

However, when he knocked on his front door, he received no response from his wife for a long time. Could Meina not be home?

Before Murong Fu could speak, a disciple from the Blood Shadow Hall drew his long sword with a sharp hiss. A flash of red light erupted, and a servant fell to the ground.

Chengxiang blinked; even a fool could tell that Yuanxi was trying to send her away. She arched an eyebrow and said, "Very well, I shall take my leave then." With a graceful curtsy to the Empress, she withdrew from the imperial bedchamber.

"Lord Hasan, what say you?" Kuang Qie turned his head toward Hasan, who was busy drinking his sorrows away from a large bowl.

With Ye Feng holding off the three masters from the Heaven-Severing Sect, Long Tianxing, Wu Zhange, and the others only had to contend with the six Heavenly King-level experts from the cult and foreign tribes, significantly reducing the pressure on them. Fortunately, due to his unique status, Ji Luoqian had already returned to the Nine Nether Evil Cult to heal his wounds; otherwise, the situation for Wu Zhange and his companions would have been dire indeed.

Mei Shuang broke out in a cold sweat. As she pondered the poisonous soup from earlier, she wondered: could it be that they truly would not stop until they saw her dead?

***

At the sound, both men trembled so violently they nearly stumbled. This was their first time kidnapping someone! If the price offered by their boss hadn't been so tempting, they never would have risked arrest by the police. Seeing that things were about to turn fatal, they were naturally terrified and panicked.

"Either you do as I say, or you return to your room—choose!" Mu Rongchen spat out the words concisely, showing he had little patience left.

"Ha! With my strength, I fear no one. Even if they are young masters from the great families of the Imperial Capital, so what? Though I don't fear them, I must still guard against them teaming up against us," the youth in golden armor mused.

Looking further ahead, another blood-colored sword appeared ten feet away. It was also three feet and three inches long, hovering half an inch above the ground. Beyond that, more swords appeared; throughout the entire valley, a sword stood every ten feet, dense and filling the landscape.

Her slender fingers traced the white mask. The promise Mu Xinghan had made back then echoed in her ears—he said he would make a mask for her with his own hands. She had thought it was a joke, yet she never expected to see this unique mask at the old man’s place.

She invited her for a drink over the phone, saying it was to thank her for the skills she had taught her. She smiled and agreed, saying she would definitely go someday, but she still felt no desire to leave the house.

Zhang Yizhi had given his all, shouting as he charged at Dugu Wuming. Inside his iron flute was a long, thin, and incredibly sharp blade. After three or four exchanges, sparks flew like lightning. In the end, Zhang Yizhi’s light weapon could not withstand the freezing iron of Wuming’s blade, forcing him to resort to the hidden projectiles concealed within the flute.

Lu Jun moved, his entire body lunging toward the young man like a wild horse breaking free from its reins, his fist striking fiercely toward the youth's face.

Though his face remained calm and ripple-free, the doting warmth in his eyes was so intense that the man was startled enough to nearly drop the reins.

She still remembered the resting place of her mother and maternal grandfather. It was certainly not on the hilltop, but in a relatively open area—how could such a coincidence happen?

Mu Duo did not tell Hongshu the true reason why Lei could not come to the capital with them, but Hongshu still looked disappointed, constantly complaining about why anyone would be afraid of flying. This reminded Mu Duo of the promise Lei and Hongshu had made when they last parted; it seemed Hongshu had been keeping something from her all along.

***

If he remembered correctly, a Hummingbird-5 cost over 30,000, and ordinary people didn't even have a way to buy one. The value of this Hummingbird-12 must be at least double that, right? Looking at the speed of the production line—one unit every half minute—at this rate, wouldn't things just take off? It was even more terrifying than printing money.

Yet, looking at him, he didn't seem very afraid. Could it be that even his fear of heights was a lie? Mu Duo couldn't bring herself to believe that Lei would deceive her about such things, so she couldn't help but ask him.

Sheng Cheng recalled his high school days, during the hundred-meter race at the sports meet, where Qiu Yuebai had exhausted all his strength just to take third place, gasping for air after one lap. Now, his skills were so extraordinary that he could actually best him in a fight.

"Sister, why did you go back with Qin Huan? Aren't you afraid of him?" Yu Wangshu lowered his voice, her eyes full of confusion. She felt her sister seemed particularly like a stranger today.

Chen Yang’s brows knit together. He didn't know which temp was manning the switchboard, but setting professionalism aside, that intelligence level was worrying... Even though the other party hadn't spoken, couldn't she hear it in her voice? The caller was clearly in a state of panic and helplessness.

Hearing the hollow, ethereal voice of Kai through the communicator, Qin Feng felt as if a blow had pierced his very soul, his eyes staring wide in shock.

Although they were only the lowest-ranking bodyguards, they were well aware of Su Baihai’s reputation. What surprised them, however, was that Su Baihai had already become the current head of the Su family. When had that happened?