Volume One, Chapter 33: Buying Her Freedom

Both of them were harboring uneasy thoughts.
Though murderous intentions festered in their hearts, neither dared voice them aloud, for that would only bring ruin upon themselves.
Zhang Bigfoot scratched her head and whispered to Wang the Fifth, “Old Wang, there can be no mistake in this. I saw Xiaoyu come home this afternoon all absent-minded—something must have happened today. But why is there not a single trace?”
Shopkeeper Gao mulled over Xiao Yue’s words. Now, his mind was focused on how to maximize the effect of the Thirteen Fragrances. Since it was put this way, he was determined to obtain that recipe at any cost.
Uncle Yang hung all the firecrackers on the tree at his doorway, waiting only for the auspicious hour to light them. Aunt Yang and Madam Liu offered incense to the household deities, burning paper and praying aloud for blessings and smooth business at the shop.
“Is that so?” Jiang Yi’s voice was cold. Forming a seal with both hands, he summoned twelve mighty purple dragons in the sky, which instantly encircled the man.
Ye Feng’s heart leapt—these two were clearly enemies. And the old man, Meng Guan, was no weakling. Even if he could not defeat Wu Ying, as long as he could hold out for a while, Ye Feng could seize the opportunity and make off with Hong Qing amidst the chaos.
After inheriting the legacy of the Ancient Celestial Emperor, Chu Yuan found his path ahead much clearer.
The face before her beamed with sincere warmth. Sweetness curled at her lips; arms folded, she leaned against the eaves, yet somehow remained apart from it all.
Meanwhile, Ninth Master and his two companions had gone to the sauce factory. Uncle Wu had just informed them discreetly that there was news and the trio was needed for a discussion. Although he spoke in veiled terms, who was Xiao Yue? In her past life, she had watched countless palace intrigue dramas; she understood immediately—Ninth Master’s secret forces had matters requiring his attention.
“Boss?” The two teachers, listening to the principal’s words and looking at Ling Changfeng and his companion, found their expressions ever more incredulous.
With Ling above and Shui Xianghan imparting that secret incantation, Chu Yuan managed to control the floating ship with little difficulty. Though not as adept as Shui Zhanli in handling it as if it were an extension of his own arm, he was far from incompetent.
She had seen much in her life and understood the principles of nature’s balance. Wherever Firefeather Flowers—those fire-aligned spirit plants—grew, there must be something of cold nature nearby to counter them. She surmised this Blackwater Cold Pool was just such a place.
Suddenly, he realized countless matters were entangling him, leaving him never a moment’s peace.
Therefore, Huang Hu must have received his text message and recognized him, observed him for a while nearby, then rang his phone again to confirm, and only then greeted him.
As expected, Ye Ying too recalled the effect of that soup. She had put in a large quantity of herbs to numb nerve pain, and considering Starka’s robust physique, she had used a potent dose.
Yin Guan kept a stern face and did not respond to him. Taking advantage of Liang Yi’s distraction, he shot the shopkeeper meaningful looks. The latter quickly understood, forced a bitter smile, and finally shook his head.
At that moment, Kong Geng and a group of generals walked over, drawing the attention of the surrounding training troops.
Jin watched the flames, guessing that her emotions were too unstable. Not daring to act recklessly, he withdrew the hand that had been holding her tightly, preparing to return to her Star Marked Space.
“Xu Shaoyu, you killed my son. Today is the day you pay with your life.” An elderly, stooped white-haired man approached, followed by several cloaked figures clad in black.
Previously, the prefect of Qinzhou had declared that whoever could capture or eradicate these bandits would have their achievement reported to the governor for reward. This proposal was approved by the current governor, Li Zhe, making it a matter of great importance to Zhang.
Now that so many harbored dissatisfaction deep within, even if he wanted to make an example of someone, he did not dare. Should he actually do so, it would only spark greater public outrage.