Volume 1, Chapter 34: The Power of One

My exam paper, on the other hand, was covered in messy corrections and scribbles. The teacher’s grading reflected a hint of impatience, and the failing grade stood out—a bleak, dismal sight.

Xia Hanqiu swept her gaze over the crowd, but ultimately decided not to announce her pregnancy in public. Revealing it now would only invite unnecessary worry.

She knew Shangguan Wenfei better than anyone; she knew that when among friends, Shangguan Wenfei would never wear such an impeccably friendly smile. When with friends, she either didn’t smile at all, or she smiled like a fool, because friends are the one group of people with whom one needs no pretense.

Mother Zhan’s heart stirred. The young doctor who had treated her had also opened her abdomen to heal her, then stitched it back up. Subconsciously, she touched the site of the incision on her stomach, wondering if this reclusive doctor had some connection to the late, legendary young physician.

"Heh heh heh..." Cao Chong laughed but said nothing. He glanced back at Pingcheng Gate, then spurred his horse forward, galloping toward the west. The officers followed suit, charging out of the city gates.

Lin Qingdai said, "We must deal with this. The more you evade such strange occurrences, the more they cling to you. We must investigate tonight's events. Go, get some good sleep. I'm fine; I'll be back by dawn at the latest."

Ye Fan said, "That would be for the best." Seeing Ye Ping’s expression shift slightly, he paused, thinking, *Did that make her angry? Did I hurt her feelings? Could she actually have feelings for me?*

Zi Shuang clearly saw the Princess’s hand turning white from being gripped too tightly; the moment it was released, it flushed as if it were about to swell.

Seeing Leng Rongrong’s eyes remaining red, Chu Yunsong smiled brightly and said, "Rongrong, look at you—don't you see I'm perfectly fine?"

Reflecting on this, he shook his head, leaped, and returned to the courtyard, intending to head inside to rest.

"I remember there being a combat arena in the park," he thought, recalling the sounds of fighting he had just heard.

The next day, Luoyue and Zinian went hunting in the forest—all to feed that insatiably greedy bird.

Chen Ning went to the next room, pushed open the door, strolled inside, and locked it securely behind him.

***

Meanwhile, she was in the depths of agony, clinging only to a singular belief in vengeance to sustain her. Even if her bones were scraped clean, she would not bow her head; this was Luoyue’s final shred of dignity. Elsewhere, people clinked glasses, treating her death by bone-scraping as mere after-dinner entertainment.

Both He Shi and Di Lan were well aware of this assignment. They remained quiet, each attending to their own tasks, undisturbed by the other.

What kind of people were the parents of this original body? Why were there so many opium poppies buried underground?

The man’s tall frame lunged forward, and Ye Chenyi stumbled, crashing into the wall behind him. Then, a burning-hot body pressed against his.

Old Xin was secretly alarmed. Judging by his pulse, the condition had reached its final stage—a backlash of the poison, a symptom that appeared only when the internal organs had been severely eroded.

Oh dear, could Mom think it’s already five o’clock after being busy for so long? Sigh, never mind her. Once she’s been calling for a while, she’ll realize something is wrong and run off to check the clock herself.

The very next moment, Lu Ling entered, holding a glass that seemed to contain a drink. But An Ruo knew it was certainly no ordinary beverage. She stood up and pointed at the liquid, her throat instantly turning parched.

Hmph, the city wall also appeared to be reinforced with artificial stone technology. Two war chariots were hardly enough to deal with a fortress; even after exhausting their ammunition, they wouldn't be able to blast through. The soldiers inside did not gather again but dispersed, and from somewhere unknown, they produced armor.

Because of this, he tolerated and even encouraged Wang Yan to spend more time with Li Yunmu, hoping to draw him into his own camp.

By nine o'clock that night, he was fully relieved; the injured area on his leg no longer itched at all.

"Many thanks, Master!" Qin Bai grinned sheepishly, inwardly resolving to practice his sword-flying technique diligently from now on, though he had made such a resolution far too many times before.

The five-thousand-strong elven army was largely wiped out by long-range attacks, leaving only a thousand or so survivors. Their encampment had been designed too densely, and they lacked any means of long-range defense.

"No need to pretend," Mu Muyuan said calmly. He knew Peng Chaotao well enough to know he wasn't someone glued to his phone; his sudden obsession with it was definitely suspicious.

***

"What? Did I scare you that badly with just a few words?" Cheng Lin smiled gently.

Father Lin quickly interjected, "Isn't it better that he talks less? If he talked more, you wouldn't be able to win an argument with him anyway!" Having said this, he snatched the phone to look at the photos himself.

Upon stepping into the hall, Zao Zao was already rolling up her sleeves, determined that she would not let Gloria succeed tonight. If that woman dared to get close to the Duke, she would beat her until even her own parents wouldn't recognize her.

I don't know how far I walked following Yaya, until we reached a place called the Pavilion. Only then did Yaya complain of being tired and want to sit down and rest. I smiled heavily, dragging my leg—which had been tortured mercilessly by Yaya—and leaned slowly against a pillar of the pavilion, gasping for fresh air.

The puppet troops charging at the front were mostly opium addicts; the moment the gunfire started, they fell in droves.

"Who I am is not important. I only know that trapping you on this Mountain of Two Realms a thousand years ago was a mistake—a grave mistake. Looking at how your power has surged like this, it seems it was our Mount of Gods' error after all," the Executor said, shaking his head helplessly.

After an examination, the hospital doctor confirmed that Gong Xueqin had died from a recurrence of a cerebral hemorrhage. Those around him had failed to notice in time, missing the window for emergency treatment.

Chen Qingxuan supported Mei Zi as they walked in. The moment they stepped into the main hall, they caught the faint, elegant scent of plum blossoms. Consort Qin Xian was seated in the place of honor, and next to her, Zhang Linlin had brought her personal maid, Jasmine, to sit to the side. Liang Yamei, meanwhile, stood by and waited on them.

Hong Yi had also had some wine. When she went back to sleep, her head was still spinning. As soon as she drifted off, she began walking through the corridor again. At the end of the corridor was the same pavilion she had visited twice before, and the same old man sat within it.

"Tianji, are you really unwilling to attend the banquet I'm hosting?" Wan Yingxi persisted in asking.