Chapter 81: The Hook Is Not Always Straight

From the fact that Elder Qin and the others have yet to act, Ye Xinghun knew they must be stuck at the very first step—finding the agent’s hideout.

Lei Yu glanced at those present, unsure what to say. What started as a private agreement between two people had unexpectedly escalated into a contest of reputation and strength between the Wuzong and the Ming Sect, as if a thousand-pound weight had been placed on his shoulders.

Since my first call with Hu Jing, this was the first time such an awkward situation had arisen, leaving my mind completely blank.

At this celebration banquet, Chen Jingming kept his earlier promise and handed the contract for the advertising space, already signed by Mi Cai, over to Jian Wei. Jian Wei accepted with pleasure, marking a nearly perfect resolution to this public relations crisis.

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Chen Mingxian spoke without pause, articulating his ideas—divided into two aspects, but also considering the whole. In this way, he managed to integrate both the notion of duality and a holistic perspective.

The arrival of Lei Yu’s group drew much attention, with many casting curious glances their way. After all, today the Pope himself was present—what business did this group have here?

Back when Su Huai was in charge of the frontier, the Yan and Dong Hu clans under Ye Ji’s command counted less than two hundred thousand able-bodied men. The border troops kept them thoroughly subdued, and for nearly ten years their numbers only dwindled.

No one doubted the might of the blow about to be unleashed by Luo Bei. Even hundreds of miles from the Cihang Quietude Monastery, one could sense the fierce aura and the tangible sword energy erupting from him.

“Lord Qin, how have you been lately?” Liu Che stepped forward from the crowd, speaking with the easy familiarity of old friends.

With the guidance of the white Heavenly Sword Peak and the golden-armored divine generals on the distant mountain path, Luo Bei traveled directly through the forests and valleys, unafraid of losing his way.

“So, what now?” Tan Hui searched his inherited memories but found nothing relevant to this matter.

“Still, for the sake of the past, help me this once.” Xiang Bing’er stepped forward and took his hand; the icy coldness of Fang Yiwei’s hand startled her.

“What did they say?” Wang Qingming, his attention no longer dulled by alcohol, asked anxiously.

Song Lingyun nodded. Strictly speaking, the value of such a magical treasure surpassed that of offensive or defensive artifacts. But for primordial gods and demons living in constant danger, survival took precedence, so it was hard to say for sure.

After finishing a generous dinner, Fei Junshuai finally felt completely recovered.

Liu Ningbo struggled to her feet after a day of deep sleep, discovering that her quilt had made her whole body warm and sweaty. She jumped up, immediately feeling a chill in the room, and it was even colder in the living room. Turning on the light, she saw through the dining room doorway that the food on the table was still untouched.

“Yan Ju!” Bai Tianlang’s eyes widened as he saw Ma Rufen tumble down the stairs like a ball, her head striking each marble step with a dreadful sound.

While the fleet was stranded in Hong Kong, the American sailors continued to draw their pay and enjoyed a life of half or no training at all, leaving questions of dignity to Uncle Sam as they indulged in bar-hopping and revelry.

The hand that had rested on Fei Junshuai’s shoulder was now severed at the wrist, the entire hand falling to the ground.

The unexpected outcome of the battle forced Suoya to give a bitter laugh as his sword struck the paw of a gray wolf, driving it back.

Unbeknownst to us, we had been standing here for quite some time. After the polite exchanges, conversation dried up and the atmosphere turned awkward—it seemed time to take my leave.

Unexpectedly, Si Zhen would say such things in front of everyone. Yue Chan was completely stunned, her eyes turning red as she stammered, unable to find words.

Lying on the ground, Mu Yun escaped death by a hair’s breadth. Regaining a sliver of strength, he quickly got up and fled into the distance, lest he be caught in the crossfire of the battle between the tree beasts.

In S City, in Chen Daqian's villa, she sat pale-faced on the sofa. Across from her sat the editor-in-chief of a newspaper, whose leering expression made her frown in displeasure.

“And after that?” Qian Yaya replied absent-mindedly, “After that, someone from Wu Yanran’s family came and took her home.”

The Five-Colored Fish paid no heed to the Cang Wolf King. No matter how the Wolf King attacked, it didn’t bother to retaliate, leisurely slipping away into the distance.

“That must be them,” Bra said, looking at the scene of the explosion in the Southern Capital. The timing and location of the artificial humans’ appearance matched perfectly—it had to be them.

The Ninth Miss’s cheeks flushed as she snapped, “What are you staring at? This is just how I am, isn’t that allowed?” Even she couldn’t stand her own words, dropping her head and not daring to look at Xia Tian.

Xia Tian’s actions made it clear to Ninth Miss, and she immediately began to resist. No matter how formidable her cultivation once was, it was now far below Xia Tian’s. Caught off guard, she was pinned beneath him, unable to use her abilities, and could only let him strip her of her clothes.

Yet today, I charged ahead heedless of the consequences, and I am still fighting alone.

The city wall was no longer what it once was, having collapsed and been rebuilt time and again—who knew how many times. Fortunately, with advanced construction technology, they could just barely keep up.

So even if they didn’t provide weapons to the M faction, the reason for keeping their headquarters in M Country was exactly this: they wanted to provoke envy, but remain untouchable.

As one of only two “wild” great swordmasters in Billy City, and one who rarely left, Wolf the Great’s wealth was hardly a secret from rulers like His Majesty Charles, and it was enough to draw the attention of those in power.

A “full-bodied” wine refers to one whose finish is rich and heavy, never causing that dizzy, intoxicated sensation—an essential mark of a fine wine.

This cautious conversation attracted no attention. It was clear that Wolf the Great had some reputation in Billy City’s mercenary circles, so those monitoring the group of four did not count him among the suspects.