Chapter 31: The Land in the East of the City

The sound of Old Lady Su’s coughing shattered the tranquility.

“Today’s banquet will end here. If there has been any lapse in hospitality, I hope you will all forgive us!”

Clearly, Old Lady Su had issued her dismissal, and the guests, discerning as ever, promptly took their leave.

Su Manman was just about to pull Ye Feng away when Old Lady Su called out to them...

The villa’s courtyard, with its Western-style pavilions and waterside terraces, was laid out with tight order, giving an impression both of majestic grandeur and of exquisite, luxurious refinement.

Time passed; aside from seeing Qin Lingxue’s eyes, filled with hatred, occasionally shift, he remained as motionless as a statue.

Feng Tu sat in silence, his old eyes lifted to the sky. After a long while, he sighed deeply.

Poverty in daily life was hardly unusual; after the opening up and reforms, every rural village was the same—mud-brick houses, clay-walled courtyards, battered plank doors, wooden lattice windows. But more crucial was the political discrimination: the family of Lü Shilong had been treated as enemies of the state for years.

“Good. Tomorrow, Master will take Han Bing to Skyhowl City for the clan competition. We will go straight to Dreamglass Continent and Tilted City,” Qu Liuji stroked Qu Xiaodian’s hair, smiling gently into the bronze mirror.

“Whoosh!” Ma Xiaoyao grabbed the ashtray from the tea table and hurled it straight at Li Yongchang’s forehead.

“I thought you were just looking for an excuse to run away…” Lei Dazhuang scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

Watching the helicopter descend, Jiang Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Federman, trudging along the road, was utterly exhausted. With less than thirty meters to go, he could walk no further. With a dull thud, he collapsed onto the scorching sand, gasping for air.

Liu Hao nodded, “Master Tian is right. We’ve all had a long day. Let’s rest. I have spare tents in my car—everyone take one and use it.” Liu Hao was thoughtful enough to prepare tents for the group.

Once the café had emptied out, under the curious gazes of nearby customers, Jing Mian picked up her phone, lowered her eyes, found the familiar pinned contact, and dialed.

She wanted to keep reading, but the warmth of the bed caused the alcohol she’d suppressed to ferment and cloud her head. The words blurred into double images; she had no choice but to toss the phone aside.

Though Shi Xi couldn’t see, she could roughly guess. She drew a deep breath, wondering if she’d done anything outrageous, when suddenly Yu Guanyue laughed softly.

The man in the wheelchair suddenly opened his eyes, frail and sickly, yet his gaze was clear and piercing.

If it was a friend’s house where she could take photos and share them, the relationship must be quite good.

She helped Old Niu move things; when it came time to cook, she sensibly sat and waited for the meal to begin.

He felt as if he had encountered his destined bird; his heart thudded wildly, and he couldn’t care less about what Yan Tan was saying.

…By concealing things this way, he had perhaps already made clear his determination to sever ties with the Gu family.

Not only had the game enthusiast’s dream of full hologram simulation been realized, but the advances in artificial intelligence were remarkable.

Yet the aroma of beggar’s chicken seemed even richer than that of the chicken soup, carrying the fragrance of lotus leaves and wine.

She knew little else, but Su Luo had explicitly requested three. If she dared to agree, Su Luo would surely tear her apart.

Ning Fusheng’s entranced gaze fell on the bead, tears in his eyes, his expression both grateful and thrilled.

He always insisted on absolute certainty; though he was sure Su Luo couldn’t refine a master-level pill, he habitually took extra precautions.

His words were a blatant threat, yet the tone left everyone unable to muster any anger.