Chapter 56: Shocked—These Bastards Actually…

They sang and recited poetry, each holding a bowl of flower nectar they’d somehow acquired, utterly at ease.

At dawn the next day, I was awakened by light, automatically rising—then suddenly realizing with a chill: how did the sleeping bag end up covering me?

The flight details need not be recounted; Lie Ying said he hadn’t taken a vacation in so long that he couldn’t even process the sudden break.

“I hope the bastards from Beijiu State and Osaka don’t go down so easily!” Zonoy Taro shook his head, stepped away from the map, and downed his cup of wine in one gulp.

When soldiers came, they were met by soldiers; when water came, what blocked it was rarely earth—but stone.

“It’s alright, Gaia, you did your best…” we comforted him, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

“It’s all because of you that I didn’t have time to get dressed and ran out in this outfit!” Xia Qingran began complaining, gesturing at her plain clothes and messy hair. Zhang Yang and the other two rolled their eyes and ignored her entirely, raising their cups to drink.

“You needn’t worry about our safety,” Yu Linfan said sarcastically at that moment.

“Speak up—what’s really going on? Why did you specifically send Chen Fei away?” Luo Yulin understood Xia Bing’s intentions perfectly; as soon as Chen Fei went upstairs, she asked.

The Wei ministers probably still didn’t believe that after they’d handed the man over to Huo Qubing, the great general would send him right back.

Long Ying and Feng Guoting were both revisiting familiar ground, deeply moved. Long Ying, thinking of the nearby Tiger Leaping Gorge, became lost in thought.

Guo Wei had seized the throne by force, and most provincial governors across the land were also men of arms. Warriors governing affairs and people were naturally ill-suited—not to mention their abuse of power. Worse still, these soldiers often threatened the authority of the court and the Emperor.

When Fan Wubing returned, he was immediately surrounded by the company’s senior executives, all demanding to know what secrets lay behind this incident.

As a result, most people spent most of their time immersed in the virtual world; the once-bustling squares grew quiet at night, the streets lost their throngs, and nearly all shops remained closed.

Leng Yuqiu’s bluntness shocked everyone; they stared in astonishment at their commander—this “bandit suppression” had become “open banditry.”

The live-streaming cameras around them didn’t miss the pair’s expressions, so their utterly miserable, utterly ridiculous smiles were broadcast worldwide within a second, sparking heated discussion among fans.

Under this regulation, many provinces hadn’t used force in over a hundred years; except for frontier garrisons, most had cut their garrison troops by more than half, converting them instead into local peacekeeping constabularies.

Bai Yong also arrived at the cliff’s edge, took a deep breath at the abyss before him, then closed his eyes. His face had been grim, but after a while, it relaxed into a calm, serene expression.

He shouldn’t have let her leave the headquarters. He knew she was risking her life—and still let her go.

Immediately afterward, Mantian roared again and charged straight at Sikong Ming, swinging a punch at his face. But Sikong Ming hadn’t yet recovered from Mantian’s slap—he knew better than anyone how terrifying the Void-Cleaving Slash could be.

Moreover, his target was Xiao Yao; once Xiao Yao reached the Qinghong Hall, he’d never make it back alive.

Still, he only felt envy—not jealousy. After all, their statuses differed; he had choices, but Cao Ang did not.

Yi Xiujing sat cross-legged on the bed, his soul-sense already within the Medicine God Space inside him: mountains and rivers intertwined, blue sky and green earth, like a fairyland.

Though he hadn’t sunk further, his current situation seemed even more unbearable—for now he could do nothing, helplessly adrift in this boundless, empty silence, unaware of his path forward or what to do next.

He rubbed his eyes hard, blinked—and the name “Fang Xingchen” still hadn’t vanished. A thunderclap struck; the world turned dark. It was over. Losing the match, losing face—it didn’t matter. What mattered was he’d lost his chance to enter the Main Realm and advance his cultivation.

Jueling Powder, this extraordinary poison, severed a cultivator’s cultivation, spiritual energy, and dantian. Not only was it extremely difficult to brew, but it was also exorbitantly expensive. When Ning Xiuchen was at the Spirit Stillness stage, the price of Jueling Powder capable of cutting off a Spirit Stillness cultivator’s power was roughly half his entire fortune.

Cao Ang naturally didn’t know that his actions had moved Cao Cao to profound reflection—Cao Cao had already begun plotting for the future of the Great Wei dynasty.

“Enter Penglai, raise the Nine Heavens Below—ye who carry my Nine Heavens’ will, who is right, who is wrong, the road stretches far…” A hoarse voice, as if from beyond the heavens, echoed in their minds. They heard the words, but the rest faded before they could catch them. When they opened their eyes again, they stood amid mountains where the sky was clear and the wind surged.

Xie Meimei didn’t want to leave; she didn’t want to give them space—but she dared not defy Xiang Lingfeng’s order.

After receiving the front desk’s approval, Xu Ning paused slightly, but didn’t forget his mission—he picked up the food box and walked inside.

The mermaid’s song, though low and gentle, was ethereal and haunting, like true celestial music.

“If you say that, I’ll take it as you’re agreeing to officially date me~” Qing Huang smiled, looping her arm around his neck, her breath sweet as orchids.

“Do you think I want to stay here?” Qing Huang had always planned to leave—how could she find An Chen if she stayed at home?

Of course, Xia Yiruo was certain she wasn’t insane—if she were, then Lian Xiyeh must be insane too.

Ever since Liu Peng saved Xu Qiming, he feared trouble might arise in Ouyang County, so he immediately rode back overnight to Ouyang County’s side.

Though everything happened too suddenly and Xu Qiming was caught off guard, he knew this was the best response he could give Chen Xue.