Chapter 257: 014 As Before

The meeting room of Bai Xiaosheng was filled with lively energy.

One side was desperate to hand over money; the other firmly refused it.

Despite having prepared himself mentally, Yu Xing had never experienced anything like this before—he simply felt a strange, pleasant warmth in his chest.

“Chang Zong, Hu Zong, Xu Zong, here’s the deal: WeChat hasn’t reached its next funding round yet—we just received five million dollars from Red Falcon, but we will indeed need more capital later. Once we do, the three of you—”

Their cultivations were evenly matched, the battle locked in stalemate. Suddenly, a flash of silver light appeared beside the Divine Assistance Sword—Gu Niya materialized, snatched it up, and sprinted deep into the mountains.

Tian Yi ignored Zhao Zixian’s glance entirely, instead glaring at Shanben Cixiong, who refused—or rather, dared not—to accept the check. “Didn’t I make myself clear enough?” Her voice was icy, thick with fury and threat.

A faint “creak, creak” echoed from nearby, as if a great tree had been severed mid-trunk. Long Ge heard the sound and immediately knelt to pray.

Xiangye’s eyes widened; her stored data surged in frantic motion, finally delivering one piece of information—“Round Table Knights.”

The Empress clutched her sister tightly until she turned to ash, then rose weeping, determined to find Lucifer and seek revenge.

“Lucky!?” The Sixth Elder cast a sarcastic glance at the Ninth Elder, saying nothing—but the sneer made the Ninth Elder clench his teeth, his face darkening with gloom.

“Just now, when I introduced you… I thought he might not be able to accept it right away. Give him some time to adjust,” Qiao Qing stammered. She simply couldn’t say to her son, upon first seeing him, “This is your father.” Even she found it awkward—how much more so for Si Zhe?

The man seated in the place of honor received toasts, yet no flower maid attended him. Whether he had no such tastes, or whether his appearance was too terrifying, the flower maids all avoided him, clustering instead around the guests beside him.

“What’s wrong? Where have you been these days? Didn’t you promise to cook for me your whole life?” Wang Xue’s tone grew colder, her expression darker.

“Thank the Empress Dowager. Jin'er knew from the start this was a misunderstanding. Since Jin'er is unharmed, let’s just let it go,” Qiu Jin spoke with grace, “defending” Zhong Qing.

The imperial court cuisine here uses exceptionally fresh ingredients; visitors are advised not to order the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, as a sign at the entrance reads: “Wastefulness Is Shameful.”

Behind Zhao Xi walked several guards, each standing solemn and alert—clearly rigorously trained.

Faced with the reporters’ aggressive questions, the Grandmaster’s expression turned distinctly displeased, his brow furrowing.

The Emperor has arranged the marriage; refusing it is defiance of imperial command. Even so, can he still promise her the rest of her life?

The thought of the man being naked while speaking to her, the sound of running water flowing over his body, made Wan Qi feel as if she were touching him herself—and then she recalled Yuan Shuo’s near-perfect physique.

A Jiu remained calm and composed, giving a slight, elegant, courteous nod. “Please, sir, lead the way.” Her demeanor instantly won the eunuch’s favor.

“Of course not.” Tang Muyan, likely the most composed of the three, wore the most complex expression.

Could an AI grow? Wan Qi was puzzled, but then remembered it was created by her parents—and she understood.

Fu Daquan’s current mood clearly indicated his displeasure—this was precisely why Gao Huaiyuan had assigned him the post of Commander of the Flying Tiger Army when petitioning the court for rewards, while Zhou Jun received a different arrangement.

Jia Qi thought about it—he’d gain nothing if Li Quan turned against the Song right now. Worrying about this was less practical than figuring out how to recover the Tibetan horses. So he tidied himself up, left Gao Huaiyuan’s residence, and went about his business.