Chapter 57: Alone Together

"They definitely ran this way. Search! Don't let a single one escape!" A rough voice echoed, clearly belonging to the commander of the imperial soldiers.

Duan Jing's expression turned grave as he patted Jiang Bai's shoulder to warn him, "It looks like they've split up. There's an ambush ahead."

Carrying Duan Jing on his back, Jiang Bai moved to the side. "We need to go around them. We can't fight them head-on."

Duan Jing tightened his grip around Jiang Bai's shoulder and pointed at a nearby clump of bushes. "We must hide quickly, so they don't spot us—"

"Mother Empress, how could you possibly fancy those rustic places? Just wait until your Ninth Son makes a great fortune one day and finds some peerless treasure to present to you," the Ninth Prince said with a hypocritical smile.

Where the phoenix carriage passed, red carpets were laid out on the ground, escorted by the Imperial Guards both front and rear, straight deep into the imperial city—to the Council Hall!

"Very well, then I shall return to the palace." Chen Tianbao seemed to let out a secret sigh of relief. With those words, he patted Jun Chen's shoulder and ordered the procession to return to the palace.

Yang Xingyu let out a breath and said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, this Flame Desert Flower belongs to whoever it is meant for." Feng Yan raised an eyebrow without speaking.

Ever since the unification of the Nine Provinces, there hasn't been such a joyous occasion in a long time. In some places, there are still matters left unsettled, and some people remain consumed by the sorrow of war. Grand celebrations and general amnesties like this are undoubtedly the best remedies.

Gesturing to his own body, Zhao Baolai still found it somewhat strange, considering his territory was the smallest and his strength wasn't particularly formidable.

Xiangchen was serving close by. Today, perhaps out of excitement, she chattered incessantly, losing her usual composure.

The Crown Prince was still running endlessly within the divine realm, finding that the space, though not large, seemed to have no end to the running. He was panting heavily, drenched in sweat that had turned black.

The director had specifically talked to him about this issue, mercilessly asking him if he had ever loved anyone, and pointing out that Shao Si's kissing technique was quite poor.

She looked up and spoke to him. Now, the situation had reached a deadlock, and no one dared to break the ice. No one dared to defy the Empress Dowager, nor did anyone dare to act clever and say anything, because this time, even His Majesty himself remained silent, doing nothing but continually pacify the enraged Empress Dowager.

Zhiyun rolled her eyes, unfurled a sheet of xuan paper, and resumed her ink wash painting—flowers, birds, insects, and fish, filling her eyes with beauty, ignoring Ouyang and his wasteful antics entirely.

This time the thick-browed man did not dare to resist. Whether it was slashing his face or stabbing his eyes, although the wounds combined with pain and fear twisted his entire face into a completely distorted shape, he never dared to harbor the thought of resistance again. After finishing what he was told to do, he sat by the wall, buried his head in his hands, and remained motionless.

However, if your sole purpose is to please the Imperial Father without showing any drive or building your own faction, the best outcome is that His Majesty views you as a favorite son, but will never let you lay a hand on the throne. After all, how can anyone securely sit in that chair without ambition?

Effect: Upon activation, generates a protective barrier within a two-meter radius that provides a certain level of resistance against external attacks and adverse effects, lasting for 5 seconds.

Ding Yezi smiled gently, wearing the expression of an obedient child who would apparently follow Aunt Shen's advice on everything.

Among those present, only Lu Yu understood the meaning behind his smile. He also gave a slight bow to the deceased elder, accepting his praise.

Ouyang Qing, Zhu Xingxue, and Duan Pingjun suppressed their smiles as they looked at Ziyuan. The more serious Ziyuan was, the more mischievous she would become—something they had all witnessed. Chi Tang was left speechless, clutching his arm in agony. Zhizhi really didn't hold back his bite, and with Chi Tang violently shaking his arm, the flesh was almost torn away.

As a side note, since mental attacks have been mentioned, one must also briefly touch upon Lu Yu's only suspected mental-type skill: "Evil Eye."

The father and son turned back from the Twenty-second Gully and headed home. By the time they arrived home, it was already the evening of the third day of the eighth month.

"Don't be afraid. Stay calm and press the emergency call button so someone can come to save you..." An Weichen comforted Ding Yalan. However, before he could finish, Ding Yalan interrupted him.

This time, the enemy's cars seemed to have completely turned into time bombs. The moment they were hit by the missiles I fired, they erupted in violent explosions. Together with the missiles I launched, that vehicle and the third-to-last vehicle were completely blasted into smithereens.

"Group T is divided into two parts. What we need to understand is the T Legion behind Group T." Xue Jiancheng displayed the relationship chart prepared by Shen Tong on the projection screen.

"Pig! Haha! There's a bathroom right here and he still goes outside!" Zhuo Xin pointed at Ye Zhen's retreating back and mocked.

"Alright, once you're back in the country, don't call me commander; call me chief. Some of them are soldiers from the Hunter unit. You must treat them well and lead them well; they are all good soldiers."

"You guys, come with me to write your self-criticisms!" Talia walked away, dragging an unconscious Billy along with Li Litian, whose clothes were mostly torn to shreds.

"I came out to work on a painting for Brother A-cheng, and when I saw a friend was busy, I came over to help." Ming Fan did not yet know that she was now working for Office No. 76, because he hadn't seen her since she left Paris, knowing only that she had returned to Shanghai long ago. Though they had exchanged letters, they were very few.

Behind the crates were endless rows of boxes, and there was no telling what was actually stored inside them. I originally intended to open one to take a look, but worried that making noise would attract unwanted attention, I quickly dismissed the thought.

Acupoint striking! Such a miraculous martial art actually existed in this world! Shi Xiaofeng was not panicked, but filled with awe.

On the stage, Shen Tong executed a turn and a shoulder throw, tossing Blood Shadow off the boxing ring. "Oh my god, the King didn't kill anyone today—how very strange. But today's matches have concluded. Congratulations to the King, Wang Yang." The crowd boiled over once again.

Judging by this, it is likely that her next attempt will heavily lean toward sniper assassinations or close-range ambushes. Blue Feather pondered how she might force it back into a long-range sniping scenario.

Wesker had already been subdued by Jin Sanfu in the public bathhouse; at least for now, they could be considered comrades who trusted each other with their backs.

Regarding this, Guan Zhi had previously remarked, "The wind outside is so strong right now, it probably hooked onto a power line. Once the rain stops later, I'll go check it out." Hearing this, the people inside the house could only agree.