Call me Brother

In June, new educated youths arrived once again. Around this time every year, the village would inevitably bustle with excitement, and I was merely one of the many who joined in the crowd to watch the spectacle.

Murong Susu let out a soft hum, chatting and laughing with Ye Fei as usual, yet a strange sensation lingered in her heart.

The tips of his toes were slightly elevated, and as his shoes pressed against the earth, they caused no visible signs of compression in the soil whatsoever. This meant his body possessed no weight at all.

Tang Meili came from quite an affluent family; scallion pancakes were hardly some luxury delicacy—wasn't she free to eat them whenever she pleased?

Mifune glanced at Shikaku, and indeed, Shikaku's expression was less than pleasant. Hailed as the supreme strategist of the ninja world, Shikaku had perhaps finally met his match this time.

In reality, however, salt came in numerous varieties and spanned an overwhelming multitude of flavors, dazzling to the senses. Yet the kind found here was the lowest of the low, the sort that made Lu Yu frown at the mere sight of it.

This period was essentially a contest of sheer force; whoever possessed the greater capability found it easier to win. Assuming the child's soul had been squeezed out by Old Man Wang's ghost, it was abundantly clear that a mortal soul was no match for a malevolent spirit.

Stepping into the Beast King's Ruins once again, Shuma's feelings were entirely different. This time, he could distinctly perceive the power contained within the Beast King's Ruins! A massive surge of energy was flowing outward from the ruins. Shuma made a rough estimation: by the time they completed the second test, this entire ruin might descend directly onto the ground.

The Thunder Emperor was momentarily stunned. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, a beam of light swept him away to the entrance of the passage. Coming to his senses with a start, he heard Ning Tao's urging ringing in his ears once more. Jolted awake, he gritted his teeth and plunged straight forward.

"I imagine this probably has something to do with your very lives. The two of you were saved by your younger brother using his own life, or perhaps during that trial of thunder and self, you became the equivalent of Shuma's avatars, which naturally prevents any oppressive force from affecting you." True to her medical background, Tsunade immediately pinpointed the correlation.

"I hereby declare that you may now marry my mother. Come along, follow me to meet her," Zhuang Shuai declared.

"Roar...!" Sensing a threat, the Feiyi swung its forked tails, which had grown several times longer. The piercing screech produced as they ripped through the air forced the people gathered outside the house far away in the cavern to cover their ears instinctively. Xing Yi watched the battle from the side alongside Hu Mei'er, employing some unknown method to shield himself while ensuring Mei'er remained completely unharmed.

"Very well, follow me." With those words, Lin Tianlong took the lead and strode toward the outer perimeter. He intended to take Chen Xi and Tang Xiong to that cave on the outskirts; it was relatively secluded and less likely to be discovered by others.

Perhaps, if one were to realize that Huo Wanwan's given name had always been "Zhuxiang," a sense of realization might have dawned upon them.

Having fallen behind by a full two months of progress, if she wished to catch up, she would have no spare energy left to hunt and earn money. She did not even plan to take on any odd jobs during the upcoming holidays. However, money could not generate money on its own; without the ability to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, it meant sitting idly and eating through one's reserves.

The clatter of horse hooves echoed as a figure clad in a black robe adorned with intricate gold-threaded embroidery appeared, exceptionally dazzling under the sunlight. Exquisite facial features, a piercing gaze, and tightly pressed thin lips—everything about him signaled his brewing fury.

Population growth naturally gave rise to a series of problems, ranging from turmoil to outright warfare. However, some unseen, massive hand was manipulating everything behind the scenes. While the alternation of power might have grown more frequent, it fortunately avoided large-scale mortality.

Frenzy Dragon felt rather smug all of a sudden, believing that his mere aura alone had intimidated his opponent to the point where the other party lacked even the courage to exchange blows with him.

"These items are all tributes from foreign courts. How could ordinary folks like us ever lay eyes on them?" Tributes from foreign courts—she had once caught sight of a piece or two in Zhao Yu's manor, and the hilt of a dagger among them had been inlaid with a gemstone identical to this one.

Yet, with a crisp "clang," A Shui's sword arrived from behind, parrying that fatal thrust. By this point, both had executed two moves—four in total. Each appeared deceptively simple, yet seemed exquisitely profound. Only then did the onlookers shout in unison, though most were thoroughly baffled and merely followed the others in cheering.

Throughout the decade, Mo Zifeng had ceaselessly traveled far and wide in search of Zheng Zhong's whereabouts. Had it not been for his concern over Ling Qingshan's safety, Lord Yihuan would have gladly ventured out personally to investigate.

"Ever since we emerged from the Purple Cloud Valley, I knew Fellow Daoist had been tailing us. Were you afraid my meager strength wouldn't suffice to protect your Holy Master?" Zheng Zhong smiled faintly, teasingly remarking.

She was not a harsh person and would not intentionally make things difficult for a child. Seeing Han Ke shrink back with his head lowered, he actually looked rather pitiful.

A fierce glint flashed across Zheng Zhong's eyes. With a flick of his divine sense, several cyan lightning arcs erupted from the sphere of lightning, directly striking the nascent soul itself.

It was impossible. Right now, he was merely helping Qingran eliminate the one who had betrayed her. He had done nothing wrong, and this was undoubtedly what Qingran desired.

Hu Qi'er's delicate brows furrowed slightly. The next moment, a crystalline thread shot forth from her eyes and penetrated straight into Luo Yao's body.

The so-called inner hard energy referred to utilizing overt force to deliver the impact of covert force without damaging mental or physical stamina. For instance, shattering the brick beneath a block of tofu while leaving the tofu intact, much like breaking a bone while leaving the skin and flesh unharmed.

And now that Master had put it that way—insisting it could be done completely—if a thorough resolution was indeed possible, why hadn't Master done so many years ago?

A Shui also stood quietly by the side of Hermit Wuyan, gazing together with him at the blazing fire. The Three-Ring Manor lived up to its name, yet at this moment, not a single ring had served any purpose.

"Look at me! Director Li has been here for quite a while, and I haven't even brewed any tea!" Lin Jinhong slapped his forehead in self-reproach, quickly rising to prepare tea for Li Ge.

"I'll pour the wine for my sister-in-law first." A waiter delivered a crate of freshly opened beers, but Liu Ling snatched one up immediately and announced loudly.