Chapter 46: The Troublesome Cousin

After hearing Sheng Xiayan’s request to become her disciple, Xie Xinrong fell silent for a moment, then shook her head.

“Xie Xinrong, the bond between master and disciple is no child’s game. If you truly wish to learn, you must devote yourself to your studies. Do not make promises lightly.”

Her tone was calm. Though she said little, her words were enough for Xie Xinrong to sense her resolve and coldness.

Xie Xinrong was visibly stunned. A flash of disappointment crossed her eyes.

......

After Qingyi entered the guest room, she seemed far less anxious than before. She stood silently in a corner, as though waiting for Shen Yu to question her, or perhaps weighing what she ought to say.

As the morning breeze pushed open the great door that had long been sealed in dust, sunlight streamed through the gap. Throughout the second level of Cloud Mountain, thunderous rumbling rang out.

“Yes, that is the fissure. When it was first discovered, it was nowhere near this long—only about the length of one of your human fingers. Over the course of ten thousand years, the fissure gradually widened, until it reached its present length,” the Qi Demon explained obediently.

Realizing that he had shown too much emotion, Huo Qingsong immediately schooled his features again. Yet the delight in his eyes simply would not fade. He had no choice but to lower his head slightly, though his expression changed once more. Had Huo Qingqing seen her brother’s face at that moment, she would certainly have cried out in alarm: Brother is plotting against someone again.

The Five Evils Palace of today was no match for the Gu Poison Sect. Thus, after a brief family discussion, they decided to leave Foothill Commandery for the sake of safety, regardless of whether the other party was truly Tiansheng from all those years ago. That was how the family came to move away in the dead of night.

The instant he recognized who had arrived, Qiu Yang felt not so much anger or surprise as helplessness. How could he have imagined that the four seats would happen to be right next to one another? Acting on instinct, he tightened his grip on Hashimoto Nanami’s hand, which rested to his left.

As for Huo Bao, he had remained constantly at Huo Qingsong’s side without a moment’s rest, and he was exhausted as well. Sitting on the steps now with the sunlight shining over him, Huo Bao could not help nodding off. Fang Zhe, however, did not let him sleep for long. Just as Huo Bao was about to dream of the General’s Residence in the capital, Fang Zhe slapped him awake.

After all, he was only a teenager. Though usually calm and composed, how could a young man lack a little fire in a moment like this? To be bullied for no reason at all—there was only so much one could endure.

“Which blind fool dares cause trouble on our turf?” Zuo Zhuang said grimly. He hurried out of the vehicle, for by then the entrance had been completely blocked by people.

Facing the enormous, pitch-black maw beneath him, Tiansheng felt not the slightest fear. Instead, an endless battle spirit surged within him. His right hand clenched tightly around the treasured sword formed from the Ninefold Treasure Armor, while he silently urged a continuous stream of Celestial Origin Force into the blade.

“Jian Bai, your father is already in this condition. Stop making a scene. Do you really have to anger him to death before you’ll be satisfied?” Liu Yan wore the helpless expression of a loving mother confronted by a wayward son.

If someone’s guess was correct, the troops along the Shandong Circuit had already begun to make their move. The Jin Kingdom’s diversionary forces had appeared, and all that remained was for the troops of Daming Prefecture to be mobilized.

Liu Mingrui carefully washed his hands and selected the ingredients he would need. After telling her which dish she would be learning that day, he began working on his own.

The dark-faced man could not be bothered to argue. He urged them along, and once everyone had boarded, he shut and latched the door before returning to the driver’s seat and starting the vehicle.

Everyone sighed and chattered for quite some time, debating whether the relationship between Su Han and Zhang Zizheng was a case of the chicken giving rise to the egg, or the egg giving rise to the chicken. After all, Zhang Zizheng now possessed the potential to stand on the same level as Su Han. In theory, he had been nurtured by Su Han, and even if he did not belong to the Heavenly Court Guild, he was destined to become a pillar of China’s national war.

He suddenly lunged forward and bit down viciously on Qiansui Riko’s throat, ripping out her windpipe with a wet crack.