Chapter 108: The Proposal to Accompany the Army, the Jiang Family

After coaxing the children to sleep, Li Qingyun lit a candle. No one was watching, and she always preferred candles over kerosene lamps: brighter, and without the smell. As she knitted a sweater, she chatted idly with Gu Tingzhou.

“Wife, my leave will be over in just over half a month. I can’t bear to leave you and the children. What am I supposed to do?” Gu Tingzhou sounded like a child denied candy, miserable and pleading, all while gently kneading his wife’s shoulders and back.

Li Qingyun was reluctant too. Recently, their feelings had deepened and sweetened into a kind of honeyed bliss; sometimes even a glance between them felt sugary.

Li Yinshuang looked at her and saw only a field of blood before her eyes. An intense sense of danger rose involuntarily in her heart, and her expression darkened at once.

The burly black-faced man cupped his hands and said, “May I ask why you have come, brother? And how are you acquainted with Chiefs Zhong Xiang and Yang Yao?” His question was abrupt. Having come from afar, Shangguan Yun did not even wish to know the man’s name; instead, he went straight to the purpose.

Li Zhide swept sideways in a flash, his long sword driving straight into the midst of the three men, striking left and hooking right, each movement flashing cold light. Cheng Lin was highly skilled, and the sword arts he practiced were the same as Li Zhide’s, so he fought without falling at all behind. Moreover, the abbot of Shanyan Temple and Luo Fei both lent their aid. Their assault was fierce, pressing Li Zhide squarely in the middle.

Hei Pi explained to her, “Originally, you would have had to complete all your missions before you could obtain the chance to be reborn.

Otherwise, if you miss it, who knows when you’ll be able to catch another ride and leave this planet of mutated plants.

Within the Great Wu Dynasty, strength in martial arts was supreme, so warriors naturally received many privileges. Ordinary people below the innate level could enter the city only through the side gate, and once night fell, they were forbidden to come and go.

This iron-armored flagship was so towering and immense that when Mu Yuncheng lowered all the rope ladders, more than three hundred people boarded it in no time.

Outside Anxi Harbor, the crowd was still surging. One wave of people had left, and another had come. Unlike the morning, there were now many handwritten placards, much like the demonstrations workers held years ago when many factories shut down.

That was because after Liu Ting had eaten with Lin Chen last time, she had returned alone to her hometown in the south.

Cheng Lin’s expression turned icy, and he shouted, “Subduing Demon Palm!” With both hands clenched, the cold sword dissolved into empty space as his right palm struck out. Li Zhide thrust with his sword, and with a crack, it broke apart inch by inch, while Cheng Lin’s palm also landed squarely on Li Zhide’s chest.

“...Isn’t it because your legs are short?” After saying that, Ouyang Hao laughed again, bracing himself on the edge of the table.

The three of them had worn out their tongues here in the Consort Shu’s chambers, yet she had shown no reaction at all. Instead, she had told them they should be patient and, when dealing with newcomers, have the forbearance of their elders. Wasn’t that merely shooting themselves in the foot? If this Consort Shu truly had such breadth of mind, would she have gone, in a moment of muddled anger, to make a scene in Consort An’s chambers yesterday?

“These two young men’s magical power is more than enough to rank among the top ten of the young generation in the current stellar domain.” Lei Luo, of course, knew a thing or two about these two youths as well.

At that moment, Xi Yue was seated in the main hall, head bent as she embroidered a stalk of orchid. Her slender fingers moved deftly through the cloth, sometimes knitting her brows as she studied the pattern, sometimes running the needle lightly through strands of hair like black clouds. Er Qing watched the lady through the bead curtain and, before he knew it, stood rooted in place.

Then she beckoned to Mu Yuqing and told her to call the person in charge of purchasing ingredients and have them buy more. “The past two days I had a feeling someone would be treating me to a meal. So as not to waste today, I haven’t eaten properly for two days.”

She looked up at He Yumo and discovered that He Yumo was also signaling her not to say more, so she had no choice but to let it go.

The nightclub belonged to Mu Yichen’s assets. Was she here to have fun, or to make herself miserable?

Xi Yue was indeed hungry. She drank two bowls of porridge in one go and ate several pieces of dessert. Seeing Consort An eating like that, Nanny Liu figured she must be all right, and withdrew with peace of mind.

Her gaze drifted carelessly, and she noticed Mu Yichen, who was sipping tea while lost in thought. Er... that expression of his seemed to have been there for quite a while. Sensing someone looking at him, Mu Yichen lifted his eyes. His cool gaze flickered dimly, carrying a hint of inquiry. Their eyes met, and Mu Yuchen’s heart tightened; she quickly looked away.