Chapter 12: Encounter with the Gossiping Woman on the Road

It was around seven o’clock now. Most villagers who went to the commune to buy things traveled on foot, and it took over two hours to get there. Families with better means could ride the ox cart waiting at the village entrance. Li Zhaodi had never been one to force herself to walk; she always took the ox cart, and today was no exception. She wasn’t about to make herself walk all that way—four or five hours round trip, surely enough to blister her feet.

Along the way, she encountered many people. Some avoided her, others made snide remarks, but she paid no mind and continued on her path.

But if he weren’t dead, I wouldn’t know, for his abilities were truly extraordinary—perhaps even death could not stop him.

Occasionally, everyone enjoyed a taste of foreign cuisine, but eating like foreigners every day just didn’t suit them. The local Chinese restaurants weren’t authentic either, their dishes had been altered. So He Zhijun specifically recruited a reliable chef from his homeland to accompany them, ensuring everyone was well fed wherever they went.

When Qin Zimu received the call this time, she sounded groggy, as if she had just woken up. Mu Yuchen was in a great mood, his smile stretched nearly to his ears.

“What makes you so confident? It could turn out that our people will show you mercy instead!” Xu Youyou sneered coldly.

“Kill them!” Watching the soldiers surge into the courtyard like a tide, Tan Long’s face turned ruthless, filled with the cold authority of a ruler. Years of power had not softened him; instead, the fortress master exuded a fierce, bloodthirsty command.

Mu Yuchen kept his hands in his suit pockets throughout, cool and aloof, showing no intention of helping. Qin Zimu glanced at him several times, but he pretended not to notice.

Cheng Yang suddenly raised his head, spreading his arms wide, and rushed toward the direction from which the silver light shot. The meteor-like brilliance struck his chest silently, then scattered into countless silver shards, blooming across his chest like a dazzling, bloody flower.

Chen Chen, having eaten his fill, lay sprawled on the hospital bed, thoroughly content. I gathered the dishes, equally bored. Rarely did Young Master Chen ignore me, and I had no desire to bother him—so I brewed myself a cup of coffee and curled up on the sofa with a magazine.

Lunch was served at the hotel under their banner, lavish beyond compare. Qin Zimu’s eyes darted back and forth between Su Li and Qiqi, while Sister Xia watched with interest.

It wasn’t that he was callous, but after inquiring, he learned the arsonist had already escaped to the Kingdom of White Horse. Capturing him would not only be a long journey, but also a tremendous waste of time.

Hundreds of tough men focused their spiritual senses on the captain’s instructions, listening and watching as the situation unfolded. Ba Zimo’s hard-won aura of authority and intimidation dissipated completely.

“What do you mean by that, old man? Are you looking down on me?” The man surnamed Zhang frowned, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

What Chi Huan and his companions saw—the manipulated elves—were less than half the island’s elven population. The other elves had already lit the signal fires of resistance deep in the jungle, striving to rescue more of their kind.

Others, like Yi Hongzhuo and Changsun Zhengchu, at first didn’t believe Changsun Xiuqi would lose. They were evenly matched; though their powers were immense, in perception, they fell short of Su Yang’s keen insight.

Zi Mo glanced at the group, still careless and unbothered, slouching in his chair as he watched Sima Gao Honghui.

The Black Tortoise Spirit said, “You refuse the toast, so you’ll have to drink the penalty. It seems I must teach you a lesson.” As Ni Duoshi’s body emitted a plume of black smoke, a chilling aura spread, forcing the flames aside and driving the fire skeleton from his body.

The viper, wielding its spiritual power, slammed the wolf-toothed club down, smashing a gaping hole through the brick and stone slabs.