Chapter 25: Killing Chickens and Slaughtering Fish

Li Qingyun felt much more at ease after receiving the money notes, thinking she must prepare tonight’s reception properly so the “boss” would be pleased and her own days would pass more smoothly. Yes, she decided to treat Gu Tingzhou as her employer from now on, and herself as the hired help running his household and caring for his child. The more she thought about it, the more comfortable she felt.

Most importantly, when she first met Gu Tingzhou, she felt neither resistance nor aversion. He was strikingly handsome, dignified, full of masculine charm, eloquent and cultivated, gentle yet composed, with a vivid vitality that gave him a contradictory but captivating appeal. Working for him did not feel burdensome at all; in fact, this man was rather—

She walked slowly toward the imperial palace. Su Jiu and Wei Zheng arrived at the palace gates, one after the other. Su Jiu smiled at Wei Zheng, then stood silently to the side. Wei Zheng snorted, waiting for the eunuch to go in and announce their arrival.

The Labyrinth of the Dark Night would open at around six o’clock the following evening. Until then, Ye Kong had no tasks, and there were no major events in the storyline during this period.

Images continued to flash before Nan Wuxiang’s eyes, until finally he saw Da Hong perish while saving Chi Ya, who had fallen into grave danger. Two clear tears slipped down his cheeks.

Lu Qi was startled. Memories of the rare beasts he had seen these days flashed through his mind—the elderly white unicorn atop the imperial palace, the two fiercely powerful white unicorns on the battlefield. Compared to those, the one before him, though different in color, was unmistakably of the same kind.

“The earth’s energy is abnormally active!” Nan Wuxiang grew more curious. He silently circulated the Silent Range Technique, discovering that aside from the turbulent earth energy, the lake was otherwise unremarkable. He immediately decided to investigate further. “Senior Bailin, please wait here and look after Xue’er for me. I’ll go take a look.” With that, he dove into the water.

Wu Enqi sprawled across the rim of his teacup, taking a large sip, then sat cross-legged on the table. It seemed this chief secretary was newly appointed and unfamiliar with the Fragrant Garden of Prince Yuheng. This, of course, made things much easier for Wu Enqi.

Yet, for these high-ranking death beasts, they had no interest in the details. As long as they saw Jamie take down his opponent, that was all that mattered to them. They were simply curious to see how one would conquer the other.

The military hasn’t called on us for assignments in a long time. Now, to suddenly propose three months of training—it doesn’t seem quite right.

Still, when many veterans gather together, they become a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, whenever the battle reached a stalemate, heavenly fire would descend to aid them. In just three years, they had seized most of the two clans’ territories. Wherever the army marched, the long-dormant remnants of the Xi Clan sprang up like bamboo shoots after the rain.

Long ago, she had lost all sense of temperature; only Nan Wuxiang or the eternal Dao Flame could bring her some warmth. After cultivating the Ghost Path, she couldn’t feel the cold anymore. Yet the chill of this sword was almost more than she could bear.

It wouldn’t have mattered, except those photographs had yellowed with age, and the faces in them seemed strangely familiar.

“If they refuse to listen, there’s no need to shield them any longer.” You Fu turned his head; his face was no longer gentle, but shrouded with a faint, chilling gloom.

He had even brought his private doctor—after harvesting her organs, he’d dump her body in the wilderness. If He Qiongyu found out, she would surely be pleased.

Which is worse—being woken from a nap to join afternoon tea, or being told downstairs that the meal is off?

Among the five, four were elderly men and one was middle-aged, each dressed in robes of different colors. Their faces were calm, yet they emanated an unmistakable, imposing aura.

This went on for a week—alternating hot and cold, beatings, one meal a day just enough to keep me alive. My wounds were all festering. I swear, even I can’t stand to look at myself now.

“The greatest enemy of the weak is their own overestimation,” Wei He said, extending his large hand and seizing the whip with lightning speed, giving it a sharp tug.

Beside him, Lan Yangyang’s eyes grew rounder and rounder. So this person wasn’t Chu Xi’s sweetheart? It was just a working relationship?