Volume 1, Chapter 23: Brought Back a Beautiful Little Boy!

Ye Yulan gave a faint nod as Ye Qianmo entered, then turned her gaze back to her mother, who lay unconscious on the bed, her eyes filled with worry.

Deep in the back mountains, Xiang Lei trembled uncontrollably. From the moment Dou Tianyi’s aura vanished, his heart had been gripped by fear. Now, as Lu Qingyun’s murderous roar echoed across the world, he knew his end had arrived.

I didn't follow Sun Hefan back to the classroom, choosing instead to smoke a few cigarettes in the restroom. Though I held no real grudge, I couldn't shake a sense of unease. Abnormal events always hide dark secrets, and with my naturally sharp instincts, I couldn't help but overthink.

As expected, once Xing Yi’s doppelganger appeared, the mermaid souls were thrown into confusion. Lacking a clear target for their soul-force, three of the ten souls chased the doppelganger to the front left, five pursued to the right, and only two hesitated before turning toward the direction where Xing Yi and his disciple had fled.

The Emperor was resting inside, so Shen Wu'an was naturally unaware of these developments. Even if he had known that Shen Yueru was looking for him, he would have found an excuse to refuse; fortunately, Qu Wurong had shielded him from these interruptions.

Zhong Hangyun’s face was etched with murderous intent, his star-like eyes cold and resolute as he savored the desperate, helpless expression of the Cloud Cold Mastiff.

What if his fever hadn't broken? What if it developed into pneumonia? If he still refused to go to the hospital, what should she do? These questions circled in her mind, leaving her restless and agitated.

Ignoring Ning Ke'er’s bizarre remarks, Mu Feng turned and charged toward the demon snake, pulling the prayer beads the principal had given him that day from his robe.

Murong Chen looked up, searching her eyes intently until he was certain she wasn't lying. His grip loosened slightly, though he still held her close, listening with rapt attention.

The sunlight was somewhat blinding, but by using the same old trick from yesterday, I successfully fooled the security guards and slipped inside.

They had founded the Twelve Star Palaces, each guarded by their most prized disciples. Countless generations had passed since then, but the current guardians were exceptionally powerful, with one among them claimed to be the closest to a god.

However, when Lan Feng saw the transparent, aged figure beside him, his furrowed brow finally smoothed.

Since the family’s savings at the start of the year had been set aside to fund Yang Changfu’s political career, Mrs. Wu had not bought any piglets. The Yang family had no pigs to raise, and they could only watch as others slaughtered theirs.

Death is always the most effective catalyst for waking impulsive humanity, a direct action far more intimidating than any verbal warning.

Seeing the magistrate’s reaction, Yang Changfu grew even more certain that his strategy was correct; he had successfully exposed the true identity of the owner of Fuxing House.

After finishing his call, he turned off his phone. He knew there was nothing urgent at home, and he couldn't handle the constant inquiries coming through Wang Ying, so powering it down was his only choice.

"Heh, Senior, if I release you, the Gate of Enslavement will detect it instantly, and my aunt will surely die. You aren't being very sincere compared to a moment ago," Guo Huai said with a smile.

The pay for a temp job wasn't high—twelve hundred yuan a month—plus basic benefits, amounting to just over two thousand yuan a year. Yet, for young people unable to find permanent work, it served as a useful stepping stone.

Even so, Jiu'er didn't dare to hear the rest and severed the connection, clutching her hand to her chest. She couldn't describe the feeling—a mix of bitterness and pain.

It seemed they were gradually evolving intelligence, learning to coordinate during combat. Though their cooperation was stiff and rudimentary, it was enough to add significant difficulty to the missions undertaken by Chang Le’s combat team.

"Just look at his right palm and you'll know," Yan Xiaoyu said, turning to sit back down and crossing his legs with an arrogant air, demonstrating his sense of superiority.

Wang Qiang was the Mad Tiger. One was his name, the other his title on the exile planet.

Ming Bei remained silent. She was distraught every day, waking up from nightmares every night. How could he not know, not feel the pain? But if she returned to the battlefield and something went wrong, how would he go on? He dared not imagine it.

Circumstances were greater than the individual; though she loathed these tedious rituals, she could not change the status quo and could only be passively shaped by her environment.

Mo Xiaoran squeezed her hand in the dark, signaling her to stay calm, then suddenly strode forward, slamming her shoulder into the imperial guards. The sudden movement caught the commander off guard, his momentum forcing him to stumble back several steps.

News of the Qunming Kingdom’s army crossing the border spread through the imperial city within two days. On the second day, Liao Xuan left the palace and headed for the Lu estate.

"This junior is deeply grateful, Senior," Shen Bolu replied. Although he had anticipated that the Leiyin Temple would intervene due to the Ling Shao being the sect’s supreme treasure, the Fortune Pearl, hearing Du Hui’s promise in person brought him great peace of mind.

Xia Nuanyan’s words were sincere, though she couldn't tell if she was truly using Zihan, genuinely wanting to help her, or a bit of both.

She never expected it to end this way: the money was gone, everything was lost, he had been beaten, and his brother-in-law’s trust had vanished. He truly regretted it.

"Liu Bin! You damn troublemaker! If you don't want to work, just say so—don't bring me grief!" Qin Ming shouted in a rage, his frustration boiling over.

Fruit salad looks simple, but mastering it is incredibly difficult; without years of practice, it is impossible to get right.

Niu Susu shook her head repeatedly. Honestly, she didn't know what had happened. The shop had been chaotic, and she had been busy at the register; it wasn't until she finished that she realized her phone was missing.

Li Qingfeng offered a faint smile and waved his hand, preparing to leave with the Heavenly Wolf Emperor, Xu Mengyao, and the others.

"Don't scream, don't scream! Cui'er, you must know how much I love you," the man shouted frantically at her.

Should anyone attempt a forced assault, the Sun and Moon Divine Cult members carrying the palanquin were prepared to sacrifice their lives and hurl the carriage into the abyss; no matter how skilled the attackers were, they would not escape death.