Taking a Day Off, Plus a Few Announcements (Please Be Sure to Read This)

Li Jinyan had long anticipated that he would no longer dare to fight him head-on as before. Almost the moment he dodged aside, Li Jinyan whipped around and swept a claw at him, with five tongues of flame dancing across his fingertips. This brilliant counterattack immediately drew a burst of cheers from the members of the Li family.

"If you think the money is not enough, I will give you three hundred and twenty. I can borrow the money," Sister Lou said, feeling somewhat provoked.

Upon hearing what the man said, Penelope widened her almond-shaped eyes in anger. Yet, the thought of returning to the Beast Camp after obtaining the Ye family's token—leaving behind Uncle Ye San and Jiang Yi, with whom she had fought shoulder to shoulder—suddenly left a hollow ache in her heart.

In addition, four of the Seven Supremes of Haotian, including Realized Beings Jihuan and Jiming, had also arrived, along with others such as Realized Being Tongtian. Counting only these high-ranking guardians and elders, there were more than a dozen of them, not to mention the thousands of ordinary elders and disciples trailing behind. Their sheer numbers made for a truly formidable force.

"So what? I don't care," he said with a cold laugh, a smile that only served to frighten her all the more.

He Ziyan sighed inwardly, reflecting on how treacherous the Jianghu truly was—hidden perils could never be foreseen. By the time one actually laid eyes upon them, it might already be too late.

What expression would Ultear wear beneath her mask upon seeing the face of the beloved mother she had been parted from for ten years? Would she feel stirred with emotion, or would her heart be torn in a complex tangle of love and hate?

This time, what appeared was a figure clad in heavy armor and wielding a double-handed knight's sword. Charging toward me with overwhelming momentum, a rain-like flurry of sword shadows enveloped my front.

Every trivial detail was crucial to her at that moment, as it was the information she desperately needed to judge right from wrong. For the living, she gave it little thought, but for the dead, it was absolute solace.

At the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of Monarch Junmo. Although the Demon Monarch usually appeared quite fierce, beneath that exterior lay a kind heart.

One must not disrupt the natural course of events simply for temporary convenience—such was Feng Huayu's philosophy. He believed that the best solution was still not to act as a miraculous physician, but rather to play the role of the God of Gamblers. A trip to Macau seemed unavoidable after all; that was his final conclusion. As for how to get there, he was still pondering it.

Inside the gourd, Gou Liang, nestled within An Jing's embrace, had indeed opened her eyes. Though devoid of focus, they were exceptionally clear.

With a start of doubt, Shen Fang, clearly not a denizen of the world of *After the Journey to the West*, felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Would a single wrong answer mean facing the wrath of an peerless demon lord?

***

Yu Mu was well aware of Shi Zhen's concerns. His own strength paled drastically in comparison to Jiang Zhu's, and should Jiang Zhu launch a covert attack, Shi Zhen indeed would be unable to protect him.

"Then let everyone make preparations, pack up, and set off back to the main headquarters in half an hour!" Leng Yuexin instructed once more.

"Don't stand on ceremony. The Wand of Moonlight and the Eternal Sage have always enjoyed a good relationship; we can barely be considered comrades-in-arms," Jones said.

Chen Xiuying had already arranged for a carpenter to handle the display counter, and Chen Fangqing brought several types of tonics from Zhenyuan Hall to stock the shelves.

This time, Qu Qingyun was praised to the point of feeling rather embarrassed. She wanted to clarify things, but to her surprise, the other person kept right on talking.

"It just so happens I can use you all to test my sword formation, and also study what is so special about the Tianluo Sword." Recalling that although he had left the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Tianluo Sword remained in his possession—and while he could never discover its secrets under normal circumstances—He Shaoji had no intention of giving up just yet. As he looked at the group, he thought to himself.

At that moment, his phone suddenly rang, and An Qian's location popped up on the map. Ye Lingxuan let out a long breath, feeling as though a ray of sunshine had finally broken through into his heart.

Bai Yu had no idea what was happening, but seeing Lu Yuan unlock the Chiyou Underground Palace, his expression surged with intense excitement.

This day was May the twenty-second, the date when Jintian Tano, the leader of the Xuan'yang Society—a dominant force in the international assassin underworld—met his death. The one who slew him was Chen Ling, the acting captain of the Huaxia Team from the God-Forging Base.

This reminded me of my bracelet, and I was somewhat surprised that the old man could see through it at a single glance.

Stepping out of the reception room, Ruan Jiaqi failed to notice Su Xi and Ye Lingxuan coming out, and continued chatting with the people downstairs about Su Xi's gossip.

As the tide rose, the other fell. Unable to break through after a prolonged assault, Tang Sha was instead jolted by the mighty aura of the single character "Heaven" to the extent that blood seeped from both his arms. Meanwhile, backed by my Devouring Talent, I had "seen through" Tang Sha's cultivation almost completely; every single strike and all his routines were laid bare before my insight.

Harboring doubts in his heart, Wu You calmed his mind and began ascending the stone steps step by step, unhurriedly.

***

"Your tone clearly looks down upon me! My martial arts are no worse than yours!" Wei Youlan curled her lips in unconvinced defiance.

Her smile deeply touched Xu Mo. Amidst the freezing snow and ice, her smile resembled a hibiscus flower blooming in the biting wind.

How could he not know the toxicity of Hibiscus Drunk? Was this what she meant by being immune to all poisons? Hadn't she always been following the Ghost Physician? What on earth was that old drunkard doing, failing to cure her after all these years?

Anyway, the Wang family was already the target of public criticism, so one more false accusation wouldn't hurt. With that thought, she gathered up the nutmeg in her bundle, and then, with a tearful expression, cradled the package to go see Lin Qinghan.

That was how I explained it to Xue Qiancheng. He seemed fairly receptive to my analysis, reasoning that if someone could still run over from the town to seek help here, it proved the affliction was not some baffling, incurable disease, and the pills and talismans in my possession would be more than enough to handle it.

The Sheng family had searched for her initially, but later only the people from the Marquis's Mansion were looking. Since they had stopped searching as well, they must have given up on whether Sheng Anzhi lived or died.

Hearing me say this, Cang Ling was momentarily stunned. Clearly, he had not expected that the method found in the ancient texts was not a cultivation technique at all. Gradually, I grew certain that the ancient book Cang Ling had read was likely something left behind in the mortal realm by the demon and monster clans, designed specifically to delude mortal men.

Seeking out grudges and hatred for no reason, sometimes acting as foolish as a madman; even though endowed with a fine outward appearance, there is nothing but weeds inside their belly.

"After learning my true identity, you must be filled with regret, aren't you?" The man's large hand came down upon Lin Yueer's porcelain-white, slender neck. With just the slightest exertion of force, he could snap her neck as easily as crushing an ant.

Gazing once more at the Second Master, who had regained his enthusiasm for teasing birds, a sense of sorrow welled up in his heart. He fancied he could hear once more the murmurs of Nailai Shun in his final, dying moments.

"Ling, what happened to you just now? I called you, why didn't you answer me?" When entering the mountain, they had agreed to address each other using the last character of their respective names.