Chapter Seventeen: What a Rip-off

Goethe once said that a person with a strong will can mold the world in their hands like a lump of clay. This leaves me in deep contemplation. We are forced to face a very awkward reality: how does one achieve what one desires, and how does the undesired come to be?

When faced with such questions, one must ask: how can desires be realized, and how do unwanted events arise? Yet these are not the most important points. The more critical issue is: when confronted with such problems, what is the core of the matter?

How, then, should one achieve their desires? Therefore...

Therefore, as Shakespeare once said, for things that are originally hopeless...

I do not know what material this jade bottle is made of. When the warmth of my hand transfers to it, it actually turns slightly red. I want to take this chain off my neck, but I cannot find a clasp anywhere. I have no idea how it was put on in the first place.

Two broad, heavy doors painted in red lacquer stand before me, with a pair of massive stone lions guarding the entrance, their eyes wide and clutching pearls, looking extraordinarily majestic. The three solemn, ink-gold characters on the towering plaque command reverence.

Old Pig had once considered using a disguise to approach the area, but Bayonet and the others vetoed it. The risk was too great. Not to mention that the laboratory’s defense system was highly sophisticated and heavily guarded, even if they did manage to get close or break in, what if a Seven-Star God King jumped out? Wouldn’t that be game over?

"Everything is basically stable now. Since the last attack, that group has completely vanished. The brothers from the Ghost Shadow Gate have been out looking, but there has been no news. Furthermore, the Heavenly Secret Hall has been keeping a very low profile lately, never clashing with us head-on, so there is even less chance of them provoking the Brocade-Clad Mansion," Steel Blade said indifferently.

Xuanyuan Rui turned and walked over, his cloud-patterned brocade robes fluttering elegantly with his movement. Beneath his purple-gold crown, his handsome face bloomed like a spring breeze. In that fleeting moment of brilliance and his naturally regal bearing, he embodied an unparalleled, peerless charm.

That is how Li Ye sees it, but many people wish Li Ye would get married every day so they could find an excuse to get close to him. Sure enough, as soon as the news spread, people began using the pretext of delivering gifts to run to Li Ye’s office.

After a blinding flash of white light, the two appeared once again in the cave from before, though this time they were on the other side of the golden stone door.

The Emperor’s hand was raised again, and just as he was about to strike, Shen Yu came running out in a panic and whispered a few words into the Emperor’s ear. The Emperor, no longer concerned with me, hurried into the inner chamber after Shen Yu.

Upon hearing Wang Jie’s words, the Golden Fox King’s expression changed drastically. "What? You say Silver Fox and the others were attacked by the alien tribes?" Having said this, he could not help but cast a look of anxiety toward Silver Fox.

***

At this moment, Mo Mo stumbled upon this scene by chance. Seeing Du Li lying in a pool of blood, she was horrified, screaming repeatedly as she turned and fled.

Several farmers working in the fields looked at the boy carrying the pot. He was dressed quite scantily, and the contours of his bones were visible through his clothes. "Is the soup good?" the farmers asked, puzzled.

Watching the morning light outside, Xia tried hard to shield her eyes from the sun, but her deathly pale face remained fully exposed. Her body was held tightly in an embrace, and even her feet were firmly pinned by a pair of powerful legs; she could not break free at all.

For the first time, Wu Siran was charmed by a man’s gaze, even though he was exceptionally cold toward her and even bore a sense of hostility.

Liu Weiguo and Han Hui had arranged in advance for Lin Zhiyuan and his wife to come over for New Year’s Eve.

Uh... she actually turned around. Had she finally decided to betray the bonds of her sect? A trace of a smile touched the Senior Brother’s lips.

Although my dream of a turtle-car was not perfectly realized, the trailer project began. White Rat found a steel plate 20 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide. Of all the materials he had collected, this was the hardest.

As the mysterious voice faded, a vague human figure actually appeared before Wang Yuetian’s eyes.

"Sigh, it seems we cannot attack the nest this time." This was nothing more than unnecessary worry; attacking a truly unknown nest usually requires a high-level adventurer with a "killing skill," and even then, such an adventurer would need to make extensive preparations.

Although the Chongyang Palace, which once dominated this area, had long since become broken walls and ruins due to the ravages of war, it could not diminish the splendor of the layered mountain ranges.

A-Jiu held the two steamed buns she had fished out from her robes, staring at them for a long time. These were the dry rations Qi Yao had prepared for her this morning. She had hidden them in the cloth pouch against her skin, and it was only because she was suddenly struck by hunger that she remembered them. The buns were hard and somewhat cold, but for the famished A-Jiu, they were still incredibly tempting.

Qian Zimo remained silent, merely watching her, waiting for her answer. She had released so much medicinal blood at that time that it exceeded what her body could withstand. Yet, she had not expected that ordinary medicine would be unable to replenish the blood volume lost from her body. To this day, she remained very weak.

Huo Ningzhi could not see her expression and had no way of judging how angry she was. After hesitating for a while, he felt his way toward the window and knocked on it gently.

***

Huo Yizhi was trembling violently, sobbing in a repressed manner, each sound shattered, yet she still showed no intention of speaking.

"Grandmother Imperial Concubine, do you wish to punish her as well?" Gongsun Wuyou moved away from Gongsun Jiuye, sidling up to Imperial Concubine Yang with a cheeky smile.

As soon as A-Jiu returned to the manor, Mother Luo and several maidservants immediately swarmed her. Even Zhen Niang came over, supporting her large belly to see her. The group spoke all at once, leaving A-Jiu with buzzing ears and stars in her eyes.

I was like a clumsy, unrefined abstract painted sculpture covered in a layer of red lacquer; it was a sin to even go out and frighten people.

I carefully tidied up the room and threw myself into a bathtub filled with hot water, scrubbing until it felt as if I had shed a layer of skin.

Li Yifu, having climbed to his feet, saw Qin Qi knock Zhuge Langya out of the hall and looked toward him. The crazed expression he had just moments ago was gone, replaced by a flash of fear in his eyes.

The car, however, obeyed her and came to a stop. Min Zhuang’er pushed the door open and jumped out, only to discover that she was on the edge of a cliff. The car blocked her path, and she had nowhere to run.

If this were the case, the sect leader of the Ten Fragrances Sect should have a spiritual cultivation level similar to my own; even if it were higher, it would only be by a level or two. Judging by the overall situation, this place would not pose too great a threat to me. Exploring it, theoretically, should not cause much trouble.

The Mu family was at the very pinnacle of existence in Zhongyuan City. Old Master Mu Jianguo was a retired military man and could be considered a person of great virtue and prestige within China.

After hearing this, Qin Hao picked up the kitchen knife and chopped with a rhythmic "thwack, thwack, thwack." With swift movements, he sliced the ingredients and placed them on a plate, followed by a "tap, tap, tap, tap" sound as the garlic cloves were instantly minced into paste.