Chapter Forty: I Will Pay Double

"I won't marry. If I take a wife, I'll forget my mother."

Zhao Minghua's reply left Madam Zhao both exasperated and amused. The boy simply hadn't grown up yet; he had no idea of the benefits of taking a wife.

With the talk of Xiao Chunlan from the great Xiao clan off the table, it meant that any union with a maiden of that house was now impossible. Thinking about it, it was easy to see why—if even the marriage proposal for the clan leader’s eldest granddaughter had fallen through, what girl from any other branch of the great Xiao clan would be a suitable match?

Madam Zhao watched her son, who spent his days laughing and joking.

After Yao Xi finished speaking, the Liansheng he had been gripping tightly in his right hand suddenly transformed into a ball of flame. The raging fire scorched his right limb until it was charred black. As the flames appeared, Liansheng reappeared before him, his face filled with mockery.

No matter the time, there were always Yingzhou soldiers patrolling the area. With ample training, they kept the streets under constant surveillance, their purpose to remain ever-vigilant against any sudden, grave occurrences.

"Don't think so much. You have to go regardless, unless you want to die right now. But rest assured, with me here, you won't die yet," Li Tiantong said.

Having finished channeling his spiritual energy, Bai Ze dove straight into the World-Extinguishing Reincarnation Spear. Having just devoured the soul of the Taowu, it needed plenty of time to digest the spirit it had consumed.

After staying at Juxian Manor for five days and becoming well-acquainted with You Tanzhi, Murong Fu bid farewell to the You brothers and departed with his new disciple.

Some bosses even spent their own money to support "pots"—thieves who worked exclusively for them. They only needed to hand over the stolen goods, and everything else was taken care of by the boss.

A cloud-like mass appeared in the sky above, with two crimson eyes staring down. On one part of the dark cloud, a section was slowly knitting itself back together—presumably the spot Fang Si had just struck.

But for him to lift her jade foot like this was unprecedented. The sensation of her sole being gently massaged, a soft and tingling numbness, made her heart tremble. A strange feeling washed over her entire body, and she couldn't help but let out a sweet, delicate sigh from her throat.

"I have divined it using the numbers of Heaven's Evolution. This drought demon is hiding at the intersection of the three southwestern provinces. That place must be a malaria-ridden land, far removed from civilization, but I still have a way to find the lair of that corpse-demon," the thin Daoist said, gently waving the bamboo pole in his hand.

I don't know if I'm just overthinking it, but it always feels like the two of them, one with a Sprite and one with a Coke, look just like a couple.

She never felt a shred of regret for marrying such an old man. In her eyes, he was her husband, and she intended to love him and treat him well.

Hong Xing felt a flicker of fear; she reached out to hook her arm through Liu Manzhu's, clinging tightly to his side.

Upon hearing Sister Qing's words, I was dumbstruck. I swallowed hard, but not daring to actually do anything, I just lay obediently on my floor mat and closed my eyes, trying to sleep.

"You're her eldest brother-in-law, why aren't you doing anything about it? Or do you not want to be her brother-in-law anymore?" Ye Qingcheng retorted indignantly.

Seeing that the tide had turned, the ministers who had followed the Empress Dowager in her coup defected at the last minute. The young Emperor reclaimed his authority, and out of maternal affection, he merely sent the Empress Dowager to the Huguo Temple to cultivate her heart and mind. This act earned the young Emperor a reputation for benevolence and filial piety.

Ever since the land was divided, Liu Ganchai had held a grudge against the village cadres, convinced they had taken bribes from the Liu Degui family and favored them by allocating such prime land. He ranted everywhere he went. His nickname, "Wild Donkey Howl," was well-earned, as he would roar wherever he walked.

For a moment, the entire scene fell silent, with nothing to be heard but the sound of faint breathing.

If Sheng Fenghua and Si Zhanbei were here, they would have recognized at once that the person sitting there was none other than the head of the Gu family, who had been rescued earlier.

The thousand-man ghost troop was suddenly terrified, clearly well-acquainted with the skills of the curved blade. At once, they conjured over a dozen long spears in their hands and hurled them one by one at the blade, followed by a sky-filling cacophony of clashing steel.