Volume One, Chapter 143: Meritorious Service

On the way back, Su Ningxia spent three days and nights on the train, drifting in a daze while leaning against Qin Zhaochuan, until they transferred to a bus and finally arrived at Ye Family Village.

As soon as word spread that Su Ningxia had returned, the village aunties came to check on her. Ye Ting took her hand and asked, "Are you both alright in the city?"

"If you hadn't come back soon, the village chief was about to send people to the city to find you!"

Su Ningxia pursed her lips, then gave a soft laugh. "We received our acceptance letters. In a while, Zhaochuan and I will pack our things and head to the city for university. We’ll come back during the winter and summer breaks to stay in the village."

Hearing this, Ye Ting wiped away her tears. "I thought you would never..."

"That white fur garment is simply beautiful." The Divine Crow Daoist scanned the magnificent attire, his eyes locking onto one particular white fur piece. Unable to resist, he lunged forward and snatched it up.

"Our Youzhou Village has always been a place that produces soldiers. Letting this child go to the army to be tempered for a few years, so he can return with skills to find a decent job—that is far better than wasting his life away in this godforsaken place," the Second Uncle said, lighting a hand-rolled cigarette and taking a puff with a profound expression.

"Damn it, why are you making such a racket?! You tired of living?! I’ll beat you to death!" A jailer holding a leather whip lashed out viciously at the Imperial Envoy, who looked like a withered old man, shouting curses at him.

"What is this?" Yao Muchen asked, curiously taking the bag from the middle-aged man’s hand. Inside, he saw a piece of grey, stone-like tree root. He recognized this spirit root as the main ingredient for refining invisibility pills. He never imagined that these people would be willing to kill for a mere piece of spirit root; such tyranny was truly intolerable.

Glancing at the other ingredients laid out above the stove, Yadong smiled instantly. "Ru Ruoming, let me cook a delicious meal for you today." Yadong stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ru Ruoming.

Chen Xinghai was pointed at harshly by the middle-aged man, his expression turning so dark and gloomy that it frightened those who saw it. Unable to endure the tyranny of this bully any longer, he prepared to lash out and beat the man.

"What a magnificent declaration to restore the dignity of Huaxia! I am willing to follow our Lord to conquer the world!" Fang Ning immediately knelt on one knee behind Liren.

During the earlier shower of pear blossoms, she hadn't let a single one touch Han Zi. She held him tightly with all her might, as if she wished to melt herself into the deepest parts of his body and soul, for a long, long time.

Seeing Chen Xinghai standing there stunned and silent, Murong Yunfei, who understood the intricacies of the situation, grew anxious. If this opportunity were lost, it would never come again.

"I am unwilling to accept this! Tell me... how did you know the secret code?" He held his breath to keep his body from falling apart.

The Red Tree Spirit’s words turned Zhao Bao’s excited heart cold. He had hoped to find Murong Jie through the spirit, but from the way it spoke, it clearly had no idea where she was.

"Very well, we shall pass through the Underworld." The Stone Emperor did not hesitate, taking the lead as he walked into the realm of the dead.

This expression did not escape Fa Jinlong’s eyes. Seeing Ge Hua’s change in demeanor, he felt a surge of secret anger. *This guy’s expression after drawing me is as satisfying as eating a watermelon in midsummer. Does he think I’m inferior to Xiao Di? Fine, I’ll let you know what regret feels like in a moment.*

Regarding black magic, his grandfather had occasionally mentioned it in his youth, though he didn't know the details. He only said it was a universally acknowledged taboo; it wasn't that it lacked effect, but the costs outweighed the benefits. It violated the "righteousness" recognized by the martial arts world and would lead to a catastrophic end.

In the blink of an eye, they were less than a thousand meters from Snow Peak Village. Dong Yifan slowly released his soul sense and immediately detected the presence of over a dozen Black Iron-level martial artists inside the largest house.

The Crown Prince sat there today looking like an unsheathed sword, his presence chilling and piercing.

Sun Li was stunned. His eldest brother Sun Wukong’s words were like a blow to the head, instantly clearing the fog from his heart. That’s right! The power of faith is immeasurable. If they, as brothers, could persevere for their beliefs, why couldn't the Four Great Families acknowledge them as their lords and strive for the rise of the Wu tribe based on their own convictions?

When Luo Min cast her gaze upon the massive head of the Quwei desolate beast, her expression turned uncertain. How was she supposed to carry away such an enormous head?

The divine physician An Daoquan was another reason for Chao Yong’s trip south. Every time the Liangshan forces went to war, many suffered injuries, and many were left disabled due to improper treatment. A divine physician was worth as much to Liangshan as a great general.

No matter what rules or entities were restricting the Demon of Extinction, they were surely incredibly powerful beings, likely beyond his current ability to resist. But what if he only broke the restriction placed upon the Demon of Extinction? For instance, by signing a master-servant contract and turning it into his own servant?

It was a pity that although Nangong Qu heard what Zhu Han said, so what? The shocking scene he had just witnessed could not be wiped from his memory so easily. The double sense of guilt would certainly not dissipate so quickly, unless Nangong Qu was a heartless animal.

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze converged on Ye Chen. They began to size him up, unable to understand why Wang Qiang would hold Ye Chen in such high regard. Could this guy actually have some extraordinary talent?

"Don't touch that thing. Some say touching it will shorten your life; it’s inauspicious." Nangong Qu hesitated for a long time before speaking.

He had just been running through several ideas in his mind—which poses would be better suited to seducing his wife.

Lan Meiyou felt it wasn't enough; she nibbled wildly at him, not caring if her teeth hurt him.

Ning Xizhou carried Jiang Qingning back to the room and laid her on the bed. Seeing her sleeping peacefully, his heart softened, and he wanted to draw closer to her.

After learning that Feng Ling had been slandered and detained, she had been hesitating. She was a Princess of the Royal Mansion; if she spoke of this in public, her own reputation would likely be ruined. Everyone would mock her for being shameless and losing the dignity of a Princess.

Lu Xiuyan was filled with sweetness. That Liang Ran could become who she was today was something he had never dared to hope for after she was poisoned.

As more and more people walked side-by-side, those who hadn't joined became the minority. They thought they had gained an advantage, but in reality, they had lost something very important.

Many of the Japanese and Korean athletes at the competition closed their eyes, but in their minds, the image of Liu Fei running from the start to the finish line in just under 13 seconds remained vivid.

Leading the front line, Tohsaka Rin inexplicably heard screams from behind. She took a moment to look back.

But there is no harm in being prepared; if anyone dared to cross him at a time like this, Dong Zhuo would certainly use the method of killing to establish his authority without a second thought. When commanding a great army, there is never any room for softness.

In the minds of the Northerners today, herbal tea was just cold, boiled tea water. It wasn't meant to be drunk; drinking it usually caused an upset stomach, and leftover tea dregs were simply thrown away.