Volume One, Chapter 53: Malice

After several consecutive days, there was not a single complaint from the villagers about Su Ningxia. On the contrary, they found her capable and noted that she was not one for idle gossip. She was completely different from those educated youths who loved to complain. The village held a committee meeting every week, and rest periods were arranged as well—after all, people were not beasts of burden, endlessly toiling without respite.

Xu Chunhua brought Su Ningxia some medicinal ointment for her bruises—a bit of paste with a pungent, unpleasant smell. Su Ningxia frowned at the sight of it, her brows knitting tightly. Xu Chunhua, however, assured her, "This stuff works wonders—we all use it around here. It helps with back pain." Truth be told, in the past, farming families couldn’t afford anything better…

Being able to attend this banquet was a mark of status, a symbol of one’s right to shape the future of Goryeo. Looking at it now, Barn’s decision seemed correct. Yet he was unaware that, when the final battle arrived, he would come to realize just how foolish today’s seemingly wise choice truly was.

As soon as he closed the door, Shinharu Akira opened his system interface, eyes fixed on the three remaining uses of his ability. Without a moment’s hesitation, he directed it at Shimizu Chi Hayashi, silently marveling at the opportunity.

For Jia Zhen, it was as if he were about to push open a long-sealed door. Beyond it lay a vast, unexplored world—stepping through, he would find boundless freedom, like a fish leaping into the wide sea, or a bird soaring across an endless sky.

The usually aloof Chairman was now like an eager sycophant, lavishing praise on Chen Daojun. Even Quan Zhixian beside him did not hold back, commending not only his looks but his acting skill and moral character, predicting that he would surely become a great star.

After all, Hirota Kenzo was a taxi driver—the most likely person to abscond with one billion yen at the time.

Zhang Shan did not get to witness Xu Wei or the enigmatic Number Nine in action, as their matches occurred at the same time as his own.

Otherwise, how could the medical mishap caused by the department possibly be pinned on her, a mere intern with no right to wield a scalpel?

Right before her eyes was the very man who had orchestrated her mentor’s assassination and ordered the Treasure Sect to hunt her for years, leading to her own brother’s death as collateral damage.

Rong Sanyue was merely an intern, not even responsible for that ward—yet unexpectedly, he knew who she was.

Awakened by the alarm, Mu Yang groggily glanced at his phone. It was only seven o'clock. Realizing it was the weekend, he decided to turn off the alarm and get a little more sleep.

With each failed attempt, Qi Man’s heart fractured a little more. Once again, everything was for naught. Li Jingxuan had vanished into thin air, but the resentment stirred within her only grew more intense.

Gu Qianyi only knew that after that conversation, An Yayun really never went to see Qi Tao again. He even felt a bit smug about what he’d said.

“Darling, if we die, we die together. Don’t leave me to live alone,” Nalan Qingqing declared, dramatic and self-sacrificing.

The master himself was anxious, saying that if they failed, there would be big trouble. They’d have to come back in three days, dig up the corpse, and perform another ritual to seal the dead. For that, Grandma would be needed—though the master could do it, Grandma was more effective.

“Very well. I’ll grant you three thousand knights to raze Dragon Gate Town,” the Wolf King said with satisfaction as he leaned back against his throne upon hearing the Blood Wolf’s reply.

He was clearly in no state to go home, so we kept him at our house for now, waiting for Father to return and decide what to do.

Zhu Wanyi and Su Qinyu went to clear their minds, understanding Meng Wanlong’s intentions. Yet they hadn’t expected that all this was not mere illusion, but could truly manifest in reality.

“I… I’m planning to apply to Huangyu Academy too. If I get in… does that mean we’ll still be classmates? That we could be at the same school again?” Jiang Jie looked up at Gu Qianyi, eyes sparkling with hope.

“As the saying goes, ‘Height is not a distance, age is not a problem.’ As long as two people love each other, what does it matter?” Forced not to discourage Fang Yuan, she could only utter these perfunctory words.

Even someone on the fringes of Yan Capital’s social circles had heard these rumors.

Lin Xi, after a quick glance, hastily excused himself, leaving as if in a panic—so much so that he failed to notice those beautiful eyes still watching his retreating figure.

Su Changqing hesitated. Though his relationship with Tao Xian seemed cordial for now, he had long given up on seeking Tao Xian’s help. He didn’t want to become the sort of person people criticize for repaying a bushel of kindness with a ton of resentment. Besides, if Tao Xian let them down again as before, who could they turn to for justice?

Hearing that familiar voice, Fang Yan’s heart gave a violent thump. He looked up abruptly, only to see a dazzling white light flying toward him.

The matter was suspicious to begin with, and hearing this only made it worse. The shopkeeper was truly frightened. After a few more questions yielded nothing, he had no choice but to offer a red envelope as a token of gratitude, and the shop continued on, just barely scraping by.

Fang Yan suddenly realized—this must have been the scene witnessed by the world back then. It was also the last time anyone saw Wang Zhice. After that, Wang Zhice vanished from public view. If he guessed correctly, Wang Zhice must have been seriously injured that day.

No matter his own feelings, if Ye Chen was truly so wealthy, then his eldest sister’s situation was resolved, at least financially—there would be no more hardship for her, at the very least.

Unconsciously, he found himself standing before a large courtyard, one that looked rather desolate and forlorn.

At the time, I thought, this was fate’s lesson for me. It wanted me to accept my destiny, or else face an even more hopeless end.

At that moment, Zhang Xinyu, supporting the great bell, came to stand beside me. The rest of us, leaning against the wall, were ashen-faced—none of us could accept the grim reality before us.

I was left speechless—how had it become so popular? Clearly, the four alchemists were nowhere near enough to meet the demand.

“Everyone!” Gui Xiao called out from the stage, and immediately the mercenaries below fell silent, ceasing all activity.

This was not a matter of trust, but rather that knowing such things would only bring them additional trouble.

Before Chen Han could make sense of what was happening, four distinct energy clouds—Li Yuan’s Smoky Dust, Zhu Xian’s Pure Fire, Tian Yi’s Clear Mist, and Bi Yan’s Flowing Wind—rushed toward the center at astonishing speed, colliding with a thunderous roar.

“If you kill Chu Fei now, you don’t need to worry about Chu’s reaction—at worst, a fierce war. But have you considered how Princess Chu Yan would feel?” Murong Feng drifted down, seating himself beside Tang Hao as he spoke.

“It’s nothing, nothing at all.” Chang Kong Xuan waved his hand and thought to himself, no wonder Father forbade him from touching his secret sword, “Green Lotus.” It turned out that every treasured blade had a spirit of its own; if someone other than its master tried to handle it carelessly, it would retaliate and cause harm.