Volume One, Chapter 47: Concerning the Bandits

From the first kiln of bricks, after discarding a portion of damaged ones, over four thousand bricks were produced. This quantity was entirely sufficient for Liu Feng's needs for the coming winter.

The bailiffs assigned to protect the military horses were rotated every half month.

The second batch of replacements happened to include Mu Shaoliang. Lacking manpower, Liu Feng unhesitatingly drafted Mu Shaoliang and two other bailiffs to work for him.

"Brother-in-law, what on earth is this contraption?"

"You wouldn't understand. This thing is called a fire-kang. It connects to the kitchen stove; once a fire is lit, you never have to worry about staying warm for the entire winter."

"When a person lies on it, the temperature is just right. Even naked, you won't feel cold."

"With this, the whole room will be warm..."

"Swish, swish!" Two more figures appeared simultaneously: Inuzuka Kiba with Akamaru perched on his head, and the shy Hinata Hyuga. The four of them stood side by side.

Perhaps Xu Ziling's gentle tone had taken effect; Wanwan relaxed in a seemingly natural manner, and then, under Lu Wuchen's inexplicable gaze, she simply began to make up a story.

As for those who had been removed, rumors spread that Liu Peng was merely building up his own faction and therefore cutting the previous personnel. However, nobody paid much heed to these claims, dismissing them simply as sour grapes from disgruntled individuals.

Hearing the general sequence of events, Lin Tian fell silent, rubbing his chin with his hand as if pondering something.

Within the four golden pillars of light, the first thing I saw was Silly Tiger roaring inside one of them. In another pillar were the full forms of Cute Snake and Lazy Turtle, entwined together—an image that could only evoke one mythical existence: the Black Tortoise.

With a wave of her hand, the heavily armored soldiers hiding behind the bandits had already leaped onto their horses. Their numbers were not large, merely a few hundred, but they were sufficient to turn the tide. By now, the Pegasus Ranch would surely dispatch reinforcements, and that would be the precise moment for a fatal, decisive strike.

"Hello, Teacher!" The synchronized greeting made A-Zhi's bones melt with pleasure; it felt utterly fantastic.

***

Mi Fang struggled left and right in extreme distress, looking thoroughly disheveled. A tingling, itchy sensation spread across his cheeks, feeling as though thousands of ants were crawling over them, leaving him dazed and instantly filling his mind with ominous forebodings.

His robes and sleeves fluttered without any wind, and Huo Xiu's originally lean figure seemed to swell in an instant. A majestic and compelling aura burst forth, causing the surrounding trees to tremble gently.

Truth be told, Shu Man really had no idea what kind of people Li Yiming's parents were, nor did she know how to win their favor. She could only think of her good friend Qiao Muwan, adopting the composed demeanor she typically used toward elders, combined with the intellectual poise she had honed in the corporate world for years, and offered a calm greeting.

The enemy who had been pierced fell to the ground with a shriek, still clutching the broken spear, only to be trampled into the churning hooves of the charging horses.

Her voice was full of bitterness and regret, yet what could be done? Everything in the past was beyond recall.

By this time, the battle had concluded, and Mado Akane came running over. She had been observing nearby the entire time; though keeping her distance, she certainly wouldn't have stood by idly if Li Lingyi truly reached a life-or-death crisis.

Past noon, past afternoon, and into the evening, no one ate a meal or even drank a drop of water. They kept vigil outside the operating room the entire time. Everyone grew quiet, shifting from initial grief to ultimate silence, because they believed that Gu Mian and Gu's father would surely walk out of the operating room safe and sound.

Su Ziyang was also good-looking. The reason she had fallen hopelessly in love with him in the beginning was simply that grin he flashed at her in the sunlight.

"Then tell me, what is it that we want to do?" Han Mufan crossed his legs, cast an amused glance at Nan Mengze, and asked.

"Cease your idle chatter, all you Buddhas. Quickly leave the vicinity of Luoyang, or else do not blame Kong Xuan's divine powers for being merciless!" Kong Xuan waved the primordial lance in his hand, pointing it from afar at the assembly of Buddhist deities.

Yet, the next day, the training continued, growing more cruel and brutal with each passing day. She did not know when she would die, nor when this hellish training would end; she only knew she had to strive, pushing herself to her absolute limits.

At Yang Yi's command, the soldiers of the Divine Martial Army, led by their millennium commander, spurred their horses to meet Yang Yi as he turned and fled. Behind the army, the Sterilization God used his physical body to continuously block the Red Queen's magic. Without looking back, Yang Yi could hear the Red Queen's furious cursing echoing from behind, accompanied by rhythmic popping sounds...

Before leaving, Lu Manning had also subtly asked a few questions. The grain measurer had instructed repeatedly that the wounds must never come into contact with those things, otherwise, strange afflictions would develop.

Thinking of Shen Yan'an's discharge from the hospital that day, she made another trip to his ward. When she arrived, Shen Yan'an was directing his younger brother to help pack things up, while he and Meng Ruying were each happily holding a baby and teasing them.

***

Only the towering peaks remained unsubmerged by the sea, but even those were entirely crowded with humans. The entire Earth was like this; now, no countries could be distinguished, and there were no more wars. There were no longer any "first-rate nations"—haha, everything had returned to the beginning.

At the bank, Ruoxing transferred one hundred thousand yuan to him, and that day passed just like that. The next day, they went to the shopping mall. With someone accompanying her for the New Year, her spirits returned. She bought two complete sets of clothes for each of them, outfitted from head to toe.

Gu Lingze felt a series of warm currents surging toward his lower abdomen. He closed his eyes and wailed inwardly: *It's over, it's over. My dignity as a husband is gone.*

"Your Majesty!" Imperial Concubine Yu called out, unwilling to give up, but Qi Yuanjing's footsteps did not even pause.

She did not know the truth behind the engagement between Lin An and Mu Wan, but based on what she currently understood, this person was bound to be a crucial figure.

Outside, Yu Dahe was covered in sweat, only to find his master opening the door with a dark expression. Completely oblivious to the mood, Yu Dahe looked straight past his master's shoulder toward his master's wife. This infuriated Lin Zhao, whose face darkened by another three shades, and he was just about to erupt in anger.

Heaven and earth as witness, even Wilson Fisk had started trying to launder his reputation after getting Vanessa; how could he possibly cut corners on a project meant to clean up his image? It must have been his subordinates acting on their own accord. At that moment, Fisk finally understood why Mick had so cordially invited Matt over.

The previous adoption was a major event, and coupled with the Song family's original intention to directly enter the twins into the genealogy, that was why the discussion took place in the main hall.

Gradually, only the people of the Marquis's estate remained: the Xie family, Qi Yanli, Lu Yuanming, and the Helan siblings.

Because traditional opera relied heavily on childhood training—singing, reciting, acting, and acrobatic fighting—which one of them didn't require a dozen years of mastery before daring to step onto the stage?

Perhaps because he had just woken up, his fabricated excuse was too hasty, and its persuasiveness was rather weak. Fortunately, the ledger showing over one hundred thousand in earnings served as solid evidence, enough to dispel his parents' routine inquiries.