(123) Never look down on a young man for being poor.

"There is no need to keep them," Liu Yi remarked, disliking the way they looked at her.

Already reduced to prisoners and captives, they still persisted in being so repulsive. Was their goal to disgust her to death just to complete their mission?

She glanced at Xiao Feng, signaling with her eyes for him to execute a few of those with the most lewd gazes, so as to establish her authority.

Liang Zuan had already been filled with murderous intent by their stares. Receiving the young lady’s command, his fingertips flickered slightly, and wind blades as thin as spider silk descended silently.

"Father, are you alright?" Xia Yuhe quickly set down her work to help Old Man Xia up, patting him on the back.

I gazed at the swirling, falling snow, watching the carriage wheels carve two deep ruts into the white ground. I let out a sigh. Some things that are meant to happen will eventually come to pass. I do not know what my ultimate fate will be, but I will never let those who have harmed me go unpunished.

Liu Wanrou kept her eyes fixed on Ye Feng. Even in the surrounding darkness, she could feel the gentleness in his gaze. If she could, she would weep until her tears ran dry, just to have Ye Feng continue stroking her face and wiping away her tears like this.

"Go tell the Second Prince that the First Prince has not brought anyone else with him, so he should consider his next move carefully." The eunuch, wearing a fawning expression, replied with a respectful "Understood" and headed toward Feixia Palace.

Wang Jie was pulled tightly by Bai Rushuang. Before his eyes, darkness descended, and his head swam with dizziness. Piercing whistles echoed in his ears, and the continuous, thunderous roar of explosions resounded incessantly, as if he had stepped into a world of lightning.

Li Ye nodded and said, "Proceed as you have suggested. Paddle steamers are the key to the defense of the Liaodong Peninsula, while merchant ships are the guarantee of its economic life. Once the three two-thousand-shi warships are completed, there is no need to build more for now; focus all efforts on the paddle steamers and merchant ships. Three two-thousand-shi warships are enough to protect the merchant fleet."

"Big brother, sister-in-law, it has been a long time since I last visited. Here, let me offer you a drink." Zhao Guodong picked up the wine bottle, poured a little onto the ground, and then took several hard gulps, only to end up coughing.

With the military strength of Daxing City, there was no way to rescue Li Yan. Could Li Ye still have other forces at his disposal? "How many troops are currently in Dengzhou? Is Li Ye planning to use the soldiers and naval forces from Dengzhou?" Murong Hongzhen wondered if Li Ye might indeed deploy them.

She was dressed in a graceful, woven silk gown with a soft golden ribbon at her waist, draped in a white, mist-like gossamer shawl that hinted at her slender, elegant figure. Though her attire was understated, she carried an innate air of nobility that no amount of flashy clothing could replicate.

Twenty-four profound stones were not a massive sum, but their value converted to hundreds of taels of silver—an amount ordinary families could ill afford. Truth be told, even if Zhang Ran and Zhou Dapan were sold, it would not cover a fraction of that cost.

The sand-boring insect had raised its head high, its maw torn wide, one side of its lip sliced in half. Thick, yellow plasma gushed out. Perhaps lacking vocal cords, the monster made no roar, instead twisting its body violently and spraying the yellow blood like rain.

Born from the Dragon Pattern Cauldron, it understood exactly what such hand seals meant for its own existence.

"Do it," he said heavily, the words serving as both a declaration of the decisive battle and a final, desperate strike.

"This... actually, it’s nothing... I just had a sudden flash of inspiration..." Li You had initially claimed Zhang Liang was plotting treason just to save face, but after being praised by Guo Ye, he began to feel that his words were quite reasonable. He wondered to himself, could it be that he had been blessed with divine wisdom and natural brilliance?

Seeing in the intelligence report that even in Synapse there existed a not-insignificant force truly took Arthur by surprise.

Zhang Ruochen spread his arms, and suddenly, dense, sparkling points of starlight manifested around his body, transforming into a vast, celestial expanse.