Volume One, Chapter 61: Mistaken Identity

“Speak. What are you afraid of?” He Jian’s words were concise and to the point—he knew that running away from such matters would solve nothing.

If it was a matter of ability, then it would be a case of “not unwilling, but unable.” That is to say, the emperor had suddenly changed his mind, now believing Zhang Jing lacked the requisite skills rather than the proper attitude. What could have caused this shift?

Du Yan pinched the bridge of his nose, setting the secret letter aside. He realized that only by severing ties completely with Cheng Yu could he proceed with the next stage of his plan.

“I hope so! Well, I’ll be off now! I was nearly discovered today, and I need to let off some steam!” With that, the Scorpio leader’s figure disappeared from the room.

—She had leapt too hastily and ended up landing on Shi Zuocai. Throughout her entire conversation with Jiang Zhilin, she had been sprawled atop Shi Zuocai in an unmistakably intimate position.

It was one thing for you to have such formidable defensive powers yourself, but now you’ve set up a massive protective array—purely defensive at that. Are you a turtle in disguise?

Lu Dongjun’s eyes were half-closed, a burning pain in her chest as water filled her lungs. Not far away, she saw two figures, one sinking and the other rising, their movements growing fainter. She could not tell which, if either, was Chen Dun, but the familiar scent of blood was already thick in the air.

“Ah, Lord Cola, you are mistaken. Though His Majesty is the sovereign of the Great Tang Dynasty, all affairs of the realm are discussed and decided together with his ministers,” Prince Yuan interjected.

All Yuan Jue needed was for these bandits to incite chaos, after which his men, planted within the royal guards, would seize the opportunity to startle the princess’s horse. The carriage, spooked, would either plunge into a deep ravine—her fate unknown—or she would be thrown out, resulting in certain death or crippling injury.

“Are you there?” In the pitch darkness, Song Yue felt two icy drops of dew slide across his face.

Still, Rui Fa’s inventiveness was truly remarkable. In recent days, he had crafted specialized combat gear for everyone, tailored to their training progress.

It was clearly Yu’er’s handiwork. After all these years, he seldom had the chance to eat meat. Remembering the hardships he and Yu’er had endured over the past two years, Ye Luomo silently retrieved the meal box from the ground and carried it inside.

“You! To use your own saying: you don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. Where does your confidence come from? Let me tell you, we have come with twenty people, all full members of Ouroboros. The so-called special forces you speak of wouldn’t survive a single round against them.” Locke threatened, utterly unafraid.

Long Zhenxiong naturally did not believe Liang Siwen’s words; his eyes remained fixed on Lin Zhan. Only Lin Zhan’s word, as the head of the Heavenly Dao Sect, could he trust.

Upon hearing Li Zhihui’s words, Long Chen and the others forced awkward smiles. Fortunately, Li Zhihui was with them—otherwise, they might have gone astray, and in their current situation, a single mistake could doom them beyond redemption. That was a consequence they could not bear.

This was his ambition, but it seemed unattainable for now—he simply did not have enough capable soldiers. Even this southern campaign was only made possible by the God of Battle Aura as general, the God of Knights as vanguard, the newly appointed God of Swordsmen as rear guard, and Zhou Chi himself commanding the central force—a military operation just beginning.

Zhou Chi and Lucas exchanged questions and answers with unspoken understanding. If not for needing to wait for Zhou Chi here, Lucas would have already mounted Big Bear and left this place. Those inexperienced academics stood no chance against a former wandering knight riding Big Bear—now, Zhou Chi’s loyal guardian, Lucas.

“Gu Qingshan, now that the duel is over, what will happen to us?” Lola could not help but ask.

This was something Wang Tianxing had long considered. Since the conversation had come this far, was it not the perfect opportunity to speak?

Liu He was also taken aback. He had thought that two against one would be an easy victory, but after only one exchange, both found themselves at a disadvantage.

“If it weren’t for the unpredictable circumstances, this position would never have fallen to me. After all, many in the county don’t care for me,” Zhao Linran said with a wry smile.

Anyone familiar with the trade knew that in the antique market, anything bought as a “hidden gem” was almost always a fake, meant to deceive the uninitiated. True connoisseurs would only purchase from authorized dealers certified by the local Antique Association.

Elder Li paused, then produced an object: a clay jar. It seemed unremarkable from the outside, but inside, faint rustling noises could be heard, as if something was crawling about within.

Shen Yue put all the items he had found back into his pack, tried on a few of the clothes they’d brought along, and found them a bit too large but still wearable. He quickly changed out of his rags and tossed them into the pit.

Chen Hetu glanced around, still unable to sense the presence of anyone else nearby.

In less than a heartbeat, the sea of fire in the sky was repelled by Jun Xiaoyao’s sword intent.

Shang Tielong, having endured so many years without hope, had no choice but to request a transfer to another factory.

Liu He was still shaken. Had the two assailants truly wished to kill him, he would already be finished—so utterly destroyed that even reincarnation would not be an option.

After hearing so much, I can’t help but think: though Bai Ju scorns the fanatics, isn’t the pursuit of truth precisely the attitude a scientist should have?

Cheng Rong slapped her forehead as realization struck. “How could I forget my second uncle? He’s the elder in charge of credits at the academy. If he’s willing to help, Hu You will certainly be expelled.”

Beside her, Ran Xue wore a strange expression, eyeing her husband in confusion. What was he doing, auctioning off spiritual crystals? Someone with mastery of primal demonic arts could refine them at will—what need had he to buy any?

“In this way, the power released when slaying these skeletal guards will be even greater...” Zhuang Zhou said, visibly pleased.

Deng Ai’s rage surged as he saw Ouyang Sha’s head being trampled by the black-clad man. Now, hearing the blue-robed man’s words, his anger blazed even higher.