Volume 1 Chapter 23: The High-Stakes Gamble

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Roar! Roar!

Clang!

In an instant, the two men spat blood from their mouths in perfect unison, as though they had rehearsed it beforehand. The blood burst through the black cloths covering their mouths, revealing their true faces.

As noon drew near, Ning Yuanlan instinctively came back to herself. She glanced at the backpack she had placed beneath the ladder chair and wondered whether Ling Mo was thinking of calling her now.

Jian Tingting’s eyes flickered faintly. A trace of hidden anger leapt within them—anger toward Chu Qi, along with a yearning for Sisi.

In all their lives, it was exceedingly rare for these smiths to encounter such a heaven-sent opportunity. The excitement they had shown earlier had not diminished in the slightest despite the long wait.

She had shed her disguise. Beneath it, she wore only a close-fitting top, while her lower body was, as usual, completely bare.

Afraid that he might wake at any moment, Qianqian was just about to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep when he opened his. Their gazes met, and the atmosphere instantly became unbearably awkward. Qianqian immediately lowered her eyes and refused to look at him, while Yan Zhengxi stared lazily at her, her head buried in his arms, only then realizing that he had been holding her so tightly.

He wiped away his tears, yet was filled with indescribable joy. He wanted to thank Ruan Mingyue for playing the qin and easing the sorrow and grief in his heart.

“Senior Sister Mei, the reason we are able to hide inside this hollow tree and evade the deadly rain of stones outside is also because the vascular cambium of the tree is constantly transforming into xylem.”

“How did things go?” Qin Shitian gazed at the sky outside with a smile.

“Reporting to my lord, everything went smoothly. The Zhu You discipline, as well as the Mei and Gui families, have all pledged allegiance to us.” Bai Wuchang replied with a beaming smile.

“Yin Tianchao, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Xu Yingshuang looked at Shu Mo, then turned to Yin Tianchao with an utterly expressionless face.

The myriad things of spring were still bursting with vitality, straining upward without pause as though flaunting their charm. Each was striving to be the first to claim the season of spring.

She no longer had a management company, and no one needed to worry that her scandals would bring the company any negative publicity.

In fact, the rumors that Ling Feng and Chenghai Music were about to terminate their contract had already begun gathering momentum yesterday afternoon.

And the exceptionally conspicuous line of large print read: Official Account of the Reserve Forces Base of the Central Bank’s Spiritual Division of Hua Nation.

Moreover, Li Changfeng was facing Zhou Buzhou, who had faintly assumed an invincible bearing beneath the first rank.

When I was eight, I learned about the farming seasons, changes in climate, and the various problems we faced in the different environments of our daily lives. What were we lacking? Where could things be produced? I came to understand the origins of trade and the ways in which it took shape.

Chen Zhiqi paused briefly before continuing, “Not long after you, Xie Mei, and Li Weiqi were sent to the hospital, Xie Mei’s mother and boyfriend arrived, accompanied by a police officer.”

Even beneath the sea, where alarms could not be sounded across the sky as they were in cities on the surface, the mere change in environmental lighting was enough to cause an oppressive, tense atmosphere to descend over the entire undersea city.

But at that moment, with only one-third of his spiritual power and half his qi remaining—and with this body not truly his own—none of his methods could be brought to bear.

Seeing that Xia Chengqi’s complexion had improved somewhat and her breathing had grown steadier, Jiang Cheng placed the ice pop back against her forehead. He then got out of the car and closed the door on the opposite side as well.

Earlier, when she and Li Mi had traveled to the capital together, Shen Youqing had even discussed this very matter with her.

Time seemed to stop at that moment. They held each other tightly, unwilling to let go even for an instant.