Chapter 23

The Red Pirates, the most heinous outlaws in the starry sky, demand not only your wealth but your life when they raid. Their garments are perpetually stained with blood, hence the name they bear.

To prevent Xiang Wanqing from prying into the whereabouts of Mother Chu, Father Chu turned on the television and deliberately tuned it to the Qingyuan Satellite Channel. Yet, no sooner had the first news report begun than Xiang Wanqing was left dumbfounded.

"If you two are just going to keep apologizing to each other, may I take my leave?" Chu Lige’s sudden interjection abruptly cut off our conversation.

The lights of Daliang City twinkled like a sea of stars; after several years of hard-won peace, the city had regained much of its former vitality. Recalling the scene of ruin and chaos he witnessed four years ago when he entered the city alongside the late Emperor Liu Zhiyuan, Yan Jinqing realized deeply that stability was the greatest wealth of all.

"Bah, even if the Hong Kong government sets an official exchange rate, if the merchants refuse to accept it, won't it all be for nothing?" Chen Shaohe countered, playing devil's advocate.

Hearing Zhang Ning speak once again with such gravity about being a man from six hundred years in the future, Yao Ji’s lips twitched slightly, though she remained silent, choosing instead to listen and ponder his words.

Another sudden onset of weightlessness took hold, though the crew, deep in cryogenic slumber, could feel nothing. When they finally awoke, they would be greeted by a brand-new world.

Wang Zuxian’s body stiffened for a moment before softening, yet her pretty face flushed crimson, suffused with a rosy glow.

However, the march was far too long, and the troops could not be deployed to the battlefield in time as expected. By the end of the first lunar month, while the Yongding Battalion was still en route, news arrived that Jiujiang City had already been captured by the imperial forces.

Qi Buming could not help but speculate. While the position of Sect Leader of the Profound Sect was not appointed directly by superiors, gaining the support of the previous leader would undoubtedly increase one’s chances of success significantly.

After a brief investigation, he was surprised to find four peak ninth-rank Imperial-level powerhouses gathered in this great hall. Ye Ming recognized two of the auras; they were the same individuals who had appeared alongside Jin Shaoxiong on the day he was hunted by Luo Yueyu.

Based on her understanding of Fang Xin, while he knew how to drive, he was not the type to run around, and he rarely even used his car.

Before Master Lu and the bartender could react, we knocked the bartender unconscious, stuffed Master Lu into a sack, and carried him away. Su Dongpo did not join us in capturing Master Lu this time, as he had remained at our agreed-upon meeting spot to guard Zhang Chao. In truth, we all knew he intended to teach Zhang Chao a lesson.

Fang Xin flew out rapidly. In his eyes, he saw the entire landscape covered in black soil, charred earth, withered trees, and black water. Only a few palaces remained, still shimmering with the radiance of deities, resisting this invasion.

Koltad hesitated for a moment before finally removing his helmet. He had golden hair and sharp, chiseled features that only made him look more handsome. The weathering of time gave him a look of profound maturity—in fact, from any angle, he was the perfect archetype of a knight.

The Instructor of Sanchun County held the ninth official rank. Since the founding of the Great Chu, there were educational officials at the county level; the Instructor managed the studies of the county’s scholars and presided over the examinations for young students, falling under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites.

After that, they went to Kobe, where they utilized the "backdoor" left behind by Gongshu Mo’s construction to complete a magnificent "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," interwoven with blood and fire. They thoroughly dismantled the headquarters of the Shanri Group and severed the black hand of Morgan.

Having walked the edge of the gates of hell, Su Hai remained stunned for several breaths before his pounding heart finally calmed. He no longer hid, stepping out directly before his opponent.

This jealousy was completely inexplicable, especially since she was Ling Yan’s wife; she hadn't even been this jealous of the hungry, predatory look Gu Yingxi had given Ling Yan as if she wanted to swallow him alive.

The gazes of Zhang Xiaohan and Zi Bing were drawn away. Zhang Xiaohan’s eyes froze; within the sharp corner, a massive golden dragon faintly flickered, roaring amidst black and red flames. Its open maw spat out clusters of golden fire, yet the dragon’s flames were no match for the black and red fire unleashed by Dong Xiao.

"Whoosh!" A purple mist stretched endlessly across the Shangjing City, continuous and inexhaustible. It was not the three thousand miles spoken of in legends, but likely three hundred thousand, spanning the heavens like a long, purple river.

When Su Xun first came to the capital to take the imperial examination, he passed the preliminary round with ease and reached the palace examination. However, at that time, rankings were based on poetry and prose, and there were rejections; he was placed in the very last tier and was forced to fail.

A thousand miles away, in the city of Chifeng, on the rooftop of the highest building of the Han-Soul Hospital, a cold, ghostly moon hung silently in the sky, revealing a faint, reddish lunar halo.

Without wasting words on the old man, Lin Fan slowly pulled the creature from his embrace. His eyes turned gentle as he stroked the white fox’s fur, revealing a trace of love mixed with a hint of sorrow.

Seeming to sense something, the Purple-Eyed Earth Dragon peered toward the nearby jungle, but finding nothing, it continued to feed on the lion’s remains.

Xuanyuan Xuan’s expression flickered slightly before returning to normal. Everyone was focused on the thick fog, and no one noticed the change in his complexion. The first color vanished, followed by the second and the third. In an instant, the color of all the blood-red pillars faded away.

It could be said that the power of reincarnation within Lin Fan had been elevated to a new level. Because he had fused with the Chaos Flame, although his cultivation had not yet broken through to the Chaos Realm, he possessed a sliver of the Chaos Flame. When dueling others, if he used it covertly, it would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.

The lake water formed by the gathering of mountain spiritual springs was, naturally, also spiritual spring water. Although the spiritual energy was not exceptionally dense, according to Yirong, if one set up a Nine-Fold Spirit Gathering Array, practicing within it would naturally yield twice the result with half the effort; if refining pills, it would surely be a worry-free and efficient endeavor.

To this, the author can only offer an apology; one's own abilities are limited, and if too many details are described, it is easy to lose focus on the primary narrative.