Chapter 28: A Total of Three College-Bound Students

This was the third time Wu Song had applied medicine for Pan Jinlian. She had grown accustomed to it and was no longer overly shy, instead lying prone on the bed, eyes closed, enjoying the tenderness.

Harry felt no heartache for his undead legion. Now that he could summon more from the underworld at any time, what did such minor losses matter?

I took out my phone and looked at the lock screen—a photo of Xia Haoyu and me. A sudden pang of sorrow struck me. I quickly opened the photo, deleted it, and returned to the home screen. I pressed the contact for a cool-toned phone, only to realize with a sinking heart that the device itself had been bought by Xia Haoyu.

Things proceeded according to plan, and my mood lifted significantly. Looking at her flushed, delicate face, I wanted to do something I once considered sordid, but no one could stop me now. I wanted her—right there in the street.

Behind the hotel on the mountain, there was a somewhat secluded rise, flanked by pink reeds that seemed to piece together the fragments of a shattered lake.

The abrupt sound made the disheveled prisoner straighten up, revealing turbid eyes fixed on the cell door. Her face was crisscrossed with scars, carved by the very general in charge of her interrogation, turning her once-clear features into a mottled mess.

Upon learning that Zhusha intended to join the army, both young women were astonished. Naturally, they did not understand her true purpose, nor were they aware of the intentions behind Nian Yu’s arrangements.

It was just as I suspected: Xia Haoyu had no idea I had been captured here. Could it be that they intended to use me to threaten him?

However, in this world of martial arts, one could hear all manner of strange tales, and for a tavern situated on a main imperial road, such things were to be expected.

Wu Dalang recounted his meeting with Gongsun Sheng in the prison, leaving everyone deeply moved by the story.

At that moment, the black flame figure, which had been quietly rooted to the giant rock, suddenly began to tremble violently.

"Ling'er, in a little while, we will be completely free. Thank goodness." Seeing that their escape was imminent, Li Ruoxian trembled with excitement.

At this moment, she was trapped in a terrifying dream. She dreamt she had fallen into an abyss—somewhere freezing, cold, and pitch black, devoid of a single ray of light. She could see nothing. She curled up, hugging her body tightly, yet she could not shake the cold and terror that gripped her.

Gao Qiu felt helpless and dared not speak out of turn, so he could only respectfully see him back to his room to rest. It was one thing for the Grand Celestial Master to slight the Emperor, but Gao Qiu dared not do the same; guests from the imperial palace required proper hospitality.

***

However, it was not just the Great Song Dynasty that was restless. The Mongols, the second greatest beneficiaries of the Liao state's collapse, had begun to grow and flourish without the suppression of the Liao people. Therefore, Li Ling’s plan to conquer the Mongols had to be prioritized, lest they become a power too large to control.

Returning to the Chu family mansion, I found the servants cleaning the courtyard and went to find the old man. He was wearing a traditional Chinese tang suit, practicing Tai Chi. Chu Wei snuck up behind him and gave him a playful tap.

"I don't want to go just yet; there are still things waiting for me in Nanyan City. What about you? Since you are treated this way, why not leave the Flame King’s Mansion? Are you really content to go on living like this?" Bai Xihan looked at her with a profound expression, his eyes filled with concern.

Coming out of a roasted nut shop, even Wu Liangfu’s hands were full of two bags of what were said to be the most famous roasted chestnuts in the capital.

His tribe had been defeated, and as a prisoner of war, he was to be carried to a roaring bonfire to be the main course of a "human" meat feast for the opposing tribe.

Although there were many souls and spirits in this place, they could not endure being devoured by so many.

The rest of the journey proceeded without incident. Three days later, the merchant ship finally reached its destination.

Yun Yuruo tried several times to get him to sit, but he suddenly waved his hand, forcing her to step back and collapse onto the bed.

Yet, Feng Changqing felt a lingering worry: for a man as deep and patient as Moula Sihan, once he obtained the chance to soar, would he still be willing to bow his head and act as a puppet on a string?

"Brother Wei, the chariot formation just dealt a major blow to the Yeluohe; the Suye Army will surely win this battle." Ashina Wenxia’s eyes never left Wang Wei. Seeing his expression of unease, she hurriedly offered words of comfort.

Even though he pressed his hand tightly against the wound, blood continued to gush between his fingers, dripping onto the ground. Uchiha Obito, however, seemed oblivious to the pain, staring fixedly at what lay before him.

Until he sat down in the restaurant chair, Lin Xiao maintained a look of mixed expectation and fear.

From the moment Black Ear appeared, Xi Zetian immediately called Master Wuqie, urging him to rush to the Xi residence to save the person, while simultaneously sending Ji Ruolan to fetch reinforcements.

This was an important reason why Aitengena had been unable to integrate with them; she simply could not stand the constant bickering over trivial domestic matters.

***

"Lord Wei’s words are excellent, though it is a pity that Longyou is full of plateaus and snow-capped mountains, not deserts." How could Goshuhan fail to grasp the subtext of Wang Wei’s words? Yet, he disdained to argue with a mere youth.

Yun Yichen had never intended to ask for a reward—he hadn't shown the slightest inclination toward it.

"We haven't been able to contact the government or the military. Perhaps we never will again." Zhou Yan was not optimistic; in fact, he doubted whether the migration would even lead them to any surviving organizations.

With 2014 fast approaching, Tang Juewei had accumulated significant resources over the past decade. The Sheng Tang Group no longer feared a direct confrontation with anyone.

Zhou Yan had seen a few episodes and thought the show was quite good, as it focused on human nature rather than zombies. However, perhaps due to his habit of deduction, he always felt annoyed watching those shambling corpses.

Although the dividends were substantial, in Gu Min’s view, once split four ways among the siblings, there wasn't really much left.

The MCs behind him burst into laughter, and even Kim Jong-kook wore a look of speechless amusement.

In her anxiety, Hua Qingcheng let the truth slip out. She could have bitten her tongue off.

Non-combatant researchers all hid in the tunnels for refuge. The combatants used the mountain as cover, setting up an artillery position to repel the Yasha Dragon's surprise attack. Snipers sought suitable cover to begin targeting; everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

She hadn't looked closely at the sachet before, but upon inspection, she realized she had underestimated it.

Han Hong was an influential figure, and she knew exactly what role Tang Juewei played in the "Free Lunch" initiative. Many people referred to Tang Juewei as a "national scholar." Trying to squeeze money out of him was truly inferior to asking him for strategic advice.