Volume 1, Chapter 26: Set a Thief to Catch a Thief

After being properly schooled by Chu He and having the entire situation carefully explained to him, the Bull Demon King finally accepted this harsh reality.

Duan Zhe bowed deeply and looked once again at Duan Qin. She turned slightly away, gazing in his direction but uttering no sound, as silent as the stringless zither cradled in her arms.

Indeed, Tao Shiru had, just as Tian Xin suspected, secretly listened in on their conversation in the hospital room.

As for that “Alibaba” shop, aside from its somewhat unusual name, it was no different from other stores in the local world. Except for a broader range of goods and some pricing differences, it was truly ordinary, utterly ordinary.

Moreover, their talents were clearly the result of stepping on the opportunities granted by his Qi Tian Dao.

Beneath this peaceful sea of clouds lived the citizens of Yamato. After two months of adjustment, the nation had calmed; Nara Island was recovering, and the people could finally live normal lives. Though hardships remained, the abundant harvests meant they could at least survive the coming winter.

This had nothing to do with her. If Mo Pei hadn’t asked on his own accord, how could she have discussed such matters with him?

Yet, in the Zhongyuan Great World, the dignity of the three great temples was supreme. Once they forbade the people from using certain things, ordinary cultivators dared not resist and could only obediently surrender their rings as before.

Only then did they carry Shunzi back. What followed happened like dominoes falling—one event triggering the next. In the end, the local Bai clan chief, unwilling to let matters escalate, symbolically sought Gao Qiong’s opinion and agreed to Shunzi’s request to release them.

However, news had already reached the capital that King Zhao had lost, though what would come next remained uncertain.

Fortunately, the medicinal brew had long since cooled; even if it spilled on the body, it no longer burned. Yet the pain was not in the flesh.

In a flash, my gaze landed on a pair of shoes—military boots so familiar they could not be more so. The strings in my mind snapped. The sacred Fusang wood slipped from my grasp without my knowledge. My mind went utterly blank.

---

Yesterday’s clothes, worn to the auto show, were reduced to tatters, pitifully discarded on the ground. I hastily found a sleepwear set and, caring nothing for shame, slipped it on and headed straight to Haoran Company.

“If it weren’t for you, my mother and I wouldn’t have to suffer like this,” Ai Qiaoqiao muttered, clutching a food container and squatting against the wall.

He sighed deeply. That invitation card—he might as well sell it to another chef. It was better to stay quietly as the head chef of the Lu household, where the monthly salary was generous and there were no messy affairs.

After being forced to swallow those drugs by Shen Youyou last time, I was utterly disgusted by such things. I never thought I’d encounter it again.

Throughout the entire process, Fu Shijin’s handsome brows remained tightly furrowed, his tone steady and expression imposing.

Mu Zhijun stayed another week in the hospital. Finally, unable to resist the deep call of the marriage certificate in his heart, he insisted on discharge. Jian Yijun had no choice but to concede and let him go home to recuperate.

Before going in to take pictures, Mu Zhijun stopped Jian Yijun at the doorway. Face to face, he pulled several bank cards from his suit’s inner pocket. Holding her right hand, he spread it open, then gently placed the warm cards in her palm.

A tissue wiped away her tears just in time. Lin Jiajia looked up, startled to find Fu Shijin standing before her.

“I understand,” Rosazashi nodded. What Charles described as a gamble was merely being a supporting player for Cornwall after the emperor’s death—or fleeing.

This mission should have fallen to Cavalry Camp’s Cao Mang and Zhao Hu, but both men were typically taciturn.

Moreover, the purpose of this batch of grain was not merely to stabilize the territory—it was the foundation for expanding their domain’s strength.

On the very day she married, Su Jingchu fulfilled her wish by marrying the legitimate son of the Empress—the second prince, Duke Duan.

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Cao Xiu’s shout startled even the yellow dog in the courtyard, which leapt up in surprise. Seeing it was Cao Xiu, the dog lazily lay down again.

Perhaps Zhao Hu sensed the intent behind Yang Kai’s posted penalty. As an officer promoted from Yang Kai’s personal guard, he felt he embodied Yang Kai’s honor and thus held himself to a higher standard.

“What is it? Is it about the assassination attempt on the captain by Count Mo Ke? I can assure you we will catch him,” the bishop declared solemnly.

While everyone in the royal mansion was asleep, Su Liyue quietly slipped out of Qingyu Courtyard, heading straight for Lanxin Courtyard.

With the decree pronounced, he tossed a mysterious talisman into the basin of clear water. The paper ignited on its own, the ashes collected within the basin.

It was quite comical—the poison, which should have acted immediately, showed no reaction. The assassin flipped him off, waiting for his consciousness to fade, but even after a minute, the assassin’s finger remained frozen midair.

Smiling, yet inexplicably a little wistful, he shook his head to dispel the deepest, most hidden emotions and looked at Yun Luo.

He gently pushed the coffin lid. Because the corpse demon often came and went from this coffin, the joint between the lid and the body was worn smooth and glossy.

Night fell over S City. Wen Qi turned over to gaze at the sleeping Lu Tingchen, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.