Chapter 123: The Power in the City Center

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Yuan Youliang silently gave Lin Man a thumbs-up in his heart. This way, they could prevent Fang Jian from extorting them without offending Yuan Chengle. As for the money, it made no difference whether the elderly couple or Yuan Chengle paid.

They soon arrived at the inner layer of the Town-Dragon Coffin. Nothing about the space here had changed, except that at the foot of the great mountain there was now a flight of stone steps leading upward.

Fang Mumu had no intention of waiting until Fang Jian entered before closing the door and leaving. She wanted to vanish from his sight immediately. As for the front door, she could come back out and close it after Fang Jian had entered the house. It was daytime, after all; leaving the door open for a while would not matter.

As he watched Zhang Guixiong approach, First Green Cloud’s hand trembled around his blade—and trembled violently.

Tian Chong adjusted her breathing several times and summoned her courage before finally speaking again. “Husband, we have lived together for more than two years, and you have even washed my underwear for a year and a half. Do you still find me fresh and exciting? Are you still willing to do anything for me?”

I wanted to answer at once that of course I was willing, but she gave me no chance to speak.

If Teacher Gao had spoken in that tone to someone else, that person would surely have been seething inwardly, asking why they should comply. But Yuan Chengle was another matter entirely. He nodded like a bobblehead, saying, “Yes, Teacher.” From his reaction, there was not the slightest hint of reluctance.

Yun Fengxiao watched the scene, ladled himself another cup, brought it to his lips, and eagerly drained it in one gulp.

“Go ahead,” Head Nurse Han Xiangyue said with a smile toward Yuan Chengle. Then, lowering her head to organize the forms she would need for her rounds, she continued speaking.

Very well. If the mountain would not come to me, then I would go to the mountain. But even if we were the ones making the journey, we could not simply listen to one side. We had to have a voice in the matter as well.

“What did you say? Is that really true?” Joy filled the man’s dark eyes. Without a moment’s thought, he seized Jian Rong by the shoulders. At that instant, it was as though he had grasped a lifeline.

Zhang Qu was also a young man. He served as an Army Office Aide, and this time had been promoted to Right Administrative Aide, overseeing the Offices of Granaries, Fields, and Works.

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What was remarkable was that all these flavors blended together in perfect harmony, without the slightest clash on the palate. Instead, their layered richness erupted across the taste buds, making one almost want to bite off one’s own tongue.

There stood a man not far away, his hair disheveled and his face covered in stubble, yet dressed impeccably. He was holding a sign that read: “Welcome Professor Xun of S.U. University.”

Although Yang Yi could be considered half-famous, he was certainly not as universally known as the top stars. Zhao Weimin and Li Chengpeng did not recognize him. But the name Han-style Feixue was as famous as thunder. If the slick and opportunistic Cao Xing had introduced Yang Yi first, did that not mean Yang Yi’s background was even more impressive than Han-style Feixue’s?

This time, Zhao Ke naturally would not let the opportunity pass. Never mind deciphering feng shui—even night vision alone was one of the abilities Zhao Ke urgently needed.

The sachets had been made by Wei Qiao, and Yang Yi’s backpack was filled mostly with them. He had come today to build a good relationship. The shar-pei took a sachet skeptically and went looking for a nest of mosquitoes. The moment he stood there, all the mosquitoes scattered. Watching Yang Yi’s retreating back, he smiled, slipped the sachet into his pocket, and patted it.

Immediately afterward, he severed the thought of submission within his heart. The path to becoming a Great Emperor was destined never to submit to anyone else; otherwise, his Dao-heart would be stained, and all living beings would be forever barred from the realm of the Great Emperor.

Flames engulfed Zhao Ke. The pain was soul-rending, driving him to howl in despair. He struggled desperately, yet could not even cry out.

Li Yanqing merely smiled. Zhao Gou had intended to appoint him First Vice Chancellor, but he had declined. It was better for a young man entrusted with such a high office to remain outside the capital; otherwise, he could easily become a second Di Qing.

Sun Ce thought that all the nonsense spouted by the teachers in the department would be better replaced by a simple announcement: if they won the competition, each of them would receive a girl. That would be far more practical.

Late into the night, Ye Sheng still felt no drowsiness, so he rose and went outside. The bright moon hung in the sky, its pure light gleaming over the deep jade vault of heaven. It truly illuminated the earth with crystal clarity.

In theory, the stone walls of this cavern should have been completely covered with those glowing insects. Yet around the stone Uncle had found, the situation was entirely different.

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“We cannot investigate what happened in between for now. Presumably, we will have to find your mother before we can learn the truth.” Fu Beichen had only a vague lead, and he chose not to speak of anything he could not yet be certain about.

“You cannot learn this formation. Without the support of immortal power, you would sacrifice your vital essence, your primordial spirit—everything you possess—to the great formation. I need to recover for a while. Tomorrow, we will descend to the next level.” Junzhu spoke indifferently.

And so they all began climbing the mountain. Unfortunately, the mountain was high and the path treacherous; no one had reached the summit in decades. Yet the more impossible it seemed, the more it whetted people’s curiosity. Finally, one day, a strong man climbed beyond the clouds. But only after passing through the thick cloud layer did he discover that he had merely reached halfway up the mountain. Astonishingly, the summit itself seemed to grow toward the sun.

Could it be that the Fourth Imperial Consort and the foolish monk, knowing they were about to die, had died with grievances in their hearts and come to trouble her?

At that moment, Ye Qingfeng was slowly creeping closer. The terrifying vortex that had burst forth happened to sweep over him as he approached.

The jab landed. Although it did not inflict particularly serious damage, Wang Zhen still hesitated. According to his usual style, he should have unleashed a barrage of attacks right there and expanded his advantage. But now he had to avoid getting too close to Yaowei Cai, lest they become entangled in a close-quarters struggle. He needed to create distance before launching another barrage of punches and kicks.

The Butterfly Slaughter Sect had not established its dominion over half the realm through force or stratagems. It had been sustained by true openness of heart and the bonds of sect loyalty. In those days, every disciple of the Butterfly Slaughter Sect wore a smile. Whether carrying out missions or managing sect affairs, they traveled together in groups, shared good things among themselves, and gave priority to whoever was in need.

“What?” Shi Bo failed to suppress his astonished exclamation, and unexpectedly woke the man in the back seat.

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