Volume One, Chapter 36: Pursuing the Old Trail

What on earth...

Darkness swallowed him completely.

The final thought that flickered through his mind was of the jade slip, upon which a few numbers seemed to flash and vanish: seven... two... one...

—

When he opened his eyes again, he was jolted awake by the blinding light of day.

Sunlight filtered through the interlaced branches overhead, casting mottled spots of light. He discovered he was lying on a strange riverbank, covered with withered branches and fallen leaves, as if someone had carelessly tossed them over him.

"Awake? I thought I’d just happened to fish out a corpse."

A female voice sounded nearby—slightly raspy, tinged with impatience.

Su Haoming jolted, sitting up abruptly. His muscles tensed instantly as he looked toward the sound with wariness. Not far away, a...

With eyes as cold as ice and devoid of warmth, Emperor Jing had long wished to depose the Empress, though the timing had not yet been right.

Just then, an uninvited guest, very familiar to Lin Fan, appeared. Someone knocked on the door of Lin Fan’s office.

A flash of delight crossed Gu Changxi's eyes. She hurriedly opened the lid of the cauldron and, with a wave of her hand, ten crystal-clear, round beads flew into her palm. They were first-tier Kaiyuan Pills, intended for disciples below the sixth level of Qi Refining. There wasn't a single flaw on them, and when tested with a compass, they were confirmed to be non-toxic.

Inside the office, Ling Xiaohan was carefully reviewing the surveillance footage, her gaze fixed intently on Wei Shiru.

"You are responsible for my drinks tonight." After dismissing a CEO, Leng Yuchen lowered his voice, instructing Ling Xiaohan without a trace of emotion.

Bai Qiling glanced at him and scolded him with a delicate voice. Though she said that, her body remained splayed across the doorway, as if daring him to try and pass.

Dugu Xin waved one hand, and a blue flame flew toward the clay furnace, igniting it. He selected a few pieces of cupronickel and wrought iron, tossing them into the fire. Upon contact with the high heat of the blue flame, they began to soften.

As soon as Zhang Tingdong left, Ling Xiaohan instinctively pulled away from Leng Yuchen’s embrace and walked into the villa, cold-faced and silent.

Ma Wanqing looked at Ma Pingchuan with a frosty expression. Her clear eyes seemed to peer through the worries her third brother was desperately trying to hide as she refused him.

Divine light shimmered on the mountain, and from time to time, magical treasures flew up like blooming fireworks; they were all powerful spiritual objects.

Mo Chuan said something, but Qiyun did not pay much mind, merely watching the distance with spirited eyes. It was unclear how much time had passed when the morning glow appeared in the east; though only faint traces, it looked exceptionally magnificent.

"Someone, invite the Princess Consort here," Chu Jiuchen ordered, his eyes narrowed, though his expression appeared harmless.

Zhang Yue frowned. If what these people said was true, they should have gathered to besiege the Prince of Wei, shouldn't they? Yet they had not died together near the tents, but were scattered everywhere, as if ambushed individually. There must be something suspicious about this.

Fu Rongxi scanned the lines quickly, his ability to discern details exceptionally sharp. Almost instantly, he spotted the basement where Lu Ziqian was located. Fu Rongxi looked at the displayed image, his eyes filled with a slight, confused bewilderment, staring fixedly without reacting.

Beiming Ao’s stamina was gradually depleting, and seeing the eight remaining elders, he began to grow anxious.

Lei Bin was very calm at this moment. He said to Zhang Lin beside him, "Keep serving the dishes. Let Mr. Ye be satisfied." Lei Bin did not believe how much Ye Chen could eat; there would eventually be a limit.

On the other side, the Wind and Rain Demon was speaking with Zheng Beihai, the local official of Chengdu, in a restaurant when someone suddenly delivered a message to him. His face changed slightly upon reading it.

The startled cries from Xiao Mei and Lin Xue cleared Zeng Yi's mind, and the red flames on his body immediately retracted into him.

"Damn it, are you trying to get us all killed?" Zhang Yue scratched his head in frustration.

Holding a porcelain bottle in his hand, a cold sneer curled his lips—a smile that made one feel flustered and horrified.

The four walls were made of rough mud. On one side, two straw mats were laid out against the wall, and on the other, a very crudely made low table sat with a few porcelain bowls and a teapot.

The one who bellowed this was Wu'an Jun Bai Qi. As the de facto second-in-command of the Great Qin, the one who managed the entire empire when Ying Zheng was away, his authority was absolute. Even in the eyes of Bai Qi, someone of such noble status as a prince of Qin meant nothing; if he felt the need to reprimand, he would.

"Is this... is this the Altar of Augustus?" Even the composed Majesty Lan Luosi was completely enthralled. His eyes glowed with divine light as he stared at the altar in the painting, sensing the pervasive aura, his expression filled with both longing and irrepressible excitement.

Similian paused, then continued eating as if nothing had happened, his voice muffled: "Not care? How is that possible? I wish I could go straight to the city of Yunkai and drag those old monsters out to slaughter them."

The two incredibly clever girls pondered for a long time, unable to understand how three meals a day could constitute four things. After a while, Lin Yiran’s phone chimed—Zhang Yang had sent a message.

When Zhang Zongzhi rebuilt the Great Zhou and established his capital in Yanjing, he left behind an ancestral injunction: "No one shall be convicted for their words." Consequently, the Huaxia imperial family rarely punished people for their speech. Of course, if one were to slander the imperial family, even if they were sentenced to death by a thousand cuts, everyone would feel they deserved the crime.

Beyond this, certain natural disasters could also completely destroy a Wolverine, such as volcanic eruptions and the like.

If he had to choose between the destruction of the Black Bone Mercenary Group, the Fiat Mercenary Group, and his own Peak Wolf Mercenary Group, he would rather see the Black Bone and Fiat groups destroyed.

Zhi Xiu originally wanted to call out to Qin Yue, but realized he didn't know his name, so he could only address the matter directly to him.

Two shots rang out, one after the other, their paths nearly identical; in fact, the two shots were fired simultaneously.