14. Azure Claw Thunderbolt, Master Rat

Leaving the banquet, surrounded by soldiers, I headed toward the back hall, passing through the long palace hall and the horse stables.

The scent of horse manure mixed with fermented grain spread through the air like liquid mercury.

The stables were simple structures made of relatively thin wooden planks for better ventilation, built upon a foundation of half-man-high stone walls that supported the boards above.

The new Master of the Fortress smiled as he introduced it: "Zhang Family Fortress holds eight hundred households in total, and every single family raises horses."

"Among them are one thousand fine steeds, two thousand inferior ones, and the superior..."

"I'm not hungry," Su Sheng said with a gentle shake of her head. Just being able to see him and their son upon waking was enough to satisfy her.

Though he was the most easygoing, amiable, and kind-tempered of the four young masters, the words he spoke at this moment were incredibly domineering.

Song Fanhua took "An Zheng" to wander around the Spring Banquet River for a while, then treated her to a meal at a restaurant. After eating, she took her to other cool, pleasant spots, playing until the afternoon. When the sun dipped below the horizon and the evening glow layered itself across the sky, Song Fanhua finally brought her back to the manor, where the two parted ways.

It was truly the case; the love and admiration she had lavished on him for these ten years had raised a proud, temperamental beast that could not tolerate even the slightest defiance.

"Get going, get moving, did you hear me? We don't welcome you here," Huo Shaosi said, ushering the person away without a hint of courtesy.

In summary, it was all about how to consolidate the population, accumulate wealth, raise a private army, and expand territory... It sounded like they were plotting a rebellion.

Every time Han Zhen saw the flower on Song Fanhua's face, he felt uneasy, yet he had to admit, it was truly beautiful.

He did not head home immediately; instead, he destroyed and discarded his phone before setting off toward 'that great tree.' As for 'that great tree,' it was the one he had leaned against with Peggy Carter on the first night after he woke up. Aside from that tree, it seemed that in over a year... they hadn't leaned against any other.

There was no interaction between the two teams, though when the young captain of the other group passed by, he accidentally swept his gaze over Bailianchenggang and Lengzha.

Xue Tielong was Feng Jie's husband, and his relationship with her was extraordinary. Xue Tielong had even come to the door twice to settle scores; in a sense, he also had a motive to make a move against Xue Tielong.

Ye Junxuan waved his hand, signaling them not to follow; they wanted to look around on their own. He had long grown accustomed to such flattery.

The eunuchs looked at Li Guolou with increasing kindness; they were all on the same side now, and harmony brings wealth, after all.

He walked straight toward the stage. Under the astonished gazes of everyone, his high-end leather shoes clicked against the floor—step by step, terrifying.

"You're scared like this by someone challenging the gym? You inexperienced wretch, do you really think my Yuelai Martial Arts Hall is afraid of challengers? In the past, your Master Shiyilang would face dozens of challengers every day, and each one left with a bruised and swollen face," Instructor Hong said, slightly angry.

Haha, Su Han giggled in secret. Han Jie was such a riot; sometimes she found the antics of those brothers quite hilarious.

"Who’s being a rascal! It's not decided yet!" Provoked by General Wang, Zhang Fei immediately began to challenge him to drink jar after jar of wine.

The leader, One-Eyed Wolf, was pinned firmly to the ground by that silver spear, letting out a 'woo-woo' sound of misery.

Chief Steward Shan’s expression grew increasingly ugly. Having spent years in the palace, he had always been the one to lecture others; when had he ever been lectured, and by a lowly slave at that? He felt deeply humiliated and, in a sudden fit of rage, raised his hand to strike Hong Ying across the face.

It wasn't that Duan Tianyi was so incredibly powerful, but rather that their cultivation levels were indeed too low. Although they had an advantage in raw strength, against absolute speed, everything was futile. The eleven burly men became living targets, left at the mercy of Duan Tianyi.

Had the Demon Commander not been intent on capturing Lin Xiao alive rather than killing him, Lin Xiao would likely have been a corpse on the spot long ago.

"I don't know, maybe I just have a lot of strength!" A-Ku touched his head and smiled, looking extremely honest and simple.