Unadorned

After a hearty meal and drink, the afternoon settled in. Cheng Yan was quite relieved he hadn’t let Lu He get involved in this matter. With things having escalated to this degree, fledglings like them, who had only just begun to cultivate their true essence, were utterly incapable of dealing with it. If it weren’t for Uncle Cat’s skills, he would have ended up in a monster’s belly last night.

“Let’s split up and search,” said his senior brother. Cheng Yan looked at him in surprise. Yang Shen continued, “Junior Brother Ma, head to the teahouses and taverns; usually, the fishermen...”

At night, the imperial city of Western Chu was even more splendid than its daytime majesty. The brightly lit streets resembled captivating maidens, enticing all who gazed upon them with a sense of instant familiarity.

Jian Lin, for her part, admitted openly that there were many secret organizations like theirs within the country alone. But all these people, as per his earlier arrangements, had been left notes and settled into the five-star hotel across the street.

This reminded the two gatekeeping youths of over a year ago, when they had stood guard at the Lushan County Governor’s mansion and met that aloof envoy from Yizhou.

A hundred li was a trivial distance for cultivators at the Qi Transformation stage, who could fly; in barely ten minutes, one could arrive, and if one had learned flight techniques—even the most basic of the yellow-rank—the speed would be even greater.

“Jiang Li, don’t go. Stay with me, will you?” The words slipped out unbidden, even surprising Su Lie. He didn’t know why he blurted it out without thinking. It was the first time in his life he’d ever felt this peculiar sensation.

“Stop asking so much, just use a different box!” the Prince of Tai ordered, his tone brooking no argument. Of course, he hadn’t called the police; if the authorities got involved, as the host of this banquet, nothing good would come of it for him.

“What happened?” Ren Gang, though still somewhat rational, looked utterly disheveled, without having managed to use a single skill.

When Ling Wanrou received the news, she grew anxious. She recalled how, before Wei Qingqing had even treated Princess Huaisi, she had managed to leverage the princess’s status to forcibly reverse the situation and drive both her and Han Lang out of Mei Courtyard. If Wei Qingqing truly cured Princess Huaisi, would there be any place left for her and Han Lang in the capital?

Among those involved, there were not a few neutral factions wavering between the Zhao Xi and Zhao Wei parties. Some former Zhao Xi supporters, swayed by Zhao Wei’s recent victory, had defected and begun to back Zhao Wei’s side.

Suddenly, the room was flooded with light. Nan Lisheng, startled by the brightness, instinctively closed her eyes. Bai Jinyan pulled her into his arms, shielding her from the glare.

Li Haoran paid no mind to how Zhao Xuan would persuade the other cultivators. He trusted Zhao Xuan to handle it well.

There were few streamers like this now—at a glance, it was clear she wasn’t one of those garish, vulgar types outside. Plus, Tang Chao was handsome enough that, though the live stream had few viewers, they were all loyal fans. With so few people, there were naturally no trolls stirring up trouble in the chat.

Upon entering the pawnshop, the attendant immediately recognized Lan Lingling’s fine attire as that of a wealthy young master. Not daring to neglect him, he promptly ushered him inside and served him tea.

“Have you had enough to eat?” Shi Ying beckoned, signaling to the maid behind her. Lifting the fragrant tea offered by her servant, she took a sip, rinsed her mouth, and spat it into the spittoon.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck her. She desperately hoped it wasn’t as she feared, for that would be far too cruel—she couldn’t even bear to think it through.

For now, it was certain that the uncle was definitely not human. Fang Mu didn’t feel much fear toward this so-called “ghost,” since the uncle didn’t resemble the blood-soaked, mutilated monsters from the movies. Still, it was essential to uncover his true identity.

“Lord!” A resonant, magnetic voice rang out. Zhu Rong’s tall, sturdy figure had already appeared just beyond the entrance of the cave.