Forty

"Let go," Su Yun suddenly shook off Zuo Fang's large hand, unsettled by the warmth in his palm.

Su Yun immediately turned to leave, but after only a few steps, Zuo Fang grabbed her again, pressing her against the wall in the corner. He gripped her wrists, holding her close to the wall.

"Xiao Yun, don't go. I have something to say to you," Zuo Fang said urgently.

...

A patrolling soldier quickly handed the token to the commander of the guards, signaling the others to seek instructions.

Tang Feng had just logged in when a flood of private messages greeted him; decisively, he checked the box to block stranger chats, then slowly opened the message from Phoenix Dances Across Nine Heavens.

Here, aside from gold and strange beasts, there was nothing else. Even the sky was oddly colored, as if all the gold had fallen from above, drawn from the cosmos by some mysterious force.

The masterminds behind this terrifying operation were Tan Lan and Luo Qi. For this battle that might raise them to the pinnacle of their lives, they had no choice but to deceive their superiors and take desperate risks.

Isn't it just ten thousand anvils? Compared to the basic martial arts training of those years, that's nothing. There are no shortcuts in any martial art. He remembered the stone steps cut by sword on Buzhou Mountain, the cave walls etched with countless sword marks. Every path to mastery was fraught with hardship.

Yu Xi, meticulous as ever, came from the most deeply rooted family of the four; she knew far more than the others. And this was a detail so inconspicuous it was almost invisible—yet its very ordinariness made it all the more genuine.

The bitterness of poverty is endless; ninety percent of worries stem from lack of money. Now things had gone from bad to worse: Nuannuan was hospitalized, they had lost money, and this month they couldn’t even afford food.

"These shoes are yours. Heavy armor doesn’t suit me," Tang Feng said from behind.

"No wonder you’re my junior brother—you saw the problem right away," Dao Yan couldn't help but praise.

"I never would've guessed—I really do know Milu..." Qiao Yaning laughed and cried in disbelief.

So, that night, Su Xue, taking advantage of the late hour, secretly gave Jiu Qing... an aphrodisiac.

"No! Absolutely not! How could I dare?" Xia Mu shook his head frantically, like a rattle drum.

"It was four or five days ago—the day Consort Guo arrived," Han Xingyi replied, his face expressionless.

Considering this possibility, An Yuqing looked at him deeply. He met her gaze without a hint of fear, and her discovery stunned her once more.

He reluctantly released her soft lips, and, for the first time, gently patted her head, his touch unusually tender.

The meal was quickly finished, as Gu Nianxi feigned formality and everyone looked on with disdain.

The hall was filled with guests; the Emperor of Fanyu sat high on the throne, with the Empress at his side. The courtiers lined both sides below, their faces bright with smiles.

It was clear the two got along well, yet always competed for superiority. Though they liked to vie with each other, there was no real discord.

"We should travel the world like our master and the others, so why keep that thing? It only brings disaster."

Hu Youwei had left early; though he wished to get closer to Helian Sheng, the latter was cold by nature, and Hu dared not overstep. He only hoped for another chance to serve Helian Sheng, so his future would not be bleak.

Today had exhausted them all, especially Lan Xiang’er, who had just been through a fierce battle.

The two shadow guards tasked with capturing Song Yuanbao had overheard the quarrel between Helian Sheng and Song Yao. Upon receiving their master's order, they vanished instantly, fearing Song Yao would seek revenge.

After sobering up, he realized he might have gone too far. If he had actually crossed the line, what difference would there be between him and a beast? Yet, not acting felt even worse—like a beast without courage.