Chapter 55: I Love Only You, and Have Loved Only You

Huo Shixu drove toward the Song family estate.

The neighborhood where the Song family's villa was located was entirely different from the old Huo family residence.

It lacked the serene and unapproachable aloofness, replacing it with a richer touch of worldly warmth and human life.

As the lunar year was coming to a close, the district was immersed in a dense festive atmosphere.

Every household had colorful lanterns hanging high, casting brilliant and shimmering lights.

Car tires ground against the pavement, rolling over the bright red scraps of spent firecrackers.

All of this seemed entirely disconnected from him.

His gaze settled on the large red lanterns at the entrance of the Song residence.

Extraordinarily red.

Extraordinarily jubilant.

They formed a stark contrast to his desolate mood.

"Sis, this one of mine looks nice and funny, just like a fiery little mouse."

Song Xingyan's laughter was pleasant to the ear, the glow stick in her hand gently brushing against...

Naturally, at these words, Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu, Navy Minister Yashiro Rokuro, Army Minister Oka Ichinosuke, Minister of Justice Ozaki Yukio, and Finance Minister Wakatsuki Reijiro all nodded in satisfaction. This was precisely their objective.

"Your insight is brilliant, Prime Minister Fan. If Wang Jun is removed from his post, wouldn't you, Prime Minister, become..." Liu De left the sentence unfinished.

"Oh no! The tank is in deep trouble!" yelled a veteran. He straightened up, and alongside several other veterans, raised the rifles in their hands, continuously pulling the triggers at the approaching Finnish guerilla fighters.

Perhaps the hearty laughter had aggravated Yuan Shikai's ailing body; his laughter abruptly ceased, accompanied by a groan as his face twisted in extreme agony.

"That's right. Actually, that idiot Kirino is pretty much the same; she's only been in this circle for about a month or so," I answered honestly.

They remained completely motionless and quiet for a moment, while the Taoist priests in the temple chanted endlessly. The lyrics were not standard official speech and were difficult to understand, yet Zhang Ning managed to catch a few phrases, such as "Reverently taking the Great Dao nameless, the Dao is nameless yet the Emperor has a title, the kalpas are endless yet salvation comes from the heavens," accompanied by the rhythm of bronze gongs.

She was already elderly, and whenever she reminisced about her youth, she found the ways of the world truly unfathomable. The late Emperor Liu Zhiyuan had not married her through proper formal betrothal, but rather took her by force—and that single act of abduction made her an empress. Then the empress eventually became the empress dowager.

While speaking, Hansen organized his phrasing in his mind, occasionally modifying his vocabulary to consciously avoid terms like "German" or "model colony."

The generational duel between the Danran Canine Demon Lord and the "Ghost Sovereign" Zongmizhi had reached a decisive, critical juncture. The outcome would directly determine the future destiny of the Eerdian region. The defeated party would forever lose any chance of exoneration.

As I was pondering this, the commotion of Yunlong's landing wasn't particularly small, and it promptly attracted a crowd of onlookers.

He had no intention of shouldering this undeserved blame. The golden cicada snow lotus was exceedingly precious, and who knew what kind of price would be required to compensate for it? In any case, Chu Tianze was not willing to play the role of a suffering and foolish scapegoat.

Meanwhile, the Xiongnu began to emulate the forces of Yuan Shu, drilling together with them and sharing the defeat of Zhao Feng as their common objective.

Ye Xun and the eight others were momentarily bewildered, but the next second they understood. Dozens of meters away, hundreds of guards simultaneously unleashed their martial arts techniques, crashing down like a sky-obscuring, earth-shattering deluge, descending with the terrifying force of a torrential storm of bullets.

My eyelids grew heavy, even though I desperately wanted to keep them open, because I knew that once they closed, I might never have the chance to open them again.

"You guys take a break and adjust yourselves; I'll deal with this disciple of the immortals," Tang Yin said, looking toward Red Lotus Ji.

This time, no one chose to leave, unlike the situation when Chu Tianze first gave them the option.

Her son had died in battle, so every time Zhao Feng set out on an expedition, Lady Sun would be filled with trepidation, silently praying in her heart that her son would return home safe and sound.

Possessing such a treasured saber yet keeping it confined to its scabbard due to all sorts of misgivings had led to the current awkward predicament.

Zhao Feng's heart skipped a beat. Could it really be such a coincidence? He had just led his soldiers into the desert, and a storm was already brewing?

The equinox flower is generally believed to be the guiding blossom that grows along the shores of the Sanzu River. They bloom there in massive clusters, looking from afar like a carpet paved with blood. Because of their fire-like redness, they are referred to as the "Road of Fiery Illumination," serving as the sole scenery and color along the long road of the netherworld.

Wu Yan ultimately decided to spare Xue Ying. After all, though this so-called makeshift Eastern Jin imperial court had been cobbled together, having a seven-year-old child reign as the King of Jin meant nobody knew how long it could possibly last.

Chu Feng had instructed Zhao Zilong to whip the army into shape a month ago, and now everything was fully prepared for departure tomorrow.

Only Tuoba Wuhuan, lacking the raw grit and heroic spirit of Tuoba Shujin and merely borrowing the tiger's might, intended to retreat.

Just as her voice trailed off, four or five more men came forward for the interview. After all, with such a large sum of silver at stake, everyone was willing to try their luck.

"Then you don't need to be in such a rush. By the way, Sis, you're not actually going to keep using the name Chunhua, are you?" Gu Qiuqing noticed Lin Feiwei's car driving away and asked casually.

The crowd chattered and debated among themselves, only to discover that no person in charge stepped forward to offer an explanation, nor could anyone find anyone in authority to consult.

The next day, notices seeking the envoy dispatched to the Great Han were plastered all over the capital, and messengers carried the proclamation throughout the entire Great Qian realm.

The other contestants were not as carefree as Dio; Polnareff was a tangled mess of confusion, plunging into deep self-doubt.

This time, the girl's primordial energy suffered heavy losses with few gains, so she had to recuperate at Yiwu Zhenzong first. Since the energy within the Imperial Heaven Token had been depleted, she could only slowly absorb spiritual qi to convert it into primordial energy—a very lengthy process—while taking the opportunity to check on Yilian's cultivation.

Descending slowly onto a mountain lawn, accompanied by gentle breezes, green grass, floral fragrance, the chirping of birds, and ancient village nursery rhymes, the scene shifted in a flash. The ancient village transformed into a mythical palace standing right before them. Hand in hand, he and she walked into the grand hall, bustling with voices, brimming with rare delicacies and fine wines.

Ye Tianwu smiled inwardly. A single rat dropping could ruin a whole pot of porridge, and a single fool could destroy an entire faction. Moreover, this fool happened to be the biological son of the Heavenly Fiend Sect's leader.

Beside him, Feng Qiye grew increasingly pleased with his own train of thought. Leng Yue, who had yet to receive a response, glanced sideways at him and noticed that his coldly glittering eyes seemed to flicker with a bizarre light.

Fu Shiyi had handed this precious opportunity to him, and how could he not be moved? He hurriedly pulled Fu Siwei along to offer their thanks. Seeing this, Old Master Fu nodded slightly, and after the four of them conferred for a while, they slipped away from Kongling Mountain undetected.

"You have come from the Jin State; are you experiencing any discomfort here? The customs of our two countries are, after all, quite different. If there is anything that troubles you, feel free to tell me, and I will have someone attend to it," the Grand Empress Dowager asked with concern.

Song Yiyi shot down a hill partridge. Looking back, she saw Liu Xinhe stringing a bow in the nearby woods and shooting down a large bird as well. Judging by her technique, her aim was remarkably accurate—could she have learned that from Xiahou Ce?

Song Yiyi couldn't help but smile, refusing to take his fierce, hound-like demeanor seriously.

Red thread grass, cangling flower, and iron wire coin fell one by one into the alchemy furnace. Half a cup of tea later, their potent medicinal essences melted into liquid and began to merge and coagulate, with a wisp of delicate fragrance rising from the furnace.

On his way home through Jiulong Town, Dahong unexpectedly ran into Han Shujun, who was dressed in ragged clothes, leaning on a bamboo cane and walking with a limp.