35 The Grandmaster

"Innkeeper, are the government officials here for me?" Lu Xun grabbed the innkeeper by the collar and demanded, spraying spit all over the man’s face.

"Who goes there?!" the gate officer shouted from the top of the city wall, leaning out to peer suspiciously at Lu Bu below. Beside him, soldiers stood at the ready, bows drawn and arrows nocked, prepared to strike down the unidentified figure who had suddenly appeared.

The two men looked at each other and then up at the sign above the inn’s entrance. "What is this place called again?" the bearded man asked. Both of them were left wondering what this place was.

"Speak clearly, and spare me the nonsense," Ding Yuan said. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, "tap, tap, tap," each strike echoing his internal state, which threatened to erupt into a violent storm at any moment.

The method was simple, but it was sound. A spirit fox’s perception is far keener than that of a wild fox; as long as one harbors no malice, it is indeed quite possible to lure them successfully.

By the time he arrived, over a hundred disciples had already gathered in the martial arts arena. They were all eager and restless, excitedly discussing the upcoming journey to Cloud Twilight. Many had brought along their tamed companions, hoping they would be of assistance over the next three days.

Long Qingchen waved his hand dismissively, feeling a secret sense of relief. As long as the medicinal herbs could be gathered, his father’s injuries would be manageable.

Though he did not know what was happening, Old Zhu quickly charged forward and stabbed the mutant rat that was lunging for the burly man’s throat. His triangular spear tip traced a bloody line as it swept past, then pierced the skull of the ghost wolf biting the man's leg, pulverizing it into pulp.

"Pack it into a gift box, seal it, and give it to Xu You to take away along with Hao Zhao’s corpse!" Liu Yong waved his hand, his mood heavy. He had once been an ordinary man, but in his quest to master his own destiny, he had reached this point; his heart found it hard to be at peace.

Ren Youwei was originally only in his forties, but having been drained of his blood, he had been reduced to skin and bones. His skin had withered drastically, making him look like a desiccated old man of eighty or ninety.

Although the criticisms leveled by these people were accurate, the members of the noble clans still felt deeply frustrated. They had spent their money, yet could not even earn a shred of goodwill; it was no wonder they felt aggrieved.

As Du Bixing’s emotions stabilized, all interference vanished. He cast aside distracting thoughts, his heart becoming as still as water. The landscapes and waterfalls before him disappeared, and the rushing sound of water faded from his ears.

Watching the busy crowd, they worked in a seamless, interlocking chain. While Li Kaifu admired Zhang Rui, he could not help but feel a sense of unease.

Even if the rebels set harsh conditions, as long as they were willing to accept the imperial decree of amnesty, he believed His Majesty would not refuse.

It was already past three o'clock. The mourners had long since dispersed, but the wealthy merchant Wang still sat in the living room, gazing at his son’s memorial portrait.

Meanwhile, at the demand of the Yi Dynasty, and as part of the negotiations with Champa, Annam ceded the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc, and Dak Nong to Champa.

Following his orders, the Old Boy Studio’s "water army" began a full-scale operation, frantically spreading news of the events that had occurred at Bamboo TV overnight across all major forums.

"I am the one who bought the traditional Chinese medicine," Xia Yue insisted as well, both women vying to claim the credit from Chi Binglan.

The higher the evolutionary level of a beast, the greater its intelligence. This armored beast was inherently bloodthirsty and aggressive, and it knew that if it could devour these prey, it would evolve once more, so it pursued them relentlessly.

It is worth noting that Li Cunxu’s father, Li Keyong, had once sworn a brotherhood with Yelü Abaoji. Although ten years had passed, they were, in terms of lineage, uncle and nephew.

The beauty of this enchanting creature caused the Azure Dragon’s face to flush slightly. He thought to himself, I have seen countless celestial maidens, yet even they pale in comparison to this demon; she is truly a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

"According to Tusu, Zhao Lin from Tianyong City died because he saw a ghost-masked man attempting to steal the Burning Solitude and tried to protect it. Since the opponent’s goal is the Burning Solitude, he will certainly reappear. We only need to stay close to Baili Tusu," Chen Fan said.

Ye An closed the door and approached. Seeing that the group was chatting happily, he didn't disturb them, instead walking around to the table in the room and looking down at the dazed Qiong Ge and his companions.

Before I could finish my sentence, Wang Shicheng let out a cry, his throat convulsing as he clutched it.

At this moment, Chen Fan was preparing to refine the Yin and Yang energy between heaven and earth. He slowly drew in this energy—both the human body and the world contain Yin and Yang. Yang energy possesses inherent power but cannot be stored, as it is always in motion; Yin energy lacks inherent power but can store it.

"My second brother just said to let me take you over to have some blood drawn to see if your physical condition is suitable for continued training," Lin Xiangnan offered as a pretext.

Now that Li Erlong had returned to normal, the sense of admiration in Wang Xuelan’s heart slowly dissipated. Looking at Li Erlong’s smug expression, she truly felt the urge to slap him.

Guo Jia rode his horse around to inspect the area. Fragments of armor and short swords lay scattered in the grass. Stains of blood remained on the earth and the foliage. These were the remnants of a battlefield.

The monster took enormous steps backward, its thick tail whipping up giant waves. It slowly submerged into the water, and the surface rose, slapping against the shore. The beast vanished into the darkness.

Nan Murong watched Xi Ze buried and immobile, his eyes flickering: If I kill him now, will the Golden Divine Veins in his body transfer to me?

After securing the sniper advantage, Wang Huaipeng’s subordinates used their rifles to target the enemies, aiming for fire suppression. Meanwhile, Wang Huaipeng led the rest of his men into the alleyway to retrieve Chu Yang.

At the very same moment that the sound of wind being broken rang out, two glowing spiritual weapons flew toward that direction, also creating a whistling sound as they cut through the air.