Chapter Fourteen: Collecting a Security Deposit

On the road leading from the palace to the Eastern Brocade Gate, a plainly decorated carriage moved forward at a slow pace. The loud clatter of its wheels shattered the stillness of the night, turning silence into unease.

Wales was consumed with rage. Yet, rather than ending him with a single shot, he chose to torment him before death, firing another round into Lakey's shoulder. Blood spattered, quickly soaking his clothes in crimson.

Xu Xian couldn't help but shake his head. He had six apprentices with true transmission; Fang Cheng was simply the seventh. Wasn't that perfectly normal? Where was the fault in that?

These three all considered Su Shichang to be an upright, selfless man, learned and highly disciplined. So, when Liu Muxuan made his choice, it was clear: the governor of Shuo Province.

"Su Hong, protect your sister!" Before the other two ruffians could react, Chen Haoran caught Su Chen by the wrist and tossed her lightly, sending her crashing into Su Hong's arms.

Ou Kai strode over, his expression troubled. He had originally agreed to meet An'an for dinner, but traffic had delayed him. He hadn't expected to witness such a scene upon arrival.

She was mischievous, endlessly inventive, brimming with cunning schemes. Even he, the eldest young master of the Ou family, had been bested by her, left thoroughly humiliated.

Chen Yu could only shake his head in frustration at Bai Ge's words, unsure what to say in response.

"Of course I know, but even if he's dead, things will go on. Over a hundred lives meant nothing to him—they were mere weeds in his eyes. Such a person deserves to die, doesn't he?" The master would not relent; even with some reason left, he was determined, heedless of the consequences.

The group exchanged glances, keeping silent, each weighing the pros and cons. Rivals in the same trade, Jubaoxuan and Sajin House had always been at odds in Qiantang, yet no one had ever heard of a rule where only one could do business. Such demands were unreasonable and broke all conventions.

Wanting to surprise her, I crept behind and placed the flowers under the park bench before tapping her on the shoulder.

Tonight, meeting after meeting had been held—discussing drawings, producing them, then discussing again in an endless cycle. Everyone was exhausted, kept awake only by chain-smoking. The smoke in the conference room hung so thick it resembled a fairyland.

Seeing this, Ning Tao's face alternated between green and red, his eyes wide with fury. He grunted, blood surging in his chest, vision darkening as a wave of murderous intent swept through him.

With a swing of the Sword Formula, the golden spatula left its sheath with a tiger’s roar and dragon’s cry. The playground's ruins vanished, earth trembled, and a nine-story demon tower erupted from the ground, the rules of the retest array isolating all within.

Ning Tao secretly nodded in admiration at Dong Miaoke’s methods. He understood that even if one mastered that form of qigong, it would at best rival a postnatal cultivator; reaching his own level was impossible.

After all, what poor child gives away gifts worth tens of thousands? Unless his mind had snapped. So, they all assumed Chu Nan's family must have means. Besides, a laborer's child was surely better off than a farmer's, wasn't he?

Suddenly, the situation turned dire—attacked from front and back, caught completely off guard. Instinctively, he activated the Dragon Elephant Sutra, only to be overwhelmed by the terror of impending death.

As the last subordinate left his final wish, the commander could no longer hold back his tears. After decades defending the borderlands, this iron-blooded man wept aloud into the night.

On the second night, Bai Youliu found an inn, confiscated all obstacles to prevent her from getting drunk again.

The blood and vital energy in his body surged again. The man in black’s face shifted from black to green, then to red, then purple, and finally settled into a ghastly pallor. His clenched fists crackled as the bones ground together.

Staring at those fingertips, sharp as new bamboo shoots, Yao Qingmu nearly crossed her eyes. Following the direction of the finger, she poked her own nose, finally coming to her senses.

“If you want her not to drink, you’ll have to rid all of Holy Light City of its liquor!” Ramos commented coldly and to the point.

In truth, repaying a life-saving debt was only right. Since Murong De was dead, he had no further attachments.

A trace of disappointment flickered across Limeng’s face, so faint it would have gone unnoticed if Mars hadn't been watching her intently. That expression instantly confirmed all of Mars’s suspicions.

"Don't worry, she'll get better. I've found the world's top neurosurgeons for a consultation; they'll arrive tomorrow afternoon." Nightfall's eyes sparkled, her tone brimming with confidence.

Bang! Thinking of Xin Yu for a split second, her right knee reflexively shot upward. But her opponent, Gao Hu, was no Song Jiang—he was a once-nationally wanted Class-A felon. He was not only ruthless, but had honed formidable skills while evading capture all these years.

Half of this was Murong's handiwork. Su Wanru lived by Xue’s side in England, and was well-informed about such matters.

From the Guanyin figure carved into the jade pendant, a golden light suddenly burst forth. Instantly, the dark energy within Sun Feifei’s body leapt out, flying straight into the jade.

At that moment, Yu He never expected Tang Ya to have followed him. Panic and confusion set in, leaving him at a loss for words.

At night, the hospital ward was utterly silent. No one came to see me except the doctors and nurses. I was so hungry I felt faint. When the door finally opened again, it still wasn't Jiang Ciyun who entered.

He now knew why Jiechen and Jietan had come—to reinforce the seal and keep the great demon suppressed beneath the Bodhisattva statue from escaping.

The stairwell light had been broken for ages. The faint glow from my phone cast simple, stark shadows across Jiang Ciyun's face.

Qiu Ming had at last emerged from seclusion, and the Eight Immortals all breathed a sigh of relief. Lü Dongbin had returned as well, and no one asked about him and White Peony. Lü Dongbin’s return spoke for itself.

I listened in silence as my father finished speaking, finally replying with a single “Alright” before hanging up.

Indeed, to many ordinary people, even a level four Extraordinary was almost indistinguishable from a god.

“I don’t know either. I couldn’t understand a word they said, and they couldn’t make sense of me.” Keats hurriedly replied to Zhang Taibai’s question.

Old Master Chen’s words made Tang Ya feel utterly ashamed. She glanced up at him, only to meet a pair of eyes burning with furious hatred.