Chapter 15: The Trap She Set

What was going on? Were they imagining things, or did the people of Qin County truly find the Jizhou tribute rice unremarkable?
“You’re being unreasonable—how is this any different from outright robbery?” I retorted, unwilling to yield.
These days, debt collectors were rarely the easy sort. Though they usually skirted the limits of the law rather than overstepping them, a cornered dog will leap a wall—let alone a person.
By the time I steadied myself again, I saw clear astonishment in Song Xiaoming’s eyes, as if he hadn’t expected me to still be standing.
If it were spring or autumn, the rain would only bring annoyance and a gloomy mood, but in the sweltering summer, a downpour was a relief that cooled to the very bone.
“Wanfei understands. By the way, are you three elders in need of Xingluo beast blood?” Zhou Yang asked, looking at them.
I could hear the sharp, unmistakable crack of eggs breaking—it was especially jarring and exhilarating. I swung a few more times, and only when blood began to seep through his trousers did I toss aside the police baton and dust off my hands.
Unlike the previous two cups, this one remained mellow and soft the entire time, never too intense. Yet once it reached my stomach, it seemed to stir up the previous two, churning inside me like countless fine needles pricking my body.
“All right, all right. How is the Prince Zhuang’s manor faring now?” At this, Minister Zhang clasped his fists, having regained some composure.
Everyone turned their heads toward the commotion outside, following Liu Yaomei’s shout. By then, Mu Zhijun had already reached the main gate, and seeing him there, everyone in the courtyard was stunned into silence.
A series of strange, sinister laughs echoed by her ears—barely perceptible, yet so very clear.
The Liu family treated them as their own, but they never forgot their purpose: to guard the Liu estate.
All her life—these ten-some years, plus the years before in Hawaii—she had always lived under someone’s careful protection.
“Ya’er and he are not destined. Wanwan, none of us in the entire demon realm are fated for him.” Xu Chen spoke with calm, simply enjoying this moment of peace with Hua Wan.
A glimmer of surprise flashed across Yan Shuoye’s pale, icy eyes, then he gave a bitter smile and gently touched Zhu Luan’s cheek with his slender fingertips.

Feng Yici swept Jing Qingge into his arms and strode toward the elevator, while Yi Zhou hurried ahead to press the button.
At once, everyone in the inn glanced suspiciously at Hua Wan, then at their own plates, all the more confused by her earlier words.
She rubbed her eyes for a long while before looking again at Yin Xin before her; only then did her figure seem a bit clearer than before.
Back then, the original host had begged Father Mo to let her finish watching just a bit more, but he refused and turned off the TV. The injustice of it stung her deeply.
Fearing he would once again succumb to lovesickness, the Demon King and Queen kept him from returning home.
Matsushima nodded at these words; this had always been his plan. Without entering the core, one would remain a mere bystander.
“Could it be that Duan Shangxiao already knows the real secret of the Book of Life and Death?” Ye Wuya asked.
With both sides in agreement, Nan Sheng led Lin Tiancheng to the family’s secret resource vault.
His entire body was covered in flame-like fur that seemed to radiate heat; a pair of crimson wings spread from his back, stretching over ten meters when unfurled.
Having only just returned to his office, Zhao Qirong’s eyelids kept twitching—he had an ominous sense that something was about to happen.
Long Pingfan looked toward the sound and saw Wu Jiaojiao—the same girl who’d once hit him with a ball—running his way, with three youths in splendid brocade hot on her heels.
“Yaoyao, I’m not a ghost—it’s just, I don’t know how to reveal myself. You mustn’t look for Molong again; he’s a demon!” I gathered her in my arms.
In the empty wilds, flames erupted from Yan Jicheng as he summoned the Duanshang Blade, his long-held worries vanishing like smoke.
On the hillside, the Duanshang Blade stood alone, but there was no trace of the Netherworld Relic—Yan Jicheng simply couldn't find it.
Hearing the clamorous shouts from downstairs, Shen Beilin ground his teeth in anger. With this chaos and the sound of gunfire, the LAPD would be on them by morning, and if anyone died tonight, the nightclub’s manager would be summoned for questioning.

Miaomiao nervously clenched his fists, gauging the force of the approaching snowball. Satisfied he could handle it, he exhaled silently and obediently closed his eyes.
With this thought, Feng Wanli shook his head. To advance to the Nascent Soul stage was truly a distant dream.
Did Merlin have some message for him? Lin Yuan pondered but had no clue. He was in the Hundred Flowers Garden, which was shrouded in mist—so perhaps he was still within it.
“Brother, don’t speak nonsense! Lord Huo and I are both proper, well-mannered people!” Shaoshang did her best to compose a dignified expression.
The two forces collided with a sharp crackling, and scarlet beams deeply pierced the ice shield protecting the flood dragon’s body.
The village in Miaojiang was indeed different from those in the Central Plains—strange, unsettling, with animal heads hanging everywhere.
It’s said that the day before the emperor was to sentence the Lou family, several of General He’s old comrades begged an audience. In tears, they pleaded for mercy for the He family’s widows and orphans.
His silver crown was gone; the straight ceremonial robes exchanged for a plain hemp tunic with silver-embroidered trim. The broad linen cloth draped over his slender, athletic frame, and the loose collar revealed his fair, unblemished chest. Following the line of his delicate neck, Shaoshang caught a glimpse of a fine blue vein.
Before he could finish his sentence, Du Ke summoned his true energy—flames rose from each fist, encasing his gloves in layers of colored glass, glowing with a dreamlike sheen as he flexed his fingers.
“I’ll deal with you later!” Shaoshang, eager to watch the drama unfold, grumbled in a low voice.
The old man gave Ling Feng a meaningful look and said, “Keep working hard.” For the first time, Ling Feng felt his face grow warm with embarrassment.
I was utterly stunned. Glancing past the plain red garments outside, I saw a suit of armor within, glittering brilliantly—judging by its quality and sheen, it had to be at least a ghost artifact.
“Ling Feng, that was the authentic Taiyi Divine Needle technique you used just now, wasn’t it? I truly appreciate your help, but when wandering the world, it’s best to keep your wealth hidden. Discretion is sometimes necessary,” Qinglong advised.