Volume 1, Chapter 22: Adding Insult to Injury

Xu Xingyuan and Jiang Suqing were lounging on the living room sofa, laughing over some amusing topic that echoed throughout the house.

Hearing movement at the entrance, they both turned in unison, their expressions shifting subtly as they caught sight of her.

"Coming back so late—who knows what you've been doing all day," Jiang Suqing’s sneer arrived right on cue.

"Ji Shu must have been busy with something," Xu Xingyuan offered.

"Why are you covering for her? She doesn't appreciate your kindness in the slightest."

Xu Xingyuan dismissed this with a smile and stood up. "Ji Shu, Jinchuan isn't back yet. We’re waiting for him to have dinner together."

Ji Shu stared at the pair, expressionless, her heart churning...

"Senior, since you value Tieyi so highly, then I shall protect you for a time." Tieyi had no choice but to agree, knowing that refusing wasn't an option—that wretched fruit tree had latched onto her firmly, and she only had herself and her itchy fingers to blame.

Should she keep up the pretense of a loving couple, wait for the public to lose interest in the matter, and then allow her to abdicate and yield her position?

Having said that, she turned to leave, but after taking only a single step, she was tugged back by Lüqi. Lüqi couldn't help but roll her eyes toward the bright night sky. She finally understood the helplessness her mistress felt when facing the second and fourth young ladies; it seemed that beyond rolling one's eyes, there was truly nothing else to be done.

"What does Fourth Sister mean by that? Are you hoping that something happens to me?" Gu Qingwan asked, the corners of her mouth curling up as she stared at Ning Xueyu with dark, mocking eyes.

Erya’s room was a bit messy, though it was filled with an endless assortment of odds and ends.

Dabao couldn't help but blame his own carelessness. How had he failed to consider such an obvious issue?

She bit her lip, not knowing what to say, and blurted out, "If there’s nothing else, I’d like to go back now." Without waiting for Yuan Futu’s response, she hurried away.

Regardless of the reason, since he was already married and had a child, she should no longer involve herself in his life.

Ever since he had seized power, he rarely spoke so much to anyone. When he did speak, his words were final and decisive.

Their movements were so synchronized, yet they were standing so close that when they both bowed simultaneously, they weren't careful enough—a loud thud echoed as their heads collided.

Since the protective barrier around the camp had been destroyed and these two had arrived immediately, it proved they were able to monitor the state of the barrier in real-time.

However, as the group stepped onto the stone mountain, their expressions all shifted. A heavy pressure descended suddenly, and they realized with horror that their magical powers had been sealed, while their bodies were suffering under an unprecedented weight.

As Wei Jun spoke, he reached out to grab Ziqing’s hand, but she simply picked up her coffee cup and took a slow sip.

"But why didn't Mr. Buber notify me beforehand?" Emeisheng asked, still bitter and unrelenting.

Ziqing nodded heavily... Having experienced so many plot missions, this man seemed somewhat reliable. Regardless, the fact that he dared to say, and was capable of saying, "I will provide for you," was a testament to his feelings.

"A mere Earth Demon dares to try and scare me? In my eyes, you're just trash," Su Mo said arrogantly.

A massive rainbow bridge appeared, shimmering with crystal-bright lights, shrouded in mist and faintly echoing with celestial music.

She sometimes even thought about simply agreeing to cultivate with Chu Yi; that way, she wouldn't have to pretend to be sick anymore.

Yun Ya’s face was burning hot, and she buried her head deep into the other’s armpit like an ostrich.

When the Raptor saw that Blood Blade had incredible vitality and was a talent worth molding—and noting his cold, heartless nature, showing no grief over his parents' passing—he felt he had struck gold and brought Blood Blade back to the Blood Blade Sect.

The young demons spoke one after another, their words passionate and blood-boiling. If they could not grow stronger, how could they protect their homeland? And if they couldn't even protect their land, what use were they?

"See you tomorrow." After saying goodbye to Shirai Rika and Yamamoto Ryoko, Xia Zhi slipped out of the classroom, heading toward the music room in the other direction. But Xia Zhi hadn't expected to find Amamiya Rise there alongside Iroha Yuzu.

"Alright, there will be others coming to watch the battle tomorrow. Everyone, perform well." The Wangyu Immortal smiled before turning to leave, followed by many other prominent figures from the Ru Tian Academy.

Just as the shrike had said at the time, this damn communicator was being jammed, and the connection between them and Lorenzo had been severed.

Take Yuan Keli, for instance—his ideology leaned toward the Donglin faction, yet he remained impartial and upright. As party strife intensified, he was able to prioritize the national interest and maintain neutrality.

However, before that, his son had been running about advocating for the rights of the extraordinary. Father and son had not been close for a long time, and the son still regarded his father as a lackey of the Empire.

The Central 46, comprised of forty sages and six judges, was the highest judicial body in the Soul Society and held supreme authority.

Lorenzo recalled the spiraling staircase that extended infinitely, leading downward into the abyss.

If it weren't for the people from the Immortal Realm being present, he wouldn't have cared about this wager and would have simply turned back to the Demon Realm. But the Immortal Realm was stronger than their own, and if they provoked the Central Plains while simultaneously clashing with the Immortals, it would be nothing short of suicide.

Wu Gong had swallowed too much divine beast essence, and as the digestion concluded, a violent mutation began.

"Exactly. Blocking is not as effective as channeling. Since this cannot be stopped, it is better to turn passive into active."

He thought that "Love on the Journey" sounded like a travel show. Perfect—he could travel without spending money and taste local delicacies, though he wondered where the first stop would be.

After all, he had no use for English, and even geography had its points of interest, but English was just impossible.

Perhaps Li Huoyue had been too proactive earlier, or perhaps the Crown Prince had received inaccurate information, but he was utterly shocked that Li Huoyue would refuse the status.

In particular, Mother Lin had sworn that she was ready to speak with the factory director; regardless of her son's second mock exam scores, given his diligent attitude, she, as his mother, had to muster her fighting spirit and give it her all.