Volume One, Chapter 61: Birthday Invitation

Life is short, so seize the moment and enjoy it. Jiang Ning didn’t think about anything else—she simply let Lu Cheng in because holding him in her arms meant she could get a good night’s sleep. But as it turned out, for two adults well-versed in such matters, the word “sleep” is never just about lying down—it’s a verb in every sense.

Though it sounds as if two people become one, ever since she met Leng Yan, that’s no longer the reality she knows.

“My mother is very beautiful. There was a boy who envied me because his mother abandoned him. When we were sleeping, he even crawled over and whispered that he wished my mother could be his too.”

Zhong Xingyue sat on the ground, cursing angrily. She grabbed a stick and stabbed it hard, as if the piece of wood were Leng Wuchang himself.

Now in her senior year, Zhan Zixun was one of the exam proctors. As soon as everyone had arrived, she immediately began to explain the matters concerning Lingshan.

Under his subtle influence, she came to Qingliu Mountain to live in seclusion, and specially planted a bamboo grove before the Guang’an Hall. It was not only to prevent strangers from intruding, but also so that the sight of it would bring memories of him.

Qianye was bundled up warmly, and even carried a hand warmer. All this exertion caused beads of sweat to gather on his brow. Just as he paused to take out a handkerchief, Tianyun rushed back in and, without hesitation, wiped the sweat from his forehead for him.

Pei Huan nearly lost her balance, steadying herself against the wall. Forcing herself to appear calm, she turned into her own bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her.

Xiahou, shrewd and capable, kept this matter hidden without a trace. Emperor Hong never truly believed that Noble Consort Xu had died by accident. He often dreamed of the Crown Prince, and kept sending people to investigate the truth, but found nothing. Chu Xiang vanished, and Feng Nanyang disappeared as well.

With a slow sigh, Wang Cheng strode toward the door without another word. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and glanced back at Yan Ji, as if something had crossed his mind.

Dai Qingyun looked at his own hands. His fingers felt so real—he couldn’t believe he was now a spirit. He still thought of himself as human: he could feel pain, fear, and even bleed.

In fact, Qiansha had considered this before: why couldn’t the Prince of Changping just cast out Concubine Mei from his household? Since he loathed her so much and didn’t truly care for her, now that Mu Liunian had recovered and Concubine Mei was gone, what reason was there to hesitate?

They’d been captured by the people of Xiayan Mountain. He and Zhuang Yixuan had once been one entity—Xiayan Mountain was the embodiment of his goodness, while Zhuang Yixuan bore all the evil.

Without a word, the Blood Demon turned and slipped into a corridor, countless red lights trailing closely behind. From a distance, it looked like a long, glowing centipede gliding along.

Before Ye Dong could speak, Lu Yixian stepped forward and gently massaged his temples.

“Clap, clap, clap—” A young man in white leapt down from a tree, spun midair like a hawk, and landed steadily on the ground.

She raised a hand to wipe her face, and realized the hot, sticky liquid was the brain matter of a hungry ghost.

It was a strange sight—as Jian Yiming’s cultivation surged, a fierce aura poured out of him, and a faint red glow appeared in his eyes. Even the spot in the void where the Xilai Sword hovered shimmered with bloodlight—truly a shocking scene.

A master at the peak of Qi Refinement was far beyond what these family guards, only at the pinnacle of Bright Energy, could withstand. Even Uncle Zhao, the strongest among them, could do nothing to resist.

Seeing He Ming draw his sword to help, the examiner shouted, “He Ming, assassinate!” At the same time, three talismans, each shadowed in black, flew toward Haoran from different directions, and at the sound of the command, He Ming dashed forward with lightning speed, sword flashing.

“Where’s Weiwei?” Zhang Hao, spotting Lin Xi, stared wide-eyed at the door, but it remained empty. Disappointment filled his face.