116 Succubus (24)

The door to the bedchamber opened silently. Despite the palace’s heavy guard, Luo Yuling turned her head with sharp vigilance.

"Hiss..." Xia Zilin, who had been watching Li Rui’s back, suddenly gasped. In that split second, it felt as if a gust of icy wind had slipped into her collar, the chill plunging her as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Zhan Xintang finished speaking and waited for Yun Yue’s reply, but after a long while, Yun Yue remained silent.

Gu En’en stared at the tie, her movements practiced. In a few swift motions, she finished, clipped on a tie bar, and then smoothed out Han Chengchi’s suit jacket.

The sniper bamboo darts struck the blood monster with surgical precision, piercing its eyes, mouth, heart, and throat. Zining used rapid-fire mode, unleashing twelve bullets in a single breath.

The red stone he had taken from Murong Ni’s shrine was most likely the Xuantian Tremor.

Looking further ahead, he saw Yao Zhiyuan sitting at the base of a large tree, leaning against the trunk with his arm shielding his eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly.

I shook my head. Feeling pleased with being surrounded by onlookers—what kind of sickness was that? I turned and crawled toward the main hall, thinking it would be more comfortable to lie down on the cool bed.

After the early court session ended today, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease, a premonition that something might happen to Yao Qingmu.

"It’s simple. This operation is the Holy Light family’s way of fracturing the four major mercenary groups. As an intermediary, the Ghost Wolf would do best not to get too involved in such matters," Isaac said truthfully.

Only then did Chen Changsheng understand why his master had said those words on the road when he first brought him to Kunyuan Cave. He must have been warning him not to be like his predecessor, who had blindly trusted others, only to be deceived and lose his life in vain.

***

In the "Stream" realm, source energy, given Nuotan’s current array power, was essentially inexhaustible. However, if one were to operate more complex combined arrays, or use the "Enhance" rule to augment their entire body at once, or even reinforce a single boulder, it would drain the source energy completely, leaving one to wait for a slow recovery.

Ultimately, those promoted from the grassroots level usually understood the tribe and its basic operations well, and once trained, their management abilities were not necessarily inferior to those so-called village officials with fancy degrees from advanced study classes.

She knew he loved her, though it hadn’t started at the time she once thought. But he was a Heavenly Demon; in his eyes, humans were no different from the spirit beasts humans viewed. Humans hunted spirit beasts to advance, violently subduing the powerful ones for their own use, or using their crystals to cultivate or trade for wealth.

"Offense and defense are completely different. Victory isn't decided by numbers, but by defensive strategy. Think about it: is it easier to dribble the ball, or to kick it away?" Nuotan asked with a smile.

"You took leave? Are you veterans? Don't you know the deputy squad leader doesn't have the authority to approve leave! Why didn't you go to the instructor?" Li Chengming raised his voice.

Kim Min-hyuk didn't show much, simply patting Li Qiu on the shoulder and saying, "You've grown up!" before walking away from the venue with his hands behind his back.

"They are so pitiful. Bleeding, it looks so painful," another Void Beast said in a soft, milky voice.

"Pah!" Lucy’s face turned as red as a cloth. Unable to think of a retort, she could only curse.

"I’ve been a fan for ten years, ever since Sister Hyori debuted!" As soon as Li Qiu finished, half the people at the scene immediately responded in a thunderous roar.

The moment Chuanmu’s shout fell, many sharp earthen spears erupted from the ground around Itachi. Surprisingly, neither Itachi dodged, letting the spears pierce them directly.

The officials, already resentful of the ten eunuchs’ monopoly on power, readily agreed that if the Emperor had indeed passed away, they would enthrone Prince Bian. Even those ministers who had been close to the eunuchs saw that the Emperor was dead and the tide had turned, leaving them with no choice.

***

As Hawk-Eye spoke with excitement, the previously dim ring on his left hand suddenly flared with brilliant green light.

The officials were all stunned. No one had the presence of mind to look at Qiu Tian’s expression; the news was simply too shocking for them.

Heaven felt pity for her, sighing, "Xiao Susu, you are no match for Sifeng. Please put down your butcher’s knife and seek enlightenment."

People in this world, especially those in the Demon Lotus Sect, were mostly addicted to hallucinogenic crystals. The high-ranking members of the sect even used them to control their subordinates.

Jun Xi found it amusing. Taking a small sip of wine, he thought: "Clearing one's mind" was a pleasant way to put it, but it was really about forcing a coup to seize the throne. He had never understood—what difference did it make to his mother who became the Emperor? Wouldn't she be the Empress Dowager either way?

"Your father is much stronger than mine. He could live on stubbornly, while my father died in the line of duty." He didn't want to say the word "suicide," for it stung his guilty heart too deeply.

"A body without roots cannot enter the ancestral grave. Do as you please with it," Wang Yin said, his heart turning to ash as he closed his eyes to await death.

If she had known, she wouldn't have let Lin Zhengyu help her rig the votes. Even if she had lost to Su Tong and been mocked or ridiculed by some, she wouldn't have ended up like this... her reputation completely destroyed.

Most of his body was submerged in the dark current of the lightless space, his expression unreadable. Only his eyes shimmered with the light of a dying sunset. Most striking were those pale hands, hanging at his sides, slowly curling into fists until they trembled slightly. Without waiting for her answer, his figure merged completely with the darkness and vanished.