Chapter 27: In the Pavilion

The cicadas sang atop the branches, and the green leaves swayed gently in the air.

The death of Consort Xiantai was like a stone cast into a lake—after a brief ripple, everything returned to calm.

“Baolin, His Majesty has changed his mind about you today,” the attendant from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices said with a smile, congratulating Lu Shuyao. “The Emperor said Baolin need not go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation; he will be dining here tonight.”

“Very well, thank you for informing me,” she replied.

Nanny You handed over the reward, and the attendant exchanged a few auspicious words before taking his leave.

The account had been settled, but since the host was not home, he hurriedly turned back. No one suspected he had gone to the He family mansion, and he, of course, acted as if nothing had happened.

Helan curled her lips, unwilling to greet this person, and intended to return to the kitchen to attend to her own matters.

Shen Luoyan smiled as she spoke, though a storm raged within her heart, stirring a fierce impulse to turn Chen Quan’s words into reality. Driven by this urge, Xu Shiji and Shen Luoyan thus became members of Donglai.

The first step of Chen Quan’s plan struck Linghu Chong’s heart with pain, but he kept silent, swallowing his grief and listening on.

Over two years passed, and Chen Quan could no longer tolerate the chaotic state of currency circulation. More than a year ago, he personally journeyed south to Luzon Island, initiating large-scale mining and smelting operations of copper and gold mines he had discovered during the Ming dynasty, leaving his third disciple Chen Jigong in charge there.

Thus, Wu Bihua appeared quite courteous, personally brewing tea for Xu Xiaolu and presenting it to her.

The one hundred taels taken home this time were returned to Helan by Grandpa Wu, but the silver had already been exchanged and could not be converted back.

“These mandarins are newly tributed from the Western Regions, as sweet as honey,” the Holy King said, carrying a plate of peeled mandarins as he sat beside Su Yuexian.

In truth, Lu Yan had already contemplated Gao Wu’s idea, but found it utterly unacceptable. First, why would the Tongren Society aid Huang Shiyi? It was because the Yamaguchi-gumi had been eliminated, leaving the Tongren Society with only this single faction.

“Your hometown is in the north?” He studied Ma Dongfen without a flicker of emotion, his eyes sharp and calculating as they fixed unblinkingly upon her.

Rumors circulated through the martial world about a cold-blooded assassin named Yaomei, as beautiful as a fallen immortal and as ferocious as a wrathful deity. Taking contracts to kill, she was merciless, ending lives with a single strike.

With a whoosh, a red light flared beside the cave entrance. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished from sight.

Tong Ran’s face fell; she hadn’t even considered how she looked wearing that necklace. Moreover, Yi Jiazhen insisted she never wear it again. After all the talk, Yi Jiazhen was still obsessing over this matter.

Tang Xiyang grabbed her firmly with crossed arms and carried her to the living room sofa, placing her down steadily but with strength.

“Then I’ll go find you now. How can you not go to the hospital with something this serious?” Ye Chenjun said deliberately.

“How... how did the Blood Jade come into his hands?” Just as Xue Tianzong produced the Blood Jade, the Nine Nether Holy Mother, who had ceased fighting in the distance, appeared behind Du Gu Ming, casting a puzzled gaze upon him.

Luo Qintian had long ordered secret surveillance of Xiao Jiyan’s residence in hopes of finding any trace of Ye Mu. He even had his men search every villa and hotel in City X that Xiao Jiyan might use to hide Ye Mu, yet all results were fruitless.

Tong Ran was utterly baffled on the other end of the phone. She had simply asked Wang Zimu for a recipe, but why did Wang Zimu look as if she had been abandoned?

He knew you would stop at nothing, so he chose to end his own life and revealed all defensive measures to Murong Yi, leading to today’s situation in Dayun.

The fourth step was pouring the tea, the fifth offering the tea—both Shuixie and Hua Yuan each received a cup. The sixth step, tasting the tea, was naturally performed by Xiao Qingchen and Liu Shang Mowu.