Chapter 37: Missing You

Red Smoke Alley.

The alley was bustling with the hurried footsteps of maidservants, along with peddlers and various merchants moving about. Adjacent to this place were houses of pleasure; it was lively by day, and even more so by night.

In a small courtyard without a hanging plaque, Ming Zhenwan sat beneath a banyan tree beside a well, gazing longingly at the water’s surface. Her eyes were brimming with tears, perched on the edge of falling, making her look exceptionally pitiful. There were three maidservants in the courtyard, one of whom was her personal attendant.

The transaction had been completed. Zhu Houwei’s side had paid a total of three thousand taels of silver to Liu Liu and Liu Qi’s party, receiving one hundred and ten horses in return. Of these, eighty-six were warhorses, while the rest were draft horses—fine for pulling carts, but unsuitable for the battlefield. There were also over thirty dead or injured horses.

However, given the reckless behavior of those people, one could foresee what the situation in the capital would become. I understand what Grandmother meant; both the rich and the poor will eventually depart this world. It is only a matter of how one goes. Falling ill is not to be feared; what matters is not to suffer. The best way to die is to pass away while asleep, which is the most merciful conclusion for both the departed and their grieving families.

The fleet now consisted of nine vessels: one large treasure ship, four secondary treasure ships, two sand junks, one coastal patrol ship, and the Longjiang. With the exception of the Longjiang, these were considered large ships in the eastern seas, and their presence moored along the coast of Daqin Island was truly a magnificent sight.

"Nonsense! This is the finest Heavenly Star gauze; it is as light as if it were nothing. How could it possibly weigh you down so much that you cannot walk?" the State Preceptor retorted, glaring.

After a friendly and harmonious discussion, the journey became much smoother. Song Wan'er led the way, and the others followed obediently. Because they were always able to avoid the traps, their pace was surprisingly swift.

Only after Ping Wei’s sister finished crying did she seem to realize who I was, why her brother would possess my body to find her here, what his relationship with me had been, and why someone of my age should not be one of his classmates—these were the questions she pondered.

Just then, Jiang Chen felt a jolt run through his entire body. He felt his mind and soul plunge into an icy abyss, surrounded by darkness, as a cold, faint humming sound drifted out.

Mo Yufei nodded. Upon reflection, it made sense; after all, it was only after he had birthed the second Vajra Dao platform within his body and reached the second level of the Vajra Thought Realm that the Grand System had miraculously settled into him. Thus, Mo Yufei had no objections to the Grand System’s words.

Before long, the group stationed in the trenches saw an increasing number of black specks appearing on the distant horizon, with clouds of dust billowing behind them.

Although the mysterious black sword was incredibly sharp and Aochen had inexplicably entered the realm of unity between man and sword, he was, after all, only a ten-year-old child with limited stamina. To protect Cao'er behind him, he had sustained countless wounds, and with every passing moment, he was losing a great deal of blood.

This aura contained both an incomparably overbearing dragon essence and a sinister, cold, evil spirit—a truly bizarre combination.

But now, his sea of consciousness was in chaos. The mental power within the spiritual seed was working to regulate this disorder. There was no immediate sign of the sea of consciousness being crushed—or rather, there was pressure, but Wei Yang had already become numb to it.

Imagining three high-level God Emperor helpers was one thing, but Aochen knew clearly that he had not yet surpassed the realm of a high-level God Emperor.

"Heh, no matter what, your reputation has certainly spread, Old Six!" Muttering this to himself, Lu Sen said, "I really don't understand why the Master ordered everyone to keep silent about such a joyous event, forbidding anyone from spreading the news. It makes no sense." He shook his head.

"Has word been sent to the capital?" Zhao Yunan set aside his worries for the moment and looked at Cao Qiaomu with great seriousness.

Seeing Rao Hanxiang ask about Zhang Binglin, Li Yuanhong turned to look at him, shook his head, and said, "Zhang Taiyan refuses to come, and there is nothing I can do about it."