Chapter 63 Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill Into Nothing

This time, when Lu Shuyao left the imperial palace, she had no intention of enduring any condescension or bullying from the First Madam.

In her previous life, after her birth mother was sent away to a remote manor, she was left all alone as a helpless young girl. Her legal mother controlled her daily routine, while her father at most offered a brief, perfunctory inquiry every now and then. In order to survive, she had to suppress her true nature, acting as a submissive daughter who never talked back when scolded and never fought back when hit, living her days as a foolish yet hardworking girl.

Yet, what did all of that yield in return?

Flashes of her past life crossed Lu Shuyao's mind—the tragic death of Mother Liu, and the final...

Although a wave of anger still simmered within him, he maintained a shred of rationality, knowing he could not afford to keep arguing any further. At worst, he would just have to swallow his pride afterward and beg Ren Mofan to refine a batch of pills for him, costing him a few more spiritual stones.

The young man addressed as Young Master Su was named Su Yunze, the adopted son of Xu Qianru's father. In a prominent and prestigious clan like the Xu family, adopted sons were a rarity. Yet Xu Yunze was an exception; his late father had been a close, lifelong friend of the Xu family patriarch. Having lost his life while saving Xu Shiheng, he left behind a grieving widow and an orphan, prompting Xu Shiheng to take the boy in and adopt him.

Upon hearing this, the young man found it rather novel. Ever since he began fortune-telling for others, no one had ever asked to divine their own fate. The elderly woman before him was exceedingly eccentric, and her origin and background remained completely unknown. Yet, since she dared to utter such words, she must certainly be an extraordinary person.

"It seems the only option left is to call Uncle Wang and ask for his help," Lin Piaoxue sighed as she dialed the number. In truth, what Lin Piaoxue disliked the most was asking others for help; she preferred to shoulder everything on her own. But this time, she had truly run out of alternatives.

As it turned out, the Empress Dowager's return to the palace was prompted by a fresh round of negotiations between Lord Li and the foreigners. However, unlike the previous occasions, the indemnities demanded were multiplied by dozens of times. Quite a few direct-line merchants had already gone bankrupt, and by sheer coincidence, the Fang family happened to be one of them.

"You wicked villain! I endured your actions just a moment ago, but now you have harmed an innocent person yet again! How can you be forgiven!" Li Tianqi cursed furiously. The middle-aged man lowered his lantern and lashed out with a kick straight at Li Tianqi. Dodging to the side, Li Tianqi leaped up and threw a punch, striking the middle-aged man squarely on the chin and instantly shattering three of his teeth.

Before Meng Fan could even speak, a mocking chuckle rang out from nearby. They paid no heed to the conversation between President Liu and Feng Xiaoxiao, viewing a simple basin of duck eggs as if it were some worthless trifle rather than a treasure.

Qianyan was dead. No matter how many dreams there were, they were nothing more than phantom projections she had woven for herself—a series of empty, illusory shadows.

Figures clad in black instantly leaped out from the dense bushes, wielding broadswords. Without a single word, they rushed forward and began to slash wildly.

"Please treat it well." The sunlight fell upon her face, casting mottled, shifting shadows beneath her eyelashes, poignant and hazy.

Entering the city, Ye Qingcheng felt a flicker of curiosity regarding the ultimate mysterious reward. Before that, however, she asked Xiaun to lead her to a shop that dealt in rare treasures.

His punch carried a mighty and peerless force, swirling with intertwining streams of black and white vital energy. The two forces complemented one another, ultimately converging to form a complete Taiji diagram of Yin and Yang.

"You can hardly call that a gift; it is full of heavy mockery and sarcasm. I don't know why, but I can roughly guess that there is nothing good inside," Orange Juice Wa said with a chuckle, pulling a box out of her backpack. It was the gift Hinata had given her, and she opened it right in front of the only person present.

He immediately turned to look at the others. Ye Feng's words seemed to grant him endless encouragement; his previous hesitation and anxiety vanished in an instant, and he straightened his backbone proudly.

With that, Xue Tong laughed heartily, reached out his arm to pull a flattering, smiling beauty into his embrace, and began wandering his hands all over her body while roaring with laughter, utterly debauched and obscene.

What a righteous and upright excuse! From the very day His Majesty left the palace, Qixi had already embarked on the path of treason. Having seized control of the inner court, he now turned around and hoisted the banner of accepting a mandate in a time of crisis, acting as though he had no other choice.

Sun Wukong looked up at the Supreme Laojun, letting out a cheerful laugh filled with mockery and even curses.

Under such circumstances, suppressing the Black Fiend would have been effortless, whereas right now, they were merely locked in a stalemate.

Hu Man had no idea how she even made her way back to her room. Her tears fell drop by drop into the snow, disappearing without a trace. She felt somewhat dazed, yet she took the words of Ye Zhi and Su Jia deeply to heart—she still had a child, and she could not afford to act solely on impulse anymore.