Volume One, Chapter 36: Acting

“My turn!” Liu Cheng laughed heartily, his gaze cold as he strode toward her, his massive frame exuding brute strength. Su Luo’s delicate face grew chilly; naturally, she would not sit and wait for death. With a wave of her hand, countless vines erupted from beneath the earth, forming two walls before her. A fist smashed into them, the sound of shattering vines echoed instantly, and she was blasted away by the remaining force, sent flying directly in the direction Ji Die was attempting to slip away.

“Is she not his match?” Ji Die arched a brow in secret, somewhat surprised. He had personally experienced this woman’s methods—the vines were anything but ordinary, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, their toughness extraordinary! It seemed Liu Zhong had brought in...

“Uncle, let me help you search!” Jiang Sanlang helped Jiang Fuyuan up and knelt down to look himself.

“I signed with Peter Pan when I was nine. Before that, I’d already acted for five years…” Luo Guo was a true child star, drawn into the entertainment industry by a twist of fate, but initially without a fixed agent.

All the way, representatives from the agency accompanied them. Shen Funi wasn’t worried about any security issues. The attendant hadn’t noticed anything amiss yet, warmly offering hot water. Gu Lang looked at the open contract, and at the ghost Chen Lu collapsed nearby—her state no better, the red not yet fully soaking her chest, the lower half of her skirt already black.

Yet others did not know: many nights when Young Master Xu did not return home, he was not in a brothel, but out in the wild, sobbing his heart out.

“Hmph! They didn’t acknowledge him then, and now they want to pick up a grandson for free? Things don’t work that way!” Sun Hui’er’s sister-in-law, He, muttered.

Mo Ran was startled, realizing the matter’s complexity far exceeded her imagination! This imposter was hardly just a charlatan.

Meanwhile, Ni Yexin and Murong Changqing were discharged and went out to inspect, to see if the Shi family had discovered that Lu Yan had fled.

And on the other side, following Concubine Su’s instructions, Yu Jiamin drove the carriage all the way to the most secluded manor outside Yongjing City. Upon entering, Concubine Su visibly relaxed; she had been tense the entire ride, frequently lifting the curtain to look behind, as if wary of someone trailing them.

The so-called “do not leave rashly” perhaps never referred to changes outside the street, but rather to some dreadful transformation that would occur at the clinic after his departure.

For life within the holographic world was shaped by human will; most were docile and gentle, some as tame as house pets, ready to be stroked and played with.

Sadly, the Linhai Tower was deserted by day, with no guests arriving. The troubled times outside had driven the city’s dignitaries and nobles away; otherwise, how could a mere merchant dare to behave so arrogantly?

Dongfang Hai was accustomed to such poetry; given a stick of incense’s time, he could compose far better. This poem was barely adequate—he was, in truth, a bit disappointed in Zhu Changsheng.

Back then, she had rampaged through this game; now, she could clear it with her eyes closed.

Seeing what his son had in the basin, the shopkeeper froze, then realized what had happened. He grabbed his son and turned, only to find the person was long gone. The shopkeeper’s eyes filled with tears; holding his son in one hand and the basin in the other, he wailed in the direction Li Yaoguang and Ji Mo had left.

Her body still felt heavy, her mind muddled; it had taken every effort to survive. Even if she was dressed in confusion, since she could live, she did not wish to die. So Li Yaoguang cooperated fully, propping herself up and swallowing the last bit of medicine left in the spoon.

Even if unable to secure the designation from the organizing committee, it could still be the official food for a certain national team, like diving or table tennis.

And what about his Leopard? That huge Leopard—was it stolen away as well, or left outside?

No matter how unwilling she was, she could only kneel in humiliation as Hu Liangren looked on with smug satisfaction.

“I know she’s not from the Death Squad. Then why did she come to De Yin Temple to seek you? As far as I know, she used to visit the temple often; don’t tell me you didn’t know, I saw her speak with you myself,” Shen Tong said.

Xiao Ren thought so too—besides cutting the imperial edict, the dagger seemed to have no other use. At least, he’d never seen Zhou Tong use it to kill.

He urged Xia Shu beside him, and with a sudden “swish,” transformed into a colossal creature forty meters long.

At that moment, the man carrying hot water arrived, hurriedly bowing to Zhou Zhuer, and also saluting the man beside her, addressing him as Young Master Fang.

When Fang Yun approached the gate, the three security guards immediately turned their attention to him. Seeing he intended to enter the pig farm, they put down their cards and blocked his way.

Tian Yufei was momentarily stunned, then smiled gently, her mood instantly improving. Simon, that beast, deserved such punishment.

He’d previously said he wanted two million, but it was just a throwaway line; getting a few hundred thousand would be good. But extortion always involves bargaining, doesn’t it?

“Qiu Wan…” Meng Xuexuan looked around but saw no sign of the girl. Where had she run off to? That girl, realizing Meng was missing, was probably anxiously searching for her as well, so Meng had no choice but to look nearby.

Jincheng was in the southern region, but this time they were headed to the remotest area of the north, a journey of about half a day. The main reason they didn’t take a flying vehicle was to keep their identities secret.

“Ahem, I should’ve pressed this button earlier; didn’t notice at the time. Should I press it now?” Yuan Tao glanced at the button beside the bed; his heart pounded wildly.

“This is…” Allen felt a rush of excitement… His intuition told him this was exactly what they wanted to see.

Fan Zhao organized a volunteer team among the refugees, letting them manage their own affairs and maintain daily order, effectively reducing administrative costs and saving expenses. At last, the social management experience of the 21st century proved useful among the refugees of the 18th-century Qing Dynasty.

He suddenly froze, cupping my face in his hands, as if he could never look enough. Perhaps my words had moved him; he was deeply touched, his eyes shimmering.

The royal banner was raised. All the cavalry mounted almost instantly, falling in behind their officers in irregular formations.

The floodwaters in the valley had receded considerably. In Yi’s judgment, he could now wade across. He gave a bitter smile, gazed eastward, and saw that the horizon had grown pale—dawn was near.

“Excellent! Liu, your plan is brilliant. As long as we turn the tide, I will reclaim the empire. Losing a bit of face matters not, so long as the court’s decline is reversed. In the end, I will let all my subjects know that this land—still belongs to me.” Delong was suddenly invigorated, his spirit visibly improved.