9. The Azure Water Essence and the Little Demon

The old water ghoul did not fear him; it dared to emerge from the reservoir to help him capture the thin, dark-skinned man who had fled, presenting the captive before him.

When someone offers a gift with such humility, they surely seek something in return.

Lu Xun beckoned toward the crowd.

The people, kneeling on the ground and trembling with fear, looked left and right.

The village head glanced around, pointed to himself, and managed a tearful smile, asking, "Me?"

He saw the giant monster, standing a zhang high and sitting cross-legged on the ground, nod slightly. Its heavy eyelids drooped, and a palm as large as a winnowing basket reached out toward—

"Mo Mingchen, could you tell me? Have you been lying to me all this time?" A moment later, Jiang He asked, looking somewhat desolate.

Yet, his son’s protectiveness toward his little sister rivaled that of his own father. Every morning, the first thing the boy did upon waking was to go and dote on Bao’er, lingering until it was time for class. Even after school, he would return and stick to her side, unwilling to leave her for even a second.

The oppressive air, the drizzling rain, the sky turning completely dark—and then, a mournful cry tore through the silence.

Running wildly all the way back to Jiangbei, Chen Tie looked like a wild man emerging from the woods, clad only in a few branches as he charged into the martial arts academy, drawing the gaze of countless onlookers.

At this moment, Cui Lingtai had lost the bravado with which he had just defied his grandfather; all that remained was terror and unease.

"He wanted to marry me, but I refused." Fan Sisi kept it a secret that they had abandoned the plan because of Cang Sheng. Explaining it would take too long, and if her mother and father decided to fight Cang Sheng to the death, they clearly wouldn't stand a chance.

Those three consecutive words of "kill" nearly made Chen Tie wet himself; the aura of slaughter chilled him to the bone.

Perhaps there is no greater happiness than this: marrying for love and living within it, where everything is so beautiful.

It was true; although the school office had said before enrollment that this would be like college life, the truth was that life was restricted everywhere, with no freedom at all.

It was an auspicious day, suitable for Xiao Rang to marry, and equally suitable for the new emperor to ascend the throne. As a royal kinsman, Mu Qing was qualified to inherit the throne, and Jun Fei had abdicated the position in his favor, stepping down from his status as heir.

"Get fully armed and get the hell out there to assemble!" the scout platoon leader shouted at us twelve.

Wu Jiangkai’s words brought much relief to Shen Tong. He hurriedly wiped away his tears, put the matter aside, and turned his concern toward He Yunchang’s situation.

There was no need to mention how wretched Chen Ansong looked; his handlebar mustache, in particular, brought his seedy nature to its peak.

Seeing her so happy, Li Ming felt a deep sweetness in his heart. As long as his family was happy, any sacrifice he made was worth it.

After the formation was dismissed, I could no longer contain my excitement. I shouted aloud, wrapped my arms around Hu Xinlei, and began to jump for joy. Infected by the atmosphere, Hu Xinlei joined me in our celebration.

We were far past the point of listening. We just ran for our lives, desperate to get back; the camp was the only safe place. With the company commander there, there was no way the platoon leader would be able to bind us.

Due to factional politics, he ultimately did not become the director of the Jiangcheng Municipal Bureau, but he now held a rank equal to that of a bureau chief, and his reputation was even greater.

She did not want this boy, who meant so much to her, to drift away because of her family background.

"Goodbye, big brother, big sister, and Mom. I will miss you all," Xu Ruoxue said, waving her hand with reddened eyes.

The Yin-Yang Ancestor slowly withdrew the smile from his aged face, replacing it with a sense of confidence—a powerful, commanding confidence that looked down upon all living things. At that very moment, the aura emanating from the Yin-Yang Ancestor shifted abruptly, as did the expressions of the hunting team, led by Wang Tian and Xie Ruohan.

Qin Nanyu squeezed her hand tighter, shedding his cold exterior, yet he still led Ji Weitian forward.

He nodded to Shen Hehua, who was helping push the wheelchair, and then glanced unobtrusively at Zheng Su, who had grabbed his trousers upon seeing her mother and sister. He had no choice but to suppress his inner questions for now.