17. The Society for Statecraft

Heijia, unsure of what to expect but trusting his Great King, stepped forward and stood before the ten-foot-tall Living Buddha of Taoyuan. With his crocodile head and human body, Heijia appeared quite slender and short; as a dragon turtle of the Xunyang River, he possessed a gentle air, lacking the ferocity or grimness of a wild beast. Lu Xun raised his massive palm, which resembled a winnowing basket, and placed it over Heijia’s crocodilian head. Looking up at the moon, he channeled his mystical power.

"Conversion."

A brilliant light erupted from the turtle treasure on his forehead, seemingly forming a...

"No, I just came back to take a look. Seeing that you are all fine, I can rest easy," Tang Hao said, shaking his head with a smile.

At five o’clock, Song Xiaodong arrived at the Dragon City Hotel. Not seeing Miao Qingqing at the entrance, he pulled out his phone, ready to dial, but immediately shook his head and put it away.

Lei Xiang, Zhang Dao'an, and Zhang Xingfei followed suit. With a few flashbangs, they successfully blended in with the refugees.

She knew that once Long Qingshan was killed, the Divine Dragon Empire would be left without a leader and would inevitably fall into chaos. Even if it managed to maintain a state of feudal lordship, the Demon Kingdom would find ways to break through one by one. Long Qingshan’s existence kept her from eating or sleeping in peace.

A flash of white light streaked toward Qin Qi, a sharp, jade-colored brilliance. Qin Qi threw a punch, shattering the light, and charged toward Tie Zheng.

Suddenly, Sai spoke. Bowing slightly toward the former, he made his request.

Back then, he really hadn’t thought that much; he just wanted to relax. But in such a short time, he had already incurred these debts of affection. Furthermore, Song Xiaodong realized that he could no longer afford to lose easily—his life was no longer his own, as it was now tied to the fates of so many others.

Zhang Xingfei pulled his credentials from his jacket pocket and walked up to the security personnel.

Guo Rui and the others were livid, their faces turning pale. How could anyone judge an incident so unfairly? This was clearly blatant favoritism.

Several squads of soldiers worked together with high efficiency. Five or six minutes after the military trucks cleared the village entrance, the setup was already mostly complete.

Zhou Wei was startled to hear this. He understood perfectly well what "taking responsibility" meant. If this were the postmodern world and he encountered a girl who liked him so much...

The difference between the imperial army and the rebels was not actually in battlefield experience—after all, the so-called experience of the rebels counted for little in a true chaotic melee, especially now that the imperial army held a numerical advantage.

Unlike Phoenix City, which was surrounded by water on three sides with only one land route for entry and exit, Yangzhou was bordered by water on one side and had gates on all four sides. Zhuyu Island and Yangzhou City faced each other from east to west across a canal.

Lu Daosheng laughed. Wasn't Kingsoft the very company where the big boss Lei Bu was currently serving as General Manager?

The bosses and top executives might have transcended the three realms and escaped the five elements, but as for the workers, everyone was just a part of the demographic dividend—there was no escaping it.

In truth, having her return to the Ming family was the best option. Once she was back with the Ming family, his pursuit of her would be legitimate. If she remained with the Nan family, not to mention what Nan’s parents might think, Nan Jiang and Nan Yangluo would surely never agree.

When Xue Mei heard the words "interrogation room," her mind was immediately flooded with images of cruel torture devices and shrill, agonizing screams.

But Lu Daosheng’s words had some effect, planting in Ruan Zheng’s mind the idea of closing the distance with Ke Xiaowen. So, when this urgent and pressing task came up, and with the leadership repeatedly emphasizing the need to meet the deadline, the typically laid-back Ruan Zheng initiated an uncharacteristically serious overtime mode.

The police officer on the side couldn't help but rub his temples. At first, seeing Ming Jiaojiao crying so miserably, they thought there was a hidden story and had specifically gone to the coffee shop to retrieve the surveillance footage from the manager.

Wang Ziteng glared at Jia She, furious but unable to say a word. He could only listen to see what Jia Yucun—who used to call him an elder but now addressed him as a brother—actually had to say.