19. The Medicinal Catalyst

Shen Lian followed the sound, his face drained of color. His chestnut pupils constricted to pinpoints, and he nearly cried out. He had been so preoccupied with how to humble himself to appease the rage of the Jing-Shi Army’s commander that he had failed to notice the scholar and the wealthy landowner who had joined the banquet. Meeting them now, his initial shock gave way to deep anxiety and helplessness. "Woe is me," he whispered inwardly, his lips parting, yet he remained unable to speak for a long time.

Wan Chaohai glanced sideways, his eyes falling upon a pallid figure.

"Sister Qiao’er and the Young Marshal are truly close," Yuxiang said, trying hard to keep the bitterness out of her tone.

"Indeed." Gan Milu smiled and took another two sips. She had always enjoyed bitter tea, and she felt a particular fondness for this bitterness.

Gan Peilin frowned and pulled back the carriage curtain; the pitch-black night seemed slightly brighter due to the expanse of white snow.

"Duke, look—is my hypothesis nearing success? To be honest, as long as I had persisted with the initial concept of the Kongming lantern, I might have actually found the right path."

Any problem she could discover, "she" would surely discover as well; her purpose in rushing here was nothing more than to make her own soul whole again.

When Old Madam Fang arrived at the Grand Marshal’s mansion, she did not need to present a calling card. Everyone knew of her reputation, and those inside hurried out to welcome her.

They had just offended so many people—all of them peak powerhouses of the cultivation world—that if they were to cross paths again, there would likely be hell to pay.

Chen Yun was close by, and hearing them discuss flooding ant nests and burning beehives, she couldn't help but feel pleased. Her hand-held fan tilted unconsciously, and as the direction changed, the breeze that had been blowing toward Xue Ru vanished without a trace.

Upon hearing this, Old Monster Hu’s eyes lit up. He had never ridden a flood dragon before; if he could, wouldn't his life be even more complete?

In front of the temple stood a well of holy water. Not only did drops of holy light permeate the water to automatically produce high-quality holy water, but the surface of the mirror—positioned there—reflected the entire island.

It appeared to be a criticism of Ye Tao meant to give Luo Qin a way out, but in reality, it was another blow to Luo Qin. Luo Qin bowed deeply and retreated in silence.

The Sea King’s avatar was terrified out of his wits. Sensing that horrifying baleful aura, he recoiled repeatedly, pulling back through the gap.

Ye Ming and Luo Yueyu felt the anomaly simultaneously. Their hearts tightened, yet neither dared to slow down—the former for fear of being caught, the latter for fear of the distance widening.

During the conversation, Li Yiyan’s shadow guard appeared once more at the entrance of the teahouse. As previously agreed, Ning Yunyou returned to their inn alone; fortunately, it was not very far.

"I just learned of His Majesty's arrangements... you know what I mean, the arrangements for you and me. I have always said this misunderstands the brotherhood between us, but all in all, it is not an arrangement that is hard to accept, is it?" Ye Tao adjusted his tone and spoke calmly.

The next young gentleman’s voice was noticeably more pleasant. It was a pity, however, that his seven-character regulated verse kept coming out in bursts of three characters, leaving the final character stranded, with the tonal patterns completely in disarray. It sounded indescribably bizarre.

"Big brother, look at the mess you’ve made." Tang Tianhao’s younger brother stood up, suppressing the joy in his heart. With an incident like this, it was now absolutely impossible for Tang Tianhao to inherit the Tang family.

"I am under orders from the Ministry of State Security, or as you often call it, the MSS. The art of disguise was part of my training. Given the nature of our work, I suppose we count as agents. We get to see things you couldn't possibly imagine," Shan Dandan said.

Thus, Xiao Jinglin did not suspect that Yun Qiuchen had tampered with anything. Yun Qiuchen had no reason to harm her, and besides, she had no authority to command the people of the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion.

Adding to this Zhang Fan’s performance the previous day, they were completely unable to comprehend how he had managed a thirty-five-kilometer cross-country run.