Chapter 48: When Rivals Meet on a Narrow Path

Mavia Club, sixteenth floor.

Ji Huaishu brought the Light Hammer down on the head of a bear-shaped beast, then kicked its headless corpse aside. After twitching several times, the body shriveled into a withered human form. A trail of such grotesque corpses lay piled behind her. Every one of them was a fugitive burdened with blood debts; even the most merciful judge would have sentenced them to death without hesitation.

She could name each one and identify their origins, because she had once searched every inch of the land for these escaped criminals and still failed to find them.

Other forms of attack might have been troublesome, but the Bell-Sending Monk’s sonic assault on the spirit, formidable though it was, had absolutely no effect on Mo Wentian.

Huang Fan had always been fiercely intolerant of evil. Zhang Tongxun could hardly have been unaware of that. Besides, he himself was rather careless by nature, so he did not pursue the matter any further.

Before long, the villagers reached the seaside and immediately spotted a motionless figure lying on the shore.

Tomb sweeping usually lasted half a day or even a full day, because one did not visit merely one or two graves, but ten or twenty geomantic burial grounds. It was not only the graves of close relatives that had to be honored; the tombs of ancestors from every generation, as well as those of the founding patriarchs, all had to be visited. So it was done year after year.

Chen Yang was speechless when he heard this. Fortunately, he had not lied just now; otherwise, if Xiaorou happened to see him later, he truly would have had no way to explain himself.

It could be said that this Icefire Origin Bomb had completely exhausted the energy stored within it. Without several years of recuperation, it would probably find recovery impossible.

The bamboo shoots on the mountain had long since ceased to be harvested. Le Lang wanted to preserve some for propagation, so from now on the shoots would be left alone. When spring came the following year, fertilizer would be applied and the soil turned, beginning the next cycle. And so it went, year after year.

Apart from disciples of the Two Leagues and Six Schools, any cultivator who had entrusted the Six Paths Alliance with auctioning a treasure would be treated as an honored guest upon presenting a jade token. Mo Wentian was no exception. With Qian Yucheng and Lu Youfu beside him, he followed a disciple of the Six Paths Alliance inside.

The Eternal Divine Artifact could no longer stir Luo Lan’s interest. Only a Supreme Divine Artifact was worthy of her attention now.

Wang Feng of course knew that they possessed soul beasts. Hearing this, he could only smile bitterly. For the sake of their soul beasts, he had nearly lost his life.

“What are you doing, Zheng Nan? I’m warning you—if you dare fire that gun, I will never let you off!”

Zheng Nan’s roar jolted Hua Yiyi awake from the intoxicating sensation triggered by the kiss between man and woman. The moment she saw him draw his gun, she rushed in front of Wan Li and shouted at him.

“No matter what, we’ve got fifty or sixty people here now. Brother Hu, think of some way to deal with this. We absolutely cannot keep risking our lives for other people for nothing!”

Cheng Liang’s voice was filled with resentment.

“So it isn’t that the fountain has become more beautiful. It’s because a handsome man like me is here, and that’s what made it beautiful.”

Wan Li was shamelessly pleased with himself.

“My senses are unusually sharp, and I’ve practiced qigong.”

Apart from that, Lu Chen could find no other excuse. Nor was there one.

The more anxious I became, the harder I tried to resist, but the two men in black subdued me. One of them, powerfully built, slammed his fist into my head. My vision swam, and I collapsed to the ground. Lin Fanyin was tied up as well. Seeing this, despair filled my heart.

They traded blows back and forth. In the blink of an eye, dozens of exchanges had passed, yet neither had gained the upper hand. Neither could seize an absolute advantage.

“All right. I’ll go pay the bill.”

As he spoke, Wan Li gave his hand a casual wave, and a stack of banknotes appeared in it.

He stared blankly for a moment, then released her. Cool air rushed into her body. Without thinking, she folded her arms across her chest and turned her eyes away from him. She remained silent for a long while, seemingly unsure what to say. She only wanted to stay there quietly with him, feeling the rhythm of their breaths.

Zhao Lingling dragged Angela aside, muttering to her under her breath. The two whispered together for quite some time before Zhao Lingling finally left, while Angela first looked puzzled and astonished, then nodded with a faintly bewildered expression.