Chapter 50: Severing All Ties

Grandmother had said that Xing Jue and Lin Xiao must not get involved. Si Yao was supposed to intervene, but she did not wish to. Xing Jue’s reckless indulgence had not been a recent development—it had lasted a full seven years. No matter how much she tried to manage him, he remained unchanged. There was not only Jiang Yingxue in this world, not only one difficult woman’s family to contend with. If Xing Jue never broke free, her future would be plagued with endless unrest.

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The father and son had barely exchanged a few words before the call was passed to the mother. Compared to the father’s stern demeanor, the mother’s tone was noticeably gentle—nine out of ten sentences were warm inquiries about their well-being.

The villa had many rooms; Yu Cai and Wang Le stayed on the first floor, Bai Luo and Yaoyao on the second. As they were laughing together, voices echoed in the corridor, and two young men came downstairs. One was a familiar face—the bespectacled boy from the train the previous day. The other, tall and slender, was unfamiliar; likely not someone they had met on the train.

One night, Du Feng heard the haunting songs again in his sleep. He opened his eyes and found himself in the pavilion—the very same one at the heart of the lake. He would never forget it. Du Feng searched everywhere; after waiting so long, he finally heard the music. But no matter what he did, he could not find the boat.

“You must be here for the first time. Just call me Meiling.” The voice was unhurried, its rhythm perfectly attuned to the beating of the heart.

In the direction of Somsonas, the Federal Army dispatched a small reconnaissance force for combat scouting and discovered that the Norman Army was assembling troops there, preparing to advance along the canal toward Mason. Thus, the Federal Army made a decisive choice: they destroyed a series of transport facilities along the route and blocked the canal.

Had it not been for Zhou Huai’an’s habitual scan of the surrounding terrain and arrangements before his departure—he noticed several beings with exceptionally strong vital signs among his just-departed team—he might have overlooked them and been deceived.

In the vast underground world, aside from the roaring wind and furious cries caused by the rapid gathering of elemental energy, there was no other sound. The Eightfold Realm flickered in and out of view; amidst the surging torrents, the Primordial Dragon Spirit leapt and dove, undergoing an extraordinary and mysterious transformation.

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion echoed; in an instant, the surge of air charged forward, breaking through the oncoming force and striking directly at heretical doctrines and lawless powers. At that moment, Ni Wu Fei Dao abruptly drew the wicked blade from his back, channeling the evil power to its utmost, striving against the tumultuous storm.

Yet he could not help but covet more, wishing to turn his position as the deputy of the Jinghai military governor into a legitimate governorship, and even to hold the title of Annam Protector.

With a sigh, seeing the situation, he crouched down immediately. Accompanied by a “crack,” the pincers snapped shut as he crouched, even snatching a few strands of hair that had not yet fallen.

Dong Jincai returned from court; night had already fallen. After striving for two years and nearly matching Shen Mingzhao step for step, he failed at the last moment, unable to surpass him. He did not understand that this was the emperor’s method of keeping his subordinates in check; instead, he blamed his own excessive leniency with Shen Mingzhao, believing it was his lack of ruthlessness that cost him.

“There’s no ‘but’ about it. In short, I won’t overlook a single clue,” Lin Feng said coolly.

“He Qi Hu’s son was called He Gu’en. Was his body ever identified?” Shen Nian knew well how the remains would be distorted after a fire. Ling County had called in more than ten local coroners to assist; reportedly, only ten or so out of nearly fifty bodies had been identified.

The mountain soared into the clouds, its summit piled with massive stones and dense forests, vines sprawling across the entire expanse.