Chapter 82 Fond of Play

Siyao thought for a moment. “That depends on Bai Yu.”

Tang Chen pressed his lips together. “I heard from my brother that Brother Bai Yu once said he would give me the role of a female assassin.”

But back then, the competition’s rules hadn’t been decided yet. What Bai Yu mentioned must have been his old script, while now all scripts are created on the spot during the contest. Bai Yu’s style is unique—whether there are female characters or not...

The plank roads of the Qinling Mountains are all perilous, clinging to sheer cliffs. Even the most spacious and accessible, the Chencang Road, is dotted with beacons throughout the valley. At the slightest disturbance, warning smoke signals can be sent, and one could easily deploy troops to block the passes—just as Chen Qiyu once trapped Li Zicheng in Fengxiang Gorge, surrounding the Ming army at the valley floor and annihilating them completely.

Xiaolan and Jiang Yun were straightforward people, unafraid of raising eyebrows. They shared a jug of wine, taking turns drinking from it.

This made him deeply displeased. Someone actually dared to threaten his brother—he had to intervene. At this moment, he cared nothing for whether the other party was friend or foe. In his eyes, bullying his brother was simply unacceptable.

The vast starry sky receded rather than drew near, growing ever more distant from the two, yet the sounds they heard became even clearer.

As the low hum echoed, Chai Hongzhi could not help but open his eyes, meeting Tian Ming’s gaze. He gave an awkward smile at once.

“Twenty-five horses have left the city. According to the Marquis’s instructions, the guards at the North Gate did not deliberately stop them, leaving a gap to let them escape,” Yu Yin immediately reported.

In short, this is a game of capital. For streamers, there’s no way to lose money. Yuan Liang’s intention was to let “Ten Seconds to Kill” be poached by them, use their publicity as capital for further investment.

“Unlucky things happen every day. I barely step out the door and hit the jackpot,” Chang Kong Xingyu cursed under his breath.

The approaching figures did not attempt to conceal their presence, showing no intention of ambush but rather seeking a face-to-face confrontation. The three leaders halted not far ahead of Mu Lingtian.

Gripping his spear tightly, he peered nervously through the wooden railing atop the low wall, gazing at the dense ranks of the Qing army. The multitude of heads bobbing like clouds told him that this time, the Qing forces were launching far more than mere harassment attacks, unlike the previous days.

“No, just take it as payment for venue rental and equipment use,” Ye Zhao waved his hand dismissively.

But this time, Qin Wusheng did not banter with her as before. Instead, he swayed and turned away.

“Master, someone requests an audience: Master Chen Duo of the Chen family and Gao Yunguan of the Gao family have both arrived…” Suddenly, a servant rushed in to report.

After Karun and the others explained the situation, the old village chief fully agreed with their assessment. He checked the breath of the deceased—his body was utterly lifeless, deathly aura thick, unquestionably dead. Yet, strangely, the corpse showed no sign of rigor mortis.

Akan, paralyzed, could no longer support himself. He collapsed stiffly into the dust, staring in disbelief at their retreating figures, his eyes wide.

Those who understand the form and spirit of knowledge derive their wisdom from the Way. If vital energy cannot circulate, pure essence remains unresponsive; if the spirit cannot be harnessed, the true vision remains unclear. Therefore, only by enlightening the spirit can one command energy; only by focusing energy can one respond to the spirit. Thus, knowledge left unrefined cannot reveal itself; energy left unfocused cannot be gentle. Focus energy to attain gentleness, and you may become as supple as an infant.

The slender tip of the blade seemed to have eyes of its own, slipping straight through the chest bone of the corpulent clansman behind and burying itself deep in his heart.

Moreover, before the agency, an artist like Rie Tomosaka was nothing more than a commodity for sale. Even if she resented such treatment, would she, for the sake of Ye Zhao and Yukie Nakama, truly go head-to-head against the agency?

She wanted this lover, fourteen years her junior, to know that she too had once been young.

Grand Historian Kun continued, “This kind of acceleration of foreign assets flowing into the Song Dynasty can be called plunder. Don’t think plunder is merely robbery or pillaging; in fact, there are generally three types of plunder.”