Volume 1, Chapter 46: Meeting Pei Ji Again

She could never have imagined that Third Uncle would actually ask Father to punish her.

Father was ruthless. To appease Third Uncle’s anger, he immediately slapped her hard across the face; her cheek still stung from the blow.

In the days that followed, the Song household experienced an unprecedented calm.

As spring gave way to autumn, the ancient tree in the Third Branch’s courtyard, thick enough to be encircled by three people’s arms, shed its leaves. Though barren now, one could easily envision how lush and verdant it had been during spring and summer.

Every year, with the changing seasons, the Song family would tailor new clothes for each branch. Perhaps because the Third Branch had recently behaved unusually, this time Old Lady Song even sent the three Song sisters to the shop together to be measured.

Red lanterns and ribbons hung high before the main hall, festooning the space in joyous celebration. Dozens of tables were set in the center, with all guests being guided to their seats by servants from the Forest House.

“Can you let go of the outside world?” Lan Lianxia’s true question was, “Can you let go of the power and influence outside?”

“I think we shouldn’t go in. This place…” The driver uncle recalled Nie Wei mentioning that everything here was created by ghosts.

He immediately noticed four enormous stalagmites positioned centrally in the cave, standing side by side in crescent shapes, seemingly enclosing a spot at the center.

Tan Xiao gasped for breath, his face flushed red and then turning purple. No matter how strong a person was, a human being still needed air to survive.

Damn it! Wusong cursed silently, pulling out ten taels of silver from his pocket and discreetly handing it to Brother Hun, then turning his attention elsewhere. He was now pondering how to help Wang Erniu escape this predicament.

If life allowed a second chance, I would wish that Wei Liang and I remained just office workers in our apartment, never having encountered any of this.

But it was impossible for me to accompany her all night as Huayangzi suggested. Besides, today was the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival and the first day of the lunar month. The temple of the Northern Emperor had more than a thousand devotees; the crowd was chaotic. Taking her home was the best course.

That gaze held pity, curiosity, and a faint teasing. Madam Gu Shiba slightly lowered her head.

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Now, the Zhen Nan Prince’s mansion had become deserted, with only a gatekeeper remaining. Palace attendants would come periodically to clean, but no one else showed interest.

Maodun felt pleased and reached out to grasp Han Xin’s hand affectionately, but Han Xin suddenly smiled at him with an odd expression, alerting Maodun’s instincts.

Among the three great clans, the Qian family was somewhat tainted, though outsiders were unaware. Only the Yun, Mei Sheng families, and some major figures from the Hongmeng Realm knew. As for the nature of their impurity, everyone was vague and uncertain; others in the Hongmeng Realm were completely oblivious.

If she hadn’t pushed, the one who would have fallen injured was herself. Doing this back and forth two or three times, even if one survived, half a life would be lost.

“Di Jun, you harmed my brother. If you seek death, don’t blame us.” The Third Ancestor shaman charged at Di Jun.

Using willow branches as the base, she had pondered this design for a long time. Yet when it came to execution, the willow leaf for the ring setting always seemed lacking in grace. The leaf should have width, but it appeared clumsy and awkward.

Around the tomb was a wall, marking the boundary between the dead and the living. Though only four meters high—not as imposing as a city wall—it was sufficient for someone to walk atop. The gate was solid and sturdy, impossible to breach easily.

Beside the gate lay an open area bathed in moonlight, flowing down like water without obstruction. Two large stones, still in their natural form, nestled among the grass.

“Yan Wan, you are a genius, using such a vulgar ‘flower’ shape as the rose so perfectly!” Zhou Pu happily donned her restraint, while Yan Wan helped fasten her necklace.

Previously, Ling Jiuxuan and Li Fuling’s powers differed vastly; under her overwhelming presence, they felt her high above them and paid no attention to her appearance.

“Senior brother… isn’t this inappropriate? You could give it to Sister Shui Qingrou or Sister Nangong… This is too precious; we truly can’t accept it!” Kui Yueya shook her head repeatedly.

Had I known, I should have turned it into a multiple-choice question—there would be much more room for maneuver on the answer sheet.

If he knew there was something dirty here and could see the truth clearly, then… for him to carry out all that without a trace was terrifying beyond words.

When he descended the mountain, he found Shui Qingrou and Nangong Bingyue already waiting by the roadside.

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Before anyone could sigh, Ji Ling suddenly sprang into action, wielding a trident with astonishing skill.

The key was that I had already confessed my feelings for Chu Huanhuan. To admit defeat now would surely invite the old man’s scolding for being weak.

Yet Li Yaru was preoccupied with thoughts of childbirth, entirely unconcerned about what was happening outside.

Qian Yun Yue and the others circled around, taking a different route to the Demon Realm, heading straight westward. The Yan and Tu clans suffered constant defeats, retreating steadily west. If they could no longer hold the line, their last hope would be to seek refuge within the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain.

Thanks to the marriage alliance with the Wang family, the leading real estate group, and their patronage, the Lin family barely managed to survive within high society.

It was said that Tang Li offended Yi Fan’s fiancée, who then whispered poison into Yi Fan’s ear and resorted to crying, tantrums, and even threats of hanging herself, ultimately causing Tang Li to be transferred.

Recalling ten years ago, when I marched on Shanhaiguan yet was stopped by an unknown man wielding a single sword; five thousand elite troops could not advance beyond the Great Wall—that humiliation—and later returning to Japan, enduring hardship, mastering the invincible Golden Body through countless trials.

“Master, please don’t say such shocking things suddenly!” Her eyes turned red, resembling a red-eyed rabbit.

“What? So it was you causing all this trouble!” Xin Hu looked up at him, full of resentment.

However, upon closer inspection, he realized that neither his ally nor Ling Yun could arrive promptly to support this battlefield—they were already engaged in combat with each other.

“Mother Wang, are you ready? Don’t be nervous when the time comes,” Lan Xing’er carefully advised as she approached.

Property prices in this area were not low. This house, with spacious front and back yards, was priced at three million two hundred thousand pounds, comparable in total area to An Feng’s mansion in Miami, though, of course, lacking a private beach. After viewing it, as a symbolic residence, An Feng had no complaints.