Chapter Forty-One: Crisis

The morning mist over Qingxi Salt Harbor had yet to dissipate. Pale white fog, tinged with the briny scent of the sea, swirled low above the docks. After each system reset, he would share the results with the technical staff. This allowed Chi Yufei and her team to quickly build upon their previous research and push it even further.

Approaching with the slow, enchanting steps of a catwalk was Jin Ruoyu, dressed in a revealing, athletic crop top and sporting a high ponytail, her face adorned with a beguiling smile.

As Zhao Yun urgently led his cavalry to Liu Bei, the messenger, following Zhang Fei’s orders, rushed to deliver news of a potential ambush to General Guan Yu as well. Though Liu Bei would surely send word if trouble arose, so much time had passed without any messages that it was impossible not to fear something untoward had happened.

Inside the hastily erected command tent, Liu Bei was deep in council with Gongsun Zan, Kong Rong, and other allies such as Zhang Miao and Qiao Mao. As Zhang Fei and his men relayed their reports, the gathering maintained their composure, but, despite their cultivated manners, many could hardly suppress the twitching of their faces at what they heard.

Qin Shaoqing remained silent, offering no words of comfort. He simply stayed close by her side, gripping her trembling hand—shaken by overwhelming grief—tightly in his own.

At the entrance, a weathered signboard engraved with "Qingtian Demon Hunters" hung above the pier, swaying gently in the breeze that swept through the alley, creaking softly.

She could feel His Majesty's helplessness and torment, for the emperor had finally realized the true ills afflicting the Ming and the grave threat posed by the Jianlu.

In truth, no one had any expectations for her martial prowess. She was beautiful, certainly, but showed not the slightest sign of knowing any martial arts. The director had already prepared to use a stunt double for her at any moment. Yet Xia Xinnuan surprised him greatly.

It was as though she were disciplining her own mischievous child—stern, but with a hint of tenderness.

Over the course of a year, Liu Bei had led his followers from the battlefields of Youzhou to Langya, rising like a brilliant new star in the sky of the Han Dynasty.

Now that she was back, she casually made a few calls to check on things at home, reported her academic progress to her mother, and wondered aloud where she should go for fun that evening.

The elderly man before her passed away peacefully. Though his life had been full of hardship, he voiced no complaints in his final moments. Perhaps his only regret was not being able to see the one he loved for the last time.

Lin Mengyin and Chen Xian exchanged incredulous glances, then both turned their curious eyes to Xiao Che.

She was already tired of hearing Xuanyuan Ziying bring up Luo Yutian’s name every day. What was so special about Luo Yutian that he had so thoroughly bewitched Xuanyuan Ziying?

"That's right, you’re the mastermind behind all of this. Of course you deserve special treatment. Do you know that because of you, my family was torn apart? My mother and sister would never have taken their own lives, and we ourselves barely escaped being hunted down," Huo Chou roared in fury.

On the city walls of Yanzhou, the great yellow banners emblazoned with the "Tang" character fluttered fiercely in the wind, dozens of "Chai" banners standing tall around the city, snapping and crackling. Beneath them, the garrison soldiers gripped swords and halberds, crossbows and bows at the ready, their eyes watchful, faces cold, observing every movement below with vigilance.

Ning Yue’s expression was blank. For ten days, he had come here to unburden himself, as if his words would never end.

"Curse you! This is all your damn fault!" Xiao Peng fumed, plopping down by the pool in sullen silence.