Volume One, Chapter 27: One Person, One World

Zhuang Zhou held a horsetail whisk, his eyes brimming with confidence. Seeing him arrive, Guiguzi felt a flicker of curiosity and asked, "Brother Zhuang Zhou, what brings you to assist the mortal realm?"

"I originally had no intention of involving myself in the crusade against the heavens, but I heard that the celestial realm is teeming with beings who style themselves as sages." Zhuang Zhou offered a wicked smile. "Are you one of them?"

"It is freezing, yet no one thinks to light a stove. Honestly!" Wang Lie, annoyed, waved away his attendants and lit the stove himself.

Listening to the clamor of the crowd, the clan elder broke into a cold sweat. Today’s events had spiraled beyond his control, especially since Chief Yao, on whom he relied, stood by in stony silence, watching the scene like a spectator, which only deepened the elder's unease.

Gao Meifen stared at the situation in disbelief. Suddenly, as if the truth had dawned on her, she shouted at Jun Jinchi, "You set me up!" The recording from the private room had been merely the first phase of his design, and tricking her into voicing her feelings for Jiang Yaoming had been the second.

Han Ziye sensed what his grandfather was about to say. He smiled with understanding and pushed Han Shengshi in his wheelchair toward his room.

Xia Qi could see that the conflict and struggle that had once clouded her friend’s face were gone. It was as if she had regained her former cheerfulness—no, more than that, she now possessed a newfound sense of resolve.

"Are there others?" Chen Hu was now gripped by fear. With the police suspecting him, he had become hyper-vigilant, sensing that danger was closing in.

"Exactly. Since they are inseparable, what good is this herb? It’s not even worth the effort of burning for warmth. Why keep it? Better to just throw it away and save the trouble," Xu Xuan added, explaining the situation.

Looking closely, I saw a cute girl staring at me with predatory intensity, as if she were about to devour me whole.

Zhu Qiming suppressed his rage and closed his eyes in contemplation. He had to dismantle the self-serving schemes of those old ministers and force the deluded Empress Dowager to face reality.

Bi Xuan, the Martial Sovereign, seemed to sense something and attempted to withdraw from the fray, but Zhang Liang would not grant him the chance. Channeling all his strength into the Hunyuan Heaven-Earth Technique, he struck out with a single finger toward his opponent.

Beyond the pursuit of the King, Gexi Nanmu led the Gexi and Eastern clans in a frantic search for Gexi Wuying. The dense thudding of footsteps startled the dogs in the deep alleys; one barked, triggering a chain reaction of howling throughout the area.

Wuchen looked up to see a row of apartments for sale nearby. His body was permeated with a soul-deep exhaustion; he realized it was time to find a place to rest, having not closed his eyes for five or six days.

Unable to hail a taxi, Xu Qingmo didn't mind, simply walking forward along the street. Amidst the neon lights and nightlife, Xu Qingmo walked alone, a watermelon knife in his hand, a solitary figure in the stillness.

In the world behind the bronze gate, the Silent One lay quietly, his eyes half-closed and his breathing steady. The last of the dark purple spots on his skin were slowly fading away.

Then, the second fatty actually winked at me. Could there be a problem? Was this vinegar not meant to be drunk? Yet, throughout the rest of the journey, they offered no further explanation, acting as if nothing had happened at all.

"However, those two insulted you just now, calling you a bumpkin, a triple-grade idiot, and someone who doesn't know when to die. Are you just going to let it slide?" Lin Xian'er flashed a cryptic smile, deliberately raising her voice toward Nie Tian, her intentions all too clear.

Sha Dutian looked the object over, unable to identify what it was. It was made of bronze, in any case. Disappointed, he tossed it to the ground with a sharp, resonant clang.

Had it been the old me, I might have believed such things. But now, I no longer subscribe to that logic. I watched as time slipped away, until suddenly, beneath the glow of a streetlamp, I saw a sturdy, short man carrying a pack walk past.