Chapter 45 Tit for Tat

Li Hongyan observed her subtle, private movements, choosing to endure and remain silent.

The Empress continued, "Hongyan is steadfast and prudent by nature, while Youwei is naturally gifted with intelligence. If the two of you join forces, you will surely secure the realm with absolute stability. Youwei, you must assist your older brother as much as possible, do you understand?"

"Youwei understands."

Li Youwei feigned submissiveness and obedience. The Empress nodded in satisfaction. "Hongyan, and you as well. If one day in the future you ascend the throne as emperor, you must protect Youwei well."

Li Hongyan also gave his promise:

"No, even if he suppresses his realm, Brother Jinpeng's combat experience surpasses yours tenfold, a hundredfold. You cannot defeat him," Zixia said earnestly, trying her utmost to stop him out of fear that Chu Xun would be injured.

Gratitude and reluctance are not a pair of contradictory entities; a mutually restrictive relationship has never existed between them. One could even say that as one grows, the other rises proportionately.

Therefore, every time she came here with them to eat hot pot, watching those overwhelmingly spicy broths, her mouth would water uncontrollably.

That night, thunder roared and exploded, illuminating the gloomy sky with flashes of alternating light and shadow. Gazing into the distance, palace after palace bordering the horizon seemed to be swallowed and obliterated within the wrath of the heavens.

This was only because this ancient star was extraordinary, having had formation patterns laid down by more than one ancient Great Emperor. Had it not been for this, the entire star might have been shattered to pieces.

Thus time slipped away bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, six days had passed, leaving only two days until the grand gathering.

Regardless of whether the treasure Chen Tianxiu spoke of was real or not, just the fact that he had kissed Yun Bing publicly—and it was a long, deep kiss at that—was reason enough for them to never allow Yun Bing to cross the threshold of the Jin family.

Yet these emotions were precisely what was brimming within the entity that had just manifested inside Mei's body. To be honest, this was the first time Kiana had ever seen anyone wear such a look: boundless vicissitudes, profound loneliness, anger, and hidden deep beneath these negative emotions—killing intent.

Although the House of Wittelsbach was not on par with the major imperial lineages in Europe and did not belong to the ancient aristocratic clans, it still ranked among the top echelons of European nobility, making them the most suitable witnesses.

Perhaps. This might be the goal the Silver-Skin Divine Realm needed to achieve. However, the Supreme Being had been investigating for so long and surely must have considered this possibility. Yet judging by his tone, there seemed to be an even deeper underlying motive.

Rorona thought with a knitted brow: Should I use the Closed Reality? No, the mana consumption for that is simply too massive! If I were to use it right now, even I could not guarantee whether I would retain sufficient strength to continue moving forward when it ends.

"Look, aren't everyone's spirits lifted now?" Rels gloated after getting the better end of the deal.

Others might have seemed to advance into the Innate Realm earlier than Gu Chao, reaping greater harvests, but that was merely an illusion.

"Then, I must ask you to take care. There is a saying in the Ming Kingdom: As long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood. If you are willing to trust me, you might as well hold fast to the city and wait for the situation to change," I advised him as tactfully as I could.

Li Jiacai had never expected that this entrenching tool would save his life at such a critical moment. Had he not pulled out the entrenching tool in time, he would have had no time whatsoever to dodge Mizuno Takeshi's shot. However, since the shot missed, it provided him with an opportunity to counterattack, and he swung the entrenching tool straight toward the gun in his opponent's hands.

"That's right, my lord has been in Kyoto for a while now, hasn't he? Where are you staying? Tomorrow, Lord Sanuki, Lord Kagawa, and I are going to pay a visit," I asked him.

Song Yi only felt a splitting headache. After Shen Yingxue found him, her previously calm and unruffled face bloomed with an unexpected trace of joy, making it obvious at a glance that she had come exclusively for him.

"Just a ring like this costs over a hundred thousand? Are you trying to scam me?" The expression on Song Yi's face was utterly exaggerated, projecting complete disbelief.

With their pleasant moment interrupted, Jun Limiao's mood instantly turned violent and volatile, resembling a rabid lion ready to snap at anyone in its path.