062 The Heart, Growing Gentle

“All right, disperse. Rest for today. Tomorrow night, we carry out the assassination plan,” Gozi finally decided.

No one knew how much time had passed. Long Ba and Long Da both wore exhaustion on their faces, while Shi Ronghua’s spectral infant, shrouded in a bloody mist, seemed to have gained a touch more clarity in its form over this period.

Sun Fengzhao, just as he sat up amid the cheers of Hua Jue and the others, felt his body completely drained, his limbs weak and powerless.

“...All right, all right, I was just joking! Really, can’t you take a joke?” Loki, seeing that Naruto was truly getting angry, waved his hand and sighed.

Anyone who had been grateful and relieved the night before would find their mood soured upon waking to discover themselves surrounded by corpse-like monsters, nearly losing their life in the chaos.

The ministers, observing this, felt deceived. If the emperor never shared a bed with the queen consort, how could there be a legitimate heir? Since that was the case, they had no choice but to remind His Majesty once again.

As for all of this, Gu Youran and Nalan Luo, the two main culprits, of course remained entirely oblivious.

“Come, use your ability on me. Let me see how well you control your powers,” Su Mubai sighed in relief and then spoke.

Hua Jue, clutching his brilliantly colored spiritual flower, squeezed through the crowd towards Sun Fengzhao, unaware that Sun was desperately signaling to him with frantic winks, warning him about Shen Zicheng standing behind him with a thunderous expression.

Sun Fengzhao had heard from Lu Wantian that cultivators skilled in alchemy often devoted so much time to studying various recipes and the refining process that their own cultivation would inevitably lag behind; thus, their spiritual power was not necessarily high.

To criticize the quasi-daoist in front of so many disciples of Mount Qingcheng was no different than beating Linghu Tian’s father, Linghu Di, to a pulp right in front of him.

This novel experience brought an unaccustomed flush to her cheeks. She raised her hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

A barrage of words erupted like a volley of cannon fire, leaving Ouyang Han speechless.

Yun Zhi’s words landed with a determined finality. Her face betrayed not a hint of panic, and her calm demeanor seemed as if she had anticipated this all along.

Su Youjun was overwhelmed with guilt for failing to bring Shen Yuan back safely. Yet Lord Youming, as Shen Yuan’s master, believed it was his own duty to protect his apprentice and that Su Youjun need not blame herself.

She sat quietly against the back of the chair, her delicate beauty emphasized by the pink and white of her attire, yet a deep melancholy clung to her.

For centuries, because the River God of Qinghe was his son, not a single demon had dared disturb this place.

At the same time, the mysterious figure instructed them that no matter what, they must not tell anyone about this. They were simply to follow the guidance of the spiritual pearl and seek apprenticeship at the Five Elements Sect.

At this point, her pregnancy was unmistakable. She could no longer fit into tailored ceremonial dresses and was forced to wear empire-waisted gowns to conceal her belly. Still stubbornly wearing low heels, with her makeup done, she looked exquisite, yet an unmistakable sense of incongruity lingered.

Though the Dark Force was a higher form of energy, embodying spirit, flesh, and various other energies in combination, its very complexity meant that it required not only immense willpower and physical strength, but also certain special energies that could not be gained from food or natural growth alone.

Sometimes, however, a well-used oversight could be a good way to test the waters—at the very least, it could serve to probe the Ye family’s attitude toward her departure.

“It’s Mo Tianjie against Lin Xiao? That’s a surprise! I really wonder whom the City Lord will support,” someone couldn’t help but laugh.

Yet whether it was Wu Dao, or Ye Feng, Xiang Yue, and the others, all they saw after passing the fiery figures was utter darkness—no sign of anyone at all.

Bai Yi curled her lips in a wry smile, shook her head, and headed toward the tea house, the others following close behind. “Hmph.” Chen Li didn’t spare them a glance, leading the Chen guards toward the villa district.

But things taken to their extreme always reverse. Throughout their lives, not a single nine-headed serpent among the Jiuying clan ever transformed into a dragon.

Bian Yi, seething with rage and determined to kill Yang Chong swiftly, endured the pain that must have reached his spine. He slashed fiercely at Yang Chong again, but Yang Chong, just as strong, met his blade without fear. This time, Bian Yi’s weapon broke once more, and an even more ferocious force struck him from behind.

Relying on memories from her previous life, Bai Yi successfully navigated the mechanisms and found the cache of hidden firearms. Without examining them closely, she swept them all into her storage space and left, satisfied.

Hearing those words, I was taken aback, then gave an awkward smile, wanting to say something but not knowing what.

When Huangfu Ling and the senior professor reached the top first, Yang Chong glanced at the few people below, smiled, and raised the flying vessel higher, leaving them hanging beneath.

What should have been a confrontation as sharp as needle against awl became a series of oddly formal exchanges. Che Yu’s words were too earnest, while Su Chunxiao’s voice was almost languid. Two people not skilled at conversation sounded as if they were reciting separate monologues, making things awkward for everyone from Che Yu and Cai Youbo to Su Chunxiao, Gao Fu, and the entire Xueyu Group.

Song Yanzhao gave a cold laugh, his handsome, stern features solemn. Standing atop the command platform, his eyes were icy cold.

The Penguin nodded, then stretched her neck to peer into the room. Che Yu quickly blocked her view with his body, worried she might spot the cat inside and misunderstand. Fortunately, the Penguin, nearly 170 centimeters tall and not much shorter than Che Yu, saw only a messy room, as the cat had hidden just in time.

Despite everything, he felt a twinge of guilt. Before placing the letter into the message tube, he hesitated for a long time.

Yet the information on cultivator affairs that Su Hang most wanted to know was missing from Xia Yucheng’s memory. As for "Gu," Xia Yucheng had likewise never heard of it.