Chapter Thirty-Seven: Incitement

"How did it go, my husband?"

While the area around Chaozhao was bustling, those who had rushed to the pond in hopes of catching a share of the bounty returned one after another. Seeing her husband and eldest son appear, Madam Luo hurried forward to greet them with concern.

The father and son, returning empty-handed, stiffened and shook their heads in unison.

"We came back with nothing."

"Mother, there were just too many people! The pond is deep, and the fish inside are far too cunning. Father and I couldn't find a way to get our hands on any."

Facing their shared frustration, Madam Luo...

"You? Who do you think you are? A parasite who lives off a woman's earnings thinks he can afford to buy a building? Do you have any idea how much this prime property costs? Two million! Can you even produce that kind of money?" Liu Hongyan pointed at Fang Yuan and lashed out with a torrent of abuse.

"My lord, we submit. Can you let us leave now?" Qin Tianbao pleaded, his spirit broken. He had witnessed the man's power; it was his first time seeing someone summon lightning from the sky. He was terrified; the man was like a demon, and he knew he would be haunted by the mere thought of Duoduo from now on.

"Didn't you go to Lifeng for a meeting? What, was Ji Siming too stingy to even offer you a meal?" Xu Hui asked, puzzled as she watched Tong En, who was drenched in sweat, and handed her a wet wipe.

Tong En flipped to page A05. A full page was dedicated to the detailed profiles of the four bidding companies, with Pengfei and Lifeng occupying the upper half of the spread side by side.

In these peculiar times, the appearance of the okra was far too coincidental, and Fang Yuan knew he had to act.

The seven old men chattered all at once, their meaning clear: they were determined to see the precious sword. But how could Liang Tao make such a decision? First, the sword belonged to Duoduo, not the Longquan Villa; second, his master had not yet spoken, and as a disciple, he could not overstep his authority.

"What are those tall mounds of earth?" Duoduo asked, looking at a mound that soared into the clouds over a hundred miles away, unable to suppress her curiosity.

Recalling the night he met her at the bar, he thought of her sharp-tongued demeanor and felt a sense of bewilderment. Which version of her was the real one?

The giant golden toad remained motionless where it stood. As the army ants approached, it suddenly secreted a thick, white mucus. The incoming ants stepped into the slime and were rendered completely unable to advance a single inch.

Standing on the stairs, he watched as Lin Yun stopped in front of her father's room and tentatively tried to push the door open.

Knowing Chairman Lin's usual temperament, he would never try to make money by selling tickets. Therefore, the ticket price certainly wouldn't be too high. But for an event of such high standing, a low price seemed rather inappropriate.

Reflecting on what had just happened, she still felt a lingering fear. The boy seemed capable of controlling her actions through his words; could this be his ability?

The Grand Princess deserved the greatest credit for making this happen. The fact that she had nearly hacked the great scholar Fu to death in the imperial court ultimately stemmed from this very matter. To have such a significant decision regarding the livelihood of the people settled, only for them to fixate on this one point, felt a bit like burning a bridge after crossing it.

In the mirror, four dark guards appeared, dressed entirely in black with their faces covered, though their builds suggested they were men. They stood before a mountain cave, chanting incantations together.

The place she had wanted to take Tang Li last time was the sect she belonged to, intending to pass on part of the sect's heritage to her. Although that sect was now reduced to only her, with Tang Li, they were now two.

As she spoke, she gestured toward Liu Linqi and the others; they didn't look like good people, and Jiang Yao didn't want Qin Fei to get mixed up with them.

Yao Yi chuckled to herself; it served them right. The Second Senior Sister's punishment was perfect. She wouldn't have to hear the name Yaona for ten years, and within a hundred years, she wouldn't dare to provoke her again.

"You certainly talk a lot of nonsense, truly worthy of being a boss," Lu Renjia remarked, smacking his lips with dissatisfaction.

After saying this, Shao Fei left to let Gao Yi be alone. Gao Yi was crucial to the next phase of the plan—it was a task only he could complete.

"Lele, kneel." Old Madam Dong knelt before the spirit tablets herself and signaled to Le Fan behind her. Then, she began to murmur, chanting something under her breath.