Volume One, Chapter 30: The Department of State Affairs

The next day, Ning Yunshu did not wake until seven in the morning. She did not know how many times she had fainted from the agony the previous night; she only saw that the silk quilt was marred by indelible claw marks from her fingernails.

"Your Highness," Chang Ge said, approaching the bed and offering a cup of hot tea.

Leng Yue stood at the threshold. When Cassius noticed someone had not yet left, he turned his head and stared at her in a daze. Cassius glanced at her, his eyes clouded with confusion, before turning back to pour himself another drink.

Curious, Leng Yue dismounted and picked up a black stone to examine it. Its surface was polished, yet when she scratched it with her hairpin, it crumbled; it was far softer than a normal stone.

"Yes," the young lady replied submissively. She lacked the air of a princess, and indeed, she lacked the confidence to assume such a stance.

Jiang Yushu lived in the rear quarters of the county office. Though her days were peaceful, her heart remained unsettled, heavy with worry for her distant family.

"There was only one bottle of this poison, and now it is gone. Do not worry, you may go now," Lin Wenlang said, offering a soft word of comfort.

"Thank you, Sister Yan." Zhang He and Li Nan, having never expected to survive, immediately raised their hands and gouged out their own eyes. With two piercing screams, the two blinded bodyguards stumbled away, leaning on each other for support.

She took a deep breath and strode toward the council hall. Clearly, the commander had issued prior instructions, for the guards stepped aside without requiring her to announce herself, signaling for the magistrate to enter.

The road was narrow, flanked by irrigation ditches, and surrounded by freshly plowed fields that stretched out, vast, level, and unobstructed.

"Haotian, I know everything you wish to know. I know it better than a rabbit does—or perhaps, you have forgotten that it is for the master to tell you," Xiao Yi said.

Returning to the starting point was not merely a simple thought, but a universal phenomenon. They would inevitably return here; after all, it was from here they had departed, and thus, in the end, they were destined to return. This was a pattern, a law.

Mo Beihao fell into deep thought. Where had he heard the term "Qilin bloodline" before?

This left Hitler with no hope, and in his despair, he began to arrange for the aftermath of Germany.

"That's about it. The warm-up should be over by now, right?" Gu Yu relaxed his guard, moving his body with a leisurely air, a faint, elusive smile playing on his lips.

"You wanted to help Yuan Xiyan find Dan Fuxiao, didn't you? Naturally, we are going to see him." Jing Moxuan crossed his arms, his gaze cold and tinged with displeasure. In Qian Ruo's eyes, the man was likely jealous once again.

"No, we cannot just stand by and watch you go to your deaths. It is our responsibility!" the captain of the armed forces declared with a stern, unyielding tone. But who was Yun Long, after all?

"I asked Chen Zifeng to investigate this for you afterward," Feng Kai said, staring at Wang Peng without blinking.

With the matter of Xiao Yun resolved, they set off for the base Xue Yun had long ago designated: Tianya Manor.

In a massive conference room, China sat around a table with the four nations of Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union, the atmosphere thick with gravity.

Lu Xuehua’s dark eyebrows shot up as he glared around the room. Despite being severely wounded, the heroic might he had displayed by knocking down "One-Eyed Dragon" with a single punch had left the thugs cowed, and they retreated in fear.

After all, it was Chen Feng who had provided the concept for this piece and offered such a wonderful title. Although the specific plot details had been written by Tian Ming himself, Chen Feng had provided the soul of the work.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Liu Zhigao suddenly leaped up from the high ridge. Taking advantage of his height, he tackled Zhao Chenghai into the peanut field, rolled with him, and locked his hands tightly around the man's waist.

Carrying the "essential qualities" and "broad-mindedness" of a boss, Qi Lei waved goodbye to Zhenhua and set off toward the town.