Chapter 97: Master, the Times Have Changed — Requesting Diamond Votes

Another day passed in silence, the fog still hanging heavy, and the damp weather turned the accumulated snow into hard ice. Roads to other regions were gradually being reopened. Although the airport remained unusable, vehicles could still travel with caution, and the trains were the first to resume operation, facilitating the transport of personnel and supplies. With the first train arriving in recent days, two Taoist priests stepped off.

...

Li Tianhao glanced at his watch—it was exactly 2:40 in the morning. "How about we grab something to eat?" he suggested.

On the defending side, Zhuang Shaoyou's losses were also devastating: over eight thousand soldiers killed, two thousand of whom were newly recruited troops. Sun Guan's Third Legion, guarding the south gate, suffered the heaviest losses with three thousand soldiers dead! Huang Zhong's First Legion also lost three thousand men, owing to their responsibility of holding two city gates.

Just as Yongjiu's troops entered Anping Commandery, Wang Mu led the local officials out to greet him. Seeing the large crowd of officials kneeling on the ground, Yongjiu quickly dismounted from his horse. This was his first visit to Anping Commandery in an official capacity, and he needed to make a good impression on the officials of Jizhou.

Only after Ares and the others had drawn their lots did Night Cloud and Albis step forward slowly and pull their slips of paper from the box.

Nameless smiled without a word, and Rushou had no choice either. "I want an iron ore vein and a gold sand deposit." It was only upon hearing these words that Rushou realized Nameless wasn't incapable of choosing materials—rather, he was ensuring the purity of the weapons.

Saying it all so beautifully—allowing Zhongli Cange to permit Leng Qing to return to the mansion to visit her sisters—wasn't that really just a pretext to come back and report on what was happening? Clearly, Leng Qing was the eyes he had planted beside Zhongli Cange.

Li Song knew that Pei Ji's suggestion was not necessarily without the intention of preempting others and stopping their mouths, and he also harbored the idea of not setting a precedent. But at this moment, when they needed to rely on military officers to earn merits, granting a few more honorary titles wouldn't bankrupt the court.

Seeing everyone in agreement, Li Song issued the order. Wu Ciyou was taken aback, but he understood that riding in a carriage was indeed unsuitable now, so he accepted the command and left. After a brief preparation, the group began their arduous journey.

"What are you two arguing about?" Su Huan opened her eyelids, which felt glued together, and asked with some irritation.

"Mommy, you've already asked that question so many, many times." Su Yan let out an exaggeratedly mature sigh and said in a childish voice, sounding resigned.

If they came back again, or brought others with them, then the poison gas and traps would hold them off for a while, giving Shangguan Xiu and the others more time to prepare when they later departed.

Si Yun and Jin'er also went along, because the Cloud Dragon Clan's warriors were currently stationed at the frontline camp as well.

Yun Xiyan's gaze remained cold as she watched it all—she had witnessed too many scenes of carnage and mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Yet what filled her memories was only that one battle from her childhood that had changed everything.

The most horrifying thing was that within a few breaths, half of a disciple's body had already been sucked into the monster.

The fact that the young master braved the rain in the middle of the night to send Tang Zixuan to the hospital was proof enough of how well he treated her. And since the young master still had to go to work tomorrow, how could Wang Ma bear to let Li Fengjue stay here keeping watch?

There was no time to think further—the monster was already closing in again with Tian Mingzi. Due to its enormous size, Lan Jin had to struggle greatly to dodge.

"Mother, when you called me back, what exactly did you discover?" Shangguan Xiu hurried to his mother's side and asked anxiously.

This question they had never deeply considered before, but now thinking about it carefully, it seemed there might indeed be something suspicious.

"Well, since you like me so much, I suppose I'll forgive you then." She pretended to be magnanimous in forgiving Li Fengchen.