Volume One, Chapter 29: The Son of the Vice Minister of Rites

"How much for her redemption?" asked a man dressed in lavish robes, his voice sharp and grating, like the squawk of a drake.

The procuress laughed until her eyes vanished into slits. "That depends on how much you gentlemen are willing to offer. After all, you are not the only one who desires Yu'er, so naturally, it shall go to the highest bidder."

The man with the grating voice chuckled. "They say a moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold pieces. In that case, I offer one thousand taels."

"One thousand taels of silver? I bid three thousand!" shouted another pot-bellied gentleman.

The man with the grating voice replied, "I was referring to one thousand taels of gold."

"What?!"

The crowd stared at him in astonishment, all thinking...

Of course, this feeling was one perhaps only Long Chen would have; ordinary inner-court disciples would be satisfied with winning a dozen points.

After the Homestead siblings and Jubilee left for Afghanistan, the Enderman vanished from Hell's Kitchen.

With just a few words, she had sent Bai Xue out of the house. Bai Li wanted to object, but Lin Rui was already looking down at his newspaper, clearly unwilling to say anything more.

Iron fences covered in red rust separated the manor from the surrounding buildings. Inside, the overgrown weeds were withered and yellow even in October, and a few scattered trees were so dead that their species could no longer be identified.

This time, the kill-tracking function also suffered from distance limitations, meaning kills beyond a certain range could not be updated in time; data could only be refreshed after close-range contact.

There was no helping it; the reputation of the First Peak of the Dual Academies was far too great within the inner court. Of course, this was not a good reputation, but a fearsome one that struck terror into the hearts of countless students.

This cry caused Lin Yuqing’s heart to tremble violently. She stared blankly at Xia Yun, unable to recover for a long while.

Old Mo naturally would not take this at face value, but regardless, he had to inform Bing Xin so that his master could make the final decision.

"From now on, let's try to communicate by phone. Do not come looking for me, lest we be exposed! We must let Nalan Jun enjoy himself for two months; he has money, after all, and we can take this opportunity to profit as well," Zhang Yunfan instructed before seeing Xia Yan off.

"Go, and clean yourself up first!" Hu Tianle waved his hand. At this moment, Lin Mingyu was covered in black, filthy grime, and the pungent odor made the old man frown.

She smelled cigarette smoke. Yun Shu also smoked and recognized the brand as Baisha, just like in her past life. Since she used to smoke this brand herself, the scent was neither unfamiliar nor repulsive.

Her long, smooth, ink-black hair draped over her shoulders. She wore a white dress, and her figure was slender—pure, gentle, and delicate, looking soft-tempered and moving.

Mist wore the black coat that belonged to Hua Mu, the brim of the hat pulled so low that her face was obscured.

Since Xiong Ba’s disappearance, for the first month or two, they hadn't thought anything was wrong. Even in previous years, Xiong Ba would often go into seclusion, sometimes for a few days, other times for over a month, and they assumed this time was no different; he must be in secluded meditation.

"So, the key issue still lies with Cai Guoxi..." Zhao Hao whispered, offering him guidance.

As the attack neared his forehead, Meliodas moved. Wolfert only saw a flash of cold light, then saw a familiar pair of hands, and looking down at his own wrists, which were spurting blood, he finally realized they were his own.

She was exhausted. She simply knelt by the pool and cupped water to wash the blood from her face. Before she could scoop a second time, a wine glass flew from out of nowhere and struck her squarely on the head.

Seeing her mother, Su Peng felt wronged. Her nose soured, tears fell, and she hugged her mother and wept.

Mo Mo was so angry she felt her lungs would burst, while Sun Tiancheng drooled at the sight; noticing others looking, he quickly wiped it away with his sleeve.

The doctor added, "The herbal medicine is already decocted; keep it in the refrigerator when you get back." With that, he handed the prescription to Xie Wei.

The reason for deferring the discussion was that the interstellar battlefield was ever-changing; there was no telling how things would develop by then.

"Mother, can you stop lying through your teeth? When has Kong Xiaotong ever cared for me? She only sows discord! She badmouths me in front of my father! If it weren't for her stirring up trouble, would my father have such a negative opinion of me now? Isn't that what you said too?" Kong Yuanzheng retorted, feeling deeply aggrieved.

But where could the missing medicinal herbs be replenished? Naturally, one had to go to the front mountain. To get from the medicine garden behind Qingtian Peak to the front mountain, one had to traverse the mountains and waters, bypassing the main peak of Qingtian and circling around the ridges halfway up the mountainside.

"Is the price acceptable to you?" Wang Long continued to ask. An appearance fee for an instructor-level figure was around 60,000. But for someone of Shen's caliber, the fee would be much higher—at least double. Wang Long decided it was best to be clear.

However, if one were to use the scarlet blood essence to create a higher-level berserker potion, it could significantly boost attributes, extend the duration, and weaken or even eliminate the negative side effects.

At this moment, it was impossible to mention the backgrounds of Zheng Xiaojie and Zhao Yinuo—that would surely spoil the mood. Besides, he was still unsure if the families of Zhao Yinuo and Zheng Xiaojie’s father could be considered his true backers; would they risk everything for him?

But Jing Rong’s return was a major event for Yan Yang. Officials from all over had been waiting, and the common people had gathered to watch. When they saw him, well—he was being held even while getting out of the carriage; he was truly being treated like a treasure.

"Sister Shuoying, now that you and Brother Shuoqian have returned to the country, are you going to stay here permanently?" Bai Nuo asked.

Although she and I shared the same room, we slept in single beds with a wretched curtain drawn between us. Every night, seeing the silhouette of that perfect body through the lamplight made my blood boil, and I longed to pounce and take her by force.

The commoners roared as they charged toward the execution ground. The bailiffs guarding the site didn't even dare to block them; these bailiffs were not brought from Chang'an by Zhao Jie, but were locals who had been selected for their positions.

Bai Qianyu glared at the fat man. "The Zhou family isn't so foolish as to play tricks on him; they wouldn't be able to pull it off. It’s just..." Before she could finish, Bai Qianyu looked at Liang Chen again.

The old lady nodded and went to prepare. Chen Yuan and the others helped the old man carry tables, chairs, pots, and bowls out to the shade of a large tree. The old man chatted with Chen Yuan and the others.