Chapter 49: The Chief Culprit

When the three of them entered the house, Lu Mingyue had just finished preparing dinner.

At the sight of Qin Lie, whom she had not seen in some time, surprise flickered across her face, but she quickly concealed it.

*How did this man turn into a savage refugee from some primeval forest after only a few days away?*

Qin Lie stopped in his tracks and glanced down at his clothes.

His military uniform was rather worn, and his feet were shod in patched cloth shoes. Most of all, he was unshaven and his hair was disheveled. He looked utterly unpresentable.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiaobai was likewise reviewing the previous battle and arranging tactics for what came next.

In the blink of an eye, the streak of escaping light halted in midair before Lin Qingxuan. Xi Xiangnan stood there with Lan Caiyi in his grasp, staring coldly at him.

At the home of the village chief in Ma Family Village, Liu Jiayu’s expression instantly darkened when she heard that they could not leave today and might have to stay another night. The bed she normally slept in was layered with thick quilts, and incense was frequently burned in the house as well.

Gazing at the shadowy pool where black water and white fire remained sharply distinct, Di Chongxiao investigated it with Radiant Metamorphosis. He discovered that it was not a pool at all, but countless kinds of spiritual light mingled together and condensed into something as viscous as water. His heart filled with emotion. Had such a spiritual vein of Heaven and Earth appeared in the mortal world, countless sects would have fought over it until both men and institutions lay utterly destroyed.

Su Qiao had saved quite a sum of pocket money over the past few years and had barely spent any of it. Besides, since she now managed all the kitchen expenses, Eldest Sister had allocated even more money to her, telling her to spend it freely and ask for more when it ran out. Thus, she was not the least bit concerned about high prices.

Luoyang at the end of the Han Dynasty was the foremost city of the Han Empire, with a population of nearly a million. After several centuries of development under the Great Han, it had become extraordinarily prosperous. Liu He’s residence stood on Willow Front Lane off Everlasting Peace Street in the western part of the city. It was a compound with no fewer than five courtyards in the front section and another three in the rear. Beyond them lay a garden occupying nearly three mu.

Luo Li could not help smiling at his own boredom, inwardly scolding himself for stirring up trouble when he had nothing better to do.

The moment his voice fell, more than a hundred people leaped out from all around—before and behind them, from the grass and the woods—and surrounded the convoy.

At such close range, the old man was somewhat flustered, but at the same time, he had already raised his hand.

The commanders of a thousand men were also attending the meeting. Since Taishi Ci had performed exceptionally well in recent days, Kong Rong specifically sought his opinion.

Qianye had never imagined that Profound Spirit Qi could be used in such a marvelous way, and he was naturally overjoyed. Cheng Xiao behind him, however, was made to suffer; under the influence of Qianye’s “movements,” his escaping technique became extremely slow.

Uncle Ding offered another explanation. It turned out that ancient martial arts were divided into several realms, measured according to strength.

It was simply that his companionship had become a habit, and once a habit was formed, it was difficult to change.

By all rights, Ouyang Kunpeng, who had always doted on Ouyang Xue and Ouyang Yu, could never have been so cold and heartless. Ouyang Yu simply could not believe that her father had left the two siblings not the slightest bit of money.

The two of them chatted for a while longer. Sleepiness overcame Ma Mengmeng, and she drifted off in a daze. Someone who had never stayed up all night could not possibly endure an entire night without sleep.

When the personal guards of the Underworld King’s Palace came looking for him, Muyue had already fallen asleep against the cross. He was simply too exhausted and could no longer remember how long it had been since he had last closed his eyes.

On this point, Tang Feng did not follow the familiar ranking of the Seven Great Sages. There was no benefit in doing so, after all; naming them the Seven Great Sages had already shown that he had put thought into it.

Although Ouyang Kunpeng had given Tian Tian more than enough pocket money, she still preferred what she earned through her own labor. What mattered to her was not how much she made, but the process of earning it—the joy and sense of accomplishment that came after finding happiness amid hardship.

The serf army and the escaped slaves who had risen in revolt had received varying degrees of support from Beyond the Mountains. It was not much, but at crucial moments, it was always enough to help them persevere.

As sleepiness overcame her, the moment the carriage began to move, Hua Mian leaned against Pei Gongcuo and fell asleep.