Chapter 147: Winning Hearts and Minds

On a narrow path in the capital city, darkness reigned, broken only by moonlight reflecting off the ground and the glow of fires raging in the distance.

"Brother, watch out!" Wen Yueche leaped from the carriage, joining his brother to fend off the two fugitives.

Though the prisoners were covered in wounds—clearly the result of brutal torture, with bones exposed in some places—their combined strength was a match for Wen Yueze. Even with Wen Yueche’s assistance, the brothers found themselves unable to subdue the pair.

...

Even if Zhang Kun had never studied military strategy in earnest, having grown up in an era of information explosion, he had seen and understood a thing or two.

"Hmph, was I wrong? You’ve had ulterior motives ever since you started getting close to our Xiangzhi." Although Song Xiaonan knew she was in the wrong, she remained stubborn.

Perhaps I should just head to the school tomorrow, process my withdrawal, and completely shed the identity of a student.

Lin Miaomiao wanted to retort upon hearing this, but a single glance from Ye Xingchen stopped her. Seemingly understanding his intent, she said nothing more.

Therefore, even as the Commander-in-Chief of the Wuwei Army, Fang Zihao’s overt status was no higher than that of Xu Xian.

"Sun Xiang’s positioning is excellent." Unlike the guesswork, worry, and hesitation of the younger players, Ye Xiu nodded firmly from the center of the first row in the competitors' gallery.

This devout follower of Sigma had long been receiving certain revelations; faintly, he felt something on the northern coastline calling to him.

Under the impact of two energy beams, the vast arena’s brick floor shattered piece by piece, sending countless fragments flying until the entire structure exploded within seconds.

Its gaze occasionally drifted surreptitiously toward Cheng Feng, who sat behind the tables among the many demons, its eyes flickering with a hidden luster.

He looked up at the sky outside the window. The midday sun had shifted just slightly; the winter light bathed the earth, and the sky was clear for thousands of miles.

Ye Lingxi was quite different; the more she listened, the more amused she became. By the time Tang Liuli finished, she burst into laughter.

Because of this commotion, Feng Qiwen had truly beaten Mother Wang to death, and the atmosphere throughout the Feng family courtyard became deeply oppressive.

Zhan Anxin looked back over her shoulder, but Mu Feng had already vanished. She lowered her head to look at her shadow, which was darker than an average person's. She smiled, extended her foot to step on it, then lifted her leg—only to find her ankle frozen in place.

That was right; Ye Wusheng felt that teaching Liao Yanning some martial arts would serve to settle this karmic debt. Liao Yanning had agreed; after all, why turn down something that benefited her?

"..." Nagano fell silent, a cold, rebellious aura swirling around her as if she were brewing something.

The cliff rose high into the clouds, incredibly steep; without exceptional light-body techniques, it was impossible to ascend. Ye Lingxi had been brought up by the craftsman Minghui, and both Hongyu and Yingchun had been escorted as well.

A black fish, nearly two meters long, suddenly burst from the water. Its dark scales shimmered in the sunlight, and its fins and tail were immense.

The Crown Prince kicked the gate open and saw the scene before him: Chongde was slumped on the ground, clutching his hand, a pool of blood spreading beneath him. Hongyu held a dagger, and Yingchun stood on Chongde’s back. He was being abused like a dog, and the severed finger was clearly visible.

Her breathing was steady and long, her articulation rounded and clear. The emotion she injected was neither too much nor too little, making her voice a pleasure to hear—entirely devoid of affectation, yet lacking nothing in sincerity.

Whether that man was truly Emperor Xuantai remained to be seen, and even if he were, there was no guarantee he would survive the journey to the capital. Even if one took the most extreme view, what right did a man who had squandered the destiny of a dynasty have to reign again?

Looking at the master and disciple leaping about like children as they paved the road, Ping Dong and the other reclusive cultivators felt a bitter taste in their mouths. Using the body of a God King as a rammer and soaking the ground with divine blood to pave twenty miles of mountain road—that fellow Jiang Hengchu was truly unfortunate.