Chapter Twenty-Five: The Predicament

"All of you, go! Break their legs!"
As Yun Tianqing's furious roar struck like a whip, Wen Changning was gently turning the bookmark tucked inside her storybook.
Judging by the footsteps, there were twelve men, all trained in the basic arts of the army, but their stances were unsteady.
"This is not normal, absolutely not normal..." Mo Ya scanned the surroundings, then quietly followed, wanting to see who that shadow was and what they intended.
In the next moment, when she saw Ye An approaching with a gentle smile, she was stunned, frozen in place.
The disciple of the Gate of Asura accepted the order, slowly drawing a dagger, and glanced at the suffering Military Adviser Ma, yet hesitated to act.
But her agreement alone was pointless. If Guo Kaishan refused, Wang Chunmei was powerless. Though Wang Chunmei had always been dominant at home, when matters arose, it was Guo Kaishan who made the decisions.
Thus, the situation became clear. For the other party to have written such a statement, it was evident this was not the first time such an event had occurred.
When Bu Tianyin entered, Beitang Mo saw the black birthmark on her face and showed undisguised disgust. Yet when he noticed Yun Changge following her inside, his expression changed again, a flicker of fear appearing in his eyes.
"Uncle Hu, you must have a deep misunderstanding of me," Ye An said lightly, the words striking directly at Hu Ping's heart. For a moment, his aged face even flushed with embarrassment.
"You think the Prince Shen's residence is a place you can come and go as you please? Ten thousand taels, I will sell you your freedom," Shen Si'an replied, each word pointed and deliberate.
Below, the cadre of Thunder Sound were all jubilant. After all, their captain was the man who slew Bi Gumamu; that alone was proof enough of his unfathomable, terrifying strength.
There was no occupation in the traditional sense, nor any atrocities like rape, plunder, arson, or massacre, as had happened when Bai Yue invaded Donghu Prefecture.
Upon hearing the words of the Princess Royal, their discussions grew louder, unsure what else might await them.
When they met again, Yao Jingtian nodded slightly to Tang Yun, then formally offered his thanks. Ritsuko Ikeda bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees.
A tiny fire raven burst from his lips, flying straight for Xin Qiu. The miniature fire raven grew larger in the wind, and in just a few meters, it swooped at Xin Qiu’s face. Focused on Yu Yuyao, Xin Qiu had not anticipated that Yu Jinshan possessed such a trick.
Qi Miao had barely finished speaking when a slender, forceful hand seized her ear, making her cry out in pain.
"What's wrong? Don’t you barbarians have plenty of horses? Have you never seen a mare foal?" Bai Yan asked.
"You… Zhang Ning," Gu Qi stared in disbelief, mouth agape, at the person he often bullied, unable to fathom them now.
During the chase, Qin Hao and his companions relied on the Eye of Heaven’s Way; though the situation was perilous, they remained unharmed. Meanwhile, the Fan family, tracking them via the red dots on their fans, were left in utter disarray.
The only real effect, alas, was that the spiritual stones of Qingchuan Immortal Sect were being rapidly depleted. Such a massive formation required an enormous amount of power just to activate, let alone maintain over time while resisting fierce attacks.
This was Zhu Qingyun: living like a computer, a robot, and even at the moment of death, he regarded himself as nothing more than a machine.
She had been left in the capital, though fortunately her family had already departed. With the officials of Shuntian Prefecture following her, she could not tell whether she felt secure or uneasy. Last night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, listening to the wild wind pounding the windows outside.