Chapter 92: Heavenly Mystic Gold Needles

Liang Ruohan nodded with a smile. “Little junior sister, you have a keen eye. This is medicinal jade. Once, I saved the chief of a minority tribe, and he gave me this enormous piece in return. I cut and polished it myself, gave one protective clasp to Master, one to First Senior Brother, one to Second Senior Brother, and kept one for myself. This last bit I shaped into a clasp, just right for you, little junior sister. In this way, we may truly count as fellow disciples.”

Xie Yihuang accepted it with care, then hung it around herself.

I shook my head and used the excuse that the room felt too stuffy, saying I wanted to step outside for some air. He had originally meant to come with me, but after I insisted again and again, he finally stayed behind.

Night had already fallen; the places within the city where few people passed were pitch-black, and even more so inside this death prison reserved for those awaiting execution.

“What took you so long? It’s fine. As long as you pay the money properly, leave the rest to us.” The man did not answer Zhao Guodong’s question directly.

The shopkeeper came out and shouted at a shoe seller by the door, “Shoeseller, move your stall. A pile of stinking shoes in front of the teahouse is an eyesore.”

What everyone thought was not wrong. In truth, they were all worried that the power in their own hands was being threatened. They were always convinced that other people’s power ought to be supervised, while their own could do as it pleased—a textbook case of shining the revolutionary lantern of doctrine on others and not on oneself.

By then it was nearly evening, and the dusk, like a curtain, was slowly descending over this magnificent palace. The imperial court today was eerily quiet, yet unlike the tranquil silence of old. It gave the distinct impression that some danger was lurking in a hidden corner, waiting to stir at the slightest careless moment and throw everything into upheaval, leaving everyone at a loss.

Jinse saw Chen Tong charging straight toward her. She turned to dodge his attack, only to find that Zhongli Shuo, still trapped by her grip, had already been struck by a pressure point technique and was rigid all over, unable to move at all. At that moment, Chen Tong’s sword tip was already upon her. Instinctively, she let go of Zhongli Shuo and blocked the strike with her dagger.

Wu Xu was terribly unfortunate. The army had not even formed ranks. The fleeing troops, stretching like a snake for miles, had no fighting power to speak of. They had not even seen clearly what the Sudan troops looked like before their own side had already collapsed.

Not far away, Colleen Tis, wearing oversized sunglasses, watched from a distance as Night Shadow and Fifth Qianrou walked into the Rose Ship. A faint smile also curved her lips. Fifth Qianrou’s reaction was exactly as she had expected.

“If your interpretation is correct, then we need not even ask who the salt merchant belongs to. Two separate parties are already trying to kill him. If he were merely one side in a confrontation between two camps, there would be no need to draw in so many people. So it is very likely that beyond these two forces, a third force exists as well,” Jinse said lightly, reaching up to touch the bridge of her nose.

“If Lan Xin were here, she would surely think of a good idea. If only she were here.” Lan Xin was clever and mischievous, often able to come up with unexpected and novel notions.

“So this means the Xiao family really had no other purpose in approaching the Shangguan faction? Meeting Shi Ruoshan was just a coincidence?” Mingyi inferred.

“When Lady Xing went to look for Madam Yin, I was there too. I heard something had happened to Sister Hong Yi, and I was terribly worried. So I pulled Sister Lingluo out with me to see whether there was anything we could help with, even if only minding the shop or lending a hand with the work,” Kui Niang said anxiously. Afraid Mingyi would drive her away, she clutched at her sleeve and would not let go.

At the same time, the progress bar continued its slow advance, and at last, to Hu Ye’s anticipation, it displayed one hundred percent.

Standing amid the heart-shaped candles, Lu Anning was left at a complete loss by Song Chengxi’s sudden kiss.

Her face pale, her figure slight, she moved through the alleyways. One hand pressed hard over her chest, trying to ease the intermittent pain. At present, aside from seeking out Ye Nuanye, she had no better choice.

Mingyi came back to herself and thought it over. It was indeed so. In the past, whenever she came, she had always felt uneasy—half because she did not know his background, and half because she was asking a favor of him. But today she had merely come in accordance with her earlier promise; there was no chance of any change. Her heart felt lighter, and even the sight of him seemed more pleasing to the eye.