Chapter 38: Delivering Oneself to the Doorstep

Ten minutes later, outside the small cabin.

Linghu Qi stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the carnage before him. His impression of the young man standing amidst the corpses was once again overturned.

How could such a terrifying human exist in this world?

“My young friend... who are you, truly?” he asked, watching Ye Cheng standing tall among the dead.

It was, after all, merely for the sake of gaining greater convenience in some future occupation. Yet at this very moment, Zheng Hui displayed a rare and precious quality. Though he had not openly resisted, he had left himself ample room to maneuver.

“Hmph. Even if they’re not my match, I still want to fight.” As Mo Li spoke, a burst of orange sword energy shot forth.

Meanwhile, Xing Yu moved as swiftly as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, swung the Black Sovereign toward Yeblue Eijiro’s wrist. The blade left a striking scar across his wrist.

Then, pulling out a dagger, he gently pushed Mo Li’s door—only to find it locked from the inside. At that moment, a man wearing a bamboo hat lifted the dagger-wielder effortlessly. Before the man could cry out, he was whisked away by the stranger.

“That’s because you haven’t met the Comedian Brother yet. If the Palace Mistress were to spend some time with him, she’d definitely start to like him, too.” At the mere mention of Situ Xuan, Tang Qiqi became a torrent of words, unable to stop herself.

The house had stood empty for nearly a year, but its owner had finally returned—reclining in a dragon chariot, no less. How many in Taian City could boast such honor?

The smokeless coal burned brightly in the hearth, and Li Muye had never seen such a large bonfire before. With so much space, air conditioning was useless; a powerful ventilation system kept the air fresh. People clad in animal hides gathered around the fire, eating, drinking, and singing with abandon.

“Qingtan?” Yuan Chen had never heard the name, but his instincts told him this man was formidable—at least his equal.

“Madman of the Proud World? That name suits him. He’s the one riding the white horse, always cold and distant. Third place—the third-place contestant,” Yuan Li explained.

On a distant hill, the old wolf king watched as three notorious troublemakers departed, standing like a statue for a long while. Was the Unreturning Forest about to become restless?

Xiao Yan sighed softly and nodded. The Star Heaven Monument’s words held some truth, and seeing its relaxed demeanor—and the lack of opposition to his participation in the Alchemy Tournament—meant he was still safe, even under the gaze of Heaven.

The Lei Clan had spent centuries accumulating treasures, enabling Lei Xingyun to ascend to the rank of Heavenly Venerable. The two brothers together were meant to secure their clan’s dominance in the Forest Domain. Yet before Lei Xingyun could establish his prestige, he perished and his Dao was extinguished. How could anyone remain calm after such a blow?

Having moved to a new residence, Zhang Yinuo’s school changed as well. Fortunately, it was only kindergarten, so she could choose freely without household registration restrictions—and the new kindergarten, though more expensive, offered much better conditions.

No one suspected anything amiss; after all, news of His Majesty’s public trial of the concubines had spread across the land, and he had officially ordered the dispersal of the Three Palaces and Six Courts. Since the chief culprit was the Grand Priest Duobo, it naturally implicated the Mystic King.

Though this house wasn’t as large as a typical dwelling, it was still quite spacious. Besides the round table, where Rong Wanxi and her companions sat by a wall of colored glass, there were still a dozen paces to the door.

“Everyone thinks I live a life of luxury, but who can truly understand the sorrow in my heart?” Han Yan sighed, voicing the burdens she had carried for years. Speaking her troubles aloud at last, she felt a rare sense of relief.