Chapter 85: Opportunity

With this thought, Shu Yiming no longer felt the urgency to win money. He simply patted He Cheng on the shoulder and said, “Brother, why don’t you come with me for a bit? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” Shu Yiming had assumed the man would readily agree, but to his great surprise, the man looked at him in terror, his expression suddenly transforming.

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At the Qiao family residence in Lanyu City, Qiao Xifeng, with traces of blood on him, looked anxiously at Qiao Xuan, who lay in bed. He truly couldn’t understand how Qiao Xuan had ended up there, especially at the very moment when Wang Shiren triggered the fiery prison’s self-destruction. Fortunately, both Qiao Xuan and Qiao Xien were unharmed. Though injured, their lives were not endangered.

The black iron ruler that spanned the sky was battered and twisted by the Black Furnace and Dragon Bow, violently wrenched from the elder’s grip and sent crashing into the distant sky. The Black Furnace, its momentum undiminished, hurtled straight toward the Black Sun, whose inky flames surged heavenward.

“Get lost! You blasted priest, you’re the one who’s doomed!” Yao Muchen shot it a glare. Having just brushed with death, the mere mention of it filled him with dread, and he was especially averse to any talk of dying.

With a laugh, Han Xiao said, “Is it really that serious? Well, here’s the thing…” He rambled on, mixing nine parts fiction with one part truth, and of course, exaggerated his own contributions.

After much deliberation, he couldn’t help but call his aunt, asking her to return to her family home and check on his father. Though his aunt lived far away and the journey would take time, it was better than having no one look after his father, leaving Chen Xinghai sleepless with worry for his safety.

Only Li Wanru remained by Song Zheng’s side after all these years. She knew deep in her heart that Song Zheng would never dampen her spirits so thoroughly unless he was absolutely certain.

“I think you should take Sister Yuxin’s advice. As the saying goes, if you’re going to save someone, see it through to the end. You’ve already rescued them—how can you just stand by and let them be killed again?” Even Long Ling spoke up on their behalf.

Yadong was utterly shocked. He knew that if he didn’t find a way off this land soon, not even the likes of Fei Yidao and Jiu Xiaozi, both among the ranks of the highest masters, could protect him from so many assassins. If that time came, only death would await him.

But when they retreated to the sheer cliff behind them, cornered with nowhere to go, a wandering skeleton soldier still managed to find them.

“Thank you, great brother! I, Raven Priest, have no way to repay you. From this day forward, my life and death are yours to command!” The Raven Priest crossed his claws over his chest and bowed deeply in gratitude.

Anxious and hurried, Park Won-ho’s voice came through the phone: “Boss, something’s happened!” After spending so much time together, Park Won-ho, following Shen Donghai’s example, had started calling Kim Yunho “Boss” as well, as it felt more familiar.

“You know her name is Lu Qingxia, and you’re aware of the ‘Dragon Unit’?” Now it was Xie Lei’s turn to be surprised.

If it were just a few stars, or a weak world, no matter how fierce the fighting, the casualties would never reach such staggering numbers.

“From the Hanjin Ferry, if we go east and follow the current, we can approach Xiakou and pin down Liu Bei. Or, we could bypass the Wu forces stationed at Red Cliffs, seize Sanjiangkou—a strategic stronghold on the Yangtze—and then threaten Chaisang City directly,” Xun You added after studying the map.

If Su Lifeng’s body hadn’t undergone extraordinary evolution, even this slight difference might have cost him his life.

The Grand Elder sighed inwardly, his gaze unconsciously turning toward the direction where Ye Fan and Gu Xinyue were. He had done all he could; now, everything depended on the new sect master and Ye Fan.

Somehow, word of Xie Lei’s arrival in Hangzhou reached Wu Jingde and the others. Before the great earthquake, thanks to Zheng Bo’s warning, many prominent figures in Jiangnan’s political and business circles had managed to avoid disaster. Now, they were all calling sincerely, inviting him to a meal in gratitude.