Volume 1, Chapter 27: Ninety-Nine Percent One-Star

King Jingyue was overjoyed and hurriedly expressed his gratitude. This arrangement served a dual purpose: it would allow him to train Chu Yun while also providing a means to monitor and win over Ye Tan. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

Little did they know, Ling Jiu had been playing them from the very beginning. Could she wipe out all life in a realm? She certainly possessed the power to do so, but that did not mean she would. She was not yet so cruel or heartless to reach such depths—at least, the realm soul had not yet provoked her to that extent.

The door opened so softly that Qiu Jiayi, with her back to the door, remained completely unaware that someone had invaded her territory.

Su Qixi pushed the door open to find the man leaning against his pillows, his head turned toward the window. Sunlight spilled across his profile, making his skin appear pale, almost translucent.

Mother Fei had originally intended to go to the First Lady the next morning to lodge a complaint, but upon recalling the First Lady’s sinister expression, she abandoned the idea. Resigned but deeply dissatisfied, she racked her brains until she thought of the arrogant, haughty, and easily provoked Fourth Young Lady, Ning Xueyu. And so, having rehearsed her words, she hurried over that very night.

Regarding why this Imperial Noble Consort had enjoyed such unwavering imperial favor for decades, there were reasons beyond her beauty.

She followed closely behind as they walked. Many familiar maidservants pointed and whispered as they watched. Mrs. Zhou Rui noticed that this young lady walked with such ease and composure, showing not the slightest hint of awkwardness despite the scrutiny.

Lian Fu looked at Xie Yun in confusion. She did not understand what Xie Yun was planning; why did she care about the affairs between her and Master Cheng?

Wei Ling had spent the night in the imperial palace, and by the time he emerged, the sky was already turning white. The heavy rain had long since ceased.

In truth, Ning Xueyu knew exactly who Ning Xuelian had gone to see. From the moment they met at the gate, Ning Xuelian’s eyes had been glued to the man; she hadn't looked away once during the entire banquet. Even a fool would know she had taken a fancy to him—only she, a simpleton, hadn't noticed.

According to the plan, Fan Cheng had volunteered to go to the South Gate to assist the garrison. He intended to poison the water supply to incapacitate the guards and reduce the strain on the Liang army. Just as the palace guards arrived, Fan Cheng had already poured the poison into the waterwheel.

Zhao San was tied to a chair. Upon seeing me enter, he looked up sharply, but after a single glance, his eyes dimmed once more.

"But the walls are so high, they are heavily guarded, and there are forbidden arrays cast in the air above. Do you really think we have a chance to slip in unnoticed?" As he spoke, He Lang rose to his feet.

"Even if you catch one Ye Han, can you catch everyone in the inner court? If even one slips through, the evidence will still reach the Disciplinary Committee, and the outcome will be the same, won't it?" Guo Siwei frowned as he explained.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, He Lang and the Green Qilin went to find Liu Yongquan to inquire about the specific procedures.

Chatting with them, I felt at ease, as if I were just an ordinary student, free from all the scheming and duplicity.

After hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much lighter. The bus driver even slumped onto the ground, his expression one of immense relief, as if he had survived a catastrophe. Afterward, he asked me about the surgery costs, wanting to know how much he owed so he could withdraw the money for me.

"Big Stupid Bear, Big Stupid Bear, from now on, I'll call you Big Stupid Bear." She said, raising her soda can to toast with me.

I later learned that Jin Ping's previous mayor had died in a shooting. Therefore, when the new mayor took office, he enforced extremely strict gun control. Never mind killing someone; even if you were caught with a gun, they would find a way to sentence you to death.

Shao An had recently been recuperating at home, citing poor health. In his idle moments, he often found his mind wandering back to the past. The world was unpredictable; meeting old acquaintances who no longer recognized him gave him a profound sense of how things had changed. That day, while he was idling away, A-Rui informed him that a Master Sun had come to visit.

In the villa, Number One had found a mirror from somewhere. He would glance at it from time to time, followed by a long, heavy sigh.

But that was precisely where the problem lay. Elder Bei should have told Telalei about this. Like everyone else, Telalei was confused after waking up; he didn't even know what had just happened until he discovered a knife plunged into his back, at which point he realized he had just walked through the gates of hell.

The surroundings fell into absolute silence. Countless eyes darted back and forth between the group, and no one dared to utter a word.

The next morning, Lin Cha struggled on her bed, only to feel a strange sensation beneath her hand.

"Come and eat the roasted venison! Give Big Orange the fattest leg. The wine is gone, but don't worry about the meat—if you want more, we'll just go hunt again."

His gaze swept over her bandaged right hand. He raised his chopsticks, picked up a piece of Eight-Treasure Wild Duck, and dangled it in front of her to draw her attention. Then, he popped it into his mouth, chewing with an expression of pure delight.

If the only way to deal with the rules was to resort to reckless, youthful mischief, then catharsis was all one could hope for.

As for the future, there were many with more promise than a mere toad—take Yi Guzhe, for instance; there was no shortage of fine young men.

"I am the only one who survived that day, so naturally, I am the reincarnation of the Phoenix." Wei Qingwan suppressed the faint flicker of unease in her heart and said firmly.

Another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, its flash illuminating the ghastly white branches, the dense thickets of ferns, the writhing dragons, and the countless creatures in the forest within the jagged cracks of the pitch-black night.