Chapter 49: The Engagement Ring

Bluish-green will-o'-the-wisps drifted through the air. Su Qingli stood with her eyes closed, a suffocating sensation settling over the vast cellar.
“One divination, to determine the balance of yin and yang.”
The ill-fated lot in Su Qingli's hand was thrust directly into the ground, and instantly, everything around her returned to its original state.
Su Qingli opened her eyes and stepped outside, lighting three sticks of incense and placing them in the ash.
“Three...”
Ying Wudi motioned with his right hand, and the “Black Demon Cauldron” slowly descended. Gripping one corner of the massive cauldron with an air of command, he spoke with great authority.
Thinking about how Shen Yunyou had previously helped Ye Zixuan, Situ Liuyun found herself torn, uncertain whether she should tell Shen Yunyou about Ye Zixuan’s affairs.
Lu Chen was somewhat bewildered and glanced furtively at Li Xinru. She seemed not to have awakened, or perhaps she had, but simply did not know how to face him.
As she neared the campus, Su Momo’s heart grew uneasy, dreading the many situations she might encounter, or the possibility of being mocked and humiliated by others.
“Come, come, everyone, don’t just chat—let’s drink!” Gao Chiyu cheerfully urged everyone to raise their glasses.
He steadied his mind, focusing all his energy, using the eight notes to continually verify the swirling patterns of the Tao that floated before him.
Moreover, the fundamental difference between her and Li Xinru was that Li Xinru truly cared for Lu Chen, whereas Guan Yun remained only a bystander.
This time, let’s see who plays whom. Lu Chen wasn’t afraid of the deputy director making trouble for him; on the contrary, he worried the deputy director might bypass all reason and simply act shamelessly.
The Princess Royal had been demoted to commoner, but the Duke Protector was not implicated, so she remained the Duke Protector’s wife—now an ordinary noblewoman without imperial decree or former honor.
The two thousand soldiers led by Li Yizhen might bully commoners, but against a Sikong Tu and his ghostly troops, they were nothing but fodder.
No one paid heed to his words, for several more powerful presences entered this alternate realm.
Kyojuro Rengoku swung his crimson blade, flames roaring, and swiftly beheaded a demon that tried to escape.
Though Ziji did not know what schemes Tuushan Youyou harbored, she nonetheless stepped forward, flexing her wrists and letting a hint of murderous intent appear on her face.
A memory flashed through Su Qingqian’s mind: on a snowy night, two stern matrons had told her that to establish herself in the Duke’s household, she must obey the Princess Royal.
Still, he found it somewhat amusing. The bravado of Blue Sage City was astonishing—if Xi Ji hadn’t been his spirit beast, he would not have saved Blue Sage City in time.
After all, as dragonsoul beasts, Ditian was still more inclined to side with Ziji. Besides, staying by Tu Youyou’s side would allow Ziji’s cultivation to grow rapidly.
If there were anything nearby that could stir the Jiang Alliance, the odds were vanishingly small.
But what Lin Yuan did not expect was that the allied forces of the three kingdoms lost tens of thousands of ability users in Alchemy City.
As High Steward of the Sanctuary, Lin Muyu was powerless to change things. Most cultivators were rough and unruly—if deprived of wine, they’d rather be cut down. Just look at Zhang Wei: two days without drinking and his fighting spirit was halved. Their dependence on alcohol surpassed even their reliance on rice or bread.
But where to search? Wang Yang knew he would never find what he sought in Hollywood—there were no Chinese child stars here, and no space or opportunity for Chinese actors to grow and survive. Thus, his gaze turned to Greater China, where there was native soil for Chinese people and a pull for the diaspora to return and thrive.
The meeting continued, dragging on until lunchtime, yet no resolution emerged. Since his last remark, the Serpent King had remained silent.