Chapter 43: Sweet Rice Cake

The emperor's hand trembled violently.

“The Eight Trigrams of Zhuge?”

Jiang Jiuyue hastily covered her mouth, utterly stunned. “Your Majesty knows of this? It’s an old relic from my sect, known only to recluses; few have ever heard of it.”

“Yes, I know of it.” The emperor’s attitude toward Jiang Jiuyue changed entirely from just moments ago, becoming... It made him feel not only furious but also faintly humiliated. Especially considering the fact that the other party was supposedly a “simpleton,” the sting of humiliation gnawed at him like a thousand ants.

Yet now, the water elemental energy no longer appeared with the faint blue hue it had in the water chamber. Instead, it was utterly colorless—at least, nothing visible to the naked eye.

However, their interference did nothing to halt Zilong’s madness; on the contrary, it only made him more violent. Their actions seemed to enrage him further. He clenched his fists and let out guttural roars, wielding the black, cursed dagger with wild, chaotic strikes as he continued to lunge forward.

Zilong stooped to gather some shards of ore from the ground, stowing them in his spatial ring before turning around—only to see Tie Zhenying guarding Huonade, his gaze fixed in Zilong’s direction. A faint smile curled at the corner of Zilong’s lips. It seemed Tie Zhenying still had some sense of loyalty and righteousness; to stand his ground amid such danger—he was worthy of being called a subordinate.

“You—you—could it be… You’re truly reckless beyond belief!” Pan Mei was momentarily stunned, then snapped to her senses. Her delicate, almond-shaped eyes widened to perfect circles, but her words cut off abruptly.

“Ahem, enough laughing. Tell me: why has she come?” Zilingfeng’s expression was as dark as water as he questioned her.

Shangguan Yace was the very definition of a doting, overprotective husband. Everything Tang Qin said was true, and even if it wasn’t, the evidence was right before their eyes. Anyone who dared to oppose Tang Qin was, in effect, making an enemy of Shangguan Yace himself.

It was pitch dark; whether his loyal followers would find him in time was uncertain. Meanwhile, the local militia under the peasant Zheng Ziming were all deeply familiar with the terrain. Even blindfolded, they wouldn’t lose their way. If they arrived first, the consequences would be dire.

When hesitation over a choice turns to certainty, and torment or pain is anticipated—then, perhaps, the struggle that has long been agony becomes a kind of release.

Tao Xian had booked an entire standalone villa with a private hot spring, ensuring no one would disturb them. The villa was fully equipped, with staff regularly cleaning; it was the utmost in comfort.

Someone had been here before—or rather, a god. Who could say whether it was a man or a deity? He himself had never seen him, and only Dahei insisted that person was a god.

The Master of the Spirit Hall gave her a long, searching look, his eyes narrowing unconsciously. For some reason, he felt that Ling Jingyao was somehow changed from the woman he had seen outside earlier, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had shifted.

After all, it was someone else’s territory, and bringing too many people might not be wise. This time, her plan was to slip in unnoticed and see whether she could infiltrate the Demon Palace. Saving lives came first; revenge could wait.

“Going back is going back,” Liu Yinyin muttered, pouting, though her eyes darted restlessly.

Wu Fei stepped in front of me, already reciting an incantation. As he finished, the yellow talisman in his hand burst into flames. He tossed it out, then bit his finger and smeared his blood onto the peachwood sword before hurling it with all his might.

Collecting Fortune Dolls had already made quite a stir in Xinhai City. With only a rare few lucky enough to taste the New Year’s feast worth a hundred eighty thousand, and so many more left out, public opinion had turned decidedly negative.

I leaned against the wall to catch my breath, but the instant my back touched it, a searing pain shot through me.

“What remedies do you have?” Fang Yan countered with a question rather than answering. He’d never dealt with remedies before and had no idea there were so many kinds.