Chapter Seventeen: Nothing Left

Ostrovsky once remarked, in a casual moment, that a shared cause and a shared struggle can provide people with the strength to endure anything. This leaves me deep in thought.

Generally speaking, we must consider matters with the utmost caution. I believe this holds a certain significance for the world as well. Faced with such a difficult choice, I have pondered it repeatedly, finding no peace in sleep or food.

If that is the case, what is the crux of the problem? Bacon once said that excessive praise for good deeds can invite resentment, contempt, and jealousy. Although brief, these words set my imagination soaring. Since that is so, we must, generally speaking, be extremely careful...

"Others? Does this young man know the other guards?" Jiang Feng speculated secretly, thinking he must leave quickly and avoid further interaction.

Without wasting words, the two of them tied the villains tightly to a nearby tree trunk, leaving them unable to call upon heaven or earth for help.

Madam Shen was deeply grateful to them. She nodded, her facial muscles trembling with excitement. She clutched the medicine tightly in her hands; Xie Wanjun was so thoughtful, considering her at every turn, and she did not know how to repay her.

Once confirmed, the three entered the real world. Since Soul-Luo lacked a physical body, she could not enter the game world, but because Dou-Luo’s soul was currently within it, Soul-Luo was able to enter as well.

Although it seemed like a clumsy attempt to hide the truth, Tang Mu was still willing to believe it; at the very least, Bai Ling’er was not the type to easily deceive him.

Hearing this, Sister Mei was taken aback. She hadn't expected that girl to be so stubborn.

"You say you haven't harmed anyone, but how would I know? You wouldn't admit it unless caught in the act!" the young man sneered.

Those eyes smiled, and then a hand reached forward gently, slowly closing Mu Zhen’s eyes.

***

If he hadn't seen his son nearly take his own life with his own eyes, Master Yun would have found it hard to believe that Yun Ji was capable of such a thing.

Had it been in the past, An Mu would certainly have made the call, but during this period, she had learned a lesson.

During the few seconds I stood stunned, she suddenly smiled and said, "Fine, forget I asked. My spiritual energy hasn't fully recovered; it’s only enough to sustain me for a little while. I just wanted to see you!" As she spoke, she turned to find the switch and turned on the light.

He suddenly felt a surge of pride. In the future, every holiday would bring countless text messages with lantern riddles, though most were nonsense. This one had occurred to him suddenly, and seeing Li Qingzhao pondering it now, he couldn't help but gaze at her with a beaming smile.

"Heh, although Fatty Dong is merely a man of brute force, it would be difficult to lure him into the imperial court's trap so easily, right?" Liu Tianhao echoed, agreeing with Jia Xu.

The main body slowly lifted its head, meeting the gaze of the avatar hovering in the air, and smiles appeared on both their faces simultaneously.

Flames converged as Fire Fist Ace swung his hands, sending two lances of fire flying directly from his palms. Enel did not dodge or weave, allowing the flames to pierce straight through his body.

Having said that, he jumped off the ox cart and grabbed a piece of burlap from the woodshed. On it, written in charcoal, were various materials: lime, lye, sesame oil, fatty pork, pine resin, and other miscellaneous items.

In the cultivation world, earning spirit stones is no easy task for the vast majority of practitioners, though there are exceptions. For instance, alchemists and blacksmiths who possess special skills find it relatively easier to accumulate wealth.

For an ordinary practitioner, raising one’s realm is as difficult as crossing a chasm, but such a situation seemed non-existent for Li Mengshang. Her cultivation advanced in just over a year, surpassing experts who had spent decades or even centuries on the path.

He continued, "No wonder I felt it was so familiar, yet I couldn't recall where I had seen it. It’s just that the gap between Zhou Lao Ba and the person in this painting is too great; it's impossible to recognize him. Still, this is all too strange." Flying snow fell upon the Lanting Pavilion, landing beneath the stone terrace.

The families of Lian Haiping’s eldest uncle, Fu Yonghai, and second uncle, Fu Yongliang, stepped off the bus one after another. A large family of over a dozen people followed the municipal reception staff toward the hotel entrance. It was their first time enjoying such treatment; one must realize these receptionists were elite professionals who handled high-ranking leaders—this was their first time serving ordinary folk.

***

"Heh...! Understood, understood." The sound of grinding teeth was audible. These idiots—once he returned to the manor, he would surely punish them severely for holding him back at such a critical moment.

Song Qingge liked to help others and wanted everyone to live a better life, but she was no saint. She would not concern herself with such people; they deserved to suffer and toil for a lifetime.

Kato Dan was finally able to walk, and the Third Hokage couldn't help but shake his head at his flustered appearance.

He was barely dressed, his lower garments gone, leaving him exposed. A lewd laugh escaped his lips as he chased relentlessly after the Ruan woman.

Yet, in the eyes of others, the gazes directed at An Yan couldn't help but carry a hint of suspicion.

Chu Ye emerged from the airport, where Cheng Ming was waiting. Seeing Chu Ye, he immediately walked up to greet him.

Among the four, Li Yan’s expression was the most nonchalant, followed by Lin Qi, though he looked slightly embarrassed. As for Su Muyu and Luo Er, that brazen pair of brothers, they naturally wore fawning smiles, cupping their hands toward Murong Chong and offering their "congratulations."

The noble guest who had arrived in the village only last night actually wanted to cut down the locust tree in the ancestral home of the Fan family. Everyone was extremely astonished and equally curious—why would these nobles do such a thing?

In the time that had just passed, Xu Lu had already learned about the company’s primary operations from Meng Yuqi and Jiang Yiran.

Xu Siyu did not have a powerful family background like Meng You or Fang Ru, nor was she born into a position of high status, so she had nothing to be arrogant about. The Xu family had once been an ordinary Kyoto family, and all the status the family currently held had been won by Xu Yang through his efforts within the He family.