Volume One, Chapter 82: Recognizing Kin

"Zhaochuan, wait a moment!" Su Ningxia jumped off her bicycle, then quickly grabbed two lumps of earth from the field, smeared them on her face, and tousled her hair into disarray before following behind Qin Zhaochuan.

Qin Zhaochuan looked at her in confusion.

It wasn’t until Ye Ying, face alight with excitement, pulled the woman over and pointed at Su Ningxia. "Aunt, look! That’s your real daughter!"

Ma Yan raised an eyebrow, her gaze slowly settling on the dirty little face. She spoke with clear displeasure, "Ye Ying, what nonsense are you spouting? How could this little country bumpkin be my daughter? No matter how I look, she doesn’t resemble me at all. What, are you saying any random wild girl can be my—"

The Liu family had both wealth and influence. Now, upon hearing that not only would they help the village repair the dilapidated temple, but they would also build a new road, the villagers were, of course, delighted.

Shen Wu was sitting in an interstellar hovercar for the very first time. The vehicle was sleek and flat, designed for aerodynamic efficiency, its surface smooth and glossy to minimize air resistance.

"When they asked how many tasks I’d been assigned, I figured the more I said, the more I could sell. So I told them I was given a five-thousand-ton quota."

Zhuge Fatty scratched his head, only now realizing that dozens of eyes from around had converged on him.

She felt uneasy in her heart, but she could only endure it—Liu Ting knew all too well how she’d climbed to her current position.

"Jiang Li, teachers and classmates all like good students, but there isn’t only one good student. As long as you do well, the teacher will like you just as much as she likes Xuerou," Wen Yaqing took Jiang Li’s words as nothing more than childish rivalry and willful sulking, so she offered a few words of comfort.

"Nana, don’t be afraid, I’ll be fine!" said Zhuang Liping hurriedly, being dragged into the woods at the edge of the road by a man.

I wrapped my clothes tighter around me and followed behind him. The two of us, one after the other, made our way toward the Snake Temple on the mountainside.

Everyone here was a seasoned merchant, well-traveled across the land. They’d tasted every kind of liquor, and with just a sip, could guess its worth without fail.

Though Jiang Li was almost eighteen, she hadn’t yet celebrated her eighteenth birthday—she was not yet of age.

The boy was around eight or nine, with a pair of unusually bright and spirited eyes. When he looked at Pei Shiyin, he didn’t even blink.

Only after Jin Xuan’s explanation did he nod slowly. Introduced by Jin Xuan, Pang Tong learned this man was Wang Can, the famed recluse of Jingzhou, discovered by Liu Biao, yet persistently refusing an official post.

Cao Cao averted his gaze from the dazzling sunlight, lowering his eyes to the sight of his vast, imposing army.

He had always thought this way, ever waiting for an opponent who could defeat him. Or rather, he sought a worthy rival, one who could truly bring out the best of his strength, letting him display the beauty of power.

"No! I need some time to recover my spiritual energy; otherwise, I can’t guarantee I’ll last until the end," Qiu Bing said, her voice tinged with fatigue.

When his father hurried back to the room after finally taking care of matters, he found his territory had been occupied.

Although his backups had been destroyed, as long as he could escape, he was sure he could make a comeback someday.

A battle on the plains was a breathtaking spectacle. The mountain folk, who had always lived deep in the hills, had never seen the full scale of war, let alone a conflict of such magnitude. Even the Serpent Tribe had never witnessed so many cavalry lined up at once.

Chen Ziyu said nothing, only offering a faint smile, his gaze still full of affection for Luodiudiu standing before him.

Unable to defeat Stone, they tried to provoke him with words. On one hand, it was to boost their own morale; on the other, if Stone surrendered, they might just save their own lives. Seeing Stone already slay one ghost general and cripple another, they pinned their hopes on this trick.

"Not bad, Junior Brother Zhishan. Hand over all the fragments of the Five Spirits Stele!" The twentieth-generation head of the Corpse-herding Sect, Master Song, said with a wicked grin.

With one hand, Qiong Ling seized the man’s collar, stepped back with his right foot, and before anyone nearby could react, the man’s body was already flung out. The fellow was short, just over one meter sixty and a little over sixty kilos, yet Qiong Ling heaved him straight through the window with one hand.

For a cultivator, what’s three days? The patriarch of the Di family had patience to spare. What was surprising now was the commotion coming from outside the courtyard.

While Chen Feng spoke, he kept a close eye on the opponent’s domain power. The suppressive force wasn’t particularly strong—less than the fog of war’s effect, and nowhere near his own withering skill. Most likely, the suppression was merely an incidental effect of the opponent’s domain.

Before Chen Hao could finish his sentence, Liu Lingling’s face turned crimson, as red as a cloth. She grabbed the pillow on the bed and hurled it at Chen Hao with all her might.

The World Government headquarters was now the brain of humanity, orchestrating everything. At the same time, countless commendations and reports spread throughout the Starshine World, and countless citizens, upon seeing them, kept in their hearts all those with outstanding battle achievements and all those quietly dedicating themselves behind the scenes.

Somewhere in the stands, Xiao Mingyuan, standing with Xiao Xuan’s group, caught sight of the scene on the field. His eyes narrowed, shock flickering across his face.

All their eyes glowed green, their bodies radiating an evil aura. Two hundred or more of them gathered, creating an immense, intimidating presence, lying in wait for Chen Hao to walk into their trap.

"Senior!" In the distance, Du Yuan, Xuanyuan Duanfei, Yu Yi, Dongfang Hai, and the others all wore expressions of concern.

"Uncle Lingbao of Wuyou Rock hasn’t arrived. I just went to check—he’s not at home today. He must have gone to the Golden Palace," Yu Qi replied.

Yuanbao was about to run over to pick it up, when she saw three shadowy figures sitting in the darkness, three pairs of eyes staring at her, full of resentment.

Another day passed, and the boat, stuck in the mud pit, hadn’t budged an inch. The official in charge of the escort was finally growing anxious. The hundreds of thousands in gold and silver aboard were to be cast into reward coins for the soldiers. If the gold and silver never arrived, and worse came to worst, he might bear the blame for a lost battle.