Chapter 27: Containing Warmth

She reached out to pick up the frame, her fingers tracing the face of the young, handsome man within. Unbidden, her eyes grew red.

To be precise, it was a fight again, and again, and again. Liu Nan and Wang Jingmin were natural-born rivals; the moment they met, they would clash like gamecocks. The victor would strut with high spirits, while the loser would slink away in dejection.

Her voice had considerable carrying power, but the rain was so torrential that even Yin Xiu could not make out what she was saying.

He had kissed her the moment they met, followed immediately by an outpouring of his longing. Yi Qing’s mind was a beat slow, unable to process it all.

I understood now; just as the description stated, these monsters possessed a stubborn remnant of humanity, and they must be suffering terribly. Sure enough, the creatures that had just been marked in green suddenly turned red.

News from the front line was under a total blackout. Apart from Emperor Yechen in the palace, no one else knew anything. The situation at the front was unclear, and only bad news had trickled back; fearing unnecessary panic, the military situation was kept hidden.

"Boom!" Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the sky. I looked up in shock to see that Yuri had been struck by Oliver’s attack and was plummeting toward the ground.

Li Qiang saw their faces clearly—it was Qian Shanyong and the immortals from the Holy City. A towering rage ignited in his heart as he thought of the safety of Brother Qian and the others. He forced himself to endure it, saying bitterly, "As long as you return them to me completely unharmed, I will hand it over with both hands!" He seemed loath to waste even a single extra word on him.

"Hmph! Another one coming to seek death? Do you not know that I have attained power at the level of a Demon King?" the Phantom Demon King sneered.

"Fatty, can you handle this?" Oscar leaned in close to Ma Hongjun and whispered. Three against one, and Fatty wasn’t even a Spirit Emperor yet—it looked precarious no matter how you sliced it.

The senior executives knew there was no room for argument; Shen Yu-tang’s decisions were always final.

Su Wanwan’s footsteps faltered imperceptibly. She did not turn her head or stop, continuing straight toward the mansion.

Lu An’s state was poor. Although he had survived by superimposing four different states of his ghost domain, the traces of erosion from the malevolent spirits could not be hidden.

***

There was still some time before dark. Because of Xue Changdong, Zhao Jiabao hadn't rested well on the plane. Now, after dropping off her luggage, taking a shower, and drinking a carton of milk, she set her phone alarm for six o'clock and lay down on the bed, intending to catch some sleep.

Seeing this, Ling Yanru stepped forward and explained Tang Zong’s words to Zhou Hongzong. Zhou Hongzong laughed heartily, then warmly invited Tang Zong into the mansion, with Wang Qingyuan following along stiffly.

As for his true thoughts—such as wanting the world to fall into chaos sooner so that Lu Bu could step out, clean up the mess, and rebuild the realm—how could he possibly voice them?

If he could, Lu An would have wanted to capture all thirty-some troupe ghosts in one fell swoop. After all, his theater needed these spirits. Lu An wasn't sure what changes would occur to the theater once these ghosts were added, however.

Lin Lang had never once considered divorce. Although he hadn't been entirely willing when he first married Zhao Jiabao, his own character and integrity had led him to resolve to treat her well and never fail her.

"Daddy, how did you know we were there? Is it like the teacher said, that you are always by our side?" Tang Yao looked up at him.

Sima You carefully replayed Wang Hao’s words in his mind, committing them to memory and absorbing the experience.

Han Ruxun’s sword ultimately failed to pierce the Noble Consort Jingjia; a folding fan deflected most of the force from the tip of the blade. At the critical moment, Chu Kuang arrived. He rolled on the ground, snatched up the fan, and began striking at Han Ruxun’s legs, forcing him to retreat.

Taking advantage of the dragon circling around, Aichi signaled, and he, Balthazar, and Veronica simultaneously unleashed their magic.

When Wang Jinchen was only a few steps away from the potted plant, Wang Qiqi stopped lying to herself. She wanted to step out voluntarily, thinking that at the very least, it would count as a "surrender," and surely Wang Jinchen wouldn't do anything to her.

Cheng Yun woke up again, her arms feeling heavy as if made of lead. Seeing it was ten o'clock, she hurried into the space, only to realize she was completely naked, finally remembering what she had forgotten.

"But don't you want to avenge your father? This doesn't seem like your usual style in the business world," Zhao Yong pressed.

"Loach, where is your Void Boundary? Block this wave of skills for me!" Li Fei said to the loach inside the beast bag.

***

Aside from the Immortal-Slaying Sword, the other two focal points of the mountain-protecting array were held by him and Elder Yuchi.

Perhaps the only final outcome would be the decline of the four great families, leaving them no longer as glorious as before.

"Climbed all the way here? What kind of power could have sustained him to climb this far?" Tang Feng shook his head.

One could see Li Jinghong’s obsession with his sword. It frightened old Liu, especially when Li Jinghong pulled out that precious Miao saber—which had tasted blood and taken lives—like he was presenting a treasure. Old Liu immediately shifted his attention to Lai Dagou’s side.

Thus, when these two children effectively became the "big boss" and "big sister" of the school, the school’s subtle implication was: it’s best if nothing happens, but if something does, while we can't do anything to the children, you, as parents, will not escape the consequences.

The Empress’s words were insufferable. She was subtly accusing her of being a seductress who brought ruin to the ruler, though she didn't say it directly, twisting her words to lead people to think the worst. She glanced at the Emperor’s already livid eyes and endured it, maintaining her composure.

The Death Swamp was so dangerous that it was impossible for the coalition forces to cross it with their current strength. If they followed the plan Emma and the others had previously discussed, the coalition would certainly choose to bypass the swamp; they would never risk their lives to cross it.

"What? Why do you say I still have a glimmer of survival?" Guo Lin did not understand what Yufengzi meant. At that moment, he could feel a dull, aching pain radiating from his chest.

"Heh heh, when do you think those two will finally settle things?" Li Yan asked with a smile.

"Hahahaha!" The mocking laughter rolled in like a tidal wave, engulfing everything. The cave grew dark and gloomy once more. His world gradually dissolved into nothingness. He was like a lone boat drifting upon the surging waves, rising and falling, or perhaps a soulless zombie, numb and unfeeling. He knew only that it was cold—a chill that seeped from his very bones.

She snuggled into his embrace and nodded. This warm chest would be gone by tomorrow, and she couldn't bear to leave it for even a second.