Chapter 45: Zhou Jingyi Likes Me

Wen Ni remained silent for a long time. She couldn't even hear the sound of her own breathing. Jiang Shaozhang, however, was very patient and simply waited for her response. Only his faint laughter would occasionally break the silence—
That kind of laughter...
The smile of a victor.
The kind of confidence that, no matter how the prey struggles, they will ultimately fall obediently into his hands.
It was truly... infuriating.
Wen Ni took a deep breath.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she said, “Alright.”
Jiang Shaozhang’s voice was light with pleasure. “About three minutes faster than I expected.”
Wen Ni replied, “Send me the location.”
Jiang Shaozhang teased, “Wen Ni, why do you sound as if you—”
How did Liu Mu kill, how did he turn the noble class of the entire archipelago into rivers of blood, and yet, after occupying the island of Tsukushi, managed to win the heartfelt gratitude of its people? A true talent—Zhang Zhongjian was fond of him.
Nonetheless, caution was not relaxed; Takeda even had men posted at the watchtowers on the four corners of the old castle, observing changes in every direction.
“It’s true, but I don’t think there’s any sign of evil spirits. There’s just something strange about it,” Tao Ran observed, glancing at the compass in his hand, which pointed precisely in that direction.
Ye Xiaomei, however, only offered a cold smile, pushed him away, and said with chilling detachment, “Don’t ever look for me again. I’ll make sure you hate me for the rest of your life. Goodbye.” With that, she left without a backward glance.

The pursuit across the grasslands had only just begun. There were no roads here, only endless prairie. The routed soldiers scattered in all directions. In order to kill as many of Jieli’s remaining forces as possible, it would take an army of over four hundred thousand to chase down those two hundred thousand fugitives.
I picked up my teacup and drained it again. This tea was exceptionally fragrant, with a subtle, natural aroma that was neither overpowering nor weak—delicate and restrained, yet rich and mellow, leaving a lingering sweetness in the throat.
Qian Duoduo had been silent for a long time. The stillness that surrounded her was so pronounced that even the ninth-level spirit beast by her side glanced at her in confusion.
“I—I know that the people from Tianqi have been protecting you from the shadows. They would never let anything happen to you, so I was reassured enough to let you go. I’m sorry,” Bai Li Yuxin said softly, her voice choked with tears.
From inside the car, Li Moran saw that familiar figure and couldn’t help but honk the horn, rolling down the window to wave at her.
This town was both simple and open, its air of vitality contagious, instantly lifting the spirits of all who passed through.
What had once seemed impossible became immediately plausible when Lin Jianzhou intervened.
Yet, under the adoring gaze of Mo Yao, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride and began to show off his “knowledge of the abyss” once more.
After Zhang Qiao’er brought in water for them to wash up and drink, everyone found a place to sit down and rest.
Because another teacher had resigned to return home and marry, the students had enjoyed a long period of leisure and play. The principal’s repeated requests for an external teacher had finally been approved, yet no one had arrived—until now. None expected their new teacher to be such an extraordinary figure.
There is a kind of love called love at first sight, a kind called lifelong devotion, and a kind called doing everything for you.
Not long after lunch, Ya Zi came looking for Ye Man, saying her brother had returned from the market and they should all hurry to her house.
Two striking, handsome faces appeared before their eyes, and both felt a chill in their hearts and exchanged a cold, knowing smile.
“No matter what, I will never let him lay a finger on anything belonging to the Mo family—not even a single hair!” Chen Wanxin declared, resolute.
With a calm but simmering tone, she said slowly, “Are you still fooling yourself? Husband, I don’t want the future Mrs. Mu to be whispered about behind her back on the street. If the truth isn’t revealed, you’ll always be indebted to the Tang family.”
“That’s right. If Ziyu hadn’t been so lucky, she’d be dead by now. And as for them, after their plot was exposed and His Majesty blamed them, all they care about now is saving their own skins,” Zhao Jun said, clenching her fists in anger.
After circling almost the entire village, Ye Lan gained a better understanding of Jinxiu Village’s situation. From Lan Jian’s words, she learned that besides growing cabbages, villagers also went up the mountains in autumn to dig wild vegetables, which they would pickle and use as a staple food through the winter.
No one had forced Long Qianye to marry me, and there hadn’t been a single mention of weddings or proposals in the whole conversation. The meaning was clear enough—he should stop being so stubborn. I doubt there will be any major issues.

Be it plants, spiritual creatures, animals, or any living thing, none would ever take kindly to such an anti-nature entity.
Knowing he was unwelcome, Ye Shengxing wasn’t foolish enough to stay and be a target. Once he got a response from the old master, he left decisively.
“Yes, but it’s already full inside. The scholar will have to sit outside with me,” Ye Lan nodded.
With a grave expression, Zhang Qimo rose from her seat, walked to the door, took out her phone, and called Lin Yin.
After a nap, Ji Ning felt much better. She didn’t disturb Ji Meng, instead tidied up and went out to buy some groceries, then prepared a meal for her.
“We’ll take our leave now,” Qiu Zheng and his companions were eager to get away; they were all from the capital, yet their prospects were so bleak compared to those living here—it was simply humiliating.
Master Mingwei huffed and glared, then made to seize Wang Banruo and bring her back to the mountain.
Ye Shaochen already felt guilty for missing the call and didn’t want to disappoint Ji Ning any further. So his attitude was unyielding, blocking the two of them from leaving.
“Red Leaf, fourteen brood chambers—any one of the queen’s guards could rival a king bug. When will we ever finish this mission?” Miao Nuo muttered, rubbing the beautiful pink crystal core in her hand.
Consider the mighty Xu family—if any other clan lost all their business partners at once, it ought not to be a fatal blow. Yet now, it seemed as if the Xu family’s very existence relied on the favor of the great powers.
But at this moment, with Li Xunle dead, his dreams were shattered. And Xiao Qitian, the culprit, was still basking in his triumph. How could he not be furious?
“I still need to find out what the Heavenly Dao’s controller is up to!” Ji Yun pondered. After all, the controller was a figure with a deep foundation; if he tried anything unexpected, it could be disastrous.
True mastery lay in the Transformation Realm. It was said that experts at this level could cross a river on a single reed, and those who had mastered internal force could project their energy outward as a shield, able to withstand ordinary firearms.
The supervisor kept his head bowed, not daring to utter a word, his face etched with terror, beads of cold sweat covering his forehead.