Chapter 31: Damn It!

"Master, Shijiu, you have finally returned!"

As the door to the Huichuntang Pharmacy opened, Bai Ji breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Wei Yuanzhi and Lu Shijiu return unscathed.

"We will talk inside. Remember to close the door!" Wei Yuanzhi gestured with a wave of his hand, his voice thick with exhaustion.

"Oh, right!"

Although Wei Yuanzhi had been running all night and his face was etched with fatigue, he did not retire to the back chambers to rest upon entering the pharmacy; instead, he sat down directly in the main hall.

When ten sea vessels, identical to the ones just seen, appeared on the surface of the sea, Mao Chenglu immediately became vigilant.

The nights in the Carmel District were always exceptionally tranquil; in fact, this was the greatest distinction between the wealthy neighborhoods and the bustling city center.

However, when it comes to eating, one must account for the psychological aspect. Simply put, as long as you feel full and satisfied, that is all that matters.

He had wanted to lead men to surround and annihilate the Ming army as soon as the Daling River Fortress was built, but he was intercepted by the Regent, Dorgon.

The Joseon garrison was overwhelmed with despair; they had no choice but to rush toward the breach once more, struggling to plug the gap in the city wall.

It was clear that Chen Dun would fail to live up to Lu Bing's expectations. He did not heed Lu Bing's advice to remain safely within the guild hall, but instead, he carefully observed the six-mile city wall near Yongding Gate.

Yet, the pedestrians continued on as if nothing had happened, going about their routines for that time of day. Consequently, a vast number of them were struck by debris falling from the sky or buried under collapsing buildings, yet not a single moan or cry of grief could be heard; the entire city was filled only with the thunderous roar of buildings crumbling.

In the midst of the chaos, it was unclear who had opened the defensive grand formation, but suddenly, hundreds of thousands of demon soldiers fled in a rout, scattering in every direction.

The Li Family Army, having occupied Qinghai, rested for another two months before beginning their march toward the Tianshan Mountains in September.

"The people sent to Taizhou and Yongjia—why haven't they returned yet?" Li Mo asked.

She recounted her encounter with Wei Yiyang by the river that day, then took the map she had pieced back together from her bosom and handed it to Wei Gutian with both hands.

"This person cultivates the Taiyi Mental Method; his cultivation has likely reached the Great Completion of the Shangqing stage," Li Chunfeng said bitterly.

Jiayu gracefully took her father's arm, slowly descending the 103 steps toward the white tent where the wedding was held, a satisfied, sweet smile gracing her face, which glowed with the allure of a pearl.

"So he really did go to Cao Yunhua's. It has been three years; I have not returned to the capital in three years. I suppose the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and those flighty creatures in the inner palace have already forgotten about me!" The Empress Dowager’s expression was downcast, yet there was not a hint of melancholy in her voice.

The Empress Dowager was fond of Xiao Yang. Ever since Xiao Yang arrived in the Jin Kingdom, the Empress Dowager had never hidden her affection for her, especially since Xiao Yang had married Prince Mu—it was a case of adding kin to kin, a truly wonderful thing.

"You want to break my legs? Tell me, how should I deal with you?" Long Qing said lightly, but to Fatty Qian, the words sounded like the demonic whispers of a king of hell.

"I fear that if we stay, we will only add to your troubles. Chu Mo, thank you for your kindness! The United States is quite strict about managing illegal foreign workers. If we are reported and caught, not only will we be deported, but we might even be banned from re-entering the country," Gao Lei said.

"The Silver Foxes specialize in hard qigong, so their physiques are generally quite robust. Like these guards beside you—they are Silver Foxes," Linghu Rong said, gesturing toward the guards next to Ruxuan.

Before long, they arrived beside a teleportation array at the foot of the mountain. Seeing two disciples on guard duty, he frowned and crouched down in the shadows to wait.

"He Aiguo? Who is that?" Upon hearing Ye Zifeng ask for He Aiguo, he stared at him with suspicion. Since he did not know He Aiguo, he assumed Ye Zifeng was there to stir up trouble.

True Qi is the most basic form, derived from the vital energy of flesh and blood. Its control is extremely low; it scatters once it leaves the body, gathering without condensing, and its offensive power is poor. True Essence is stronger than True Qi; it can already be controlled by divine sense, and for the same amount of power, the destructive force generated by True Essence is naturally greater than that of True Qi.