Chapter 97

At this moment, Ye Tian gazed at the bodies strewn across the ground—some belonging to the Liu family, others to the Ye family. A trace of helplessness appeared on his face.

Nibor recalled something, immediately took out a boundary talisman, swiftly inscribed it, and sent it out in a flash of demonic light.

News of the Security Army’s incursion had also reached Taiyuan, and judging from their marching route, it was clear their target was none other than Taiyuan.

“This Wang Jijie only recently rose to prominence; I’ve never heard of him having connections with any ministers at court. He’s been getting close to Xie Lian, the Shandong and Denglai Governor, and Zhang Chu, the Chief Military Commander of Dengzhou. Such collusion between officials and merchants is commonplace in the Ming—some merchants are simply managing assets for high-ranking officials.”

Ye Xuanfu said nothing, and the fat lady burst into tears, wailing and repenting, her tears streaking down her cheeks, dissolving the thick layer of powder on her face.

Across from Gulu and Kala, Horay bowed to the goblin chieftain, who had already closed his eyes, swaying slightly back and forth, a dramatic thread of drool hanging from his mouth as he slipped into a dazed stupor.

“No! Don’t worry, the Water Basin Box can only hold enough seawater for one ocean—it could never contain all four!” Ao Jinfeng said solemnly.

“Oh, this has nothing to do with the Armor Treasure itself. It’s just Ouyang Tong’s trickery—since he can control the Armor Spirit, so can we. There’s no need to be angry,” Wang Yi remarked.

Taiyuan, the foremost stronghold of the Ming’s nine border towns, was of vital strategic importance. Encircled by mountains on three sides, with the Fen River—the second largest tributary of the Yellow River—flowing north to south through its center, Taiyuan was fortified by natural barriers and towering, solid city walls. It was truly easy to defend and hard to attack—there was no need to fear the bandit hordes.

Lai Junchen’s face flashed with venomous resentment, but he dared not say a word, obediently retreating once more.

The more Madam Liang pondered, the more she felt tempted. Yet proposing marriage and seeking a matchmaker was usually the man’s family’s business; she could hardly send someone to the Song family to advocate for herself.

“If there’s anywhere the Broken Sword is most likely to appear, it’s probably at the Boundary Auction. This event has countless rare treasures, and the Broken Sword of the Supreme God Extinction might be among them. I must attend the auction. However, it would be best not to be seen there…” Xue Hao prayed silently.

Long Wu was considering a shift in strategy when suddenly the roar of an engine erupted behind him. After a forward charge that forced back his opponent, Long Wu glanced back just in time to see, under the moonlight, a Cherokee speeding toward him like a thunderbolt.

Jinghe instructed the maid attending to Jian’er to follow her to Zheng’er’s courtyard, then summoned Chief Steward Zheng for a conversation.

Yin Feng mused inwardly; the Outer Ranking District comprised exactly one hundred courtyards, each corresponding to one of the hundred ranks on the outer gate list.

The formal interview did not last so long; afterward, the reporter and Han Ge chatted casually about unrelated topics before leaving.

“Because the boss is so generous, always insisting on treating guests, telling my dad to bring friends without worrying about money. So this is actually our first time dining here—if there were other options, we wouldn’t have come…” Sister Sun explained.

The two had not met since that fleeting spring encounter. Though Banxia was favored before Rui’an, she was, after all, only a maid, and Su Shixian paid her little mind.

Mama She brought a copper basin of clean water; Lady Xue washed her hands and face anew, as if afraid of catching the filth of the songstress, throwing her white towel on the floor and leaving the Crane Wine Pavilion without a backward glance.

Seeing this, the One-Horned Dragon pondered—indeed, Yu Ji often traveled, sometimes returning only every few days.

A palm strike was thrown, expecting to kill Du Gujian, but unexpectedly, Du Gujian was unharmed. Instead, countless swords slid across the opponent’s palm.

The Sage slapped Cold Rui’s head, and Alpha smiled. Just then, a voice suddenly emanated from Alpha’s collar.

Bai Mu fell silent, saying nothing further. His mother was right; when Su Jinsheng went, her skin was already pale from soaking.

Tong Yabai saw the anxious look in Huo Yuan’s eyes and couldn’t help but force a smile uglier than crying. She knew his heart still held her.

These people were a mix—some notorious criminals of the martial world, others officials of the court, but all were highly skilled fighters.

The smoke cleared, revealing Gengar’s figure hovering in midair, completely unscathed.

As soon as she acquired the item, Yun Suyu felt a chill. Opening her palm, she saw a piece of jade of exquisite texture, its surface shimmering with iridescent light—it was clearly no ordinary stone.

The crowd was immediately drawn to this man—his short hair stood upright like a hedgehog, and among the black locks, fiery sparks flickered, as though burning coals.

Li Anxian clutched his swollen, reddened cheek, struggled on the ground, and suddenly spat out two broken teeth.

The Soul Tribe Emperor, Soul Douluo, appeared as a burly humanoid with six horns atop his head and a pointed nose. The Soul Tribe resembled the Shadow Demon Tribe—neither had a corporeal form, but while the Shadow Demons were like black mist, the Soul Tribe resembled blue crystals.

Li Mo kept slamming him to the ground, and now the man was covered in injuries—some from being struck by stones, others from being forcefully thrown down.

He never expected Liu Bei to be so decisive—while they seized a city gate and fought fiercely, Liu Bei simply escaped outright.

Liu Qi personally led the remaining army, forging ahead toward the main camp.

The Second Young Master, one of Liu Qi’s followers, referred to Liu Cong by name, as Liu Qi had never conferred any title upon Liu Cong.

The other half had entered a feverish phase; Zhang Yilian bit her lip, stomped her foot, and spoke up.

Just then, several figures appeared atop the city wall. The leader was tall and straight, wearing a bejeweled cap, his gaze piercing—he was none other than Zhu Yanjue.

Although the light was not strong enough to reveal its entire form, its eight furry legs and the two massive claws waving in front made its identity unmistakable.

Xie Shirui saw the couple deep in conversation and could not interject. She said, “I’m full,” and left the table.

“So, are you going to talk or not?” Luo Chen raised his long sword and spoke coldly to the burly man with the bushy beard.

As he spoke, the two ghosts reached for their waists, each flinging an object into the air. Instantly, a cloud of yellow smoke and a cloud of black smoke enveloped the three of us.