Volume One, Chapter 72: The First Rescue of the Crown Prince!

Qin Bao charged forward wielding the Azure Dragon Sword, with Wei Zhongqing flanking him for support. In the blink of an eye, they reached Lu Meng’s back, and Qin Bao brought his sword down in a deadly arc.

Furious at having his plans thwarted, Lu Meng shouted, “Ignorant fools, how dare you ruin my business? You must have a death wish!”

He spun his war blade, meeting the Azure Dragon Sword head-on.

Beside him, Xu Jingfeng was saying something, then took her hand, leading her away from the encirclement.

Before the watchful eyes of the Du family peeking in, Zuo Ranjia placed both the wooden box and the account book into the rosewood chest at the foot of her bed, locked it, and slipped the key into her coat pocket. In truth, she had stored the items in her temporary holding space. With such heavy and important things, she couldn’t rest easy unless they were somewhere safe.

A long while later, Ma Hongbo finally came to his senses, nodded, and from that moment truly acknowledged the youth before him—so young in appearance, yet such a remarkable marksman.

A brilliant flare of fire interrupted Lin Mo’s thoughts, and he snapped back to the present, seeing that the fight between Obito and White Zetsu had reached a temporary pause.

Yi Mu’s master had left. Although Yi Mu was somewhat disappointed in Yan Rufeng’s aptitude, she still handed him a cultivation manual, urging him to give cultivation a try.

So, over the past few days, she’d asked Uncle Lun to procure many medicinal plasters, diligently applying them to her ankle each day, hoping it would heal soon.

Wen Tong felt a quiet gloom, a heaviness in her heart. Though the fruit wine Yan Rufeng brewed was delicious and fragrant, she simply swirled her cup in her hand, unable to lift her spirits.

The two left the palace and walked toward the square. As soon as they appeared, silence fell over the crowd. Pairs of expectant eyes fixed on Li Dongyang as he stepped out, filled with both hope and anxiety.

She touched her own face, gazing at the familiar brows and eyes reflected in the bronze mirror. A cold, fragmented light shimmered in her almond-shaped eyes, brimming with hatred.

They each bought three modest shops near the bustling market and by the academy, spending another two thousand taels of silver in total. All the funds came from An Xuning herself.

“Who’s there?” Rong Huazui, rarely one for stern expressions, now truly furrowed his brow.

Whoever cared about that booklet had to be someone aware of the connection between the Demon Clan and the Murong family—such people were exceedingly rare. And for someone to approach silently and effortlessly, rarer still.

Li Rui, pressed against the window, pupils contracted as he watched Yao Lifeng soar directly through the air into the distance. A wave of fear suddenly gripped his heart. If Yao Lifeng escaped today, he’d never know peace again.

Moreover, even in his current state—seemingly powerless and without influence—there were still many noble ladies scheming to get close to him, each trying their best to win his favor.

“Steal the sword manual, kill me, destroy the body, and then pin the blame on me to protect the traitor from exposure,” Zong Yang laid bare a plausible conspiracy.

“The Queen speaks thus—could it be you wish to give me an heir?” Murong Feiming glanced at her, half smiling, half serious.

At last, the instructors sang “The Soldier’s Song,” and as tears welled in everyone’s eyes, they set off on their journey home.

Completely unprepared for this turn of events, Li Rui was dumbfounded as he stared at Su Daji, now looking like a bright red rooster, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Yet there were still rumors: some claimed to have seen a man by the northern sea, holding an urn and gazing out over the ocean alone. Some said it was Emperor Yuanqian, mourning his late wife.

“Who’s there!” Helian Heya called out sharply. She had been careless, not noticing anyone approach the room.

Even if he told others about this, they wouldn’t believe him. Once Yang Chong regained his composure, he plunged himself into intense cultivation for a month.

At dinner, Fan spoke of the Spark Mercenary Company. He said he hadn’t seen Mills, nor Mills’ fiancée. The remaining members of Spark had chosen to flee Marlott the moment the city gates opened, seeking refuge in the Crown Prince’s camp.