Chapter 272: Truly a Bunch of Cunning Things

Han Ruoxi glared at Sun Yang: "You really are a curious one. What is this talk of whether the food tastes bad or not? Can you not focus on something of actual substance?"

Bai Lin sat ensconced in the corner, eating his meal in silence, the earpiece in his ear whispering intelligence he had culled from the outside world while his fingers tapped rhythmically upon his portable terminal.

Li Chang'an cast a sideways glance at Bai Lin: "What are you tinkering with? So deeply engrossed!"

Without so much as raising his head, Bai Lin continued to strike the keys: "Sifting through some intelligence. Lately, certain extraterrestrial martial artists have been showing an unusual frequency of activity."

The deeper they ventured, the more the temperature climbed, shedding the biting chill of the outer realms; here and there, clusters of verdant shrubs bloomed with a spring-like vigor, though the surrounding air was devoid of the familiar songs of birds, echoed instead by strange, unidentified cries that felt deeply uncanny.

He knit his brows, seeing Tang Xuan's name flashing upon the screen; the finger he had readied to sever the connection hesitated for a heartbeat, then shifted to press the icon to answer.

"Since things stand as they do, then I suppose I can bring myself to listen, however reluctantly." Having gained the upper hand yet still feigning grievance, An Ran was the very picture of petulance.

Having seen Elena off, Milo invited Ji Lu and Director Li into his office to summarize the outcomes of the interview.

An Yun, however, could not bring herself to agree with the notion of Wei Hanjue's supposed frailty, having so recently witnessed his fierce, untamed vitality.

In times past, Zhuo Yunxiao would always keep the two little treasures by his side; that he had failed to bring them along this time, choosing instead to accompany Zhuo Jun, felt profoundly amiss.

Yun Nuannuan felt a sharp pricking of discomfort at Madam Ji's tone, which was steeped in reluctant obligation and the cold, stiff manner of a charity bestowed.

"Let him in, and see to it that no one disturbs us." Ji Lu's arrival had long been within Xu Zhiheng's calculations; in truth, he had been waiting for him the entire morning.

My father returned after a short while; the old gentleman had washed himself with meticulous care, and I could see that his hair was still damp and newly groomed.

The Prince of Jing commanded the fuses of the explosives to be lit, whereupon the party retreated behind a massive boulder to watch the events unfold; the fuse hissed and burned away with fierce speed, sparks showering in all directions as everyone held their breath in rapt tension, not daring to exhale a single sigh.

Thank you for providing the stepping stone; I trust no other, and even if another were to offer me a way down, I would not dare set my foot upon it—it was you who escorted me away from that state of mortifying awkwardness.

Was this not exactly like the moment when passion was about to ignite, only for one's unserviceable brother to suddenly lose his spine and fail to rise? What difference was there?

Lu Qingyu, with a beaming smile, tucked the gold essence back into his breast and departed in high spirits, leaving Elder Sun to stare blankly at his receding figure.

The ambush tactics of these men were nothing more than a game of hide-and-seek among children in the eyes of Lei Sheng; detected with effortless ease by his mature gaze, he slaughtered those hidden martial artists of the Ding family's refinement realm down to the very last man without wasting a shred of strength, leaving Kun Jian no room to even strike a blow.

The Prince of Jing was startled once more, his eyes widening as he stared at the waters below—a stretch of river that appeared thoroughly unremarkable. Could it truly be so terrifying? In his heart, he remained skeptical, but seeing Mao Layan's immense gravity, he dared not treat it lightly; he gripped Mao Layan tightly as they soared over the River of Life and Death, landing upon the Road to the Yellow Springs.

Mo Qinglian's heartstrings were tugged by the sight, yet seeing that no one else showed any inclination to step forward and assist, she suppressed that small ember of her own kindness.

"Shen Chao, you may now cross over as a ghost who knows the truth! Die!" Fang Zheng had no desire to waste words on him; with a single thrust of his sword, he instantly pierced through the core of Shen Chao's heart.

I was hoisted aloft by the Sick Tiger and hurled violently against the guardrail, my waist sustaining a crushing blow; I clutched at the railing, nearly tumbling over the edge, while the Sick Tiger looked upon my dangling form and smiled.

Michael was on the verge of tears, yet he dared not utter a sound that might disturb the peace; tonight was destined to be another sleepless vigil, a testament to how wretched the existence of a vampire could be.

Liu Wei himself was thoroughly bewildered; at the time, it had merely felt entirely natural and seamless to cleave outward in such a fashion, never anticipating it would possess such staggering power! Were he asked to manifest it again now, he could no longer find that elusive sensation from before; the stroke he delivered was but an ordinary, commonplace slash.

Thereafter, Liu Wei idled about the town of Yaoyi, testing the waters with casual inquiries regarding the Yaoyi Deity; however, the townsfolk appeared to be fanatical devotees of the deity, and he gleaned no useful intelligence for his efforts.