Volume 1, Chapter 56: Thirty-Six Maidens

After reading Li Chiling’s "Grudge Ledger," he never imagined that the very Li Chiling who had always wanted to be himself harbored such profound feelings for him.

“I truly didn’t expect him to understand himself even better than I do!”

Indeed, Su Xia had come close to becoming their Empress, yet “almost” was still just “almost.” For them, this was an incredibly infuriating and painful matter, and having it brought up openly by a foreign envoy only added to the humiliation.

Li Moran was a man who cherished freedom; he disliked constant closeness. The nature of his profession suited him perfectly—each trip meant being away for four or five days. Returning home to see Ye Xiaomei’s radiant happiness filled him with immense satisfaction.

“You…” Liang Jiajia was momentarily at a loss for words. Zhou Jiayao had always been reckless and indifferent, unconstrained by worldly morals.

Yuan Yi had always been indifferent toward the Heavenly Emperor; if it weren’t for Xuemeng bringing Tian Jinsheng here, he would never have allowed him entry.

Ning Yuanlan obediently leaned forward, letting him gently wipe his face clean before he took the towel and returned to the bathroom.

An agility score of 7.5 had already granted him a peak-level understanding of primal laws. If he could increase it to ten, or even twenty, the possibilities would be astounding.

After the discomfort slightly eased, An Youran quietly slipped out of Yixian Garden, desperate to return to Mingzhi Garden and demand answers from the young lord. The cool breeze outside chilled not only her racing blood but also her mind, which had felt as if struck by thunder. Only then could she barely begin to think.

“Are you going to tell that old man Xiling Hong?” Bai Hu looked at Xuemiao with some reluctance.

Leng Xian’ning took a deep breath, each step away weighed down as if filled with lead. The truth would not vanish simply because she avoided it, nor could she escape acceptance by denial.

After a night of practice, Lin Feng’s skills greatly improved. Only at dawn did he return to his residence. Though he hadn’t rested all night, his spirit was vibrant. After breakfast, Lin Feng and the others hurried to the Tranquility Hall for the draw. This was the quarterfinals—four matches in total, two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

Pan Caifu and Nona were both stunned, then puzzled. It was normal for one side to suffer losses while the other gained advantages, but how could both sides claim it was “unfair”?

Having grasped this point, Jing Jian immediately shifted tactics, pushing Mai Ting and Lumina to the forefront to negotiate better terms. Remarkably, it worked brilliantly—all joint venture intentions suddenly cleared green lights.

After learning from Li Shun which school Chen Feng had applied to, Wu Yue informed Chen and began planning a trip there over the holidays. With her mother overseeing matters, everything would be well taken care of. She even promised that not only would she attend the same university as Chen Feng, but they would also be in the same major and class.

“May I ask, General, what was the matter you were reciting earlier?” Guan Yu’s face flushed purple-red as he rose to inquire of Liu Tianhao.

“Tomorrow? The big bald guy?” Lu Xia was surprised. Was the big bald guy so formidable? She hadn’t noticed; she had always thought Wu Huan and Li Buli were stronger.

Her acting skills had reached a masterful level, enabling her to shift expressions effortlessly without revealing the slightest flaw.

As she spoke, that invisible hand suddenly opened, sliding down from Hua’er Bo’s head and leaving five vivid red scratches across his face, each as deep as if the skin had been cleaved like pork rind. The sight was chilling. Hua’er Bo let out a muffled groan before fainting, his face utterly disfigured.