Volume 1, Chapter 38: The Plain-Crowned Lotus Tripod

About half an hour later, they arrived at the Orchid Pavilion.

The Orchid Pavilion was not a place that sold orchids, but a teahouse. It was a common gathering spot for the literati and scholars of Qingzhou. Although Shen Ji knew of the Orchid Pavilion, he had never visited it before. Mostly, it was because he had spent his past days revolving entirely around Song Qingluan, and he did not belong to the same circle as these men who loved to play with ink and prose.

"Miss Xu has arrived!"

Though every word was respectful and submissive, and his demeanor was not overtly arrogant, Shen Ran could still discern that stubborn, thorny streak of defiance in him—the kind that could neither be beaten nor bent.

Chu Xin closed her eyes to rest for a moment. She wondered if it was the exhaustion from her recent travels, but she found herself feeling tired much more easily lately.

If one’s grades were good, they could go straight to the best department, starting at a rank equivalent to a powerful section-level official in the modern world. If their grades were poor, they were destined to be servants.

The fracture was permeated with demonic energy, which prevented the wound from healing; that was the crux of the matter.

The people here mostly wore riding attire: form-fitting tops and trousers, layered with a short skirt that reached no lower than the knees, giving them a vibrant and spirited look.

Qin Ke detested interacting with such snobs, so he took two steps forward and shouted loudly.

With a "boom," it slowly approached the bottom of the water, emitting snow-white bubbles. Oh! Was she really going to meet the brothers Black and White Impermanence just like this?

However, Xue Nian, having drunk too much, was not as easy to deal with as Shen Ran. He tossed and turned on the already small bed, causing the poorly made furniture to creak incessantly as if it were about to fall apart at any moment. Because they were so close, he would bump into Shen Ran from time to time.

When the Imperial Son of the Ji family first extended the invitation, Shi Tian had been somewhat conflicted. Subjectively, he leaned more toward the idea that it was a test.

When that black shadow tried to siphon the power from her, the Light of Lanling instantly flared. The energy within her surged and burst forth, knocking the black shadow aside. It stared at her in disbelief.

Meng Huaijin had been in the midst of being reprimanded, standing closest to the Emperor, so when the Emperor fainted, he fell right in front of Meng Huaijin.

She couldn't beat this guy, and with so many cameras around, she couldn't exactly throw a tantrum, could she?

But while Old Madam Zhu could choose not to divide the family assets for Cheng Zhiyuan, she could not stop him from going to the capital for the imperial examinations; her reach did not extend that far.

Having said that, he turned and left the Corporate Communications Department on the tenth floor, walked down the corridor back to the elevator lobby, and pressed the button for the top floor.

The late Emperor had left a contingency for Luo Jun, giving him a chance to save his own life, but Meng Huaijin told Luo Jun today that it was useless.

However, just as Dao Wuyai was about to leave, the bones and corpses he had severed in this place began to converge toward a single point.

Dao Wuyai had not expected the two of them to be so loyal. He saw Zhen Jian brandish an axe-shaped spiritual tool and shout, "Damn you, I'll fight you to the death!" With a surge of ferocity, he actually forced the three disciples opposite them to retreat a few steps.

Just then, the deck beneath Yu San’s feet lurched violently. The ship behind them had rammed into them, its pointed bow piercing right through the hull of his own vessel.

They tried to knock Xu Xiao down, but these ice giants were no taller than four meters; even if they stretched out their fists, they could only reach about five meters high. Xu Xiao was currently more than ten meters above the ground, far out of their reach.

The enemy's numbers had doubled, immediately putting immense pressure on Desades. While his side had previously held an advantage through rich experience and tenacious fighting spirit, the enemy’s absolute numerical superiority caused that advantage to vanish instantly.

Although Ye Jinmu’s emotional intelligence was indeed negative, the intensity of everyone’s reactions made her realize exactly what they were thinking.

She only hoped that the people from the other companies would cooperate well with their company’s lead actors and not cause any trouble.

After Ran Min and his group left, the place became a desolate ruin—cold, lonely, and exceptionally eerie.

Compared to Lin Xin’s superficial understanding from the internet, Ye Jinmu naturally trusted the eye of Zhou Yuxiang, a gold-medal agent, far more.

Suddenly, a person in the enemy's central army swept their gaze toward Li Yuanba, their eyes cold as they shouted, "Ha! You dog, see the power of Ares!" Holding a long spear, the man charged at Li Yuanba on horseback, the chill of his weapon piercing the air.

Moon Shadow’s phoenix eyes sparkled. Guang Yan’s words made her feel much better, but she didn’t know if the Golden Crow would be willing to help her eldest brother. She would accept any condition, no matter what it was.

On the massive tree trunk, two swords flickered with their respective glows—sacred and mysterious, as if they had been there for a very, very long time.

Godiva’s beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Lafidu’s back: "Eh? Are there experts here too?" She waved her hand, and all the attacks concentrated on Lafidu.

"I am doing very well, Clan Leader." Selia kept her eyes averted while speaking; it was clear that Aort had great prestige in the family.

At that time, a powerful enemy had appeared for the Merman race, and two different opinions had emerged within the clan.

Baima Jun was a little disappointed not to have won an award, but the experience of performing on the same stage as his seniors was also very important to him. It wasn't just about the award; the experience mattered too. As for being arranged to perform after the awards ceremony, Baima Jun didn't feel anything was amiss.

The object in his hand felt slightly damp to the touch; it seemed someone was watering it every day. And it wasn't just ordinary water—it was rice-rinsing water, specifically the water used to rinse glutinous rice in the middle of the night.

With a sharp *crack*, Major Murakami Hanayanagi let out a miserable shriek as Lei Zhan kicked him away. Upon hitting the ground, the Major felt a wave of weakness, followed by excruciating pain in his chest and spine.

They clamored with wild excitement, raising their butcher's knives as they charged toward the defenseless villagers below.

Just after they left, the lewd, skinny man who had once again called the mysterious figure to report what had just happened immediately gave chase and hailed Wang Xiaoyun.

Because it was the last show of the "Oppa" comeback stage, she had finished her homework in advance and left early, making up an excuse.

Walking into the auditorium and climbing the stairs to head inside, she saw that the seats behind were filled with juniors. After acknowledging a few greetings, Li Shengzhu decided to sit in a seat further toward the front.