Chapter Forty: Contrasts

Mu Chengyao's fingers twitched slightly, his face expressionless, his tone as cold and indifferent as ever, giving no hint of what he was truly thinking.

“You have slandered the military, fabricated facts, and deliberately incited conflict between the army and the people, disrupting public order. I have reason to suspect that you are acting with accomplices as a spy sent by other forces to gather intelligence and undermine social stability.”

The moment Mu Chengyao opened his mouth, a loud “clang” sounded as an iron pot fell from the sky, striking Gao Heping so hard that stars danced before his eyes and he nearly fainted.

Lu Yalan was also left dumbfounded.

She had never imagined that someone who appeared the very model of an upright man could weave such stories. Had she not been involved in the matter from the very beginning, just listening to Mu Chengyao, she might have believed this sly-looking Gao Heping was plotting something monumental in secret.

Harry saw the hazy outlines of Fred and George leap from Ron’s bed. The springs groaned in protest, and when George sat at Harry’s feet, the mattress sagged a few more inches.

Once, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, wreaked havoc in the Celestial Palace, only to be subdued by the Buddha himself. If the Celestial Court were in trouble, the Western Buddhist Kingdom would never stand idly by. As a member of the Buddhist Kingdom, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s intervention against Wu Wei Daoist could be easily understood.

When the cheating tools at the gambling table were exposed, the curses from those present grew even more vicious. They hurled the vilest insults, for among these gamblers, some had lost hundreds, others, like Liu Changsheng, had lost everything—homes ruined, families broken. Their hatred for Brother Hong was boundless.

At this moment, Qin Feng had become a terrifying machine of slaughter, like a demon from hell, unleashing merciless killing.

In truth, many ancient aristocratic families still existed in Britain, and what set the Malfoys apart was their success in leading these noble houses forward. Naturally, eradicating them overnight was impossible.

The actions of the Fa Cultivators proved that in war, they relied on converting practitioners into their own strength to grow.

Suddenly, the flames in the goblet turned red again, sparks flying, and after a moment, a tongue of fire shot up and a charred piece of parchment flew out—everyone gasped.

“Vice Chairman Shimura, I will not serve for life as the First Representative of the Land of Fire’s People’s Congress, nor as its Prime Minister,” Hinata Ichiro replied.

And he meant what he said. In the previous battle at Taiji Palace, not only did he refrain from participating, he offered no commands or advice.

Meanwhile, as the livestream chat buzzed with discussion about Ye Luo and Xiao Wan’s IDs, Ling Yuewu dialed a number on her phone.

Liu Bei and Liu Zhang were both members of the imperial clan. Liu Bei was two years older, so Liu Zhang addressed him as elder brother.

“It’s all right. During the next match, we’ll be there with you!” Ye Luo gently stroked the head of the praying girl and spoke softly.

“Y-yes, understood~” Taeyeon replied as she pinched Ling Xing’s cheeks before returning to the dressing table.

While all this unfolded for Shi Sheng, Tai Xuan took Mi Mingniang and sped back to the Purple Cloud Palace in a flash of light.

After a while, a maid came to summon her, saying that the old lady had sent for her. The words snapped Chen Lan out of her reverie, and she hurried to the old lady’s room. It was the heart of winter; Qiu Yue fetched a pale green silk-cotton cloak from the inner room and draped it over Chen Lan’s shoulders.

Disaster! Gan Ning’s Lotus Heart Eye and my own Secret Mirror Pupil technique had both attracted the attention of the Dream Pool. I called for her to stop, but it was already too late—the reaction here was far more intense than outside. Gale-force winds and towering waves surged toward us, biting cold, and in an instant, they froze into a wall of black ice before us.

In the Xia Kingdom, the Grand Sorcerer sat upon the altar, watching the divination blocks with utter confusion. The signs clearly showed that Prince Ning of the Ming Dynasty had met his end; his star had faded just as predicted. Yet moments later, it shone anew. Had the prince survived, or was the divination in error?

Up ahead, Zheng Xuancheng appeared extremely anxious, glancing repeatedly at Ling Xing and the drink in her hand.

Night deepened. Following Lord Mouse’s suggestion, they decided to sleep here for the night and depart at dawn. At that moment, tiny points of light suddenly appeared amid the flower fields, as if countless beautiful lanterns had been lit.