Chapter Eighty-Three: The Thieves

Dan Pinghui personally escorted Lu Yalan to the lounge, gave her a long list of reminders, and only left after Lu Yalan had promised repeatedly to be careful.

Descending the stairs, she saw Song Mo still standing where he was. Dan Pinghui put on a reserved yet warm smile and greeted him, “Why are you hiding here, Mr. Song? Are the ladies at tonight’s banquet not to your taste?”

“That smile you had just now was far more adorable than this one,” Song Mo replied, his voice deep and alluring, the melody drifting in from the other side only adding to his charm. He glanced upstairs. “Having already seen the one who suits me best, everything else now feels meaningless.”

They had known each other for a long time—who didn’t know the other’s ways by now?

Dan Pinghui dropped her act, put on a stern face, and warned him directly.

“Hey, hey, I’m making way for you all, all right? Just don’t make things difficult for me.” Xuan Feng kept muttering, fussing over the details. He seemed tireless and didn’t take the masked people before him seriously. His body darted aside again and again, and he kept grumbling under his breath.

Although he’d stayed here for quite some time, he increasingly felt that this world was suffused with death. The white clouds in the sky and the birds in the forest alike exuded a lingering aura of decay.

If it were another combat class, the damage would easily surpass a hundred and fifty points; a few blows and the health bar would be emptied.

The uncle shook his head and said, “It’s nothing. Here’s today’s newspaper, take it.” With that, he pulled four or five sheets from the thick stack he carried in his arms and handed them over.

Duan Qiu was sparing no effort in helping Xiao Qing improve. Though Xiao Qing’s talent wasn’t the best, reaching the saintly level was definitely within reach.

“Don’t worry, my friend. I’m acting entirely on the Sha family’s instructions. I have no intention of truly fighting you. I’m just here to hold back your Jiang family, so you won’t have the energy to attack the Sha family, nothing more.” Nai Wang shrugged in a Western manner as he spoke.

Zheng Ji didn’t hesitate, took the ball straight from Li Weiping’s focused gaze, accelerated, and with a flick of his toe sent the football sailing more than ten meters ahead.

Dong Xinli and Sun Maocai couldn’t hear the forum live broadcast—they were still locked in combat.

Unnoticed, noon had arrived. The sun at the horizon blazed fiercely, casting burning rays onto the earth and the hurried pedestrians in the streets.

“Do you think that unlucky boy Wu Tianyi will come back to pester us?” Chen Zhexi glanced at Qin Fenglin, speaking with some concern.

Xie Ban Gui donned the Soul Severing Claws—genuine ones, their dark gold sheen making them look as if forged from brass. Though they lacked a blinding gleam, they exuded a chilling, murderous air. Even unworn, they inspired instinctive fear, making one hesitate to touch them.

A six-star elite monster was about the equivalent of a silver-tier boss, but that was just its attributes. Without skills, no matter how high its stats, it couldn’t amount to much.

Xie Ban Gui’s purpose was simple. Though his palm strike had eliminated many strange fish, he couldn’t predict what other dangers lurked beneath the water. He could only hope that the sudden drop in water temperature around him would temporarily keep the fish at bay, buying him some time.

Some were chilled by Old Qian’s reckless actions, while others, like Old Qian himself, were fired up with passion. Of course, those who didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire were forced to leave the Zheng family before dusk.

But before Murong Yuer could savor her triumph, her attention was seized by the sudden flash of white light in the sky, freezing her smile in an instant.

Although Ji Wan told herself she didn’t care what others said—at most, she’d roll up her sleeves and fight—she still recognized kindness when it was shown to her and would not disregard the Lady’s good intentions.

She approached the mass of monsters, which were beginning to gather. As all the monsters converged, she loosed a barrage of elemental arrows—so many that the number was uncountable.

One could hardly blame Chen Hai for being so gluttonous. In the past, when eating with the Hu family, even dried fish was doled out sparingly, and other delicacies were rarer still. Today, he could finally eat his fill—a first in his life—so his enthusiasm was only to be expected.