Volume 1, Chapter 22: Pummeling the Punching Bag

Originally, Old Su was wavering between staying and leaving, gradually leaning toward leaving—after all, his old life was precious. Besides, he had already asked around, and half the families in the village were planning to move out. Even if he was reluctant, he dared not stay behind.

But today was different.

His son had led the entire village to wipe out two waves of mountain bandits—over one hundred and fifty in total! All were killed by his brilliant and unparalleled eldest son!

Clearly, Liu Yuhan’s gaze was fixed on the haystack. Since all the houses were thatched, setting fire to them would burn the entire village to the ground. If they could ignite it smoothly, the Black Wind Stronghold would be theirs without a fight.

What was even more terrifying was that mental damage differed completely from physical injury. The latter could be treated and healed; even in severe cases where full recovery was impossible, as long as one survived, they would at worst become disabled but still manage to carry on with life.

With these thoughts, he pressed forward. He was the first to charge ahead. As a warrior, he single-handedly cut down any enemy who confronted him. As a mage, he did not shy away from exposure, for whoever dared use magic against him would be met with a fatal counterattack.

Now, only experts or tightly knit groups remained, and for a moment, all were locked in a standoff. No one wanted to be the first to act—no exception even for the few masters present—because inciting the wrath of the crowd would be a loss far outweighing any gain.

“By the way, Weiyong, inform the Crown Prince about Zhang Gongqing’s matter. Let him draft the edict; it’s time he gained some experience and helped ease my burden,” Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly recalled something, standing to leave while looking back.

The Orlando Magic still held third place in the East, with the Atlanta Hawks in fourth. The Miami Heat had surpassed the Philadelphia 76ers to claim the fifth spot, whose opponent was the Hawks. The 76ers had slipped to sixth, facing the Magic as their rivals.

Now, with Lin Qiaolan accompanying him, such reckless actions were out of the question. Besides, Lin Qiaolan was not her subordinate and would not obediently stay at the inn. He would likely charge forward if convinced he was doing the right thing.

While Tang Mengmei was on the phone with Engel, Zhu Siqi—using the alias Wang Dake—had already returned to the National Security Bureau with Long Aotian. Wang Dake had originally intended to leave immediately after completing the mission but was forced to stay due to a gunshot wound to his arm.

“An ambush—only an ambush will do,” Burks suggested, surprised at how the once robust vanguard had grown wise.

Qin She galloped ahead of the Scythe Knights, biting his teeth in frustration as he glanced back at the scene, helpless to intervene.

This was also one of the reasons she had traveled thousands of miles back to China, earnestly seeking cooperation with Ding Xicheng.

“Since Tai Yunfeng is controlled by Tian Xiao, how could he possibly agree to a search there with his temperament?” Zhang the Lame asked in doubt.

After returning to the bedroom, he did not emerge the entire day. Lunch and dinner were sent to the room but remained untouched.

The agonized screams of the Shanhe Camp warriors pierced the air! The Dawn Camp soldiers charged straight into the formation like a sharp dagger, beginning a ruthless slaughter. The Shanhe Camp, considered elite in the Immortal Realm, proved utterly no match and were massacred.

Though he was Xue Lin’s only son, and these funds and estates would eventually belong to him, not yet. If he used the hundred thousand yuan without informing his father, he would surely be reprimanded afterward.

Wanfuka Miyang said, “Li Xiangjun, don’t be impulsive; you may go rest now.” Li Xiangjun glanced at him, then cast a sidelong look at the Big Dipper star before turning to leave.

A stench of blood and rot hung in the void. A hurricane stirred up red soil, scattering it in all directions, as if the entire world were engulfed in a storm of blood and death.