Volume 1, Chapter 27: Feelings for Qiaoqiao Run Deeper Than Imagined

Dear Brother Fu:

I hope this letter finds you well.

By the time you receive this, the year will be drawing to a close. Perhaps you will already be on your way back, a prospect I look forward to with great anticipation.

I have been busy with many things at home these past few days, all of which serve to reflect the peace and beauty of our lives. While you face the fires of war in the combat zone, I am here in Huaicheng, offering my sincere prayers for your safety.

I believe you are the finest soldier in this world.

I wish to share so much of our daily life with you, but I fear distracting you or wasting your precious time, so I shall say no more.

Fu Juechuan felt a warmth spread through his heart as he read this. He longed to tell her that she was never a distraction, and that it meant the world to know someone was truly thinking of him. He touched the letter paper with reverence and continued reading.

"However, during the day I..."

With Gu Ao eliminated, a great burden was lifted from Cui Feng’s heart. Burning with fervor, he walked toward the enormous crater.

Just as the two men stood in confusion, a voice sounded from behind them. Startled, they both turned to see a young man with a scar on his face standing there. Judging by his tone and the content of his words, this person was clearly no ordinary individual.

"Wei Yuan, it is about time," Lieutenant General Ali said, his brows furrowed as he sat in the rear.

This prince had never been favored by the Emperor since his birth; his name had not even been recorded in the royal lineage, so he held no royal rank. Yet, he was indeed a prince, and his mother had given him the name Zhe.

Dong Zhanyun had finally finished drinking a jar of wine when, unexpectedly, Lin Ke’er kicked him in the backside. He stumbled, thrusting his head into the wine jar... Following that, many more kicks landed on his rear, including one from Yu Qingqiong.

The Prince of Qu looked at him and said gently, "The floods have just receded here, and the environment is complex; it is not as safe as the capital. Follow close behind me, Fifth Brother, and watch your step among the loose stones." His voice was melodious, brimming with the tender care of an elder brother protecting his younger sibling.

Fei Liangyan stared blankly as Lu Tong took his hand to bandage it, his mind a void. He had thought he found a kind Cinderella, but he had never expected her to be a wicked, calculating witch.

The sharp, barbed arm raised, its cold tip gleaming with the light of death. It pierced the air, aiming straight for the heaving chest of Yu Die.

"No, we do not!" his words drew an impassioned, desperate chorus of agreement from the hundreds of attendees below the stage.

"Very good. I am pleased to see that the soldiers of the First Fleet are the backbone of Earth. Then let us set out! Let the aliens see how the defenders of Earth face death with honor!" Xiao Weiyuan shouted with passionate intensity.

"No, I have to go back to the company later," Li Wei replied, feigning indifference. In truth, Li Wei’s only plan after the music video shoot was to finish work and go home.

Naturally, it referred to those things inscribed within the magical artifact at the time of its creation—its duties, rules, and the like.

"You there, what are you doing!" A sharp bark shattered the tragic atmosphere Wu Yulin was brewing in his heart. Through his tear-blurred vision, he saw a dozen soldiers of the Defeating-the-Barbarians Army, commanded by a medium-built officer in field-grade uniform, taking control of the entire floor.

Meanwhile, Xu Mengli’s skin had suffered from prolonged exposure to high heat, leaving her with several injuries. The sharp pain in certain areas only added to her mental exhaustion. Stimulating her acupoints so forcefully had drained her strength; in the end, she lacked even the energy to struggle out of Li Tian’s embrace.

Justin and the others were a force Elena had cultivated on the continent long before Ryan was born. The mage troop that had surrendered to him after he beat them several times in the Arctic ice fields belonged to this rebel organization.

Shi Leilei looked toward where the man’s voice had come from. It was a counter specifically serving ordinary people without supernatural abilities, and many were currently queued there.

The sporadic volleys of arrows could not suppress the Mongol offensive. The newly surrendered soldiers, just repulsed, rushed forward again, spurred on by their officers as they attempted once more to split and surround the Defeating-the-Barbarians Army.

A golden light suddenly darted from the sleeve of the Azure Dragon. It expanded rapidly in mid-air, instantly becoming a colossal entity that completely filled the cavern before Ye Xiao. All he could see were shimmering golden scales.

With the red clothes and the ceremonial carriages and sedan chairs, everything seemed ready. However, a problem arose: the musical instruments. They had received many suonas and gongs, but unfortunately, few of the cultivators in Li Tian’s unit knew how to play them.

Many media outlets abroad praised Ronaldo’s astonishing performance. Some even felt it was a classic event that would be recorded in the history of the UEFA Champions League.

The furious Lithuanians displayed a suicidal, charging spirit from the very beginning of the match. Their frantic assault was like the suicidal aircraft of the island nation at the end of World War II.

Hearing this, Yan Wang’s heart stirred, but he said with a calm expression, "That is for the best. Though I killed Song Yixue, it does not mean the Ghost King cannot successfully survive his tribulation."

"Then you go ahead, old brother. I have a precious suit of armor to protect me; I do not fear his flying sword," Liu Yingfeng said.

Ren Zong, moved by Yao Guangxiao’s contributions, allowed him, a monk, to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. It was much like the extraordinary favor Emperor Jiajing was currently bestowing upon Shuangmei—bestowing the fifth rank and covering him in python robes and jade belts—though it was contrary to protocol.

Howard had stayed with the Lakers for only one year, leaving the people of Los Angeles to pay the price for their loyalty. The Lakers had overdrawn their future for Howard, yet he failed to give them the present they desired. Howard simply walked away, leaving the Lakers to bear the consequences of his actions.

Felix’s performance was truly excellent. While he was certainly not as seasoned as Kaka, he had done very well—entirely meeting Sun Yi’s expectations.

The man’s limbs were restrained by shackles, hanging motionless against the wall. He looked as though he had lost half his life, yet under the maintenance of the virtual world’s grand laws, he was kept in a half-dead state.

He was overjoyed to hear Chen Dun say he would send eunuchs to supervise the tax collection, but upon hearing that the censorate officials would also be involved, he was instantly furious—censorate officials were their natural-born mortal enemies! Those officials had impeached countless eunuchs; though most of the time it was true... in fact, not most, but almost all of it.

As Liu Yingfeng unfurled the cloth strip, Sima Kong’s sword technique could no longer be performed. The strip was folded over, yet still a full zhang long in Liu Yingfeng’s hand. Sima Kong could only take the beating, unable to strike back.

A moon in the water, a flower in a mirror; words have limits, but the meaning is boundless. Illusory and ethereal, like a dream and yet not, false and yet seemingly real—but in the end, where should the dream return?

Although the True Dragon Fruit was useless to him, it had to be said that this thing was a treasure.

At this moment, a middle-aged man in black robes descended from the sky, stepping on a flying sword. His icy gaze made Liu Qiang shiver.