Chapter 92: Background

“Icefrost… There’s been a huge upheaval at the Hall of Ten Thousand Immortals. Immortal Hua has abdicated her position and passed it on to her daughter, Hua Tingyun. Everyone has returned to the headquarters in Hando. Now I can’t reach a single person. Even trying to contact my dad isn't so easy,” came Mu Jie’s panicked voice on the other end of the line.

Zhou Bing Shuang struggled to her feet with difficulty. “Why would Immortal Hua suddenly…”

“What? What did you say? Are you drunk or feverish?” Lin Miaoxiang lifted her head slightly, looking frustrated.

After finishing his instructions, the steward handed a universe pouch to Lin Yu, then gestured politely for her to proceed.

“Someone controlled it? Could that young man be at the Shocking Thunder level?” the tenth elder voiced his doubts.

Even though he had been beaten, Xie Zhicheng refused to give up. He was determined to clarify the matter today.

King Wu was utterly astonished: Lin Yulan had clearly already devoted herself to him. Back then, she’d even threatened to become a nun if she didn’t get a proper status. How could she change her mind so suddenly?

Despite such airs, Li Tiezhu looked unimpressed, but Ye Xiaoying gave him a little push, prompting him to bow slightly and respectfully to Madam Wang.

Though Yun Qingfeng said as much, this matter was but a word from him. Li Yixian understood that perfectly. Thinking of the secret arts of the Buddhist sect, Li Yixian’s body could not help but tremble with excitement.

Gu Hanxi’s mind was awhirl with countless thoughts, yet deep inside he felt a secret delight, a nameless restlessness stirring within him.

On both sides, mounted guards protected the emperor’s carriage. By comparison, the elephants were more than twice the size of the horses.

At that moment, Xie Cheng was floating along the river in a rented pleasure boat. Whenever he looked up, he caught sight of a slender figure on the riverbank. He would never mistake that silhouette—even beneath thick winter clothes, he could still discern the graceful form he had seen at Xiangguo Temple.

Remembering her agreement with Yu Shiwei, she dared not delay. She hurried upstairs to wash up and change. Only when she picked up her phone did she notice a text from Yu Shiwei sent the previous night. Opening it, she realized their meeting was set for noon, so she didn’t need to rush after all.

Within the temple, there were already many wards in place, all under Zhuo Yu’s control, so he wasn't worried that these people would cause trouble.

She took out her phone and used it as a mirror to examine her neck. Once fair and beautiful, it was now wrapped so thickly she resembled a bear—so bulky she couldn’t help but reach out and touch it.

But the pain did not ease with her self-comfort, nor did it fade with time. On the contrary, it grew more intense.

Blinking, she forced herself to collect her emotions. Hua Qianxun wasted no more time, turned off the light, and stepped out of her bedroom.

One was a former worker from the gambling operation, a newcomer who had escaped the purge. Simple-minded, he did whatever the boss asked, but most importantly, he was agile—if real danger arose, he could probably escape on his own.

He Qing was even more taciturn than a locked box, silently playing his cards from beginning to end. He repeatedly wiped the floor with Fatty. As the saying goes, gambling reveals character. He Qing rarely lost focus while playing, and he almost always routed both me and Fatty, for he was a shrewd calculator—nearly every card was within his predictions.

Zheng Chuxue was in high spirits, her plan flawless: as long as she succeeded in getting pregnant, it was only a matter of time before she would be invited into Yijing Garden.

She had no idea that Zhibao, who had been about to punish her for her own good, immediately dismissed any such notion upon hearing these words.

“Is that so? I understand.” Kazumi Tsukamoto closed her room door again, seemingly in a good mood.

“A little hardship is good,” Wei Dafang replied with contentment. After all, even now, the countryside still cherished the belief that more children meant more blessings. Despite the state’s family planning policies, many secretly continued to have children—even if it meant the child had no legal status, it didn’t deter them.