Chapter 44: Use More Force

He was the one who told her to come up with an excuse, yet now that she had found one, he started speaking in sarcastic riddles. What kind of game was he playing?

Song Qiao simply pretended not to understand his taunts and described her father's appearance to him in minute detail.

In the end, fearing she might arouse his suspicion, she added a deliberate closing remark.

"It would be best if the Marquis manages to find him, but if not, then so be it. After all, he was never anyone of real importance."

...

As for the once-glorious Fire God Temple, which had now almost vanished into thin air, who could truly say whether the decline of the Temple led to the disappearance of Adafeike, or if Adafeike's disappearance caused the downfall of the Temple?

On this matter, Deputy Commander Zhao had tied his fate to his. Seeing that Commissioner Zhao had emerged as a variable in their well-laid plans, Zhao was naturally filled with anxiety and strongly urged Song Tianxing to plead their case with Commissioner Li, since the ultimate power of decision still rested in the hands of the Prefect.

After drinking tea for a while, the estate's steward prepared Princess Gaoyang's chambers and invited her to inspect them. Princess Gaoyang then took her three handmaidens to settle into the rooms, leaving Qin Mubai and Li Ke in the main hall to continue drinking tea.

The two of them walked in intimately. Outside, many onlookers among the common people were utterly baffled: how could these two brothers be on such affectionate terms when they were supposed to be locked in a life-and-death struggle for the throne of succession?

Then, as if nothing had happened at all, the two men symbolically sent representatives to offer condolences at the homes of the three deceased victims and went right back to their daily routines.

This meant the complete defeat of the hawk faction, and the court factional struggles had descended into an entirely one-sided situation.

Qin Mubai felt a deep sense of relief and secret excitement. Looking back, he had only experienced a flash of inspiration back then, wanting to use explosives to blast open Emperor Yang's mausoleum in Xiangzhou. Never had he expected that the gentle flap of a butterfly's wings would truly unleash a whirlwind of technology.

Luo Manyi, naturally refusing to let the matter drop, relentlessly interrogated him, asking if he had once again resorted to illegal threats against Director Qin.

The aircraft gradually approached the flight deck, its landing gear lightly brushing the surface before bouncing slightly. A piercing screech of tires erupted instantly as the landing gear and the carrier deck generated a massive cloud of blue smoke, and a strong stench of burning rubber immediately filled the air.

Just as both sides remained locked in a stalemate, a series of crisp, rhythmic bell chimes suddenly echoed from afar, growing closer and closer.

"Wan'er," Wan'er said, her eyes remaining fixed on Diler, whose sword was held merely thirty meters away, pressed directly against Xun'er's neck.

This time, Tianyao simply responded with silence. Yet, judging by his tense muscles, his mood was clearly filled with anxiety.

This led to his arrival today. After Muyinhui revealed everything, Gao Fei fell silent.

At this moment, the long-deserted Qinta Tribe was suddenly flooded with a massive crowd. A grand and imposing procession marched in—every single one of them able-bodied young men. Many were stripped to the waist, hauling carts of goods toward the settlement. Judging by the scale, there were at least a thousand carts forming an unbroken line along the mountain road.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself: "I, too, wish to seek guidance from the Grand Historian." Becoming a disciple of Jiao Fa would greatly benefit both his academic pursuits and his reputation. Since Zong Yishan had already successfully become a disciple, he could not afford to walk away empty-handed.

Cockroach also noticed this scene. He was clearly startled, never expecting that among the mere pests in his eyes, there would still exist someone as formidable as Bai Yu.

Perhaps the issue is not as simple as black and white, and the demonization of the Scottish Fold is likely the result of careless breeding by ignorant individuals who see only commercial value.

"You all deserve to die!" A chilling voice squeezed through the cracks of her lips. Beneath her shifting gaze surged a palpable, ready-to-be-unleashed intent to kill.

Qiqin Jiatian paid no attention to what Moqileng said next; all his focus was captured by those three words: "my dear." The subtle traces of amusement dancing in his eyes completely betrayed the joy swelling in his heart at that very moment.