Chapter Ninety-Three: The Guardian of the Ma Family

Ma Wu’s mind raced swiftly. Among the words spoken by the soul entity, one phrase caught his attention more than others: “the old wretch.” If he was not mistaken, the old man who had just turned to ash also called himself “the old wretch.” Coupling this with what the old man had said—“There is only one divine consciousness within my body; we will meet again in another form”—Ma Wu suddenly harbored a bold suspicion. Could it be that this soul entity was, in fact, that very old man?

Yu Pianpian charged straight in that direction, her sword aura cutting through the air like lightning. Around her, the fiery phoenix summoned by Fuyun Nuan scorched every rat demon that dared approach, while Fuyun Nuan herself followed closely behind, advancing toward the same destination.

Sister Yuan was in high spirits, chatting animatedly as she circled around Yu Zhuang’s large shell. Eventually, she stepped inside the shell herself and shared a bath with Yu Zhuang, carefully unraveling all her lingering doubts.

“I concur. This matter is no ordinary affair. We must not startle the snake by beating the grass,” Lin Yuan spoke solemnly.

“Oh? So he has some powerful backing?” Xuan Yuan Potian’s expression shifted. He despised relying on family connections to get ahead.

Lu Yingquan, usually low-key and averse to trouble, wanted to decline but found herself at a loss for words when she opened her mouth.

Rui made a round, noticing Ying Xiang and his men stationed by the snow wall, then returned to the Elder’s cave. There, Elder Yao, Wu Heng, and Ta were conversing, while Elder Huo and Luo Li were busy preparing a meal.

“You’ve fought before, I know,” the Valley Master of Ling Xiao had taught her some things earlier. She sensed that Fuyun Nuan had indeed used some form of magic.

“Then just go to sleep. I told you it’s fine, so why don’t you trust me?” Wei Xuan was blunt as she pushed Wang Dong toward the door.

Ye picked up a stone and casually rubbed it against the ground. Scratches appeared on the stone tiles beneath, but the stone itself remained unchanged. Everyone was intrigued and began picking up stones to try the same.

After Mo Mo and the others advanced another hundred zhang, they repeated this tactic twice more. Though they didn't kill anyone those times, their foes had completely lost the will to fight.

Under the blazing sun, a gentle warm rain fell. The imperial capital bustled as usual, with pedestrians coming and going along the broad streets. The air was filled with the calls of street vendors hawking their wares.

Initially, he intended to use thunderous force to eliminate the man in black if he refused to cooperate, believing that such a display would intimidate the lords and secure his control.

With those words, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished beyond the horizon. “Leaving just like that... so many yet unchanged, decisive and unhesitating,” the white-robed elder murmured with a wry smile, then followed the black-robed elder.

In the distance, Jiang Feng, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. A sharp gleam shot fiercely from his gaze.

“I’m bringing guests to take a look at this shop,” the steward said, making a gesture to signal Han Feng and the others to proceed first.

Contrarily, not only did many continue to support Yuan Chonghuan’s hardline policies unanimously, but some, having observed the differences and similarities between the bandits of northern Shaanxi and the Taomin Musu barbarians, entertained the idea of letting them weaken each other in a fierce conflict before wiping them out entirely.

Qin Fen shook his head with a bitter smile. Now he finally understood why Li Wangcai had been so smug earlier—it was all because Qin Fen had refused to accompany him.

“What!? You don’t agree!? I’m offering double the price! It’s just a broken dagger; are you afraid I can’t afford it?” Li Yuntian grinned arrogantly, confident that no one here dared to disrespect him.

Chen Xi, wearing a puzzled expression, was pulled upstairs by him. This time, the people outside seemed to recognize Han Feng, their faces filled with fear as they allowed him to pass.

The other singers stopped, enviously watching the lively scene around Lin Qihua. A cold glint flashed in Feng Qijun’s eyes. Once again, Lin Qihua had stolen the spotlight, steadily becoming the most popular figure in the national team. If this continued, Feng Qijun feared he would be firmly overshadowed.