Chapter 52: The Sixteen Emperors of the Great Han

The imperial chariot rumbled on its way toward Chang'an.

The journey back was much faster than the trip there.

This was naturally at Liu Bang's behest.

On the return trip, Liu Bang's mood was far from good. Aside from the fact that he intended to kill Lu Xuan upon his return, another major reason was the multitude of matters awaiting his attention along the way, which had cut short the time he could have spent with Lu Xuan.

Although Empress Lü managed the affairs of Chang'an, large and small, and he trusted her capabilities, routine matters...

Following Lu Yuan's suggestion, He Jia added red and white affairs—weddings and funerals—below the custom cake advertisements.

Yet, undeniably, Su Ci could faintly perceive some underlying intent behind the actions taken by Dongfang Shaoqing.

Su Ci checked to see if her horse had been taken away by Xuan Shaoqi, finally spotting it at the very back of the stable.

Even if one were to purchase these blueprints, the corresponding knowledge and specialized equipment required to manufacture these components would still be needed, which meant incurring additional expenses.

Busy in his office, Lu Yuan made phone calls to connect with his comrades-in-arms. He wanted to check the current status of the North and South to verify certain speculations and ideas. Once the calls concluded, Lu Yuan felt an even stronger urge to go and see for himself.

Regardless of whether this battle would be a one-sided massacre or an evenly matched duel, it stirred the hearts of all the martial artists, who yearned to witness the scene firsthand.

Not long ago, the gloom in her heart had gradually dissipated. Upon seeing the beautiful weather, Cheng Wan could not help but feel much better.

Chen Jiuyou swallowed hard as he looked at the magma below, but in order to enhance his strength, he had no choice but to take the risk.

Filled with murderous intent, Han Houfei dared not reveal any further ambitions and obediently stopped to the side, not daring to follow any longer.

With a faint smile, Bai Yumo's expression was as radiant as the first ray of morning sunlight piercing through a long darkness amidst the eastern breeze. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Puddles of seawater accumulated on the balcony. Yu Jing, wearing plant-fiber shoes, stepped directly into the chilling brine. Fortunately, the extraterrestrial plant-matter possessed a certain degree of resistance against all attributes of chaos; otherwise, contact with the seawater might have inflicted mental corruption upon him.

Zhenxun City was immense, housing tens of millions of residents. Such a massive population dictated a correspondingly colossal daily water consumption.

Harboring such doubts, Xiao Ran left this world laden with countless spoils, alongside tremendous gains that would likely have frightened many players in the real game to death.

Within the demon faction, unwilling to be outdone, a figure soared forth. Its wings were a brilliant purplish-gold, and as they fluttered slightly, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled with a terrifying and awe-inspiring momentum.

Following this turmoil, Su Cheng spent a few peaceful days of university life, as if everything had returned to normal.

Finally, Xiao Ran gripped the control sticks with both hands. Letting out a soft breath, his eyes flashed sharply as the index fingers of both hands pressed down simultaneously.

Regarding the return of Mu Huixin, the Mu family was genuinely baffled. How had she managed to escape back here so easily? Of course, although it felt a bit peculiar, no one probed too deeply; after all, having her return safely was a good thing. Meanwhile, the Liu family was equally perplexed by the Lin family's actions, wondering how such a thing could have transpired.

Although it was dawn, the sky remained gray and sunless, offering no celestial markers for orientation. Moreover, Qin Kun's Heavenly Eyes had lost their function due to the system's ban, rendering him unable to determine direction even on the dirt mountain roads. To his surprise, Li Chong possessed an exceptional sense of direction.

"Please do not worry, everyone. This is a normal atmospheric phenomenon," the flight attendant immediately announced to calm the passengers' emotions.

In the middle of the road, a snowman had been built by some mischievous children, featuring a plump belly, a round face, and two lumps of coal embedded to serve as eyes.

At that moment, the door of the private dining room was pushed open from the outside. A man dressed in a Japanese kimono entered happily, carrying a wooden tray. Upon catching sight of Fei Yinan, he immediately set the tray down and stepped forward to embrace him joyfully.

Now, facing criticism from Xiao Wanting as well, I felt a surge of annoyance, but I did not let my anger flare further. I knew Xiao Wanting meant well and was acting in the best interest of our team.

As for himself, without exerting any effort, he had turned thirty percent into sixty percent. Consequently, upon his return, he was bound to receive heavy rewards from his clan.

Zhang Lang's dagger also missed its mark. He had aimed for Kelalong's throat, intending to twist his wrist and drive the blade downward to pierce Kelalong's skull. Unfortunately, his opponent had anticipated the move; amidst a rapid spin of his body, Kelalong's pair of sturdy iron claws successfully blocked Zhang Lang's dagger.

Monstrous waves of the seven mortal emotions and six base desires instantly overwhelmed the world fragment, pushing back the primal chaos energy. Shen Huixian turned back to look as a giant beast clawed its way out from a fissure tens of thousands of feet wide.

"What else can we do then?" Knowing that Chai Qingyue disdained his arbitrary method of throwing out random numbers as wealth, Murong Sichen could only look at her with an aggrieved expression, pouting like a spoiled child acting cute.

Yet, his actions were constantly met with repulsion. As his power waned, the repulsive force grew stronger—so strong that Shen Huixian finally understood what was happening.

Shangguan Yong felt that his life was virtually ruined. Having finally escaped the clutches of his older sister's demonic grip, he had now fallen into the hands of the man destined to become his brother-in-law.

For now, Jin Tian had no wish to alert the enemy, sensing that some potential peril was lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

While cultivators could fly, casual flight was strictly prohibited during a siege. However, the inability to fly freely did not mean flight was entirely forbidden; the moment the battle commenced, both the attacking and defending sides would immediately dispatch troops into the air. Air superiority was paramount; securing it was virtually equivalent to securing victory in the war.

"To make so bold as to invite Magistrate Jiang here right at the end of the year is because I have two matters I wish to ask about," Song继昆 (Song Jikun) said straightforwardly and cordially.

Situ Hao believed that although his strategic acumen could not compare to the likes of Daoist Wuyuan, he could see at a glance that Daoist Wuyuan's explanation was far too far-fetched, undoubtedly concealing hidden circumstances. Therefore, as a partner, Situ Hao insisted that Daoist Wuyuan provide a deeper explanation; otherwise, he would refuse to participate in this cargo-intercepting operation.