Chapter 46: Forced Praise

"Heh, Li Changshu, you really are delusional! Your wife and daughter are in my imperial palace—go ahead, try to reach them!"
Qin Xiao's mocking voice echoed through the dank, sinister prison.
Li Changshu's eyes were bloodshot, his lips pale.
"Stop pretending, Your Majesty. I know you're not useless, and you know exactly what I'm talking about," Li Changshu replied with a bitter smile.
...
A rush of hot blood mixed with cold sweat surged to his head, his mind roaring. Chi Yu stared in shock at Yin Yi, his tongue frozen with terror, so frightened that he lost the ability to speak.
Meanwhile, Wang Hao felt a flicker of excitement. Since the other party knew, that meant there were many things he could probe for answers.
He had already led Monk Yang toward the passage inside the cave, instructing Rabbit and the others to stay put and keep an ear out for any movement above. After several minutes, they discovered the corridor was as long as an underground tunnel. Even after walking for a few minutes, they saw no end in sight.
"Let me take a look," Lin Yu stepped forward quickly, lifting up Juan Mao's clothes. At the sight, she couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
Even the accounts that posted the video on social media had no idea who had uploaded that inexplicable footage, but the content was so explosive that they couldn't bear to delete it. They simply let it spread freely.
Meng Fan turned his head and saw a massive construction vehicle slowly approaching from the north. The tires alone were over three meters high, and its giant front shovel effortlessly pushed aside the cars blocking the way; sometimes, it simply rolled right over them.
"I... I..." Wu Yaoguang stammered incoherently, terrified. He hadn't expected that, instead of learning Anan's or the girl's whereabouts, he would expose himself.
"Strange, there's blood everywhere, but I can't find a wound," Meng Fan said in astonishment.
Yet the heavy rain still landed a punch squarely on Meng Fan. Oddly, this blow only gave Meng Fan more confidence, for he barely felt any pain, while the rain itself recoiled, forcing it back several steps.
"It should be," replied Sword Wuji, standing beside him, clearly stunned. He nodded stiffly and spoke up.
Consort Xian's maneuver played right into her hands. The Empress was too arrogant to win anyone over, but Consort Xian was different—she was gentle, charming, and skilled in the art of seduction.
Pressing down Jinglin's raised head, Old Man Wine urged anxiously, "No, Young Master is drifting in very slowly; he must have some way to resist. If you recklessly attack with karmic fire, he might instantly lose control and you’ll only make things worse. For now, it’s best if we watch and wait."
Over these past days, Yingxi had quietly gathered information about the alchemy chamber, but rescuing those seventy thousand people would still be extremely difficult. It wasn't just a matter of sheer numbers—even sneaking in herself would be a formidable challenge.
Whether in terms of timing or emotion, he neither wanted nor could afford a child at this moment.
Golden Cicada grabbed her hand and pulled her back with such force that Yu Xie stumbled into his arms, her head bumping against his chest with a dull ache.
Chen Gongshu hung his head in dejection as he walked off with the money. He knew that Li Er was now favored by Chairman Jiang—he couldn't afford to cross him. He hadn't received much money, but he had managed to offend his own men.
The cave abode was extremely deep; without using his teleportation technique, Lu Qingyun could not see the end, even as he flew forward. Yet, as he ventured deeper, the soul lotus in his hand grew ever more radiant.
Old Man Wine saw the approaching figure—it was none other than Ao Miao, the Silver Dragon of the Bright Moon. Spotting Old Man Wine wielding his wine jar and charging over, Ao Miao released a surge of ferocious energy, instantly sending Old Man Wine flying, then gently caught him with a wave of softness, placing him carefully back on the ground.