Gu Shenwei's half-true story moved the two young girls. Even though they did not make up their mind to steal anything instantly, he knew he had successfully taken the first step.
However, it was only a small step. Gu Shenwei could not control Shangguan Ru's thoughts, so he just waited and saw what this bossy girl would do next.
The next morning, after the twins went to school, Gu Shenwei had the chance to sneak into the Eighth Young Master's yard for reporting to Mama Xue. He did not take the methods that Mama Xue had taught him, because she obviously overrated Slave Huan's influence on Master Ru. A slave's life and death were not enough to draw her attention.
Gu Shenwei saw some people carrying a big basket from the gate. He recognized one of them was Slave San, one of the ten male slaves bought by Miss Luo.
Some of them had died and others had left. Only four still worked in Firewood Yard, however, Miss Luo had forgotten them. Hence, other people in Golden Roc Fort had no reason to remember them.
Expressionless and glassy-eyed, Slave San did not seem to notice Slave Huan. Carrying the basket, he looked down and hurriedly left with the others.
Gu Shenwei was very sensitive to these trivial matters for no reason. He wanted to know what had been put into this basket.
Even if there was a dead person inside, such was a common occurrence in Golden Roc Fort. But Gu Shenwei could not control his curiosity and the faint uneasiness. He had not stopped thinking about it, until he entered Mama Xue's room.
Unexpectedly, Mama Xue was kind to Gu Shenwei. She not only expressed her satisfaction with the progress of the plan, but also showed her appreciation for Slave Huan's wisdom. Additionally, she rewarded him a cup of tea.
As he drank the tea, Mama Xue said, "You'll know how hard it is to find a trustworthy person in the world. Even a master of kung fu can be easily hurt by people's betrayal. However, you're a trustworthy man to me. Now, we're 'master and apprentice'. Although I know a lot of kung fu skills, what I've taught you only accounts for about 20% of them. After you gain the thing I want, I'll teach you more powerful kung fu, which isn't showty, you know, but practical. Ah! You want to avenge the person who murdered your father. After learning my kung fu, you can kill anyone you want."
This was not the first time that Mama Xue had said "kill anyone you want". Gu Shenwei though she probably had learned his real identity.
Gu Shenwei cautiously thanked Mama Xue, appearing to be neither cold nor enthusiastic. He mentioned nothing about the secret of the wooden saber. In fact, he wanted to know some clues about the saber, but now he felt it was better to play the fool.
Since the twins may be calling Slave Huan to attend the kung fu competition at any moment. Gu Shenwei used this as an excuse and left.
After he walked out the door, Gu Shenwei reflected that he had been too nervous, and even he could not walk normally, due to the muscle tension.
After he ensured no one was around him, Gu Shenwei walked outside to the southeastern corner, where he had talked to Slave Qian last night.
The hole was sealed up by mud.
Gu Shenwei rushed back to the school gate.
As the sun was shining gloriously, all of the servants hid under the wall shadow and still kept using their sleeves fan themselves. But Gu Shenwei felt chilly.
Slave Qian died. Obviously, Mama Xue killed him. Her words about "trust", in fact, were a warning: She had known the two little slaves' conspiracy.
Gu Shenwei hoped to find the more convincing evidence of Slave Qian's death, so he carefully listened to people's chatting. But Slave Qian was just a killer apprentice in East Castle. The apprentices like him could die one or two every day on average in East Castle. Who else would be interested in his death?
Gu Shenwei also wondered if he was overwrought. Even if it was a dead man in the bucket, it might not be Salve Qian. But he soon insisted the original guess and even believed it. The intuition could not be wrong.
The young man, who had the overwhelming desire to take revenge, the woman, who had the overwhelming desire to steal the saber, they once walked on the same road, but now the road fork was in front of them.
Once she did not gain the wooden saber, Mama Xue would kill him. Gu Shenwei knew that Slave Qian's warning was right, while if he could not take the wooden saber to Mama Xue, he would be killed as well.
Gu Shenwei began to conceive the killing plan again. However, he did not find an assistant this time and also did not have the convenience of hiding behind the screen. The right place, the good time, the close allies, he had none of them.
Gu Shenwei was considering the complicated killing plan. Once coming up with a new one, he quickly denied it and completely did not hear someone calling him.
"Slave Huan!"
The voice became harsh. Gu Shenwei suddenly sobered up and raised his head. He saw Slave Qing's extremely unsatisfied face.
Slave Qing felt surprised and angry that Slave Huan could enter Inner Residence and became Shangguan Ru's attendant, therefore, Slave Huan's indifference made him angrier.
"What's the matter with you? Now you can't hear slaves speak after serving the master?"
"Sorry. I... I'm a little sleepy."
Gu Shenwei tried to find excuses. He had offended so many people in Golden Roc Fort, so he did not want to annoy one more person.
"Take some slaves to clean up Kun Yard. Master Fei wants to use it," Slave Qing ordered.
Shangguan Ru often gave some weird orders, so Gu Shenwei did not ask why and left for Kun Yard with other five or six slaves.
Since Gu Shenwei did not know where it was, a young slave led him into the yard. When arriving there, he found he had been Kun Yard once.
Last time, when Gu Shenwei had a narrow escape after falling down the cliff, Shangguan Yushi thought he was a ghost and then hid in this yard.
This small yard had been empty for a long time and dust accumulated so much. These young slaves took almost two days to clean it up.
The next day, Shangguan Ru and Shangguan Yushi did not go to school. They came to Kun Yard and asked the slaves carry a lot of items into it, most of which were taken from the garden in Inner Residence.
Initially, Gu Shenwei thought Shangguan Ru wanted to live alone, so she moved to many objects and tools. But later he found she actually was designing a field to practice kung fu.
That afternoon, Master Ru and Master Yu drove all attendants away, except Slave Huan. Slave Qing tried to stay, but Master Yu kicked him out.
Naturally, he blamed on Slave Huan.
Shangguan Ru was touched by the story of Dexterous Dragon, so she decided to become a great thief who could fly over the eaves and run on the walls. At first, Shangguan Yushi did not want the Ninth Young Master to be influenced by Gu Shenwei. However, she changed her attitude soon and supported him. Gu Shenwei was astonished by her behavior.
But he quickly realized she supported them because she wanted to gain the power of control.
As for Shangguan Ru's attitude, she did not hate the competition between her cousin and the slave, and even a little liked it.
Gu Shenwei had not seen himself as a child for almost a year and started to learn a lot of things, so he could clearly see the essence of the game.
"Even a kid isn't naive." He thought.
The 15-year-old girl, Shangguan Yushi, had understood the principle—A man leaning against the big tree could enjoy the shade it provided. Hence, she had to rely on "the big tree"—Master Ru and was trying to "tie" herself firmly with her. Besides, the 12-year-old girl, Shangguan Ru, knew that she should balance the two sides by natural intuition.
The truth was always ugly. When he recalled his past as a young master, Gu Shenwei also played these tricks unconsciously. Now he still needed to play the tricks. However, compared with the tricks he had played before, he had a more specific and bloodier goal.
Shangguan Fei also ran over. He was the "attendant" that the two young girls could not get rid of. Having tried to the way of begging and even threatening, he was permitted to join them. But the girls drove away his attendants as usual.
The Four Great Thieves in Golden Roc Fort was formed.
Except Gu Shenwei, the rest of them did not know the real purpose of this game, but he could not tell them. Hence, at the first three days, they only devoted themselves to practicing Qing Gong, because it was a basic skill for the great thieves.
The twins also invited a training tutor from Moonhold Academy. He was a small and plain man with the ugly mustache, but his Qing Gong was great.
The tutor taught the three masters diligently and seriously, however, he looked down upon the low-status servant, who had gained the priority to join the team.
Gu Shenwei had to stand behind the masters and followed their movements. His Qing Gong was not good, so he did not learn it very fast and could barely catch up with the two girls.
Probably the training tutor thought the servant was too stupid to teach. He checked Gu Shenwei's Internal Strength by pressing the vital acupoints on his chest. After a while, the tutor made his conclusion and impatiently said,
"You can't learn the profound kung fu in Golden Roc Fort, because you've studied a totally different one. Now you can catch up the training progress, but later you won't, so give up."
Then the tutor did not explain more. But Gu Shenwei thought his words made sense. He knew that Yin and Yang Strength, which was exclusive for the Gu family, required the learner should practice kung fu steadily and slowly. In his memory, his father Gu Lun had not paid much attention to practicing Qing Gong.
However, Gu Shenwei believed the man's efforts was the decisive factor, so he did not give up. Especially, Shangguan Yushi's attitude spurred on him. Since she had heard the tutor's talk to Gu Shenwei, she practiced Qing Gong harder. If she could surpass Gu Shenwei on one kind of kung fu, Shangguan Yushi would be very delighted.
The masters only spent three days on practicing. They did not want to practice kung fu day by day in order to become a great thief, so they started to discuss the things that they wanted to steal.
For Gu Shenwei, it was the most difficult part of his plan. If he did not lead Shangguan Ru's interest to Six Kills Temple, the whole plan would become a real game. Then all his efforts would be in vain.
Therefore, he cautiously chipped in and tried not to expose his purpose. For example, when Shangguan Fei mentioned stealing his father's token, he would point out that was improper, because the game was for fun and could not embarrass the parents. When Shangguan Ru planned to steal a good saber in East Castle, he would suggest that people in there always did not guard against the twins. Even if they succeed, people must help them secretly.
Some of the other goals were too easy. Before Gu Shenwei made his disagreement, others denied them quickly.
The four teenagers secretly discussed for the whole afternoon, but still did not come up with a good idea. They became anxious. At last, Shangguan Yushi said the place that Gu Shenwei had expected to hear for a long time.
"Six Kills Temple. It's a good place and hides a lot of treasures. Also, it's heavily guarded. Remember once we wanted to play inside but people drove us away? They can't intentionally help us steal the items."
Gu Shenwei did not say anything and silently waited for the approvement of the two masters.
No matter what other's goal was, Gu Shenwei wanted to steal the wooden saber. After that, he still needed to find a way to deal with Mama Xue. Hence, Gu Shenwei now hesitated whether to fasten the stealing plan.


Born into a wealthy family, Gu Shenwei was spoiled and carefree. However, at the age of 14, his entire family were brutally murdered, and he was caught by some bandits who sold him into slavery. As a slave boy, he entered Golden Roc Fort by chance and found the man who had slaughtered his family. He endured insults and worked hard to improve his kung fu while working as a slave boy. He learned from and plotted against his enemy under the enemy’s nose. He became increasingly ambitious as he became more and more powerful. He would only be satisfied if he completely destroyed his enemy—by fair means or foul. Gradually his bitter experience turned him into a totally different person. 
This is a kung fu fiction that is full of mysteries and surprises. This is a story dealing with love, betrayals and distances. This is the journey of an ordinary boy who, against all odds, fought against formidable foes. This is a tale regarding a person who felt abandoned by the world made unremitting efforts to create a new world of his own, in which he was alone.

Mereka semua terdiam. 
Anak kecil ini … Dia pasti terlalu banyak menonton film kung-fu. 
Su Yue berencana melupakan Jiao Chen, jadi dia berbalik, siap untuk pergi. 
Tetapi begitu dia berbalik, dia terkejut. "Um…." 
"Senior Jiao Chen!" 
Su Yue tidak tahu berapa lama Jiao Chen berdiri di belakangnya. Dia tidak lagi mengenakan jersey merah yang dia kenakan saat pertandingan. Dia sekarang mengenakan kaus biru tua dan celana pendek hitam dengan bola basket di tangannya. 
Jiao Chen tetap tanpa ekspresi dan matanya tidak mengungkapkan emosinya. 
Dia memandang Su Yue dan dengan jelas berkata, "Ada keterlambatan dalam perjalanan ke sini." 
Dia berjalan melewati Su Yue dan melewati Liang Zihua. Ketika dia memasuki lapangan, dia meletakkan bola basket itu dan berbalik untuk melihat Su Yue. 
Su Yue berdiri terpaku di tempat. Jiao Chen mengerutkan kening. "Kamu tidak mau belajar lagi?" 
"Oh, aku datang," jawab Su Yue, berlari mendekat. 
"Jiao Chen!" 
Semua pemain di lapangan itu mengenal Jiao Chen dan menyapanya. 
Jiao Chen membalas dengan sopan. 
"Ambil bola itu dan giring," perintah Jiao Chen, menunjuk sebuah bola basket di lantai. 
Su Yue menjawab dengan 'oh'. Dia membungkuk dengan patuh dan mengambil bola, meniru gaya menggiring itu dari pemain lain. 
Tetapi … dia tampak seperti baru saja memantulkan bola. 
Jiao Chen duduk di rerumputan di samping Su Yue, menatap ponselnya. Dia tidak melirik Su Yue. 
Su Yue berlatih sebentar, tetapi dia merasa dia telah melakukan kesalahan. Dia menatap Jiao Chen dan berteriak dengan sedih. "Jiao Chen, kamu mengatakan bahwa kamu akan mengajariku." 
Bagaimana Su Yue bisa belajar jika dia hanya melemparkan bola padanya tanpa mengatakan apa-apa? 
"Junior, jika Jiao Chen tidak ingin mengajarimu, aku bisa." 
"Itu benar, aku juga mau mengajarimu." 
Mereka semua setuju. 
Su Yue mengabaikan mereka. Dia berpegangan pada bola basket itu dan berjalan sampai dia berdiri di depan Jiao Chen. Dia menatap Jiao Chen dengan ketidakpuasan dan bertanya, "Apakah kamu tidak mau mengajariku?" 
Jiao Chen meletakkan ponselnya tetapi tetap diam. 
Tiba-tiba, dia berdiri dan meraih pergelangan tangan Su Yue. Telapak tangannya yang besar penuh dengan kapalan. 
Su Yue bisa merasakannya dengan kulitnya yang halus. 
Dia terkejut ketika Jiao Chen tiba-tiba memegang tangannya. Nalurinya yang pertama adalah melepaskan tangan Jiao Chen. 
Jiao Chen tersenyum padanya dengan dingin. "Bukankah kita pacaran?" 
Maksudnya adalah, bukankah normal bagi pasangan untuk berpegangan tangan? 
Su Yue pikir itu masuk akal sehingga dia tidak melawan. 
Dia melihat ke bawah ke tangan mereka yang saling terkait tetapi dia tidak merasakan apa-apa. Dia memiliki perasaan yang sama ketika dia memegang tangan Bai Jing. 
Keduanya berjalan sampai mereka berada di bawah ring basket. Jiao Chen mengambil bola itu darinya dan berkata, "Perhatikan baik-baik bagaimana aku melakukannya." 
Dia membungkuk dan mulai menggiring bola itu perlahan. 
Su Yue memperhatikannya dengan serius. 
"Cobalah." Jiao Chen tiba-tiba melemparkan bola ke arahnya. 
Untungnya, Su Yue memiliki refleks yang cepat dan mampu merebut bola itu sebelum menghantam wajahnya. 
Su Yue tahu bahwa dia tidak berbakat ketika menyangkut mempelajari hal-hal baru. Dia menggiring bola dua kali, tetapi itu masih terasa tidak benar. 
Dia menatap Jiao Chen, hancur. 
Jiao Chen tidak mengatakan apa-apa. Dia berjalan di belakang Su Yue dan meraih kedua tangan Su Yue. Dia membuat Su Yue membungkuk bersamanya. "Seperti ini. Gerakkan pergelangan tanganmu, bukan seluruh tanganmu." 
Napas hangatnya mengipasi telinga Su Yue, dan Su Yue mulai merasa malu. 
Su Yue menarik lehernya, tersipu. Dia segera mengangguk. "Baiklah, aku mengerti." 
Dia hanya ingin melepaskan Jiao Chen dengan cepat. 
Tetapi metode Jiao Chen berhasil. Su Yue memahami keterampilan itu dengan cepat. 


Wen Xuxu adalah seorang wanita ulet, berbakat, cerdas dan berani yang diasuh oleh keluarga Yan pada usia empat tahun ketika dia kehilangan kedua orang tuanya.

Dibesarkan untuk menjadi penerus konglomerat besar, Yan Rusheng adalah seorang pria penyendiri, cerdas dan sombong yang merupakan seorang bujangan paling dicari di ibu kota.

Meskipun tumbuh bersama, keduanya seperti saling memperlakukan dengan buruk. Wen Xuxu mengecap Yan Rusheng sebagai seorang yang berengsek dan penakluk wanita, sementara di mata Yan Rusheng, Wen Xuxu adalah seorang wanita pemarah.

Seiring waktu, mereka saling jatuh cinta, tetapi mereka tetap menyembunyikan perasaan mereka satu sama lain. Karena sebuah nasib, mereka dipaksa untuk menikah. Dan tidak diketahui oleh orang lain dan Yan Rusheng, Wen Xuxu telah menyembunyikan rahasia yang mendalam selama bertahun-tahun ....

Kata kunci: Kekasih masa kecil, Penakluk Wanita, Penyendiri, Belahan Jiwa, Pernikahan Paksa, Anak Yatim, Sekretaris

Adegan Manis: 

Tiba-tiba, Wen Xuxu mengulurkan tangannya untuk mencengkeram dan menarik pergelangan tangan Yan Rusheng dengan paksa.

Yan Rusheng tertangkap basah dan dia kehilangan pijakannya. Dia jatuh di tempat tidur dan kemudian napasnya melambat.

Tuan Muda Yan takut bahwa dia mungkin kehilangan kendali atas dirinya dan melakukan sesuatu pada Wen Xuxu ... wanita yang dibencinya. Oleh karena itu dia buru-buru mengangkat kepalanya. Tetapi dia belum sempat bergerak menjauh ketika Wen Xuxu mengulurkan tangan dan melingkarkannya ke leher Yan Rusheng. "Jangan pergi."

"He was so cool when he said five to one, but isn't that a little too rash?"
"He's obviously taken the bait set by Yu Hai and those idiots!"
"Yea, Yu Hai and his friends are so shameless!"
Word of the basketball competition between Mo Ning and Yu Hai began to spread.
Soon, a massive crowd started to form in the area.
As a standout amongst the freshmen, Mo Ning was the center of attention.
The girls were all excited for her and even the guys gathered to watch the match.
Hoards of students arrived at the basketball court. The audience seats were fully occupied.
At the center of the court was Mo Ning in white shirt and tracksuit. She looked composed as usual.
Yu Hai and his gang studied their opponent with scorn. "I will hold back a little so that you won't lose too badly."
Mo Ning raised an eyebrow at the jab and put a chilly smile on her face.
"I won't hold back so that you will lose very badly. Let me say this beforehand… I am very sorry."
What an *ss, the match has not even started and yet he is so full of himself!
"You're just faking it!"
"Mo Ning, don't you think that your massive ego will weigh you down?"
"You talk big now, but wait till you lose and be humiliated!"
Mo Ning listened to their sarcastic rebukes and did not bother to explain herself. "You ready?"
"Bring it on!"
The referee, their gym teacher, blew the whistle.
"Begin!"
Both sides went for the ball.
Since Mo Ning was not a professional player, and because Yu Hai and his gang were planning on something…
They agreed not to set any rules for the match.
As long as they shot the basketball from within the white lines that mark the boundary, they could earn a score.
Whoever scored the most in half an hour would be the winner.
"Gambatte, my angel!"
"You got this, Mo Ning, we support you!"
"Yu Hai, show some backbone. You'll lose our respect if you don't win!"
As some of the students showed their support for Mo Ning, the guys started cheering for Yu Hai as well.
The basketball court was as noisy as a morning market.
Everyone kept their eyes glued to the court and did not notice the young man who had just sat down in a quiet corner.
"You're here?" Huo Junyu looked up and saw him.
"You're here too, so why can't I?"
Yan Sinian sat down beside him in the last row of the seats and directed his attention to the basketball court with disinterest.
By then, Mo Ning had the ball in her possession.
Yu Hai and his friends tried to surround her to steal the ball back.
Nevertheless, Mo Ning quickly broke through and made a beeline to the basket.
Yan Sinian raised an eyebrow and slowly smiled.
Suddenly, he heard Huo Yunju ask, "Who do you think will win?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Yan Sinian replied, "Of course it's my dear Ning."
"I don't think so."
Huo Yunju was still young, but he was relatively coolheaded.
This made him look more mature than his age.
"Mo Ning knows kung fu, but he is a good person who will not resort to underhanded tactics. Yu Hai and his friends are different. Besides, they have strength in numbers. If they try anything…"
"How about we make a bet?"


She was the little chief secretary at Huo Yunting’s office, who carried out jobs both on the table and "under" the table. 
She was also his obedient wife at night, fulfilling his needs.
It was a repentance, a redemption to her sin, Lu Zhaoyang was swallowing all these humiliations as heaven forbade, her mother was the other woman in this ugly affair with the wealthy Huo family, and eventually shattered the entire family, droving Huo’s mother insane.
It was probably the fairest, also the most horrible bargain of Lu’s life as Huo Yunting raided their house one day.
“You would compensate with your body. On daily basis.” The offer was made and she could not say no. 
“If you think you aren’t having enough fun… Well, perhaps we could play the divorce game, then we could have another marriage, making the same vow with you always as my bride. I can do this, again and again. Again, and again. Isn’t that sweet, honey?”
 
Was it heart-moving, or simply tear-moving?
ISN’T IT OBVIOUS?
Huo Yunting, he’s a devil, both body and soul a devil!
Join the Fifty Thunders of Huo Yunting! 
As you see dominance occurs in the classic office romance taken place in modern world with a hint of quirky comedy and heart-wrenching episodes!

"Luo Feng," Bulong ng kasing laki ng kamaong si Babata sa kanyang braso "Masyadong malayo sa isa't isa ang Meng Ya at Wei Li galaxy na ito. Kahit sa pamamagitan ng spaceship mula sa planetang Yun Mo ay kinakailangan mo pa ring lumipad ng 8 araw bago makarating sa kabilang galaxy. At kinalailangan rin natin lumabas ng Ganwu universe country para magpunta roon…at masyado ring malayo ang distansyang ating lalakbayin mula rito papunta sa Gu Lun universe country kaya kinakailangan mong humingi ng tulong kay Dylan para gamitin ang kanyang God country dahil kung hindi ay magsasayang tayo ng kahalating taon sa paglipad. Sa susunod na buwan na rin idadaos ang Blood demon trials sa dalawang galaxy."
"Hm." Tango ni Luo Feng.
Iniisip pa rin niya kung saang galaxy siya pupunta.
"Nakapili ka na ba?" tanong ni Babata "Hinayaan ka ng Virtual Universe Company na makapili, ang isa ay may 1 milyong star level habang ang isa ay mayroong 10 bilyong star traveller. Mula sa aking nakikita, ang pagpili sa mga star traveller ay nagpapakita ng iyong kabaitan matapos piliin ang lugar na may mas maraming tao. Pero ang pagpili mo naman sa isang milyong star level ay nagpapakita ng iyong pagiisip na nagpapakita ng importansya sa malalakas, maraming malalakas na nilalang sa kalawakan ang may pagiisip na mas may karapatang mabuhay ang mga malalakas na nilalang kaysa sa mahihina."
Tumango rito si Luo Feng.
Sa ilalim ng pamumunong ginagawa ng gobyerno ni Blood demon emperor na nagkukulong sa buong starfield, mukhang marami ang kanilang pinagdaanan para maratin ang star level.
Para naman sa mga star traveller level, magagawa ng kahit anong galaxy na magkaroon ng 10 bilyong star traveller. Kaya mahahalata na dahil kay Blood demon emperor ay nagawa na ng publikong makarating sa star traveller level.
Pipiliin ba niya ang 10 bilyong pangkaraniwang tao.
O ang 1 milyong star level na dumaan sa matinding pagsubok at pagpapakasakit.
"Pipiliin ko ang Wei Li galaxy." Emphasize ni Luo Feng.
Hindi na nagsayang pa ng oras si Luo Feng. Nitong araw rin na ito siya sumakay sa kanyang spaceship ng planetang Yun Mo at umalis ng Earth, hinayaan niyang iteleport sila ni Dylan sa loob ng god country nito at direktang lumabas sa Yu Fu starfield ng Gu Lun universe country. Matapos nito ay direkta silang lumipad papunta sa Wei Li galaxy, inabot na ang buong paglalakbay nilang ito ng 26 araw.
Lumipad ang spaceship ng planetang Yun Mo sa loob ng dark universe.
Kasalukuyang nakikipagusap si Luo Feng kay Dylan sa loob ng control room.
"Masyado itong nagkataon. Nagawa mo talagang magiwan ng isang marker sa Yu Fu starfield na pinakamalapit sa Du Tuo starfield. At aabutin tayo ng 26 araw para makarating doon habang 25 na araw lang ang aabutin natin kung pupunta tayo sa Meng Ya galaxy." Nakangiting tingin ni Luo Feng kay Dylan "Sinabihan ka ba ng Virtual Universe Company bago ipadala ang misyong ito?"
Nakangiting tumango rito si Dylan.
""Grabe." Hindi na naiwasan pang mapamura ni Luo Feng.
Totoo nga!
Perpekto ngang pinagplanuhan ng Virtual Universe Company ang lahat. Nagawa na nitong utusan si Dylan na magiwan ng mga markers sa paligid ng Gu Lun universe county at huwag muna gamitin.
"Pinlano na ng Virtual Universe Company ang lahat para sa inyong pagsasanay." Ngiti ni Dylan "Kaya huwag kang magalit."
"Naiintindihan ko." Tango ni Luo Feng.
Walang kahit anong hinanakit o daing si Luo Feng laban sa Virtual Universe Company.
Bilang isa sa dalawang pinakamalaking powers ng sangkatauhan, kaya natural lang na isipin nila ang proteksyon ang pagpapalakas ng sangkatauhan sa oras na gumawa sila ng mga bagay bagay! Mula noong sumali siya sa Virtual Universe Company ay nakuntento na si Luo Feng sa ibinigay nito sa kanya, maging ang kasunduang pinirmahan nila para sa Earth ay maituturing nang patas.
IfKung isang pangkaraniwang tao sa Earth ang nakadiskubre sa kayamanang nagkakahagala ng higit sa 1 milyong mixed elements, siguradong gagamitin ni Luo Feng ang kanyang posisyon sa Earth…para bilhin ito sa kanya.
Sasapat na para rito ang pagbibigay ng nasa 18 bilyong earth dollars.
Sa pananaw ni Luo Feng…sapat na ang ganoon karaming pera para mabuhay ang isang pangkaraniwang tao nang walang inaalala habang buhay.
1 teorya rito!
Para sa Virtual Universe Company, ang Earth ay isang basket na ginawa ng isang hindi mapapantayang nilalang para makapagpalakas ng kanyang lahi gamit ang napakarami niyang enerhiya para maremodel ito. Mukha ngang hindi pa rin sasapat ang kabuong yaman ng isang kinikilalag knight para matumbasan ang ¼ nito. Pero hindi nila maaaring bigyan si Luo Feng ng ganoon kalaking yaman.
"Kamahalan, bakit po ninyo pinili ang 10 bilyong star traveller at hindi ang 1 milyong star level?" Nalilitong tanong ni Dylan "Nang walang kahit anong teknolohiya at ang paghawak sa kanya sa leeg ng gobyerno ni Blood demon, 99% sa mga ito ang mahihirapang tumawid sa star level. At ayon sa aking mga nahanap ang kabuohang ebolusyon sa buong Duo Tuo starfield ay masyado nang mataas. Ang anumang planetang may buhay ay madaling nagkakaroon ng 10 hanggang daan daang libong star traveller, hindi na mahirap para sa isang galaxy na magkaroon ng 10 bilyong star traveller, pangkaraniwang fighters lang ang mga ito."
"Magkakaiba ang bawat isang nilalang sa kalawakan." Mahinang sinabi ni Luo Feng "Dumaan na rin ang aking tahanan sa napakaraming kalidad noon kaya alam ko ang trahedya na mayroon ang ganitong klase ng pagkamatay."
"Gaya ng aking mga kamag anak, mga pangkaraniwang tao lang din kaming lahat noon, hindi ba sila nagkaroon ng halaga? At least para sa akin, ang aking kamaganak ay katumbas na ng higit sa isang milyong sector lord! At para sa mga pangkaraniwang tao na ito, silang lahat ay may tagiisang buhay, kaya mas matimbang pa rin ito kaysa sa 1 milyong star level."
"10 bilyong pangkaraniwang tao ang kinakailangang mamatay para lang mabuhay ang 1 milyong star level?"
Iniling ni Luo Feng ang kanyang ulo.
Wala ito sa kanyang bukabularyo!
Kung may kaugnayan na ito sa kaligtasan ng isang buong lahi ay kinakailangan talaga nilang gumawa ng ganitong uri ng mga sakripisyo. Halimabawa…maaaring mamatay ang 10 milyong tao para lang maprotektahan ang isang malakas na fighter, ito ay dahil siya lang ang nagiisa nilang pagasa para makaligtas ang kanilang lahi.
At dahil walang kaugnayan sa kaligtasan ng isang lahi ang pagpili ni Luo Feng sa pagkakataong ito.
Natural niyang pipiliin ang mga pangkaraniwang tao.
Matapos ang 26 araw.
Sa ereng nasa ibabaw ng isang dilaw na planeta lumutan ang spaceship ng planetang Yun Mo.
"Hindi ito isang planetang may buhay, halos maging bilog na ang hugis nito ay may diameter na umaabot sa 18,023 km." Maririnig ang matinis na boses ni Babata sa control room "Ayon sa Virtual universe company, dito isasagawa ang Blood demon trial sa galaxy na ito. Tingnan mo…marami na ang mga taong nakaistasyon dito. Pero huwag kayong magalala! Dahil hindi nila tayo mapapansin."
"Hm."
Tumingin si Luo Feng sa kanyang ibaba, ang planeta ng mineral na ito ay mayroon nang higit sa 100 katao, kalahati sa mga ito ay mga universe level fighters.
"Hintayin nating ipadala rito ang 10 bilyong star traveller fighters." Mahinang sinabi ni Luo Feng.
...
Noong mga sandaling iyon, 10 bilyong star traveller mula sa daan daang libong planeta ang kasalukuyang dinadala gamit ang 10,000 na spaceship na pangkalawakan. Lumilipad silang lahat sa loob ng dark universe papunta sa planeta ng mineral.
…
Sa loob ng isang partikular na spaceship, ang 3 na level nito ay siniksik ng mga kulungan. Ang bawat isang kulungan ay naglalaman ng 10 na star traveller sa loob nito. Sa loob ng isang tingin…ang bawat level ay naglalaman ng napakraming nakakulong na star traveller, habang ang iba ay nagkaroon ng daan daang libo na lang star traveller.
"Ma."
"Liz…"
Maririnig ang mahinang magiyak at pagbulong mula sa 10,000 na kulungan, maituturing na ito bilang…impiyerno.
Sa loob ng isang kulungan.
Isang binatang nakasuot ng isang punit na balat ng hayop ang mahigpit na yumayakap sa isang babae. Dahil sa gobyerno ni Blood demon…masyadong naging mataas ang ebolusyon ng mga tao sa loob ng Du Tuo starfield. Kaya natural lang na makakita ka rito ng mga star traveller at pangkaraniwan din silang pumipili ng kabataan para sumubok sa mga pagsusulit.
"Wuwa." Niyakap ng binata ang babae, nagliwanag ang mga mata nito sa nasa likod ng marumi niyang mukha. Makikita rito ang isang pagasa, isang pagasang mabuhay, mahinahon at buong tiwala sa kanyang sarili niyang sinabi na "Tutulungan ni Kuyang mabuhay, sinisiguro ko iyan sa iyo."
Pero biglang umiling ang maliit na babae.
Isa siyang napakagandang babae kahit na nagmukha siyang madumi at hindi naliligo, magagawng makita ng kahit sino ang kanyang kagandahan. Pero sa loob ng Du Tuo starfield…lakas lang ang nagpapasya sa lahat, hindi sila maisasalba ng kanilang itsura kung hindi pa rin sasapat ang kanilang lakas.
"Kuya." Sabi ng babae "Mamamatay ba tayo? Narinig ko na nasa 100 lang daw ang makakaligtas sa Blood demon trials mula sa 10 bilyon nating bilang. At marami sa 10 bilyon na ito ang nagmula sa iba't ibang sect kaya nagkaroon na sila ng mga spirit weapons, genetic weapon at iba't ibang technique. Habang tayo ay walang kahit anong sandata at kaunting basic technique na nalalaman, kaya paano tayo makakaligtas dito?"
Nagsimula nang lumuha ang binata noong marinig niya ito.
Nagkaroon na siya ng isang malatrahdyang kapalaran sa mura niyang edad.
Batang namatay ang kanilang magulang kaya kinakilangan niyang isama ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na babae para makapaglibot at matuto sa abot ng kanyang makakaya hanggang sa marating nila ang star level na kung saan magagawa na nilang magkaroon ng isang ligtas at mapayapang pamumuhay. Pero wala pang 2 taon ang pamumuhay nila ng mapayapa…noong hulihin ang mga taong walang background at sapilitang pasalihin. Kinakailangang maabot ng bawat planeta ang quota ng mga tao na kanilang ipapadala.
Kung hindi sasapat ang mga pangkaraniwang tao, maging ang mga star traveller na may mga background ay nagagawa na rin nilang hulihin!
Idinaraos ang mga Blood demon trials sa ilalim ng utos mula kay Blood Demon emperor kaya walang sinuman ang sumalungat sa kanya.
"Makakaligtas tayo, tandaan mo iyan, pangako ito ni kuya sa iyo." Mahinang sinabi ng binata.
"Hm." Mahinang sagot ng babae na muling nagdikit ng kanyang ulo sa dibdib ng binata.
Maaaring…
Ang natitirang mga araw niyang nakasandal sa dibdib ng kanyang kuya bago magsimula ang kanilang bangungot ang pinakamasayang bagay na mangyayari sa kanyang buhay.
"Sinisiguro ko ito sa iyo." Isinara nang husto ng binata ang kanyang kamao. Tumusok na ang kanyang kuko sa kanyang palad habang naghyhysterical ang kanyang mata habang sumisigaw sa kanyang loob ng "Kinakailangan kong iligtas ang aking kapatid, sinisiguro ko ito sa aking sarili."
100 sa 10 bilyon.
Ano ba ito?
Isa itong puro at malakihang massacre. Maging ang mga taong may technique, genetic armor at mga sandata, maging ang mga henyong ito ay maaaring mapalibutan at mapatay kung hindi sila magiingat. Sabagay, masyadong siksik ang 10 bilyon katao para sa isang planetang pinagkukuhanan ng mineral. Kaya sa oras na magsimula ang mga laban at pagpatay…walang sinuman ang may kasiguruhang makaligtas hindi ba?
At para magawang mabuhay hanggang sa huli, kinakailangan magkaroon ng isang nilalang ng lakas! Utak! Lakas ng loob! At suwerte!
…
Para sa mababang uri ng mga paghihirap, ang mga star traveller na magsisimula nang lumahok sa mga trials ay natatakot nang husto. Dahil kahit na may sapat pa silang lakas…laban sa napakaraming tao na naglalaban laban, maging sila ay makakaramdam pa rin ng matinding desperasyon.
…
"Ship 0229, tumigil ka sa posisyong 0293!"
"Ship 3619, tumigil ka sa posisyong 0123!"
Matagal nang niremodel ang dilaw na planetang ito, at sa pagkakataong ito, makikita sa loob ng patay na planetang ito ang isang kulay dark purple at flat na spaceship na lumilipad sa ere. Nagbibigay ito ng utos sa napakaraming spaceship na nagdadala ng mga nahuling star traveller at sabay sabay na binuksan ng mga spaceship na ito ang kanikanilang hatch habang lumalapag sa planeta.
Nagsibukas ang napakaraming bilang ng mga kulungan sa loob nito at isang malabong imahe ng madudungis na lalaki at babaeng napupuno ng takot sa kanilang mukha ang naglakad pababa ng mga spaceship, naglakad ang lumalabo sa daming tao sa loob ng planeta.
Masyadong mababa ang temperatura ng planetang ito, maaring umaabot ito sa below 80 degrees at isa rin itong mineral na planeta kaya wala silang kahit anong paraan para makahinga. Pero hindi na kinakailangan pa ng mga star traveller na huminga.
"Hmm…"
"Na, napakaraming tao."
Agad na nagsilipad palayo ang napakaraming star traveller na ibinaba sa planetang ito noong lumapag agn sinasakyan nilang spaceship. Dito na makikita ng isang malabong imahe ng napakaraming taong umaabot na sa 5 bilyon ang bilang. Kailan ba sila nakakita ng ganito karaming star traveller?
Sa mga sandaling ito…
Isang nakacamouflage na kulay dugo at hugis triangle na spaceship ang lumilipad sa taas na 10,000km mula sa planeta habang inoobserbahan ang mga ibinabang star traveller doon.


Taong 2056, sa loob ng isang siyudad na makikita sa Su Jin Area makikita ang isang teenager na nakasuot ng combat vest, pangsundalong pangibaba at battle boots na gawa sa alloy na nakaupo sa tuktok ng isang sira sirang six story residential apartment. Makikita sa kaniyang likuran ang isang hexagonal shield at ang kaniyang hawak hawak na blood-shadow battle knife. Tahimik siyang nakaupo sa dulo ng rooftop. Makikita sa mga oras na ito ang kumikinang na kalangitan at mararamdaman ang napakapreskong hangin na kasalukuyang umiihip patungo sa kaniya. Pero tanging katahimikan lamang ang maririnig sa sira sira at abandonadong siyudad na ito at kung minsan ay mayroong paisa isang pagalulong ang maririnig na magbibigay takot sa sinumang makarinig nito.

Simula noong nakaraang pagpupulong ng mga Taquila witch, nasabik na si Roland na makipagkita sa central carrier.
Upang maipaliwanag ang mga panitikan na naiwan ng sibilisasyon sa ilalim ng lupa, maraming mga nakaligtas sa Taqila ang naghain ng kanilang sarili sa pamamagitan ng pagsasama ng kanilang mga kaluluwa, ngunit maaari lamang itong sagutin ang mga tanong na oo o hindi. Kung hindi, ito ay karaniwang walang silbi na bagay. Sa pag-iisip ng kuwentong ito, naramdaman niya na isang hangin ng misteryo ang bumalot sa central carrier na ito.
Nang makita na ito sa wakas ni Roland, nagulat siya. Nakakadena itl sa sikretong silid sa ilalim ng hall.
Ang blob na ito, higit na mas malaki kaysa sa anumang orihinal na carrier tulad ng isang inookupahan ni Pasha, ay mahigpit na nakakadena. Ang pinakapaspas na mga galamay ay sapilitang pinaghiwalay at ipinako sa mga dingding o kisame. Mula sa sugatang balat at mga sirang galamay nito, maaaring sabihin na hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na itinuring siya sa ganitong paraan.
Natandaan niya na nakakaramdam din ito ng mga bagay tulad ng mga orihinal na carrier.
Kaya nitong makaramdam ng init at lamig, malasahan ang matamis at mapait, at makaramdam ng sakit.
Hindi niya mapigilang pagsalubungon ang mga kilay at nagtanong, "Bakit? Naaalala ko ang mga boluntaryo na kasama ang central carrier ay mga witches lahat, kabilang pa ang isa sa iyong Three Chiefs, E..."
"Si Lady Eleanor, Kamahalan," hininga ni Pasha. "Wala kaming pagpipilian. Ang mga carrier ay kasing lakas ng mga God's Punishment Warriors. Ang kanilang mga galamay ay maaaring bumutas sa lupa at bumuo ng isang mahusay na ilaw sa simboryo. Maaari din nilanh atakihin ang mga kaaway at hatiin ang isang biktima sa kalahati. Dito, hindi na siya makakalibot sa paligid at magdudulot sa amin ng maraming problema. Kung mangyayari iyan, magiging mas mahirap siyang pakitunguhan kaysa sa mga hybrid demonic beasts."
Mabilis na naintindihan ni Roland ang damdamin ni Pasha na walang kapangyarihan. Nahulaan niya na ang tentacle blob na ito ay maaaring isang yunit ng labanan na nilikha ng sibilisasyon sa ilalim ng lupa, ngunit kung mababaliw ito at mawawalan ng kontrol, ito ay magiging isang seryosong banta sa relic ng mga diyos at ng magic core. Naniniwala siya na ang mga survivor ng Taquila ay hindi nais na kunin ang panganib na ito at bilang isang resulta, wala silang pagpipilian kundi upang panatilihin itong nakakulong dito.
Gayunpaman, hindi nagpabuti sa kanya ang pagkaalam sa rason.
Nalungkot siya para sa mga witch na buong-pusong sinakripisyo ang lahat sa Taquila ngunit nakulong lamang sa kulungang ito.
Sa pagkakita Roland ang mga damdamin na ito, sinabi ni Pasha na may magkahalong ekspresyon ng pasasalamat at kalungkutan, "Sinubukan naming tanungin ang tungkol sa kanilang mga damdamin, ngunit hindi namin nakuha ang isang tugon. Ang mga kaluluwang pinagsama sa central carrier ay hindi maaaring paghiwalayin muli ng magic core , kaya wala kaming ideya kung nadarama nila ang nangyayari. "
Si Alethea, na nanatiling tahimik ay muling nagsalita, "Ang lahat ng mga witches ng Taquila, kabilang na kami, ay nagpasiya na sundan si Lady Eleanor magpakailanman. Hindi mo na kailangang malungkot para sa kanila. Alam nila kung ano ang kanilang nakapasok." Naramdaman ni Roland na ang kanyang tinig ay hindi malamig tulad ng dati.
Well… Kung kasing lamig iyon dati ng dry ice, ngayon ay kasing lamig na lamang ng tubig na may yelo.
Dagdag ni Celine, "Nang tanungin namin ang central carrier kung dapat ba namin siyang igapos, lahat ng tatlong pangunahing galamay niya ay sumagot ng oo. Kung hindi siya pumayag, hindi namin siya itatali nang ganito kahigpit."
Si Roland ay tumango at nagsabi, "Siguro ang Witch Union ay makakatulong sa iyo sa problemang ito. Si Soraya ay maaaring gumawa ng mga nababaluktot na tela upang palitan ang mga kadena ng bakal, at ang isang maliit na batang babae na pinangalanan na Softfeathers ay maaaring pagdikitin ang mga bagay-bagay. Kung magtutulungan sila, maaaring mapigilan siya nang hindi sinasaktan. Kung ayos lamang sa iyo..."
Bahagyang ibinaba ni Pasha ang galamay na nasa kanyang ulo at sinabi, "Maganda iyon. Nagpapasalamat ako."
"Huwag kang mag-alala tungkol dito." Tumugon si Roland bago nagtanong. "Ano ang ibig mong sabihin sa 'lahat ng tatlong pangunahing tentacles ang sumagot ng oo'? Maaari niyang sabihin ang oo gamit ang isang pangunahing galamay at hindi sa isa pa nang sabay? Kapag nangyari iyon, paano mo matitiyak kung ano ang sinisikap niyang sabihin?
"Hayaan mong ipaliwanag sa iyo ni Celine.'
Pagkadinig na maaaring magkaroon ng isang paraan upang maibsan ang sakit ng mga witches sa central carrier, tila nasabik si Celine at sumagot, "Ang central carrier ay iba sa amin. May tatlong pangunahing mga galamay na nagbibigay-daan sa kanya upang ipahayag ang mas kumplikadong impormasyon nang walang pakikipag-usap sa pamamagitan ng telepatiya, na tulad ng ginagawa ko ngayon."
Sa mga salitang ito, naglabas ng pulang ilaw ang pangunahing galamay sa ulo ni Celine.
"Oh? Umiilaw din ito?"
"Oo, bago namin natutunan kung paano makipag-usap sa pamamagitan ng mga saloobin, madalas naming ginagamit ang pamamaraang ito upang maipahayag ang aming mga damdamin. Ngunit ngayon ay hindi na namin ito ginagamit nang mas marami pa." Lumipat siya sa gitna ng lihim na kulungan, na tinuturo ang tatlong pangunahing mga galamay na nakabitin sa ulo ng central carrier at ipinako sa lupa. "Kung wala ang kamalayan, hindi niya maipahayag ang kanyang mga damdamin. Siya lamang ang makatutugon ng oo o hindi sa pamamagitan ng pulang ilaw Kung ang isang pangunahing galamay ay kumikinang, nangangahulugan ito ng oo. Kung hindi, ito ay nangangahulugang hindi."
Patuloy siyang nagpaliwanag, "Gayunpaman, nang tinutuklas namin ang literatura ng sibilisasyon sa ilalim ng lupa, natanto namin na ang isang simpleng oo o hindi ay maaaring hindi kami mabilis na matulungang makita ang mga tamang sagot. Halimbawa, kung nagkakamali tayo sa pangungusap na 'Ako ay isang Taquila witch' para sa 'Ako ay isang witch' o 'Ako ang Taquila', sasagot siya ng hindi. Sa pamamaraang ito, kailangan naming gumastos ng maraming oras sa pagkumpirma sa bawat simpleng pangungusap. "
Agad na naintindihan ni Roland ang ibig niyang sabihin. "Kaya binilang niyo ang mga nagliliwanag na pangunahing galamay upang malaman kung gaano kayo kalapit sa tamang sagot."
Sinabi ni Celine, "Talagang matalino ka. Tama iyon. Kapag binabasahan namin siya ng isang bagay na mas malapit sa tamang sagot, ipapakita niya sa amin ang higit pang mga pulang ilaw. Kapag ang lahat ng tatlo sa kanyang mga pangunahing galamay ay lumiwanag, ang ibig sabihin ay ang sagot ay 100 porsiyento na tama o hindi siya maaaring sumang-ayon nang higit pa. "
Naantig muli si Roland sa mga witches at iniisip, "Ito pala ang paraan ng pagkumpirma sa pagsasanib ng lahat ng kaluluwa ng mga witches kasama ni Eleanor na dapat silang mapigilan sa ilalim ng lupa? Kahit na hindi malinaw kung ang mga kaluluwang ito ang gumawa ng desisyong ito para sa kaligtasan o batay sa kanilang sariling mga damdamin, ang desisyong ito ay nakakaantig pa rin."
Huminga siya nang malalim at tinanong, "Maaari ko ba siyang tanungin?"
Pumunta sa gilid si Celine at sumagot, "Oo, siyempre. Maaari mo na siyang direktang tanungin."
Lumapit si Roland sa central carrier at nagtanong nang dahan-dahan, "Ipagpalagay na mayroon akong dalawang basket. Ang bawat basket ay may dalawang mansanas sa loob. Pagkatapos kong ihulog ang lahat ng mga laman ng basket, may apat na mansanas sa sahig. Tama ba?"
Nagliwanag ang lahat ng tatlong mga galamay.
Naguluhan si Celine, "Um… iyan ba ang gusto mong itanong?"
Bahagya ring nahiya si Wendy at tinanong, "Kamahalan, ano ang plano mo?"
"Isang pagsubok lamang ito," si Roland ay nanatiling tahimik at patuloy sa ikalawang tanong. "Ngayon, ipagpalagay na mayroon akong 12,345 na basket, at ang bawat basket ay may 54,321 mansanas. Kung ibubuhos ko ang lahat ng laman ng mga basket, gaano karami ang mga mansanas sa lupa?" Kumuha siya ng isang piraso ng papel at nagpatuloy, "Sa palagay ko ay may ganito karaming mga mansanas, tama ba ako?"
Binasa niya ang tamang sagot na inihanda niya nang maaga, na siyam na digit na numero. Kinakailangan na ang pagkalkula upang makakuha ng numerong ito ay dapat isaalang-alang na masyadong kumplikado para sa panahong ito. Naniniwala siya na ang mga tao na hindi nakakuha ng edukasyon sa Mathematics sa Neverwinter ay hindi kailanman makakakuha ng tamang sagot sa maikling panahon. Ito ay maaaring makita mula sa katahimikan sa pagita ng mga Taquila Senior Witch.
Gayunpaman, agad na nagliwanag ng pula ang tatlong galamay ng central carrier nang marinig ang kanyang sinabi. Tulad na lamang ng sa unang katanungan.


Naglakbay si Cheng Yan pabalik ng panahon, at naging isang marangal na prinsipe sa panahon ng Middle Ages ng Europe. Ngunit ang mundong ito ay hindi kasing simple tulad ng inaakala niya. Mga witch na may mahiwagang kapangyarihan, mga katakot-takot na digmaan sa pagitan ng Simbahan at mga kaharian ang bumabalot sa buong lupain.
Si Roland, isang prinsipe na itinuturing na walang pag-asa ng mismong kanyang ama at itinalaga sa pinakapangit at malalang fief o lupain, ay ginugol ang kanyang oras para paunlarin ang isang napakahirap at isang backward na bayan at gawin itong isang malakas at modernong lungsod, habang nakikipaglaban sa kanang mga kapatid para makamit ang trono at makuha ang kontrol sa buong kaharian.
Samahan si Roland sa pagtulak niya sa mga kampon ng kasamaan sa pamamagitan ng pakikipaglaban o pagsasaka, habang kinakaibigan niya ang mga witch.


In the Yellow Flower Alley, Craftsman Li was walking home while carrying two loads of wood carvings.
When he spotted a handsome young man in black clothes standing before the gate of his house, he asked, "Young master, who are you looking for?"
Meng Qi smiled. "I want to buy a wood carving."
"No problem." Craftsman Li stayed vigilant and didn't invite Meng Qi to enter his house. He laid down his loads and pointed at the bamboo baskets. "Help yourself, young master."
Meng Qi picked up the wood carvings and carelessly asked, "Do you have two identical wood carvings?"
"It's impossible. Even though two can look similar, the differences are nuanced," Craftsman Li replied with a polite smile.
"That's reasonable," Meng Qi replied suggestively. He took out the wood carving and asked, "Do you recognize this?"
He was planning on using his Supernatural Power of Shaking Heaven and Hitting Earth to evoke Craftsman Li's memories.
His kung fu typically wasn't good enough to evoke someone's residual Samsara memories. Even when it came to memories in this lifetime, he could use his Peace Quietude Split to evoke a person's most miserable, unforgettable, and impressive moments.
Fortunately, it had been only 24 hours since Craftsman Li sold the wood carving yesterday, so he still remembered something. In other words, the related memories were still sitting at the shallow level of his deep Awareness sea, so they weren't difficult to be awakened.
In addition, Meng Qi also had the wood carving as a reminder. This was helpful to evoke Craftsman Li's memorial fragments.
There were no two word carvings that were exactly the same. When craving it, the differences were so insignificant that he hadn't remembered them. That was why he couldn't identify the word carving at once. However, it was a different story in his subconsciousness. Since the thing was so recently sold, there was a possibility of him identifying it. Besides, for a grassroots craftsman like Craftsman Li, he would only buy enough wood enough for the sale of one or two days to keep the turnover moving.
More importantly, Craftsman Li didn't know any kung fu, so he was quite weak in defending his soul.
But Meng Qi didn't want to be forceful and prioritized the well-being of Craftsman Li's soul and body while making his move.
The minute Craftsman Li was about to say something, everything before him momentarily turned dark before becoming bright again. He was now standing on the street, welcoming customers. Some would stop walking to choose from his goods. Some would randomly pick a wood carving up and leave after throwing a copper. Life was the same as usual.
Suddenly, he fixed his attention on a particular wood carving. He found that it was a little strange and different compared to the others.
The minute this idea occurred to him, someone came to his stand and picked the wood carving up.
Meng Qi, who was using his supernatural power, held his breath because he saw ink stains on the edge of the person's hand!
In the note that addressed Su Meng, the Killing Blade, part of the characters were smudged. The writer had evidently accidentally touched it…
"How much is it?" A male voice sounded in front of his ears. He looked up, wanting to answer him.
Meng Qi stayed focused and waited to find out who it was.
Craftsman Li turned his attention to the man in front of him. He was a young man with upturned eyes and bushy eyebrows...
It was Jiang Tabo!
Meng Qi was so surprised that he was almost countercharged by his supernatural power. It was Jiang Tabo, the person who was framed and whose death was later used to set Meng Qi up! It was Jiang Hengchuan's cousin!
As all these thoughts ran through his mind, he abruptly found out the answer he had looked for. The perpetrator had claimed to have kidnapped Jiang Tabo, but Jiang Hengchuan realized he was simply under the custody of the casino after arriving in Maoling. What was more, he had collected enough money to pay off his debt and leave the casino. How did the perpetrator discovered this and lure him away In the most crucial moment? Why was Jing Tabo's expression more incredulous than frightened at that time?
But with him dead, the clue had come to a dead end...
Craftsman Li looked at the man beside Jiang Tabo, a middle-aged man in his 40s. With an invisible growth under his eyebrows, he wore an expensive robe and looked like somewhat haughty. He stood close to Jiang Tabo and exchanged glances with him from time to time.
Craftsman Li quavered as his vision gradually blurred. He then saw wisps of smoke in the same dark sky. Everything was normal, but the two men in front of him had disappeared.
"D-Don't tell me I encountered ghosts..." He was terrified but surprise soon took over him. He became overjoyed upon seeing the piece of silver in his basket. Having confirmed that the silver was genuine, he hoped that such ghosts would come and buy from him more often.
Meng Qi headed straight for the Flower-viewing Garden after stepping out the Yellow Flower Alley. He didn't know anyone who familiar with Jiang Tabo, but he was sure that Jiang Hengchuan would know some.
When evening approached, Jiang Hengchuan was still searching the places in the vicinity of the Wind-listening Villa. He had taken the opposite direction of the stone trail described by Meng Qi to look for the hidden man.
"Young Master Su, did you get any lead?" Jiang Hengchuan asked excitedly when he sensed Meng Qi's arrival.
Meng Qi nodded. "I've gone to the Yellow Flower Alley again and used some tricks to help Craftsman Li recall his memories."
The reason why Craftsman Li was still alive was that he couldn't remember what had happened. Yet who could have guessed Meng Qi was capable of using the Supernatural Power of Shaking Heaven and Hitting Earth?
Even among the Samsara travelers, who was capable of finding such a skill among the innumerable cultivation methods available?
The supernatural power was just a medium-level kung fu, despite its unique effect.
"Who was it?" Jiang Hengchuan instantly asked, surprised.
Meng Qi gave him a description of what had happened.
Jiang Hengchuan trembled as his face darkened. "No wonder I felt everything was so coincidental!"
His voice demonstrated his resentment and helplessness. He had never thought that his cousin would be involved in this.
"Brother Jiang, do you know the middle-aged man?" Meng Qi asked, steering the conversation back to the main topic.
Jiang Hengchuan took a deep breath and his expression became normal again. "I've only met him twice but I won't mistake him for anyone else. He's a gambling buddy of Tabo, called Chu Guan. He's the Xiang host of the Dajiang Gang."
"Dajiang Gang..." Meng Qi gasped.
Jiang Hengchuan thought for a moment before continuing, "Since this involves the Dajiang Gang and the perpetrator is adept at laying traps, we need to be careful. We need to ask for a Green-ribbon or Silvery-badge Arrester's help and move forward openly."
"Precisely," Meng Qi said in agreement.
Jiang Tabo kept a low-profile and being a Green-ribbon Arrester meant he could protect himself from being framed. However, investigating Chu Guan was another thing. Chu Guan was the Xiang host of the Dajiang Gang, the top-level force in the world. If Meng Qi went to question him, he would probably end up getting killed.
Fortunately, Jiang Hengchuan had developed a friendship with Slivery-badge Yu and Green-ribbon Dai in the local Six Fan School. They walked out and passed through the boisterous street before reaching Yamen. After briefing about what had happened, they successfully managed to invite Green-ribbon Dai Fei.
Green-ribbon Dai then invited Chen Yasong, the Vice Chief of the Maoling branch of the Dajiang Gang. Together, the four of them rushed to Chu Guan's house.
Being a bold and carefree person, Dai Fei scolded the perpetrator as they walked. "Someone is stirring trouble in Maoling. If I know who it is, I'll make him pay the price!"
Chen Yasong was a Half-step Exterior Scenery master as well and was quite familiar with Dai Fei. "The chaos has been going on for several months now. What did you say you're going to do to the perpetrator?"
He had a fair face, like a middle-aged, mild-mannered savage.
"Isn't it because there aren't any clues available?" Dai Fei turned his head and observed Meng Qi from top to bottom. "Young Master Su, could you be talented in auguring? You actually managed to find out a clue this way. You truly deserve your reputation!"
Meng Qi smiled. "It's just an unnoteworthy small trick."
Ha! It was useless trying to get any information out of him!
Though Jiang Hengchuan retained his composure, he was quiet along the way. It gave others the impression that he was anxious.
The four walked very quickly and soon arrived at Chu Guan's house. But the place appeared quite tranquil.
"Something must be wrong. Isn't it too quiet?" Meng Qi's face became grave.
Chen Yasong shook his head and explained, "His wife is in their hometown, taking care of his parents. His children are all been married. What's more, he loves gambling. There's only one deaf servant at home, so it's nothing to worry about."
"Stay on your guard," Dai Fei said, taking the opportunity to knock down Chen Yasong. He sped up his pace and instantly jumped over the wall to enter the yard. Meng Qi and the rest followed suit.
As they landed on the ground, they heard a deeply painful scream. They rushed inside without looking at each other.
Meng Qi was astonished. They had rushed here at an incredible speed and they had been secretive about it too. How could something happen?
Dai Fei punched his palm and created a fierce wind, throwing the gate of the hall open. A bloody scene unfolded before them.
An old servant was dead lying on the ground with one sword stabbed into his chest, evidently dead. Chu Guan, with a growth in one corner of his eyebrows, sat on a chair. His two hands gripped the sword that penetrated his chest, his blood spilling all over his body.
He gazed at the four of them, resentment filling his eyes. He shrilly squealed,
"Civil Star will avenge me..."
He then bit his tongue and died immediately due to a deteriorating wound, leaving no time for Meng Qi to save him.
Civil Star… His scream lingered in Meng Qi's ears as if it was saying something.
Their face turned dark. They carefully searched the yard but found nothing.
"There's no one nicknamed Civil Star in Jianghu! Could it be that an ancient God has resurrected?" Dai Fei asked indignantly. Both Chen Yasong and Jiang Hengchuan also appeared confused.
Meng Qi knew the background of Civil Star, but no matter what, that was just a pseudonym. In Maoling, the person would definitely have a proper identity. But who exactly was it?
Since he didn't tell them that he knew Civil Star, they were still clueless after their brief discussion. They decided to report this information to the headquarters in Luoyang and the Head Altar of the Dajiang Gang, hoping they could get some clues.
They headed for their respective abodes. The next morning, Meng Qi woke up fidgety upon thinking that his investigation had come to a dead end again.
After taking a deep breath, he stepped out his yard for a walk in the cool morning.
He subconsciously came to the alley lined with Chinese Pagoda Trees. He saw the silver-haired old man coming out with a small stool. He got seated on the stool and started carefully carving wood with a graver.
He was focused and devout as if he was doing the most important task in the world. Having completely plunged himself into the world of carving, it was like he was carving his own life.
How quiet he was! The unspeakable silence calmed down Meng Qi again. He sat cross-legged and watched the man carve.
"Young man, can I help you?" The old man lifted his head and looked at Meng Qi.
Meng Qi didn't walk away this time and instead asked, after thinking about it, "I'm touched by your dedicated work. I can't help myself from appreciating your carving."
This was the second time that he had such a feeling. Based on the novels that he had read, this was the prelude to meeting an expert!
Could it be true?
He looked forward to figuring it out as if he was unearthing a little fun.
"You flatter me! I'm very stupid, so I have to stay focused." The old man made a joke of himself.
Meng Qi's face twitched after hearing his answer. He changed the topic and asked, "You don't sound local judging from your accent."
"You're right." The old man sighed. "I came here a month ago. Once I watched the Tidal Bore of the Jin River, I'll leave."
"Tidal Bore of the Jin River? You're quite the elegant person." Meng Qi smiled.
The expression of the old man over his 50s softened. He soulfully stared at the wood carving in his hand. It was of a woman dressed in palace garbs. "When my wife was still alive, she loved watching the Tidal Bore of the Jin River. I've been coming here to watch it every year after her death."


I care not of my past and neither of my future.
Conquering all heroes and foes while looking with disdain at the horrors of the Samsara, I yearn only for a life of thrilling wonders!
History will repeat itself after many ages as the menace of the Great Calamity rises once more.
Which will rise with triumph in the face of adversity; the Golden Form of the Great Buddha or the invincible Heavenly Taoist Form?
Which will seize all glory amidst all struggles; The Buddha's Palms or the  Seven Strokes of Heaven's Interception?
From the sanctum of the Shaolin Temple, Meng Qi's adventures and struggles through the Samsara begin as we follow his climb to claim the title of "the Unrivaled and the Invincible One"!


When the workday was finished, Fangsu has assigned the workers with the task to resupply their products and buy more materials. Fangsu took a small group of workers with her on a trip to the marketplace to buy more materials for the skincare. A fairly large Li Hua cat caught Fangsu's eye, skittered into the dark space between streets with a mouthful of food. Curious about the cat, Fangsu followed it through the small space which with Fangsu petite figure could easily squeeze through without much trouble. The Li Hua cat nimbly turned into sharp corners which Fangsu felt it was difficult to keep up as by the time she would go to the corner the cat would already at the next corner. 

The cat and Fangsu had ended up at an abandoned house, the entryway door was barely hanging at its rusted hinges leading to a worn-out house that would have been abandoned many decades ago. there were multiple roof tiles missing, windows were missing, rotten wooden support beams, fragile wooden planks, the atrocious smell of mould caused Fangsu to pinch her nose in grimace and cobwebs and dust had covered the entirety of the house. Continuing to follow the Li Hua cat into the residence, Fangsu had entered a payer room, where the Li Hua cat dropped the food onto the floor. With the food on the floor, a pair of Li Hua kittens went to feast on the food. 

After the feeding, the parent of the kittens went over to a cushion in the prayer room where a female spirit appeared, patting the cat's head, but the spirit's hand disappeared through the cat's body. Fangsu had hidden far enough so that she wouldn't startle the spirit of the cat. Leaving the abandoned house, Fangsu returned back to the shop where Da Fu was nearly about to send out all the employees to find her. Da Fu and Bao Ming hugged Fangsu out of concern for her safety and lectured her about telling someone of her activities before disappearing off. 

Fangsu's legs had become numb from the long lecture and began looking around for her grandpa who she hadn't seen all day long, "Da Fu, do you know where Grandpa is?" Fangsu asked out whilst putting the material for employees to continue manufacturing out of stock products.

Da Fu was allocating resources to different departments, "Your grandpa is visit the doctor to restock on your medicine." Checking the statistic of money inflow and outflow on a piece of paper given by an employee, "Are you okay? Any pain?" Da Fu looked at Fangsu to check for any indication of pain and stress.

Fangsu shook her head in response, taking a basket with her, "In going out to be ingredients to make snacks!" Fangsu left out the door to the marketplace with a veiled hat to hide her ghostly appearance. If she was working or at the palace she would dye her hair but any other place she would get wear a veiled hat.

Walking through the bustling streets, Fangsu found it difficult to walk at a leisurely pace. "Auntie Lou!" Fangsu ran up to stall owner with a smile.

The stall owner reciprocated back with a smile of her own, "Fangsu! You came!" Stocking more vegetable from the back to the front of the stall, the stall owner wiped away the sweat, "What are you looking for?" Asking the young girl.

Fangsu who was casually browsing through the vegetables, "Some reds beans and Ming bean, Auntie Lou," But not seeing what she was looking for, "Do you have any Huocao flowers?" Fangsu asked the stall owner politely as she received two bags filled with red beans and mung beans. 

The stall owner was surprised by Fangsu's request, "Huocao flower? Those flowers are usually used for food offerings for the deceased, but I do have some." The stall owner went to the back to retrieve the item Fangsu requested for, "Fangsu do you someone close to you that has already passed?" The stall owner tried to comfort the young girl by patting her shoulder.

Fangsu shook her head, "No, it's just a random thing I wanted to do." Taking the flowers from the stall owner before leaving the stall to wander the marketplace to find more ingredients, brown sugar, glutinous rice flour and a fish. With all the ingredients in her basket, Fangsu was ready to return back to the shop to make the sticky cakes. On her way a mulberry tree was overhanging the street and Fangsu took a whole bunch of leaves before returning.

Fangsu let the red beans and mung beans soak in water until they swelled up before she went to put the two pots of bean on the fire, simmering the beans until tender. Using a rough filter, Fangsu mashed the beans against the coarse surface, occasionally adding water to separate the beans from their shells. Using two layers of fabric that Fangsu asked for, she began filtering out the water separating the water from the bean paste. 

Discarding the water, Fangsu took a wok and put the red bean into the wok to sauté it. After sautéing it, Fangsu added brown sugar to add some sweetness to it. For the mung bean, Fangsu added less brown sugar to keep the flavour of the mung bean. The two bean paste were now completed. 

Cleaning the wok from the red bean and mung bean paste Fangsu took the Huocao flower out from her basket. With some water, Fangsu added the Huocao flower, boiling it for ten minutes to soften them. After boiling the water had changed to yellowish colour and Fangsu took the boiled Huocao flower, putting it into a mortar and pestle, pounding the flower until it turned into a paste. 

Setting the Huocao flower paste to the side, Fangsu took the glutinous rice flour on a pan and then added the Huocao flower paste, mixing the two together turning the rice flour dough green. Fangsu had also made a plain white glutinous rice flour dough. With all the preparations completed, Fangsu took a portion of the green dough, flattened it and placed a ball of red bean paste in the middle and closed it. After finishing all the green dough and red bean, Fangsu moved onto the white dough and mung bean, and finishing using it all up. The sticky cake was finished but it needed to be steamed for 20 minutes.

Taking the mulberry leaves from earlier, Fangsu cleaned the leaves before placing a sticky cake on top of the leave. With a steamer basket ready, Fangsu could only place 12 sticky cakes in the steamer basket at a time. After setting up 3 steamer baskets, Fangsu had made 72 in the span of 40 minutes. The sticky cakes were ready to eat, 12 sticky cakes were left in reserve for her grandpa and 12 for herself. The other 48 was for the employees to snack on during work.

Fangsu places 4 plates with 12 sticky each on her arms and placing them on the table, "Everyone! Come have a sticky cake!" Fangsu called out and a horde of people rushed to the plates to take a sticky cake for themselves. Even Da Fu, Bao Ming and Wen Cheng who comes occasionally was snacking on the sticky cake Fangsu made. Fangsu laughed at the everyone who was rushing to get a piece, enjoying the sticky cake in gusto.

Fangsu returned to the kitchen to cook the fish she bought. Fangsu took 6 of her sticky cake 3 green and 3 white on a separate plate, place the cooked fish on a separate plate. Fangsu packed the two dishes into her basket with incenses, before leaving the shop once again. 

Fangsu decided to forgo the veiled hat as the path she took was empty and late in the night. Into the same dark space between streets where Fangsu followed the cat earlier in the day. Fangsu followed it the same path, easily squeeze through without much trouble. Fangsu arrived at the same abandoned house, entering cautiously. The floorboards creaked under Fangsu's weight which caught the attention of the same pair of cats she saw. Taking out the dish of cooked fish from her basket, Fangsu broke half the fish and tore apart the fish taking out the bones and placing the shreds of fish infront of the kittens who eagerly ate the fish. Walking into the prayer room the same cat still sitting on the cushion, sleeping. 

Cautiously, Fangsu walked to the cat who weakly looked up at Fangsu, weakly hissing. Fangsu took the other half of the fish, tearing it apart and leaving out the bones. Fangsu pushed the plate of shredded fish to the cat dismissed the fish, but the spirit urged the cat to eat who reluctantly ate the fish before hungrily eating the fish. Fangsu gently smiled to the spirit, "You are good owner," Looking at the spirit who was stunned by the fact Fangsu could see her and by her strange appearance.

Fangsu smiled and went to the altar, lighting the candles and sticking incense into an incense pot. Fangsu took the sticky cakes out and placed them as offerings. Placing her hands together Fangsu praying, "I hope you can ascend to the afterlife and get reincarnated into a good life." Fangsu stood up.

The spirit who was silent, looked at Fangsu curiously, "Why aren't you scared of me?" The spirit was curious at Fangsu appearance that was similar to that of a spirit or deity.

Fangsu smiled, "Why should I be scared of something that doesn't intent to harm me?" Surprising the ghost who felt happy after so long being not seen by anyone, it was lonely being without people to socialise with.

Fangsu was startled that the spirit was crying, but knew what the reason why the spirit was crying, "Do you have a name?" Fangsu tried asking even though knowing that spirit's generally don't remember their life before they died. 

The spirit wiped away the tears, shaking her head, "Please I will be willing to serve you!" The spirit pleaded with Fangsu who was startled yet again by the spirit, "Please give me a name master!" The spirit knelt on the ground, kowtowing in respect.

Fangsu gulped, knowing that her grandpa forbade her from interacting with spirits, but looking out of the broken window where the bright full moon was shining through, "We met during the night of a bright moon." Fangsu spoke without thinking, "Ming Yue... that will be your name," Fangsu smiled at the spirit who happily smiled at Fangsu.

Fangsu pointed at the cat who was fast asleep on the cushion, "Ming Yue, is it okay if I take the cats with me?" Fangsu asked. Ming Yue nodded her head. 

Fangsu took the plates back and placed it into the basket, taking off her outer robe and placing it into the basket. Fangsu carried the cushion with the cat on top and placed it into the basket. The kittens raced to Fangsu wanting to be blanketed in the warmth of the robes, Fangsu places the kittens in the basket next to their mother. The kittens instantly snuggled against their mother's belly and Fangsu covered the cats with the rest of the fabric to keep them warm from the wintry chill. Fangsu walked out of the abandoned house quickly followed by Ming Yue who stayed by Fangsu's side, returning back home. 

Fangsu shivered from the cold wind, quickly running through the streets to reach the warmth of home. But, unfortunately when Fangsu reached the inside of her home, her body failed on her as she collapsed on the floor. The basket dropped from her arms, startling the cats who were restful in the basket and Ming Yue was panicking about what to do. Ming Yue knew she was useless as a wandering spirit as she wasn't able to physically touch anything. Wandering spirits are the weakest of the spirit ranks usually a result of untimely death and tied to the physical world by lingering feelings.

Ming Yue heard the door of the house opened and an elderly voice calling out, "The doctor said she would be able to come tomorrow!" The elderly voice called out, "Fangsu! I got more of your medicine!" Without a response the footsteps of the person rushed into the house. 

Seeing an opportunity for help, Ming Yue rushed to the elderly man, "Please help! My master has collapsed!" Ming Yue pointed to the unconscious Fangsu where three cats were nuzzled against her. The elderly man's eyes widen in shock, but the girl's life was of more importance than the appearance of a ghost. 

The elderly man supported the unconscious girl upright, his granddaughter, placing his hand on her forehead, it was hot to the touch. Gently slapping Fangsu's cheek to try get Fangsu to be conscious and to check the severity of Fangsu's condition. Fangsu's eyes did open but her eyes were unfocused and hazy, "Don't hurt Ming Yue, she isn't dangerous just lonely." Fangsu's words were slurred, even though Fangsu was unwell. Fangsu still protected Ming Yue who was a spirit who could have easily drained Fangsu's soul to nourish her own and possess Fangsu's body.

After checking Fangsu's condition, the elderly man took her to her bed. The eldery man turned his attention to the cats and the spirit that was probabky hovering over Fangsu, "You are Ming Yue?" Questioning the spirit who nodded, "Did Fangsu give you that name?" Sitting down on the bed Fangsu was sleeping on. The elderly let out an exhausted groan as he massaged his temples.

Ming Yue stood in front of the elderly man, kowtowing, "Please allow me to serve my master," kneeling in front of the elderly man but he did not notice her kowtowing, "Can you even see me?" Ming Yue asked curiously, waving her hand infront of the elder.

The elderly man shook his head, "Even though I can't see you, I can still hear you." He stared at the direction where Ming Yue's voice was located. The elder sighed dejectedly, making a decision to trust the spirit to protect his only granddaughter, "I will trust you to protect my granddaughter from any other spirits." The old man nodded and left the room to give his granddaughter some peace and quiet to recover her health. Ming Yue hovered over Fangsu's body, watching her chest lift up and down as she breathed as she rested.

Chen Fangsu escaped away from danger, away from the home she grew up in. With her new life in the capital with the last remaining member of her family, her grandpa, she happily works as the owner of her grandpa’s store. Unknowingly she is involved in an extremely dangerous situation that could cost her everything.

"SA palagay mo ba hindi na sila galit sa akin ngayon?" tanong ni Aurora habang mabilis ang hakbang patungo sa multi-purpose hall kung sila mag-eensayo ng dula.
"Oo naman. Dadalhan mo ba naman sila ng nilupak na saging na may langka ni Manay Soling. Mag-e-evaporate ang galit nila kapag natikman ito," anang binata na bitbit ang basket ng nilupak.
Buong umaga silang nagluto ng nilupak. Sina Alvaro at Kenzo ang nagbayo ng saging habang siya naman ang tumulong kay Manay Soling sa pagluluto. Nararamdaman niya ang matalim na tingin ng ama niya kanina habang kasama si Alvaro sa pagluluto pero wala naman itong sinabi. Hangga't maari kasi ay kinokontrol nila ng binata ang mga kilos nila. Ngayon naman ay sasabog ang puso niya sa sobrang kilig. 
"Maraming salamat sa ideya. Gusto ko talagang makabawi sa kanila sa nangyari kahapon. Konti na nga lang oras mag-ensayo at ayoko nang magkamali."
Pumalatak ang binata nang makita ang pag-aalala sa mukha niya. "Sabi ko naman sa iyo na huwag mo nang alalahanin iyon. Basta ipakita mo sa kanila lahat ng natutunan mo kahapon. Natatandaan mo ba ang lahat ng itinuro ko sa iyo?"
"Opo, Teacher," aniya at ngumiti.
Inaral nila hanggang gabi ang mga linya niya. Si Alvaro ang nagturo sa kanya kung paano humugot ng malalim na emosyon sa puso niya. Itinuro din nito sa kanya kung ano ang tamang kilos ng isang eleganteng babae noong unang panahon base sa napanood din daw nito sa mga dula gaya ng Noli Me Tangere at El Filibusterismo. Itinuro nito sa kanya kung paano mag-internalize ng character. Kung paano humugot ng emosyon mula sa karanasan, mula sa bubog sa puso niya.  
Parang ibang tao ito habang tinuturuan siya sa pag-arte. Hindi ito ang Alvaro na malaro at mahilig makipagbiruan. Seryoso ito sa pagtuturo sa kanya. Masasabi niya na mahal nito ang pag-arte at seryoso ito lalo na pagdating sa disiplina. Ayon dito ay di laro ang pagiging artista sa teatro at wala daw malaki o maliit na gampanin sa teatro. Kahit ang mgam nasa likod ng entablado ay dapat daw irespeto. 
Malalim ang karanasan nito sa pagtatanghal. Isang bahagi na naman nito ang nakita niya at hinangaan niya. Marami siyang napulot dito at nasasabik na siyang gamitin ang mga natutunan niya.
"Aba! Malayo pa lang naaamoy ko na ang laman ng basket na iyan," sabi ni Celso pagdating pa lang nila at pinagkiskis ang palad.
"Nilupak na saging," sagot naman ni Aurora at ngumiti sa lahat. Bilin sa kanya ni Alvaro, dapat daw ay ngumiti lang siya na parang walang nangyari nang nakaraang araw. Makakatulong daw iyon para mawala ang tensiyon sa set.
"Alvaro, ikaw ba ang nagluto niyan para sa akin?" malambing na tanong ni Inez. 
"Ipinaluto ni Aurora kay Manay Soling para sa ating lahat. Pero kami ni Kenzo ang nagbayo," sagot ng binata at ibinaba ang basket sa mesa.
"Bayuhin mo rin ako, Alvaro," sabi ni Bebang na nakadikit agad sa lalaki.
"Bebang! Huwag kang malaswa," saway ni Aurora dito. 
"Ipagbayo din niya ako ng saging para sa nilupak. Anong masama doon?" depensa naman ni Bebang at kumindat kay Alvaro.
"Berde na ang utak ni Aurora. Akala ko habambuhay ka nang inosente," natatawang sabi ni Torya. Lagi siyang tinutukso ng mga ito na pa-virgin. Pagdating sa mga green jokes ay hindi siya nakikisakay. 
"Hindi madumi ang utak ko." At naramdaman niya ang pag-iinit ng mukha. Naiinis lang siya na may dumidikit na iba kay Alvaro at nagpapahayag ng pagnanasa dito. Hinalikan man niya si Alvaro, puro pa rin ang nararadaman niya dito. Hindi siya malaswang mag-isip pagdating kay Alvaro.
"Lantakan na iyan," sabi ni Celso at akmang dadakmain na ang loob ng basket.
Tinampal ni Ma'am Mercy ang kamay nito. "Mamaya pa. Di pa nga tayo nagsisimulang mag-ensayo. Salamat dito, Aurora." At inilayo ang basket sa iba. "Maghanda na ang mga kasali sa kaharian nina Artus. Mga maharlika at mga alipin, maghanda na."
Sinundan niya ang matandang babae habang itinatabi ang basket ng nilupak. "Pasensiya na talaga kayo sa nangyari kahapon. Alam ko po na malaking abala na nawala sa isip ko ang script."
Hinaplos ni Ma'am Mercy ang buhok niya. "Ayos na iyon. Lahat naman nagkakamali."
"Di pwedeng pasensiya lang," singit bigla ni Omar na nakikinig pala sa usapan. "Nauubos din iyon gaya ng nilupak na dala mo. Sana lang para di sayang ang oras natin ngayon."
"Handa na ako sa mga linya ko," nakataas ang baba niyang sabi.

“Kahit nakatayo ka lang diyan at nakangiti sa akin, kinikilig na ako.”

Ethan Ravales just wanted to escape from his suffocating life as the Philippine’s prime leading man. Pakiramdam niya ay kinakain na ng kanyang sistema ang kanyang kaluluwa. Para hanapin ang sarili ay tumakas siya hanggang mapadpad sa Isla Juventus matapos iligtas mula sa isang magnanakaw ang isang magandang dalaga—si Aurora.
Hindi inakala ni Ethan na makakaya niyang mabuhay sa Isla Juventus—na walang kuryente, Internet, o signal man lang ng cell phone, at bilang Alvaro Baltazar na isang ordinaryong lalaki. Hindi rin niya napaghandaan ang espesyal na naramdaman nang makilala at makasama niya sa isla si Aurora. Handa na siyang iwan ang mundong nakagisnan para kay Aurora.
Ngunit nang may magpaalala kay Ethan ng mundong iniwan niya ay napaisip siya. Ano ang kaya niyang gawin para kay Aurora? Handa ba siya sa maaaring mangyari kapag nalaman ni Aurora ang tunay niyang pagkatao?


The final book of Finding Ethan Series, a collaboration with Leonna, Gezille and @Tyramisu.

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