The city’s mysterious circles had remained awake all night.
Dawn had come and gone, yet no one could go home to catch up on sleep. Something had just happened—something more than ten times as serious as the book anomalies breaking free of their seals. Every book anomaly had transformed into a brand-new anomalous race.
The Scholars’ Institute conference room.
The layout was the same as before: the witches sat on the left, and the scholars on the right.
Mortar Granny had not come—or rather, she was no longer able to.
Cicada glared at the emaciated Stone Speaker, who was still stubbornly clinging to life. His eyes practically spat fire.
“I really want to stab you right through the chest.”
Stone Speaker was extremely weak and needed someone to support him even when walking.
He smiled. “Too bad. With everyone watching, it’s too late for you to make another attempt. Sorry for letting your arrangements go to waste.”
Cicada turned his head away, unwilling to look at him anymore. “Keep being stubborn, then.”
The witches were surprised that Stone Speaker had survived as well. Silence looked at him and, unusually, gave a slight nod.
President Yu did not wait for them to exchange more words and went straight to the subject of the meeting.
“Everyone, every book has now become a new species of the New Era. If they intend to seize the city, we will have absolutely no chance against them.”
“I heard that Huangyi has no intention of taking the city.” A childish voice rang out.
Everyone was startled. Then, as if on cue, they turned toward the glass cabinet in the corner.
“The Charter! Why are you still here?” Only now did everyone remember that they had completely forgotten about The Scholars’ Institute Charter and Program.
The Charter was displeased. It opened a small gap in the glass cabinet to serve as a “door” and flew out from within.
“You people—what do you mean by that? This is the home where I’ve lived for thousands of years. You’re the ones who came to disturb my sleep first thing in the morning.”
The scholars and witches had no interest in arguing with a book. Everyone knew that the Charter was a “self-book,” so they immediately surrounded it.
Cicada was the first to ask a question. “You said just now that Huangyi has no intention of taking this city?”
The Charter flapped its tiny wings. “That seems to be what it meant.”
Luo Lang was not reassured. “Is ‘seems’ merely your guess?”
“After Huangyi finished registering all the books just now, it said it needed to rest, then went home to sleep.”
“Then how do you know it has no intention of taking the city?”
The Charter was deeply contemptuous of this utterly uninformed question. It flew over and smacked Luo Lang on the head with its book-body.
“What are you all worried about? Huangyi helped you people several thousand years ago. Besides, if it really wanted to make a move, you couldn’t stop it. There would be no point in holding a meeting.”
No one answered.
The Charter was right. They had no way to resist. But as the current managers of the city, with a major crisis at their doorstep, they could not simply do nothing—could they really just go home and sleep?
After a long silence, Silence rose to her feet. “Since we can’t come up with a solution, we’ll leave for now.”
“Wait.” Stone Speaker stopped her.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Stone Speaker.
“I, Stone Speaker, have completed all my duties. In accordance with the previous judgment, my death sentence will now be carried out. I ask everyone here to bear witness.”
Cicada slammed his hand onto the table and stood up.
“Bear witness to my ass! You think you can be executed whenever you feel like it? Aren’t you the one who cares most about rules and procedures? According to the process, a death sentence for someone in your position must be reviewed and confirmed by the Great Scholars’ Assembly! It also requires Chenpi’s signature.”
Stone Speaker replied softly, “All the Great Scholars are present and can conduct the review here and now. While Chenpi is unconscious, the witch Silence may exercise her signing authority in his place. Every step of the procedure can be completed.”
Cicada’s face was expressionless. “I don’t have time. I can’t conduct the review.”
Stone Speaker gazed quietly at him. “Xia Chong, my body can’t wait any longer.”
“Can’t wait? Good. That just means there’ll be one more name on the casualty list.”
“Xia Chong, I have no descendants. Whether I’m judged with honor or condemned as a criminal after my death means nothing to me.
“I am a stone. I was born from the law, and I will die by the law.
“The law has weight. It can govern the mysterious and the witches, and it can also punish a Great Scholar.
“To defend the dignity of the law and sound a warning for the world—that is the path I chose.
“As my friend, I hope you’ll see me off on the final journey.”
Cicada’s lips moved, but in the end, he could not say a word.
Stone Speaker had convinced the greatest obstacle. He raised a hand. “Come in.”
A public executioner from the law-enforcement bureau entered the conference room.
He took a document that had already been prepared from inside his scholar’s robes.
“I, Stone Speaker, Great Scholar in charge of law and punishment, hereby initiate a review of the death sentence of Shi Buyi. Do any of the Great Scholars have objections?”
President Yu, Luo Lang, Xiumu, and the Carpenter remained silent. Cicada took three or four deep breaths, but ultimately said nothing more.
“Witch Silence, the Great Scholars have no objections by default. The review is approved.”
Stone Speaker handed the document to the executioner, who passed it to Silence.
The witch acted decisively.
Silence glanced at Stone Speaker. “You committed vile acts, yet carried a heart of light. May you have a safe journey.”
With that, she signed her name on the document.
Stone Speaker turned his head toward everyone in the room.
“Oh, there’s something else. I’ve never apologized to all of you for the things I did. I offer my deepest apologies now.
“Of course, there are a few matters I must clarify before the end.
“President Yu, I’m sorry about your daughter Yu Ling’s death. I only intended to leave her seriously injured; I never meant to take her life.
“Xiumu, I wasn’t the one who sent people to silence Li Liang. I have no fear of being exposed, so I would never have done such a thing.
“I’ve been investigating both of these matters all this time, but I was unable to uncover the truth. I suspect a third party was involved. You should continue looking into it.”
After saying this, Stone Speaker nodded to the executioner.
The stone-like skin covering his body contracted, shedding its defenses and revealing a small patch over his heart.
The ordinary human executioner took out a specially made, razor-sharp knife.
Five minutes later.
Shi Buyi’s body was carried out of the conference room.
Cicada carried him out personally.
The news that Stone Speaker had been executed according to the law was publicly announced throughout the city at ten o’clock.
At ten thirty, the great banyan tree at Evergreen Academy completely withered.
A letter of resignation arrived on Oil Pot’s desk, the second-in-command of the Book Chaser organization. He was never able to contact Mr. Kong again.
As for ordinary citizens, they knew nothing about most of what had happened.
They continued to follow the tradition of Reading Day, spending the entire day reading. They remained at home, quietly immersed in their books.
Chen Miemie was sleeping soundly in the shop.
The Evermoon night that had just passed had been packed with far too many events. He had been running around without a moment’s rest. Once the Evermoon had faded, a deep exhaustion had overtaken him.
He slept all the way until four-thirty in the afternoon.
After getting up and eating some roast chicken, he found that dusk was already approaching.
The Forbidden Fruit Bestiary had been following him around ever since he woke up, secretly watching him as though it were waiting for something.
Chen Miemie knew exactly what it was waiting for.
“Forbidden Fruit Bestiary, did you notify all the book anomalies to gather at six o’clock, as I instructed you?”
[Forbidden Fruit Bestiary] immediately flew over to report:
“I couldn’t find every book, either. As the head of the Book Department, I notified the heads of the books in all four regions. They promised they’d arrive on time.”
“Good. Let’s set out for the city library. It’s time I had a proper talk with [Silence] and the others.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
