Du Hangwu thought about the miraculous medicine and quickly decided that he could tolerate his old shoes a bit longer—his backside couldn’t afford any delays. When the medicine ran out, he would have to ask the Lu family for more. If he went asking for shoes and offended them, the god might stop giving him the medicine altogether. After all, the medicine from the god was something that couldn’t be found in the mortal world.

He couldn’t risk missing out on the medicine just for a pair of shoes.

With this in mind, he quickly dropped the matter of the shoes.

Since Gu Xingzhao had spent a long time in the past the previous night, it was nearly 2 a.m. by the time she returned to the modern world and finished freshening up. The next day, she slept until 1 p.m., only waking up when she received a call from her lawyer.

The lawyer informed her that the court was encouraging a settlement, and Lei Ping was also interested in settling the case, offering monetary compensation—no matter how much Gu Xingzhao wanted.

The lawyer called to see if she would consider settling.

He explained, “Miss Gu, cases like this can be tough to win and are often time-consuming and exhausting. The other party is now willing to offer a financial settlement, which puts you in a strong position to receive a substantial compensation.”

But Gu Xingzhao didn’t hesitate. She knew Lei Ping wanted to settle to blur the negative attention she was getting online, and she was willing to pay to make that happen.

Originally, Gu Xingzhao hadn’t intended for things to blow up online, but Lei Ping had chosen to escalate the situation by going live and making things worse. Now, she had to face the consequences.

While Gu Xingzhao didn’t usually care about her reputation, Lei Ping had made her realize that sometimes you can’t back down. If she settled this time, there would be more people like Lei Ping in the future who would try to walk all over her.

In the end, everyone would trample over her.

Money was important, but some things were far more valuable. Besides, she wasn’t short of money now.

“Attorney Yan, I won’t accept any settlement. Whether I win or lose, I’m going to see this lawsuit through. Don’t worry about your fees—you’ll be paid well.”

Attorney Yan, sensing Gu Xingzhao’s strong resolve, actually felt relieved.

Given the high-profile nature of the case, winning it would bring his law firm considerable publicity. When the other party proposed a settlement, offering financial compensation, he had been worried that Gu Xingzhao might agree. After all, most people prefer to settle such cases to avoid the lengthy process and uncertainty of a trial.

But now that he knew she was determined to fight this case, win or lose, he was much more at ease.

“Don’t worry, Miss Gu. I’ll do everything I can to win this case.”

“Thank you.”

After the call ended, Gu Xingzhao finally got out of bed and took some dumplings out of the freezer to cook.

Sitting in the living room, she ate dumplings while watching the Lu family on the projection screen. She noticed Lu Yang and even Lu Xingyao looked downcast. Before she could ask Lu Qing what had happened, she received a message on WeChat from Mo Li, the saleswoman she had met at the car dealership.

Mo Li: Do you remember me?

Gu Xingzhao raised an eyebrow and tapped out a reply: Of course, I remember.

She vividly remembered the woman who had joked about going back to farming.

Mo Li: I’ve gone back to my hometown to farm! I just planted some new crops yesterday. If you don’t mind, could you send me your address? I’ll send you some produce when it’s ready.

Gu Xingzhao smiled, surprised that Mo Li had remembered their conversation—she had almost forgotten it herself.

Would refusing her offer hurt her feelings? What if it discouraged her enthusiasm? After some thought, she decided it would be better to accept the vegetables and invite Mo Li over for a meal as a thank-you.

Gu Xingzhao quickly sent Mo Li her supermarket’s address, along with a “cheering you on” emoji.

Mo Li was clearly pleased.

That afternoon, Gu Xingzhao traveled back to the past and entered the house He Zhen had prepared for her.

The house was spacious. Even though she had only asked for an empty room, He Zhen had furnished it with a bed, a table, and chairs.

Looking around, Gu Xingzhao realized this room was even bigger than her second floor back home. It was clear He Zhen had given her the best room in the house.

She made a note to herself to remember this kind gesture.

Because she had instructed no one to approach the room, and the door was locked, the area was quiet.

Gu Xingzhao moved the fireworks and firecrackers she had prepared to the room, selected a portion, and used the system’s extraction function to separate the materials she needed. She laid them out on the table and, using tools she had purchased, began to experiment with making some defensive items.

Among the materials—paper, bamboo tubes, and plastic casings—she chose the bamboo tubes. She filled them with a certain proportion of materials and attached fuses.

She made five in total but still lacked confidence. After all, it was her first time making explosives, and she had learned the method from a materials book—there was no guarantee it would work.

She remained anxious throughout the process, fearing that a single mistake could blow up the entire room.

It wasn’t until she completed the final step that she felt a little more at ease. She took the completed explosives to an empty mountaintop.

As the cold wind blew, Gu Xingzhao held the explosives and repeatedly asked the system, “Are you sure there’s no one within a hundred miles?”

[Response to the host: With your coordinates as the center, there is no one within a hundred miles.]

“Are you sure that if this thing blows up, you won’t be affected? Like, losing contact with me or something?”

[Response to the host: As long as you’re alive, the system will not voluntarily disconnect from you.]

“What about involuntarily?”

[Response to the host: As long as you’re safe, the system will not voluntarily or involuntarily disconnect from you.]

“And if I get hurt, will I still be able to return to the modern world?”

[Response to the host: If your life is in danger, the system will automatically activate emergency safety protocols and forcibly bring you back to the modern world. Please rest assured.]

The risk-averse Gu Xingzhao, terrified of being stuck in the ancient world with nothing to do, peppered the system with questions to ensure there were no risks.

After making sure everything was safe, she finally lit the fuse with a lighter and tossed the bamboo tube away!

It was her first time doing something like this, and she wasn’t just throwing a firecracker—this was serious firepower. Her heart raced, uncertain if it would work.

The fuse burned quickly, sparking through the air until it reached the explosive core.

With a loud “boom,” the explosion echoed through the valley like the roar of a beast. The ground trembled, dirt and rocks flew, and smoke billowed up!

Even though Gu Xingzhao was prepared, the sound still startled her. She instinctively raised her arm to shield herself from the dust blown her way.

Once the dust settled and the wind began to die down, blowing her clothes back into place, Gu Xingzhao cautiously approached the explosion site. She found a large crater where the explosive had gone off, with the surrounding vegetation scorched and reduced to ash.

She couldn’t hide her shock—the explosive’s power had far exceeded her expectations!

Her mind raced with the possibilities, and her heart pounded with excitement. With this, who could harm the Lu family?

Not only could they defend themselves, but they could even overthrow that tyrant emperor if they wanted to!