Invincible…
Even if she teamed up with her uncle…
Their chances of survival were at most one in ten…
Or perhaps, even if the undefeated Jiangxia Guardian were to arrive, the odds would still be no better than fifty-fifty…
What kind of terrifying existence had these invaders unleashed this time…?
And this…
Might just be a mere…
Gatekeeper of the Ashen Village?
A crushing weight of despair pressed down on Su Muxue’s heart…
Swirling smoke obscured the old man’s face, leaving only a pair of murky eyes calmly fixed on her.
No killing intent, yet more suffocating than any bloodlust.
In his eyes, she was nothing but an insignificant speck of dust—not even worth the effort of crushing beneath his fingers.
The despair threatened to shatter her spirit entirely.
Su Muxue forced herself to stay calm.
She couldn’t retreat…
Behind her was a barrier of bones and gray mist—no escape.
She couldn’t fight.
That would be suicide.
Her only option seemed to be… pretending nothing was wrong and walking past him?
Su Muxue took a deep breath, trying to steady her pounding heart and suppress the trembling of the spirit sword in her consciousness.
She slowly lowered her gaze, avoiding that soul-shivering stare.
Her footsteps were light, almost soundless, yet each step felt as heavy as a mountain.
Time stretched endlessly.
A distance of mere steps.
She could feel his eyes still lingering on her, cold and indifferent.
Sweat silently soaked through the back of her robes.
Finally, she passed the giant tree.
Not daring to look back, she quickened her pace toward the heart of the village.
Just then, Liu Yuan spoke up: "Hello, grandpa! Could you tell us how to get to that clock tower over there?"
Su Muxue and the middle-aged man’s hearts lurched in unison, their eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
The sudden question struck like a hammer to their chests.
We’re done for!
Su Muxue’s spine stiffened instantly, her instincts screaming to yank Liu Yuan behind her.
Even Lian Yunhuang turned deathly pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Though her senses weren’t as sharp as Su Muxue’s, she could still instinctively feel the terrifying power radiating from the old man—enough to crush them effortlessly.
Yet, the expected wrath never came.
Amid the curling smoke, the old man seemed to pause mid-drag.
Slowly, those murky eyes shifted to Liu Yuan.
Su Muxue could clearly sense the difference in his gaze—no soul-crushing pressure, just the look of an ordinary elder regarding a lost girl.
Noticing everyone’s eyes on her except her brother’s, Liu Yuan blinked in confusion, her expression perfectly blank.
Uh…
Did she say something wrong?
Wasn’t this an escape room?
Sure, it didn’t look much like one…
But the core gameplay was still there, right?
With such a big ‘NPC’ standing there, wasn’t asking for clues the obvious move?
Why were they all ignoring him?
…
Smoke drifted from the old man’s withered lips.
He didn’t answer immediately, his murky eyes shifting as if waiting for something.
Seconds ticked by.
Each one was agony for Su Muxue.
Finally, the old man’s voice rasped out, rough as sandpaper, slow and calm:
"The clock tower…"
"Follow this path… straight ahead… until you reach a dirt house. There, you’ll find your next clue."
What was this?
Favoritism?
Did this old bastard pick and choose who to help?
Su Muxue swiftly reined in her thoughts, suppressing the turmoil in her mind.
Whatever the reason, this was the best outcome they could hope for.
But… a dirt house?
Her gaze followed the direction he’d indicated.
A strange sound reached her ears—like someone clumsily dragging something heavy.
A hunched skeleton was struggling to plant a crooked wooden sign in the ground.
On it, white paint spelled out an arrow pointing toward the clock tower.
The skeleton’s movements were stiff and reluctant. Once the sign was up, it glanced around furtively, as if afraid of being caught.
Noticing Su Muxue’s stare, the skeleton made a throat-slitting gesture before hastily retreating into the shadows.
The sight only deepened Su Muxue’s unease.
This so-called "Lord of Ashes" and his minions seemed…
More like unwilling actors in a poorly staged play.
Liu Yuan, blissfully oblivious, tugged at Su Qi’s sleeve, eager to move.
"Brother, the grandpa gave us directions! Let’s go find the clock tower!"
Su Qi remained silent but allowed himself to be pulled along.
…
Watching the five figures disappear into the distance, the old man took three deep drags of his pipe, wheezing as if he’d narrowly escaped a supervisor’s inspection.
Just as he was about to fade back into the mist, his neck creaked stiffly—until his head toppled to the ground with a thud.
From this new vantage point, he saw two figures looming over him: a burly man and a bald one.
"Hey, old man…"
The head rolled once on the dirt. "Didn’t anyone teach you to be polite when asking for directions?"
The burly man remained unfazed. "Alright, old man, listen up—is there a shortcut to the clock tower? We ain’t got time to follow the long way like those others."
He never imagined the Lord of Sin would value his offering so highly…
To the point of descending upon Great Xia with his domain…
And that clock tower…
Surely, it was the Lord of Sin’s throne…
The lost lambs, scrambling for escape, only to face ultimate despair…
What a beautiful sight it would be…
Truly worthy of the great ‘Lord of Sin.’
He had to reach the clock tower first—to witness it all unfold.
The old man picked up his head and reattached it. "In such a hurry?"
"I don’t know any shortcuts…"
His voice dropped to a sinister rasp. "But I can send you two on a one-way trip."
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
