The Goat City branch of the Yanhuang Awakening organization.
Liu Zheng's slender fingers tapped twice on the desk as he slid a document across to the opposite side.
"Lin Mo, orphaned. These are his academic and athletic records from C Middle School, and these are his current grades and physical performance at Guangba. Notice anything?"
Old Bai casually picked up the file and skimmed through it. After just two glances, he couldn't help but click his tongue and slap the papers back onto the table.
"There's definitely something off here. After transferring to Guangba, his grades have been steadily improving, and his physical abilities have also seen a boost. All of this started around that summer break."
Liu Zheng nodded. "Exactly. I also looked into it—the Crane City incident happened not too far from Lin Mo's grandmother's place. So, unless I'm mistaken, that kid Lin Mo is probably the disciple of the North Profound Sage. The Sage himself stays in the shadows while pushing his apprentice into the spotlight."
Shouzhen couldn't help but agree. "I see. Just like our Grandmaster back then."
These scattered clues quickly fell into place, forming a convincing narrative.
At the very least, this was the version the Yanhuang Awakening organization internally believed.
And this was precisely the result Lin Mo had deliberately orchestrated.
A powerful background paired with a verifiable past made the story all the more believable.
Most importantly, Lin Mo did have plenty of minor inconsistencies that couldn't be scrutinized too deeply.
But now, with his identity as the North Profound Sage's disciple, many of those loose ends could be conveniently brushed aside.
Then, shifting the topic, Old Bai turned to Liu Zheng.
"Pengcheng's in big trouble—heavy casualties. The higher-ups will probably send someone down soon. But before that, we need to ensure the safety of Xia Zhi and that girl from the Ning family."
Liu Zheng waved a hand dismissively.
"I know, but it's not a major concern. Goat City isn't a leaky sieve like Pengcheng. Besides, the military's already setting up checkpoints for strict inspections. They share a good chunk of the blame for this mess too."
Old Bai, however, kept a stern expression. "What I mean is, with just the three of us, a squad of mercenaries with knives could easily take us out."
"What's there to fear?" Liu Zheng tilted his head slightly.
"We’ve got the North Profound Sage on our side, don’t we? Let’s arrange to stay near Lin Mo’s rented place. That way, we’ll have security covered!"
At this suggestion, Old Bai and Shouzhen both froze for a moment.
Old Bai gave a thumbs-up, but Shouzhen hesitantly asked, "What if the North Profound Sage gets upset?"
Liu Zheng slowly shook his head. "No, no. The fact that he allowed Lin Mo to appear before us means he wants the kid to gain experience. So, all we need to do is establish a connection with Lin Mo."
When it came to the psychology of powerful figures, Liu Zheng felt he could at least make an educated guess.
Whether it was correct or not, only practice would tell.
—System: Poor souls, dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand—
The next day, the gymnasium buzzed with excitement.
Today’s matches were open to the public, so the stands were packed.
Lin Mo sat in the audience, his gaze fixed on the agile figure on the court.
In the final play, Jiang Yunlu focused intently, her wrist snapping as the shuttlecock sliced through the air in a sharp arc, landing perfectly in an unreachable corner of her opponent’s side.
"Match over! Champion—Guangba’s Jiang Yunlu!"
The referee’s announcement ignited thunderous applause and cheers across the venue.
Jiang Yunlu leaped in exhilaration, fists clenched tight.
She’d done it—completely on her own merit, she’d secured the prestigious women’s singles title at the G1 level.
This meant the title of national second-grade athlete was now hers.
A faint smile tugged at Lin Mo’s lips, his eyes filled with pure admiration.
Throughout the match, he hadn’t provided any external assistance.
This victory belonged entirely to Jiang Yunlu.
On the other hand, the men’s singles event ended in slight disappointment, with Guangba only managing a silver medal.
After the award ceremony, Xu Congjun stood with the silver hanging around his neck, his expression calm, showing little frustration. Coach Wang Yiping patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"Your rhythm fell apart in the last set, and your stamina distribution was off. We’ll review it thoroughly later.
Don’t dwell on it too much. A silver this year means gold next year—and there are plenty more competitions ahead."
Xu Congjun didn’t seem particularly disheartened. Instead, he turned his head toward Lin Mo, who was seated in the coaches’ section.
"Coach… if it were him, he’d have won, right?"
Wang Yiping followed his gaze and let out a heavy sigh, admitting bluntly:
"As much as I hate to say it, yes. But don’t let that pressure you. Whether he competes or not, you’re still the school’s top prospect."
"That’s not what I’m worried about," Xu Congjun replied, his eyes burning with stubborn determination. "What I want is to surpass him."
Wang Yiping fell silent for a moment, studying his most talented player before delivering a brutally honest dose of reality:
"Let’s be real—you might as well give up on that dream."
Xu Congjun: "Huh?"
Meanwhile, Jiang Yunlu, like an exuberant fawn, weaved through her congratulating classmates before darting straight to Lin Mo.
Beaming, she pulled off the still-warm gold medal and unceremoniously shoved it into his hands.
"For you."
The medal was weighty, its metallic texture unmistakable. Lin Mo blinked at her in surprise.
"Something this important—you’re just giving it to me?"
"Of course. Important things should go to important people." Jiang Yunlu tilted her head up, her bright eyes sparkling as she spoke with unfiltered boldness.
This direct strike sent shockwaves through the eavesdropping classmates nearby, and even Lin Mo was momentarily stunned. This girl was becoming increasingly shameless.
Still, he recovered quickly.
"Alright, I’ll take it. But you’ve been giving me so much lately—I don’t even know how to repay you."
Jiang Yunlu’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she leaned in slightly, her breath warm as she whispered:
"Then how about offering yourself?"
Lin Mo froze completely before bursting into laughter.
Looking at the girl’s now-crimson face, he couldn’t resist flicking her forehead lightly.
"How does someone with such a pretty face say something so cheesy?"
His teasing only deepened Jiang Yunlu’s blush. She lowered her head, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.
Her voice was barely audible:
"My aunt taught me that..."
Then, as if remembering something, she stomped her foot in frustration.
Echoing in her mind was her aunt’s confident declaration: "Trust me! No man in this world can resist the Jiang family’s secret technique!"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
