Su Yang quickly pulled Pan Ning up to the surface.
Moments later, they broke through the water, with Pan Ning coughing violently and spitting out seawater.
Fortunately, Su Yang had noticed in time and acted swiftly—Pan Ning hadn’t been underwater for long.
But if Su Yang had been even a minute later, the consequences could have been dire.
With one arm around Pan Ning’s waist and the other paddling through the water, Su Yang swam toward the shore.
After just twenty meters, he spotted Meng Wenzhou, Liu Bo, and Zhang Ziming swimming toward them.
The three had seen Su Yang suddenly turn and dive back into the water, realizing something must have gone wrong, and rushed to help.
When Meng Wenzhou noticed Pan Ning in Su Yang’s arms, his face filled with concern as he asked, “What happened, Old Su?”
“Let’s get to shore first.”
Once back on the beach, Su Yang laid Pan Ning down on the sand and gently massaged her calf.
After coughing up a few more mouthfuls of water, Pan Ning finally caught her breath.
Meng Wenzhou and Shen Yixue hurried over. “What happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No, it’s fine. I just got a sudden cramp and swallowed some water. I’ll be okay after resting.”
Pan Ning’s tone was calm, as if it were nothing serious.
“I told you not to swim too far out! You wouldn’t listen—this could’ve ended badly!” Liu Bo fretted.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have challenged her to race, and definitely not toward the deeper water.”
Su Yang deeply regretted his earlier actions. If he hadn’t noticed in time, he would’ve carried that guilt forever.
Pan Ning propped herself up on the sand, with Su Yang and Shen Yixue supporting her.
“Don’t blame yourself. I was the one who insisted on going farther. I didn’t expect the cramp, but I’m fine now. Really, don’t worry.”
“Whew… as long as you’re okay. Old Su, don’t beat yourself up. It’s not entirely your fault—I heard you two heading out and didn’t stop you either. If anything, I’m the one to blame,” Meng Wenzhou admitted.
“Let’s not play the blame game. If we start, we’re all at fault here,” Zhang Ziming chimed in, lightening the mood.
Shen Yixue sat beside Pan Ning, gently patting her back.
After a while, once Pan Ning had fully recovered, the tense atmosphere finally eased.
Meng Wenzhou checked in, “Feeling better?”
Pan Ning nodded. “I’m fine. Let’s not let this ruin the day—just stay away from the deep end.”
Su Yang looked at her. “Maybe we should call it a day. You should rest at the hotel.”
Pan Ning smiled faintly. “I told you, I’m fine. Why go back so early? Don’t let this kill the vibe—let’s keep enjoying ourselves.”
Meng Wenzhou thought for a moment. “How about this? Since no one’s in the mood for swimming now, let’s switch things up and do something else.”
“Like what?” Liu Bo asked.
“We’re in Lucheng—how can we skip a yacht trip? I booked one back in Haicheng. There’s a beautiful island less than fifty kilometers from here—probably off your radar. Let’s head there for some fishing and a barbecue.”
The girls immediately nodded in agreement.
“Sounds perfect.”
“Then it’s settled. There’s a hotel on the island too—we’ll stay there tonight so we don’t have to rush back.”
Everyone agreed to the plan.
Meng Wenzhou worked with remarkable efficiency—within minutes, he had finished making calls and secured a yacht rental.
He didn’t own a yacht himself, mainly because he wasn’t particularly interested in such luxuries. He only needed one occasionally when visiting Deer City for a day out at sea, so he saw no point in buying one. After all, a simple phone call was all it took to have everything arranged for him.
After changing clothes, the group took a taxi to a small marina filled with yachts of various sizes.
A middle-aged man wearing sunglasses and dressed head-to-toe in luxury brands jogged over to greet them.
This was Old Li, the general manager of the yacht rental company.
"Young Master Meng, welcome! The yacht is ready for you."
"Good. Thanks, Old Li. Are there fishing rods on board?"
Old Li grinned. "Don’t worry, Young Master Meng. The yacht is fully stocked. If anything’s missing, I’ll make sure it’s taken care of."
"Perfect. Also, once we get to the island, arrange a barbecue for us. And make sure the accommodations are sorted—you know my standards."
"Young Master Meng, no need to say more. I’ll handle everything. The yacht comes with professional staff for diving and wakeboarding. Just focus on enjoying yourselves."
Meng Wenzhou nodded. "Let’s board, then."
"Right away!" Old Li led the group toward an impressively luxurious yacht.
The yacht was predominantly white with blue accents, stretching about 35 meters (114 feet) in length. It had two decks, with a spacious foredeck perfect for lounging in the sea breeze while fishing.
The lower deck featured a leisure area large enough to accommodate around twenty people.
Su Yang and the others followed Old Li aboard.
For Su Yang, this was his first time stepping onto a yacht. Such extravagance had always been beyond his wildest dreams—until now.
Though he was now a man of some means, he maintained a composed demeanor, masking his excitement.
Settling into the leisure area, Su Yang took in the layout.
The space was designed with wraparound seating, a large central table, and a small bar at the far end. The bar was stocked with a coffee machine, fresh fruit, and a wall lined with an assortment of drinks.
Near the seating area, a 60-inch screen was mounted for movies or karaoke.
Soon, two female attendants in white uniforms and black pencil skirts stepped aboard.
Old Li introduced them with a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, these two will be your attendants for the trip. The diving and wakeboarding instructors will join us shortly—just a two-minute wait."
"No rush, it’s still early," Meng Wenzhou said casually.
It was only 3:30 PM. The sea breeze brushed against Su Yang’s skin as he leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed, savoring the moment of tranquility.
[System detected the host’s current state of relaxation. Reward: 300,000.]
Before long, two more figures approached the yacht.
Su Yang turned his head and blinked in surprise. ‘Wait… women?’
‘Damn, classic Meng Wenzhou. Even for professional activities like this, he hires female instructors.’
Two sweet-faced young women soon stepped onto the deck.
Old Li introduced once more, "These two are the staff who will be guiding your activities—Zhao Qingqing and Ye Wei."
The two girls were dressed in light summer outfits, carrying large and small bags of professional equipment. Both wore shorts, one with a high ponytail and the other with loose, slightly curled long hair.
The ponytailed girl reached out to greet the group, "Hello, I'm Zhao Qingqing—you can call me Qingqing. I'm a professional wakeboarding coach."
"Hi everyone, I'm Ye Wei. Feel free to call me Weiwei. I’m a diving instructor," the other added.
The group exchanged smiles and greetings with the two women.
Meng Wenzhou leaned closer to Su Yang and muttered, "Not bad, right? This setup?"
Su Yang nodded. "You really outdid yourself. I expected the staff for this kind of activity to be all guys—didn’t think they’d be women."
"Heh, when you’re out with me, you won’t be seeing too many unfamiliar men around."
Once everyone had arrived, Old Li went to the cockpit to brief the captain before returning with several black fishing gear bags.
He walked up to Meng Wenzhou, placed the bags on the table, and said with a smile, "Young Master Meng, I’ve brought out the fishing rods for you. The bait is on the table too. I’ll have someone arrange things on the island right away. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Just call me anytime if you need anything."
Meng Wenzhou stood up and patted Old Li’s shoulder. "Thanks, Old Li."
"Ah, no need for formalities—it’s my duty. Well then, enjoy yourselves, Young Master Meng."
With that, he turned to bid farewell to the others before disembarking.
After Old Li left, the yacht started its engine and slowly sailed toward the boundless sea.
......
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
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.
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
