The moment someone mentioned the title "Peerless King," the chatting pedestrians immediately lit up with excitement, as if gossip-loving onlookers had stumbled upon a jaw-dropping scoop.
"Is that Gu Qingfeng, the legendary disciple of the gods, inheritor of the Ageless Pill, the Peerless King who shares the imperial throne with the Emperor!?"
"Exactly, him! I always thought gods were just myths, but today I actually got to meet a divine disciple. What an honor!"
"How did you even see him through the sedan chair?"
"Spiritual connection, understand? It’s beyond words."
"Pfft, today you’re bragging about meeting the divine disciple—tomorrow you’ll probably claim you drank with him!"
"You—!"
The man flushed with anger, sparking a round of laughter from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng, seated inside the departing sedan chair, couldn’t help but smirk at the chatter. Becoming a figure of legend out of the blue felt pretty good.
But then, one remark from the crowd wiped the smile off his face.
"Do you think gods really exist in this world? If they do, why do we only see their disciples and never the gods themselves?"
"Of course they exist! Haven’t you seen how the Emperor has circulated the Peerless King’s portrait and deeds across the realm? It’s to show the world that the Great Yan Dynasty has divine backing. His Majesty is a ruler for the ages, so the gods couldn’t bear to see him pass. They sent an envoy to bestow the Ageless Pill. If even the Emperor believes in gods, how could it be fake?"
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng was already cursing inwardly.
Spreading my portrait and deeds across the realm!?
Whose stupid idea was this!? Expletives!
Gu Qingfeng had always worried about drawing too much attention, fearing it might alert "them"—the ones Jue Mingzi had warned about. And now, the Emperor had gone and plastered his face everywhere.
Damn it!
Now, with his likeness out in the open, it was practically an invitation for disaster.
Sure, Gu Qingfeng had always been famous, but at least there’d been no portrait. If danger arose, he could still lay low under a false name.
Even if "they" knew the Peerless King was a divine disciple, they wouldn’t immediately know what he looked like, right?
Now, that advantage was gone. They’d recognize him on sight.
Disguises might not even work—if "they" could force a god into hiding, their methods were surely beyond ordinary, making it easy to see through any tricks.
Gu Qingfeng’s first instinct was to storm into the palace and demand the Emperor retract the order.
But then he reconsidered. Going there would only make him look guilty. Why else would he fear fame?
That’s when it hit him—the Emperor’s real motive.
This was a test. By spreading his name and image, the Emperor was probing whether he was truly a divine disciple or a fraud, hoping the news would reach the real god and reveal the truth.
Gu Qingfeng frowned, deep in thought. Then another possibility struck him: protection.
He was the Emperor’s lifeline, the one holding the key to his immortality. Yet, he couldn’t be confined to the palace.
So, to safeguard him, the Emperor made him a public figure. Once the world knew of the divine disciple, only the truly deranged would dare target him.
Clever move.
Gu Qingfeng marveled inwardly. This was a masterstroke—three birds with one stone.
First, a test. Second, protection. Third, propaganda, showcasing the Emperor’s divine mandate.
In the past, Gu Qingfeng wouldn’t have minded the fame. Who didn’t love glory?
But now, he craved anonymity.
Hadn’t the real god gone into hiding? Flaunting his status now would be suicidal.
Damn it! He needed to reach the Heavenly Realm and boost his strength ASAP. Otherwise, he wouldn’t survive the next two years.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He itched to storm the palace and beat the Emperor senseless—but those two Dragon Transformation peak experts gave him pause.
If there’d only been one, he might’ve risked it.
Frustration gnawed at him. He no longer felt like eating—his fists needed action.
Venturing out to pummel demons crossed his mind, but most were his underlings now, still recovering from last month’s beatings. Another round might kill them.
Damn it!
Who else could he hit?
Then, inspiration struck.
The Crown Prince!
What could be more satisfying than thrashing the Emperor’s own son?
That bastard had even sent assassins after him once. If not for Jue Mingzi’s warning and his own relentless training, he’d have beaten the prince black and blue long ago!
"Change of course—to the Crown Prince’s residence."
At his command, the guards adjusted their route without question.
And so, Gu Qingfeng embarked on his mission to pummel the Crown Prince.
Consequences?
He wasn’t worried. The Crown Prince’s misdeeds, if exposed, would make the Emperor want him dead. Besides, what uncle wouldn’t discipline his nephew?
With his current status, power, and influence, who in the capital couldn’t he beat?
Even the Emperor—once he returned from the Heavenly Realm—would be ground into the dirt!
Half an hour later, the sedan chair arrived at the Crown Prince’s estate.
Gu Qingfeng swaggered out, radiating arrogance, and strode to the gates.
The guards, recognizing him instantly from his circulated portrait, dropped to their knees in fear.
"Your humble servants greet the Peerless King. To what do we owe this honor?"
"Is my nephew home?"
"Your… nephew?" The guards exchanged baffled glances.
"Your Highness, who might your nephew be?"
"The Crown Prince."
Their jaws dropped. Staring at Gu Qingfeng—barely twenty—then mentally picturing the fifty-something Crown Prince, they were speechless.
"Well? Is my nephew here or not?" Gu Qingfeng snapped.
"Y-yes! Right away, we’ll escort you to His Highness."
"What? Escort me to see the Crown Prince? How dare you! Since when does an uncle go to his nephew? Fetch him here. Now."
"At once, Your Highness!" Not daring to argue, the guards scrambled to obey.
After all, Gu Qingfeng’s feat of sharing the throne with the Emperor was beyond audacious. Compared to that, summoning the Crown Prince—or even beating him—seemed almost mundane.
Soon, a middle-aged man in embroidered robes came rushing out.
"Your humble servant greets the Peerless King," the Crown Prince said, bowing hastily.
"‘Peerless King’ sounds too formal. Call me Uncle."
The Crown Prince blinked. "…What?"
"‘What’ what? Your father and I are sworn brothers. Shouldn’t you address me as Uncle?"
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
some people's 18th birthday, deities bestow a playing card imbued with "supernatural abilities." 52 playing cards, 52 unique powers. Those who receive these special cards gain admission to the finest supernatural academy. School Beauty: "I have the Queen of Spades—I can summon any weapon!" Rich Heir: "My dad holds the Jack of Diamonds—it grants infinite wealth!" Meanwhile, in another corner, a young man wields his card, effortlessly using all 52 abilities. The crowd gasps in shock. "What card do you have?" The youth glances at his card and smirks: "Well..." Busiest in the circus, wildest in Gotham. Standing guard at McDonald's, unmatched in the deck. "Please check the book title."
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...
