The vendor's blood-curdling scream instantly drew the attention of everyone on the street. The smiles on the faces of the hawkers and passersby froze simultaneously. Like a horde of zombies, they stood rooted to the spot, their vacant gazes fixed squarely on Gu Qingfeng and Yan Lingyu.
It was as if someone had hit the pause button on reality; the once-bustling atmosphere turned chillingly macabre in an instant.
Witnessing this, Yan Lingyu felt a surge of panic.
She instinctively moved closer to Gu Qingfeng, yet hesitated to get too near. To her, it felt as though she were the only sane person on the entire street—and Gu Qingfeng certainly didn't count as one.
Under the collective stare of the crowd, Gu Qingfeng let out a sinister laugh. He tossed two ghost eyes into his mouth and chewed vigorously. A sickening pop echoed as the eyes burst, spraying dark fluids everywhere.
"What the hell are you looking at?!" he snarled. "Look at me one more time and I'll gouge your damn eyes out myself!"
His sheer arrogance made it seem as though he were the true forbidden entity here.
Miraculously, the moment he finished speaking, the street seemed to unfreeze. Everything surged back to life; pedestrians resumed their strolls, laughter filled the air, and the rhythmic cries of street vendors rang out once more.
It was as if everyone on the street was an actor and Gu Qingfeng was the director; the moment he called "Action," they all snapped back into their roles.
Yan Lingyu stood there, stunned. Was this really the proper way to navigate the Yellow Springs Ghost City?
In the past, others had treaded here with the utmost caution, as if walking on thin ice, only to meet gruesome ends. Yet Gu Qingfeng, with his insufferable arrogance and blatant disregard for everyone, was moving through the city completely unhindered.
Did even ghosts and gods fear a truly wicked man?
As her mind struggled to process the absurdity, Gu Qingfeng let out a cold snort.
"Hmph, a bunch of mere ants. At least they know their place. Otherwise, I would have ensured they didn't even have the chance to remain ghosts!"
Yan Lingyu’s heart skipped a beat in pure terror.
Could you please just be quiet? she thought desperately. There were countless spirits and gods in the Yellow Springs Ghost City, not to mention the forbidden horrors lurking in the shadows. If he provoked them, they would be dead before they even realized what happened.
She was here to save her sister; the last thing she wanted was to be the city's most wanted fugitive before she even found her.
Steeling herself, she cautiously tugged at the corner of Gu Qingfeng's robe and whispered, "Gu... Senior Gu, please, let’s keep a low profile. Finding my sister is the priority."
"Shut your damn mouth! Who do you think you are, trying to tell me what to do?"
Yan Lingyu flinched, a mixture of fear and resentment swelling in her chest. She felt her well-meaning advice had been spat back in her face, yet she didn't dare utter a word of protest.
Seeing her so submissive and timid, Gu Qingfeng gave another snort. "Come here," he commanded. "Hold my hand."
"Wh-what?" Yan Lingyu’s beautiful eyes widened in shock, her lips parting slightly.
"Don't 'what' me. If we’re going to walk through the streets, we should look the part. I know you're overwhelmed by this honor, but I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll give you the privilege of touching me."
Without waiting for a response, Gu Qingfeng reached out and snatched her dainty, delicate hand, leading her down the street as if they were on a casual stroll.
Yan Lingyu didn't dare resist, following him like a mistreated little bride.
Thud!
"Move it, you blind bastard! How dare you block my path?"
Gu Qingfeng continued his arrogant march, kicking aside anyone who happened to be in front of him.
Yan Lingyu couldn't bear to watch. The man he had just kicked hadn't even been blocking the way; he had simply been passing by, yet Gu Qingfeng had lashed out regardless.
The victim was a young man dressed in the robes of a scholar. He had been carrying a folding fan and wearing a gentle, refined smile that was as warm as a spring breeze—until he was sent sprawling onto the ground.
Even after being kicked to the ground by Gu Qingfeng, the scholar maintained that unchanging smile, as if the expression were painted onto his face. He said nothing, his eyes remaining fixed on Gu Qingfeng.
However, Gu Qingfeng paid him no mind. He walked straight ahead, planting a foot directly onto that smiling face and stepping over him as if he were nothing.
Yan Lingyu hurriedly looked back at the scholar, terrified that he might suddenly lash out.
But he did not. That face, now marked by a large footprint, continued to smile.
I am tired of holding hands; let me wrap my arm around your waist. Before Yan Lingyu could react, Gu Qingfeng made his move.
Her waist was incredibly slender and soft.
Yan Lingyu let out a startled cry and offered a few weak flickers of resistance before giving up.
Her only hope now was that he would not try to steal a kiss later.
Gu Qingfeng led the beauty along, acting as if they were merely out for a stroll, occasionally glancing around at the various stalls.
He noticed that these vendors were selling items condensed from ghost qi—secular things like mooncakes, flatbreads, and candied figurines.
He reached out, snatched a piece of osmanthus cake, and ate it.
Hey, customer, you haven't paid yet.
Pay? Pay for what? This Emperor eating your cake is giving you face. Do not be ungrateful.
Customer, it is only natural to pay for what you buy. This is true no matter where you are.
Get lost!
Bang!
Gu Qingfeng kicked the stall over and followed up with a sharp slap to the vendor's face before sauntering away.
The seller of osmanthus cakes was not the only one treated this way; the other vendors also found it impossible to escape Gu Qingfeng’s cruelty.
Regardless of what it was, he took whatever caught his eye. If anyone dared to say a word against him, they were met with a swift slap.
Of course, he did not do this because he coveted those trifles, but rather to provoke the ghost gods and draw out the taboo.
Yan Lingyu was already completely terrified. In all her years, she had never seen someone so arrogant. She did not even dare to resist anymore, fearing that the moment she left Gu Qingfeng’s embrace, she would be torn apart by the ghost gods.
She allowed Gu Qingfeng’s hands to wander as they pleased.
After overturning an entire street’s worth of vendors, a different kind of existence finally appeared in a small alleyway.
The alley was long and seemed to stretch on without end, its depths swallowed by an ink-like darkness.
An emaciated, hunched old woman with a face full of deep wrinkles was crouching at the mouth of the alley. She held paper money in her hands, feeding it into a brazier while chanting under her breath. Her voice was intermittent, sounding as though she were mourning someone.
Unlike the others, she was not smiling; she was weeping.
The firelight flickered against the old woman’s face, casting a sickly green glow that made her aged features look utterly bleak.
A murky mist began to shroud the street at some point.
A terrifying, sinister atmosphere began to spread.
Yan Lingyu felt her heart being squeezed by an invisible hand the moment she saw the old woman, making it difficult to breathe.
Though the old woman looked ordinary, facing her felt like staring directly into the abyss.
Gu Qingfeng also sensed a slightly different aura from the old woman. She was clearly far stronger than the other ghost gods they had encountered.
The others were more like puppets following a set of rules, but this old woman was a being capable of independent action.
A strange smile played across the corners of his mouth. He stepped forward, his tall frame casting a long shadow that swallowed the old woman’s hunched form.
Hey, you old hag, do you have any idea how much of an eyesore you are?
The old woman looked up, her cloudy eyes meeting Gu Qingfeng’s. A kind smile spread across her aged face.
"Forgive me, Young Master. This old woman only wished to burn some paper to pay her respects to those two. I meant nothing more by it."
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
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!
] [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!"
