Taking the bus, Ye Chuan brought Bai Qianshuang to a bustling commercial plaza nearby.
Compared to the places Ye Chuan had visited with Luo Xi, this area was far more crowded. Since it was also the weekend, the lively and vibrant scene clearly took Bai Qianshuang by surprise.
She lifted her gaze slightly, taking in the towering skyscrapers, the noisy crowds, and the playful children. It was as if something had stirred within her.
"This place... is so peaceful," Bai Qianshuang murmured, turning to Ye Chuan. "Do people in your world never fight?"
Such a scene was unimaginable in the Tianxuan Continent, where the strong preyed on the weak. Only places under the protection of powerful cultivators could maintain such tranquility—and even then, the buildings there were simple lodgings, nothing like these soaring high-rises.
Having grown accustomed to ancient, elegant architecture, the sight of steel and concrete left a profound impact on her.
"Of course there are conflicts," Ye Chuan replied with a smile. "But there are always people working silently to maintain peace. A peaceful era is something fought for—fall behind, and you’ll suffer. That’s true everywhere."
Bai Qianshuang nodded.
In her understanding, it must mean this land was protected by a group of powerful beings.
……
Ye Chuan led Bai Qianshuang to a milk tea shop. The line wasn’t too long—after all, the commercial plaza had no shortage of milk tea stores, spreading out the customers.
"Two pearl milk teas, please," Ye Chuan ordered.
"Got it."
A short while later, Ye Chuan took the two cups handed to him and passed one to Bai Qianshuang.
Feeling the cold touch against her fingertips and seeing the milky-gray drink in the transparent cup, Bai Qianshuang’s brows furrowed slightly.
"What’s wrong? Try it," Ye Chuan said, noticing her hesitation.
"Is this... mud?" Bai Qianshuang seemed reluctant to accept it. The drink contained strange black beads—was this really something people consumed?
"It’s milk tea—a mix of milk and tea. The 'pearls' inside are just a mix of syrup and starch," Ye Chuan explained casually. "Well, think of them as tiny rice balls."
His explanation was simple enough. Hearing that the grayish drink was a blend of milk and tea, Bai Qianshuang gave a slight nod—but then shook her head.
"But I’m not thirsty."
She had no interest in this murky-looking beverage.
"Nobody drinks alcohol just to quench thirst either. Don’t overthink it," Ye Chuan said, inserting a straw and taking a sip.
Hearing this, Bai Qianshuang considered that Ye Chuan had bought it for her and decided to try a small sip.
The next moment, her eyes brightened.
Born with an innate Dao physique, she had reached the Foundation Establishment realm from birth and had never tasted ordinary food. The sweet, creamy milk tea and the chewy pearls blending in her mouth took her by surprise—it was unexpectedly delicious.
"Better than Elder Martial Uncle’s immortal wine," Bai Qianshuang remarked, glancing at her cup, which was already a third empty.
Ye Chuan had only taken one sip. Realizing she had drunk much faster than him, Bai Qianshuang’s ears turned red as she set the cup down, her expression blank as she subtly hid it behind her back.
"Glad you like it," Ye Chuan said, oblivious to her little act. Hearing her praise, he smiled.
"Is it... very expensive?" Bai Qianshuang asked.
"Not really. It’s something ordinary people can afford," Ye Chuan replied, glancing back at the shop. Two pearl milk teas for 12.9—definitely not pricey.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
[Newbie Mission: Increase Bai Qianshuang’s favorability further
Current: 15% (Target: 20%)]
Huh?
Was this a main quest?
Seeing no mention of it being a side mission, Ye Chuan stared at the screen thoughtfully before suddenly looking up at Bai Qianshuang.
At that moment, Bai Qianshuang had been sneakily sipping her milk tea while Ye Chuan wasn’t looking. Caught off guard by his sudden intense gaze, she froze mid-sip.
The young woman reluctantly released the straw. "Did I... drink too loudly?"
She thought Ye Chuan was displeased with how quickly she was finishing it.
"No, I meant—if you want more, I can buy you another cup," Ye Chuan said immediately. If this golden goose wanted to bathe in milk tea, he’d gladly oblige.
Hearing this, Bai Qianshuang was momentarily stunned, but then she voiced her confusion.
"Ye Chuan... why are you so kind to me?"
As she said, she couldn’t teach him cultivation techniques, nor did she possess any treasures. There was no reason for him to treat her so well.
Could it be... he wanted her body?
But if that were the case, he could have taken advantage long ago. The thought was beyond her comprehension.
Hearing her question, Ye Chuan clasped his hands behind his back and spoke solemnly. "Perhaps... it’s fate."
"Fate?"
"You and I are the same—both alone in this world." Ye Chuan’s gaze deepened as he tilted his head at a 45-degree angle, looking up at the sky. "I just... can’t bring myself to abandon you."
"We’re not so different."
Bai Qianshuang’s heart trembled slightly.
So that was it. Out of shared circumstances, Ye Chuan had taken pity on her.
What a good person he was.
Even without any benefit to himself, he was so generous.
Having grown accustomed to the deceit and treachery of the cultivation world, Bai Qianshuang—aside from her master and mother—felt genuine warmth from someone for the first time.
A selfless, pure kindness.
Her beautiful eyes lingered on Ye Chuan, her expression shifting as she pondered how to repay him.
But she knew nothing except cultivation.
"Buzz—"
Ye Chuan’s phone vibrated again. Glancing at it, he was surprised to see the mission already completed.
[Newbie Mission: Increase Bai Qianshuang’s favorability further (Completed)]
He had planned to take her shopping, eating, and even to a movie—yet it had been this easy.
Ye Chuan tapped his phone.
[Daily earnings: 2000 → 3000, medium chance of obtaining cultivation-related items]
[Daily points earned: 10 → 15]
Points? What were those?
After checking, he found no interface explaining them. But the jump from 2000 to 3000 was huge!
Three thousand a day!
Ninety thousand a month?
A million a year?
He could cry from happiness.
Noticing Ye Chuan’s moved expression, Bai Qianshuang tilted her head slightly. "?"
Ye Chuan’s mind raced—if one tenant could do this, what about a few more?
"Now this is what I call passive income," he muttered, snapping back to reality when he noticed Bai Qianshuang staring. Clearing his throat, he said, "Alright, let’s go get some good food."
Bai Qianshuang opened her mouth to say she wasn’t hungry—but then her gaze fell on the milk tea in her hand, and her throat moved involuntarily.
"Okay..."
She couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
Bai Qianshuang was craving more.
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!
] [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!"
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!
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?!
