At the border between the Eastern Wasteland Domain and Ningcang Domain.
Beyond the border lies the renowned Jinghai Forest, the last town one passes through when traveling from Central Divine Land into Yunzhou. Many merchants and wandering martial artists often stop here, making it a bustling settlement.
The wind picked up.
The endless rustling of leaves truly resembled the sound of ocean waves.
Shen Yunfei’s ancestral home was located here—a grand three-courtyard estate.
The Qingyuan Sect members were warmly welcomed by the Shen family upon their arrival.
At the moment, Shen Yunfei was introducing his junior disciples to his parents:
"This is Junior Brother Ouyang, the top disciple of Ruyi Peak. Not only is he highly skilled, but his painting is also exquisite."
"Greetings, Uncle."
Ouyang bowed and took out a sketchbook from his sleeve.
"Honored Uncle, I heard you run a bookstore. I have this sketchbook..."
"Business matters can wait."
Shen Yunfei coughed lightly and lowered his voice as he continued,
"Ah, this is Li... Hm? Where is he?"
"They went to interrogate those assassins," Ouyang replied.
"The 'Impending Storm Order'..."
Shen Yunfei frowned and sighed.
"Every time this order appears, it signifies that the Misty Rain Tower has grand ambitions. Junior Brother Li likely won’t get much out of them."
Most assassins from the Misty Rain Tower would rather die than betray the tower’s secrets.
Because becoming a traitor would be a fate worse than death.
Ouyang nodded and added,
"So, Junior Brother Li also has a... Pu something... Ah, Pu Lanbi."
"What’s Pu Lanbi?"
"It’s the backup plan."
Ouyang lowered his voice, gesturing for his fellow disciples to lean in. As he spoke, he couldn’t help but let out a sinister chuckle.
The more they listened, the stranger their expressions became.
Not far away.
Shen Yunfei’s parents exchanged a glance.
"Dear, the Qingyuan Sect... is a righteous faction, right?" his mother asked worriedly.
His father scratched his head. "I think so..."
He recalled the book Ouyang had handed him earlier—The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me—along with the sight of those burly men tied up and gagged like hostages before being dragged into the woodshed.
Old Shen felt a little uneasy.
Just then, Shen Yunfei approached.
"Father, Mother, I’ll need your cooperation later."
"Huh?"
......
Inside the woodshed.
Li Mo sat on a stool sipping tea, while Ying Bing stood guard at the door with her sword in hand.
"So, you’re the Bloody Bald Eagle? They say you lose a strand of hair for every person you kill. Since you’ve plucked all your hair and eyebrows, does that mean you’ve killed countless people?"
Li Mo interrogated with righteous indignation.
"Well... actually... I accidentally used hair removal cream instead of body-refining medicine during my medicinal bath. That’s why I lost all my hair and eyebrows."
The Bloody Bald Eagle chuckled awkwardly.
"And you—Blind-Eye Blade? Quite the infamous name in the underworld, huh? They say whoever you look at dies?"
"My eyes just get dry easily... congenital dry eye syndrome. When the wind blows, I can’t help but squint."
"Jade-Faced Flying Dragon, I heard you even dared to rob the Southern Suppressing King’s tribute convoy? You’ve got some nerve."
Unable to find a gavel, Li Mo simply slapped the table.
Jade-Faced Flying Dragon lowered his head.
"I’d never dare touch the Southern Suppressing King’s convoy! But when you’re in the martial world, you need a reputation..."
Li Mo’s lips twitched.
These guys are the infamous 'Human Butchers'?
Even the Misty Rain Tower wasn’t immune to having a few rotten eggs in its ranks.
"The Qingyuan Sect upholds justice in Purple Sun Prefecture. We stand against all evil."
"Tell us the Misty Rain Tower’s plans in Yunzhou. What are you after?"
"If you confess and your crimes aren’t too severe, I might show mercy."
Silence fell.
The assassins exchanged glances, hesitation written all over their faces.
The one wrapped in bandages sneered.
"You insolent brat! Think you can interrogate us? Kill us if you dare!"
"Otherwise, when our tower’s experts arrive, you’ll wish for death!"
As emotionless assassins, being tied up like this was a humiliation beyond measure.
The others also flushed with anger, resentment burning in their chests.
Hm?
Ying Bing’s cold gaze swept over them, and they immediately quieted down.
But still, none dared to speak.
Slacking off in the tower was one thing, but leaking secrets? They’d rather die by Li Mo’s hand—at least it’d be quick.
"Since you refuse to cooperate..."
Li Mo dusted off his sleeves, stood up, and walked to the door, giving Ying Bing a signal.
Then, he stepped outside.
Ying Bing, expressionless, drew her Frostblade Sword and slowly approached.
The assassins’ hearts sank. Jade-Faced Flying Dragon’s tears streamed down as he shook his head desperately.
But just then—
Clang! Crash!
The sound of combat erupted outside, accompanied by voices.
"Who are you?!" Li Mo’s voice rang out.
"Someone here to take your life," a deep, gravelly voice replied.
Realizing something was wrong, Ying Bing dashed out.
Boom!
Thud! Crash!
The entire courtyard seemed engulfed in a fierce battle.
Moments later, a hammer smashed through the door, shattering it to pieces.
A black-robed figure stepped in, gripping a peculiar short-handled hammer. An aura of lethal sharpness surrounded him, oppressive and terrifying.
"Don’t be afraid. I’m not a good person," he said darkly.
"And you are...?"
"The Hammer King of the Northwest."
He took out a swallow-shaped token—proof of his identity.
"What about outside...?"
"Handled. Let’s go."
Clang!
The Crimson Sky Sword was tossed to the ground, motionless, as if its spirit had fled.
Bloody Bald Eagle was stunned.
Since when did the tower have such a monstrous newcomer? Even that terrifyingly strong girl was no match for him?
But the token was unmistakable!
Their doubts vanished. Once freed from their restraints, they followed the Hammer King out.
Along the way, Qingyuan Sect disciples tried to stop them.
"Halt, you fiend!"
Ouyang charged forward first.
And was promptly sent flying by a hammer strike.
Pfft!
He spat blood, collapsing to the ground, limbs twitching—clearly beyond saving.
None of the Qingyuan Sect disciples could withstand a single blow!
Soon, they fled deep into Jinghai Forest.
The dense forest stretched for thousands of miles. Without a guide, it was impossible to navigate its winding paths, making pursuit futile.
Finally, under the Hammer King’s lead, they reached a safe spot.
"Brother Hammer King, we owe you our lives."
Bloody Bald Eagle bowed deeply, gratitude overflowing.
A ruthless expert like this could rival even the Heavenly Demon Saintess in the future.
If they could latch onto his coattails...
"We’re all brothers of the tower. No need for thanks. I was just passing by."
The Hammer King spoke casually, then added,
"By the way, why were you heading to Yunzhou? Did something happen in the tower?"
"You don’t know?"
Jade-Faced Flying Dragon looked puzzled.
A powerhouse like him should be a core figure in any branch tower. How could he not know about the Impending Storm Order?
"I was the top scorer in the Purple Sun Prefecture's Endless Trial, but after the branch was destroyed, I still haven't been able to reconnect with the organization."
"I see."
They had all heard about the incident at Purple Sun Prefecture and immediately wore expressions of sympathy.
"If it weren't for that Shang Wu, Brother Hammer King, you would’ve already risen to greatness by now."
Recalling their recent ordeal, Bloody Bald Eagle and the others burned with fury.
Northwest Hammer King nodded, his face twisting in indignation as he snorted,
"That Shang Wu humiliated me time and again, beating me mercilessly! She even unleashed her Inner Realm Field, roasting me with flames while she struck!"
"And... and she even forced me to cook for her!"
The group: "!!"
This was too brutal!
A killer reduced to cooking for his tormentor, enduring daily beatings—it was enough to make anyone’s heart ache and eyes weep.
Even more astonishing was that, after falling into that she-devil’s clutches, Brother Hammer King had actually managed to escape alive?
Moved by his suffering, the group felt an overwhelming urge to swear brotherhood with Northwest Hammer King right then and there.
"Brother Hammer King, don’t lose heart."
"Once you rejoin the organization, you’ll soar to new heights—then you can personally wipe away this disgrace!"
And so,
without hesitation,
they spilled everything they knew—details about the Yunzhou branch of the organization, the whereabouts of known experts who had gone to Yunzhou...
Finally, Bloody Bald Eagle added regretfully,
"Brother Hammer King, you killed that Li Mo of the Qingyuan Sect, but it’s a shame you didn’t keep proof."
"Otherwise, you could’ve claimed the bounty—it was a hefty sum."
"Oh?"
Northwest Hammer King seemed intrigued. "Li Mo had a bounty on him? And it was valuable?"
"Absolutely, but..."
Blind-Eye Blade cautioned, "The county’s under lockdown now. The garrison troops have probably arrived. If we go back, it’ll be too late."
"Right, too late."
"Speaking of which, is Li Mo really dead?"
"Pity. I wanted to finish him off myself."
......
Their murderous auras flared, shedding their earlier pitiful and helpless act.
Then, Northwest Hammer King chuckled and said,
"No need to trouble yourselves. Why go looking for him?"
The assassins froze.
He removed his Azure Dragon Iron Mask and shed his Formless Veil of Glass, grinning.
"Long time no see. Surprised?"
As the words fell,
senior disciples of the Qingyuan Sect emerged from the forest—including the supposedly "mortally wounded" Ouyang.
"......"
Silence engulfed the woods.
This Northwest Hammer King... was none other than Li Mo.
The assassins' scalps went numb, their eyes bulging.
Since when... did they start using undercover stings?

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.

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.”

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?"

and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!