In the backyard of the tavern.
"First time using the Seventy-Two Transformations—feels quite marvelous."
Little Li stretched his limbs, his voice deepening to a low, deliberate tone, almost like a forced baritone.
He pulled out a bronze mirror and gave himself a quick glance.
His current appearance was startling: scales of a flood dragon covered his cheeks, and a pair of horns protruded from his forehead.
He had taken on the humanoid form of a Mingjiao (Singing Flood Dragon).
Behind him, the faint silhouette of a flood dragon flickered.
With a thought, he suddenly felt his body elongate, as if surrounded by mist. His hands transformed into dragon claws, and the fine hairs by his lips grew into long whiskers. The change was swift, but fortunately, Li Mo reacted just as quickly, hastily removing the winter coat made by Princess Little Jiang.
Now, he had fully transformed into a Mingjiao, stretching four zhang (about 40 feet) in length.
"My strength has increased... and I can even manipulate water vapor..."
"Holy crap, a monster!"
Murong Xiao's fingers trembled, his face filled with shock.
Li Mo: "..."
Dude, maybe look in a mirror first?
"I get it now, I get it." Murong Xiao fell into deep thought, his eyes brimming with newfound wisdom.
"What did you get?"
"Brother Li and I must be family! That’s why you recognized me back in the Divine Edge Cave!"
Murong Xiao stepped closer, marveling as he examined Li Mo.
Though he himself carried Mingjiao bloodline, he had never fully transformed into a flood dragon’s form. This was his first time seeing a true "family member."
Look at those scales! Those claws! Those majestic horns! That exasperated expression!
No doubt about it!
In an instant, Murong Xiao’s gaze toward Li Mo grew even warmer.
"Brother Murong, I know you’re excited, but could you stop groping me?"
The little Mingjiao Li wanted to facepalm, only to realize his claws were too short to reach his forehead.
Come to think of it, flood dragons and true dragons had different numbers of claws, but their lengths were about the same.
How did they scratch their backs if they got itchy?
Li Mo intended to clear his throat but ended up snorting instead. "Anyway, Brother Murong, this is just a transformation technique, not an actual bloodline power."
Murong Xiao: "Huh?"
His CPU was overheating.
A transformation technique could make him purer than an actual bloodline bearer?
Watching the kind-hearted Murong fall into deep contemplation, Li Mo sighed in relief.
No wonder this was a divine ability passed down by the Monkey King. This wasn’t just transformation—it was indistinguishable from reality.
No wonder Princess Iron Fan mistook someone else for her husband...
With this, their journey to the Southern Border just became much more feasible.
"It’s time to set off..."
"Boss—HOLY SHT!"
Second Xu had just entered the backyard when his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Li Mo sighed and reverted to his human form, summoning a soothing moonlight glow.
Bathed in the gentle radiance, Second Xu slowly regained consciousness, his face full of panic.
"Boss! I just saw a flood dragon THIS BIG!"
"You must’ve had a nightmare."
"Really? I’ve never had dreams like that before..."
"Don’t you remember? You’re mentally ill. Having weird dreams is totally normal."
Li Mo patted his shoulder reassuringly.
The moonlight shimmered.
"...That makes sense."
Second Xu calmed down, choosing to trust his boss.
He even promised repeatedly that he’d take good care of the tavern while the boss was away.
After all, the pay was too good to pass up.
With a steady income, full benefits, and even retirement insurance, who in their right mind would go back to being an assassin?
"Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll keep the tavern running smoothly."
"Good. If you’re short on staff, just recruit a few experienced folks from outside. That syrup vendor seems decent—help him get back on his feet."
"Got it! I’ll make sure the tavern thrives and reaches new heights!"
"Excellent. That’s the spirit."
With the tavern affairs settled, Li Mo walked over to Murong Xiao and gave him a pat, rebooting his brain.
"Brother Murong, it’s time to go."
"Oh, right..."
Neither of them had much to pack—no need for luggage.
Amid Second Xu’s enthusiastic waves and the cheers of the entire street’s "reformed" assassins, the two left Fishdragon Street.
On the road.
"So... Brother Li, what kind of martial art is this? It’s incredible."
Murong Xiao had finally accepted that Li Mo wasn’t actually his long-lost kin, but curiosity still gnawed at him.
Li Mo pondered. "Aren’t there plenty of martial arts that imitate beasts and birds?"
"Right. Those are called ‘Form Imitation’ martial arts." Murong Xiao nodded.
He had learned a few himself, like Elder Hanhe’s White Crane Descends from the Clouds Fist.
"And the more accurate the imitation, the stronger the technique, right?"
"Yeah, that’s the general idea."
"Well, would you say my imitation is accurate?"
"0.o"
Murong Xiao felt there was logic in Li Mo’s words.
But something still felt off.
After a moment of contemplation, he decided to stop thinking about it.
Glancing around, he realized they weren’t heading toward the city gates but instead walking into an even more bustling district than Fishdragon Street.
"Brother Li, aren’t we going to the Southern Border?"
"We are. But the journey is long—best to prepare thoroughly."
Li Mo’s gaze settled on a towering building at the center of the street.
It stood out like a gilded phoenix, its roof tiles reflecting dazzling golden light under the sun. A resplendent signboard read:
[Prosperous Trade House]
His system storage held many treasures, but it wasn’t all-encompassing. A trade house would have a far more comprehensive selection.
Besides, his stock of body-refining elixirs and rare materials was running low.
Time for a shopping spree.
"Brother Li?"
The moment they stepped inside, a clerk at the counter called out.
Li Mo turned to see a pale, clean-shaven, somewhat timid middle-aged man. He didn’t recognize the face, but the voice sounded familiar.
"You are...?"
"It’s me, Huang Donglai."
The man adjusted the fake mustache glued to his upper lip and whispered.
"Brother Huang, you sure have a lot of identities..."
Li Mo chuckled before asking,
"Last time we met, you were a herb gatherer. How’d you end up as a clerk here?"
"Mainly... financial difficulties."
Huang Donglai smiled sheepishly. "The cost of living in Yunzhou is too high, and I needed to buy some medicinal ingredients for training."
"Prosperous Trade House pays well, and employees get discounts... even if the manager yells at me a lot. I just endure it."
Li Mo: "..."
No wonder you’re in disguise.
If you quit, they’d never track you down.
"Brother Li, here to buy something? I know this place inside out."
"Right. I’m heading to the Southern Border—any recommendations for preparations?"
Li Mo figured Huang Donglai would be the right person to ask.
Sure enough.
Huang Donglai grinned confidently.
"You’ve come to the right man. My hometown is in the Southern Border."
"How much are you planning to spend? Long journeys require thorough preparation."
"I have a deposit here. Let’s use that."
"Sure thing—wait, what?!"
Huang Donglai took the deposit slip, then froze.
Gasp.
Clerks at Prosperous Trade House earned commissions.
It seems he could pack up and leave at any moment.
As everyone knows, he is a man of few words and keeps a low profile.
But now, he feels like having the steward brew him a pot of tea.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
For the sake of his unrequited love, his ex-girlfriend abandoned him at the altar, indirectly causing the death of his parents. Just when he thought his life was plunged into darkness, a clueless yet beautiful girl unexpectedly took him in. Looking back, he realized how many hidden gems had always been by his side. A childhood friend who had secretly loved him for over a decade, a stunning but socially clueless school beauty, a mischievous and playful girl who lived for chaos... His ex, filled with regret, pleaded: "I was wrong—can we go back to how things were?" Before he could respond, the girl stepped in front of Ye Shuang and coldly declared, "If you didn’t cherish him, then he’s mine now." Also known as: "After Losing My Job, I Was Picked Up by a Hidden Gem," "The School Beauty I Raised," and "Oh No, I’m Surrounded by Rich Girls."
