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.
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
