The daylight was just right.
Under the banyan tree at the Autumn Water Pavilion, the crisp clattering sounds of the ruby-red mahjong tiles echoed.
"How much are we playing for?"
"Huh? Are we betting money? The sect rules forbid gambling—last time, Master, you got caught."
Li Mo straightened his expression. As everyone knew, he was a man of virtue, one who stood firmly against gambling and all vices.
Shang Wu curled her lips slightly. "Who comes to the Autumn Water Pavilion for no reason? It's rare to play mahjong with my precious disciple. What's the fun without a little silver? Hehehe..."
"......"
Did the beautiful master's laughter just take a sinister turn?
Qin Yuzhi wore the same wicked smirk as Shang Wu while teaching Ying Bing the rules. Li Mo only knew the basics of mahjong, so he listened along.
This seemed similar to the Sichuan mahjong from his past life.
When one player won, the other three could keep playing until the remaining three also won or the tiles ran out.
So, the first to win wasn’t necessarily the biggest earner.
Ying Bing nodded softly after listening. "I’ve never played before. I’m not very familiar."
"Same here." Li Mo was still trying to wrap his head around the rules, looking slightly dazed.
"No worries. You already know the rules. Mahjong is all about luck, and beginners always have good luck."
"Exactly. Mahjong isn’t something so rigid."
Qin Yuzhi and Shang Wu exchanged glances, both spotting the sly grins in each other’s eyes.
Mahjong wasn’t something so simple.
Drain him dry!
Today, they absolutely had to teach the deep-pocketed Little Li a lesson!
"I think... I won?"
Ying Bing hesitantly pushed her tiles forward, her cool eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Heavenly Win. Pure Suit.
Qin Yuzhi: "!"
A fluke! This had to be a fluke!
Her godly skills hadn’t even had a chance to shine yet!
"?"
Shang Wu stared suspiciously at the ice block—how could someone have even better luck than her at the mahjong table?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
"Tsk..."
Li Mo hadn’t won this round and was the biggest contributor to the pot.
Though Shang Wu and Qin Yuzhi had won, their hands weren’t big, so all three had to pay up.
The ice block took it all.
"Pay up, pay up."
Li Mo took out his silver. Despite losing, he was still smiling.
"Just luck." Qin Yuzhi refused to believe it.
Shang Wu reluctantly fished out silver from her purse, her face blank. "Again."
And so—
Five rounds later, the atmosphere grew tense. Every game, the ice block won first, Shang Wu second, Qin Yuzhi third, and Li Mo dead last.
"Tch... This is weird."
Li Mo drew another hand—a chaotic mess of colors, like a home wrecked by a husky.
He clearly wasn’t cut out for winning money at mahjong...
This round, Shang Wu and Qin Yuzhi both looked pleased, clearly starting with good hands. They exchanged glances, forming an unspoken alliance.
The ice block remained expressionless, her gaze cool and detached.
"Hmph."
Qin Yuzhi swiftly arranged her ruby-red tiles. "I’m not here to prove how strong I am. I’m here to take back what’s mine!"
It was obvious she was aiming for a big win.
Shang Wu smirked. "Little Bing, with this hand, you think you can beat me? You think you can take down the Qingyuan Sect’s Mahjong Goddess? If you do, I’ll—"
"Kong!" Little Li finally got a kong, his face lighting up.
A kong meant immediate payment.
Then, a pale, slender hand reached over and took the One Bamboo tile before gently pushing her own tiles forward.
"Seven Pairs of Dragons."
Crack!
The Qingyuan Sect’s Mahjong Goddess and the Demon Summoning Sect’s Mahjong Tyrant were thunderstruck, slumping back in their chairs, faces ashen.
"Do you even know how to play?! She had Seven Pairs of Dragons, and you konged?!" Qin Yuzhi clenched her fists.
"I told you I don’t know how," Li Mo said blankly.
"Little Bing, you said you didn’t know mahjong!"
Shang Wu gritted her teeth as she tossed out her last silver piece.
"I really didn’t." Ying Bing tilted her head slightly.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"I just learned. It’s simpler than divine arts or Go, so I picked it up quickly."
"......"
Shang Wu and Qin Yuzhi were speechless, unable to refute.
They turned to see Li Mo grinning like an idiot, his smile harder to suppress than an AK.
"What the hell are you smiling about? You didn’t win a single hand, kept feeding Little Bing winning tiles, lost the most, and you’re still laughing?!" Shang Wu snapped.
Ying Bing glanced at Li Mo and noticed he’d run out of silver.
So she reached over, scooped up all her winnings, and placed them in front of him.
"For you."
"!"
Li Mo froze. His AK-like smile slowly twisted into a minigun spewing blue flames.
"??"
Qin Yuzhi and Shang Wu exchanged glances, jolting upright like patients on their deathbeds.
Something was off. They’d been scammed!
Li Mo had lost the most, but Little Bing had won even more. Combined, they were still up—meaning all the losses came from the two of them.
Were these two running a couples’ scam?!
"No more, no more. I’m broke."
Shang Wu pushed the tiles away.
Li Mo glanced at the ice block. Today’s mahjong session was originally meant to prevent the resurgence of that... unpredictable entity, as Qin Yuzhi had suggested.
They hadn’t played long—who knew if it had worked?
"Master, you’re out of money, but I have some."
"Oh? You’re offering it to your master? How embarrassingly kind of you..." Shang Wu’s eyes sparkled as she sat back down.
"If it’s embarrassing, let’s do it another way."
Li Mo smiled shyly.
"Ever heard of mahjong loans?"
"?"
Before the game could restart, the Autumn Water Pavilion’s doors burst open.
Shang Wu looked over to see Sect Leader Shangguan Wencang, Elder Hanhe, and a few from the Hengyun Sword City standing there.
Shangguan Wencang froze at the sight of the mahjong table.
Elder Hanhe looked bewildered.
The Hengyun Sword City group, meanwhile, stared at the Hammer Tyrant sitting there unharmed, counting silver, as if they’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Elder Zeng glanced at the strand of hair in his hand, then back at Li Mo.
"Li Mo, are you... human or ghost?"
"Obviously not a ghost. Ghosts don’t play mahjong."
Touched yet amused, Li Mo chuckled before their confusion could deepen.
"Naturally, I’m a jiangshi. Hehehe..."
"Demon, taste my sword!!"
"Wait, I was joking!"
Luckily, Li Mo explained fast—otherwise, he’d have had to catch a blade bare-handed.
"What in the world happened?"
Elder Hanhe finally relaxed but was still puzzled.
Shangguan Wencang sighed in amusement. "Martial artists should remain composed. What kind of example is it to panic at the slightest thing?"
"Take your time, Little Mo."
Both Li Mo and Ying Bing had repelled the Great Shang remnants in the southern border, slain high-ranking members of the Demon Summoning Sect, and even took turns humiliating the Great Yu Crown Prince.
The sect leader had already done some soul-searching. For prodigies like these two, how could they grow without weathering storms?
As elders, one must remain composed and not be prone to overreacting.
Li Mo glanced at Qin Yuzhi and said:
"Esteemed seniors, I’ve brought the Summoning Demon Sect’s leader out with me. For now, she can be considered... my employee."
"?"
"She’s currently drafting her resume. So, our sect... is there a vacancy for a Grand Elder?"
"????"
.....
] [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!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
