Little Li the Swordmaster was currently in a melancholic mood, genuinely wishing he could light up a cigarette to calm his nerves—lest he lose his composure entirely. Unfortunately, across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, not a single cigarette could be found. He could only take a deep breath of icy air, gradually steadying his emotions.
Seeing Li Mo’s utterly bewildered expression, Ying Bing tilted her head slightly and asked, "Is the nickname not to your liking?"
Li Mo wasn’t quite sure how to explain. "It’s not that it’s bad... It’s just... you wouldn’t understand what it means..."
"One who benefits the masses is called 'Liqun'?" Ying Bing pondered for a moment, as if finding it rather fitting.
"......"
After being stared at for a long while, Li Mo froze briefly before letting out a helpless chuckle. Suddenly, the nickname didn’t seem so unreasonable after all. Why overthink it?
Liqun Swordmaster it is, then...
Once the Hidden Dragon Ranking concluded, the grand and majestic calligraphy above the Meridian Gate shifted into a dazzling display of blooming flowers, each vying for attention. The crowd, packed in layers upon layers, collectively held their breath.
This was the true highlight of the day!
Countless gazes converged on the Meridian Gate as petals were scattered along the path, creating a fluttering rain of blossoms.
[Flower Ranking, 100th]: "Qiao Liuzhu."
[Flower Ranking, 99th]: "Tan Jingqiu."
[Flower Ranking, 98th]: "Wang Ning."
......
As each name was announced, the honored participants descended from their carriages, adorned in resplendent attire, and proceeded through the Meridian Gate amidst ethereal music.
Though it was already midsummer, the entire city seemed enchanted by the riot of blossoms.
"My life is complete just witnessing this."
"No wonder Swordmaster Li spared no expense to acquire the Wanchun Pavilion. If I had the means, I’d mortgage my soul to do the same!"
"Wait, I run a teahouse across from Wanchun Pavilion, and Swordmaster Li is a regular patron of mine..."
The spectacle was unprecedented, setting the imperial capital ablaze with excitement. The clamor of the crowd was deafening.
Despite the efforts of the Sky Patrol Guards and the Imperial Forest Army to maintain order, the scene remained chaotic—largely because even the enforcers seemed too distracted to focus on their duties...
Meanwhile, on the inconspicuous third floor of a teahouse—now under new ownership—the Blood Refining Hall Master, masked in bronze, Luo Yexian of the Hundred Beasts Hall, and the Yin-Yang Hall Master sat around a table, their expressions grave as they scrutinized the scene ahead.
The demonic sect members were unusually attentive, as if engaged in a matter of utmost importance.
"I’d argue that Wang Ning is the epitome of delicate beauty. She shouldn’t be ranked just 98th."
"Nonsense! How is Yu Shiyao any worse? Cuteness is worthless compared to allure!"
"Tu Yan is the real deal. What’s the point of allure without skill?"
The demonic sect disciples bickered fiercely.
As everyone knew, those who walked the demonic path were hot-tempered. A single disagreement could lead to "heartfelt" exchanges—literally. Some were already on the verge of blows.
SLAM!
The Blood Refining Hall Master slammed his palm onto the table with a thunderous crack.
"We are here on behalf of the Ancestral God, for the grand cause of our sect! Deputy Sect Leader Yu Wen is risking life and limb, and yet here you are, wallowing in the mud, ogling women until your eyeballs fall out!"
"Later, we’ll be facing near-certain death, with our heads hanging by a thread!"
As he spoke, he discreetly tucked away a recording stone hidden in his sleeve.
"I..."
"Ahem, Hall Master, keep your voice down. You’ll attract the Sky Patrol Guards."
"If we’re to infiltrate the Flower Banquet, we must... blend in naturally. Anyone who doesn’t stare would look suspicious."
"The Ancestral God’s mission is never far from our minds!"
The disciples murmured excuses, some looking sheepish.
The Blood Refining Hall Master snorted coldly and began outlining their plan.
"Once we’re inside, the moment Deputy Sect Leader Yu Wen makes his move, we must create chaos. And how do we do that? Any ideas?"
"Kill people?"
"Set fires?"
"Steal offerings from the ancestral shrine?"
Each proposed their specialty.
"See? Short-sighted fools."
The Blood Refining Hall Master swept his gaze over them disdainfully.
"Since this is the Flower Banquet, the best way to cause chaos... is to abduct the women on the Flower Ranking!"
"!!"
The disciples were thunderstruck, their eyes glazing over before lighting up with newfound wisdom.
Revelation!
Yes! They could just kidnap the women!
"Into the banquet! Kidnap the women!"
"Into the banquet! Kidnap the women!"
"Right! Aim for the prettiest, the most famous ones!"
Even the Yin-Yang Hall Master was swept up in the fervor, raising his hand dramatically.
"Then, Hall Master, why not go for that one?" A subordinate suddenly pointed out the window.
"Hmph, with but a flick of my wrist—"
The Yin-Yang Hall Master followed the finger, then froze mid-sentence.
After a long silence, he smacked the subordinate’s head.
"That’s Empress Chuge, you idiot!"
The subordinate pouted. Wasn’t she exactly what he’d asked for?
Before the Meridian Gate, a phoenix carriage glided down the street. No one had expected Empress Chuge to pass through the Meridian Gate—whether on a whim or by design.
As the empress arrived, the crowd bowed their heads, but a sudden realization struck them like lightning.
Wait...
The Flower Ranking had just announced the second place.
So who was first?
For those long familiar with the imperial capital, the answer wasn’t hard to guess.
In fact, a name sprang to mind instantly.
"Is the first... Ying Bing?"
"Damn... The Yantian Sect’s ranking is brutally honest. Aren’t they afraid of offending people? Sure, the Crown Prince lost to Li Mo—everyone saw that. But beauty isn’t like martial arts..."
"Exactly! Take me, for instance—I think no one compares to my wife. Right, dear? Ow, ow, my ear’s about to fall off..."
The crowd felt a strange unease.
It wasn’t that they thought the Frost Fairy was inferior to Empress Chuge.
After all, the Frost Fairy’s mastery of music and martial arts was peerless, and she was entering the prime of her youth...
But the empress was the one who embodied the grace of the realm. Ranking her first among flowers was only natural.
Unless the difference in their beauty was so vast that only the blind couldn’t see it.
Could that really be the case?
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
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?
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
