The East Sea, with its shimmering waves and rolling tides, crashed against the harbor. As the mist over the sea dispersed, a bustling town came into view, its roofs adorned with colorful seashells, making the crowds weaving through it resemble frothing waves.
Well, it wasn’t just crowds.
Haiqi Town was the last port before entering the East Sea and the outermost edge of the Ten Lands within the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. It wasn’t under the jurisdiction of Great Yu but was instead governed by the Penglai Star Sect and the Sea Clan. Beyond it lay a chain of islands, vast in expanse.
Of course, compared to the boundless sea, it was merely a drop in the ocean.
Legend had it that the land was once far more extensive, but whether due to the shifting of time or battles between powerful beings, the Nine Provinces sank beneath the waves, submerging cities that now lay hidden in the depths, waiting to be discovered by the fortunate.
Every now and then, some lucky soul would unearth relics or rare treasures from the sea, which they would then trade. Over time, this gave rise to the Rare Treasures Market.
“So it’s basically just a big market where the Sea Clan and humans trade, huh?”
As the Nimbus Cloud dissipated, Li Mo listened to Elder Qian’s explanation and stepped onto solid ground.
He wore sunglasses—not because the sun over the sea was harsh and the glare unbearable, but simply because he thought it looked cool.
Surveying the lively market, the massive fishbone ships with their billowing sails at the harbor, and the vast ocean stretching endlessly before him, Li Mo couldn’t help but feel the moment called for a grand declaration:
“I will find the treasures hidden in the depths of the sea. I’m going to become the King of the Pirates.”
No sooner had he spoken than a fishbone ship returned to port. A middle-aged man with a simple, honest face and sun-bronzed skin disembarked, a headscarf tied around his forehead—clearly someone accustomed to the harsh life at sea. He wore an expression of smug satisfaction.
He directed his crew to unload crate after crate filled with blood coral, ambergris, and golden pearls, all gleaming brilliantly.
“Folks, this voyage was a huge success! Everyone who sailed with me struck it rich!”
“This ship’s coming back fully loaded! Too bad I went out and came back empty-handed.”
“Coming back empty-handed is one thing—my brother still hasn’t returned from his trip.”
“It’s all about luck.”
The murmurs of envy and amazement came from those either preparing to set sail or those who had just returned.
“Luck? If only we had Shang Li with us…”
Li Mo chuckled and shook his head. He wasn’t lacking in resources—diving into the sea for treasure was far less convenient than just buying what he needed.
Just then, the smug middle-aged man spotted Li Mo, his eyes lighting up as he approached.
“Young man, I can see you’ve got an extraordinary aura, a real dragon among men. How about partnering up for a treasure hunt? We’ll split the voyage costs fifty-fifty.”
“?”
“And the profits? Seventy-thirty.”
“Why only seventy percent?”
“Young man, seventy percent is mine… After all, I’ve got experience and mastery over sea-bound divination arts, including treasure-finding techniques. If we’re lucky, a single trip could net us tens of thousands of taels…”
“Sorry, but no thanks. That’s way too slow for my taste.”
“?”
Li Mo waved him off, but Elder Qian eyed the man warily and quickly pulled Li Mo aside, away from the crowd.
Only when the middle-aged man was out of sight did Elder Qian relax.
“Li Mo, you’re sharp—you sensed something off about that treasure hunter, didn’t you?”
Li Mo blinked. He hadn’t bothered using his Heavenly Fate Divine Sight on the man. “No, I didn’t.”
“……”
Elder Qian fell into deep thought.
So… you genuinely thought that was too slow a way to make money?
Clutching the Qingyuan Sect’s remaining fortune, Elder Qian suddenly felt the crushing weight of poverty and had the urge to crouch down and draw circles in the sand.
“Elder Qian, what was wrong with that guy?” Li Mo asked.
“Ah… Those people aren’t real treasure hunters—they’re con artists. The way he kept saying ‘folks’ tipped me off.”
Elder Qian shared his worldly wisdom.
Joint treasure hunts did exist, but the sea was fickle. Some went months or even years without a single find.
Striking it rich happened, but most weren’t so lucky—just breaking even or surviving was considered a win.
Over time, some turned to deception, luring outsiders under the pretense of treasure hunting.
Some would bury worthless trinkets in the sand to give the illusion of a meager haul, while others… well, darker methods existed.
“So if we’d gone with them, the best-case scenario was losing money, and the worst was getting our kidneys harvested?”
They say the East Sea is treacherous.
Now Li Mo understood—this was the kind of “deep” they meant.
The young man said nothing, silently activating his Heavenly Fate Divine Sight.
……
Amid the crowd, the middle-aged man frowned as he watched Li Mo and Qian Bufan disappear into the distance.
He returned to his ship, descending into a surprisingly lavish cabin—a study, elegantly furnished and scented with sandalwood.
Seated at the desk was a young man with a square jaw, puffed cheeks, and an air of arrogance. He wore an intricately patterned violet robe.
Behind him stood an elderly man dressed in similar attire, his aura profound—likely an External Scenery cultivator.
His face… well, he looked like the kind of elder who’d show up after you beat up his junior.
“Young Master, the kid was too cautious, and he had a sect elder with him. I couldn’t lure him out to sea.”
The middle-aged man clasped his hands in deference.
“You told him about the potential profits?” the Young Master asked, puzzled.
“I did.”
“And he still wasn’t tempted? Could our assessment be wrong?” the Young Master muttered to himself.
The elder spoke up. “The Qingyuan Sect’s resources are meager. Even if Li Mo has other inheritances and Shang Wu as his master, he can’t be that well-off. I think he was tempted but played it cool—he’s just harder to fool.”
“Young Master, the Eastern Wasteland Domain’s single province was meant to be ours to govern.”
“What’s rightfully ours, we must take back with our own hands!”
The elder’s temper flared.
“Elder, I know you’re eager, but let’s not rush.”
The violet-robed youth rubbed his temples, deep in thought.
“Our earlier analysis should hold. The Qingyuan Sect is broke, and the truly rare treasures can only be found at the East Pearl Pavilion’s auctions.”
“If we can drain Li Mo and Qian Bufan’s funds, they’ll have no choice but to take the bait—maybe even risk a sea voyage.”
“How do we do that?”
“Help them spend their money, of course. And spending money… is what I do best.”
The Young Master’s smile brimmed with confidence and ease.
……
Qian Bufan said, “Let’s go browse the stalls first.”
The market was a mixed bag—plenty of fakes mixed in with the real deals. But with a tight budget, Elder Qian’s plan was to get the most bang for their buck.
“Let’s just head to the East Pearl Pavilion instead.”
Li Mo shook his head, unwilling to waste time.
“Li Mo, the East Pearl Pavilion only deals in premium goods, but they take a five percent commission…”
“That’s daylight robbery.”
“Can’t be helped. Their reputation is unmatched, so they can set the rules. We should still check the market first…”
"There's no need for that!"
Xiao Li's smile was filled with ease and confidence, as if he had just resolved some lingering worry:
"If I become the owner of Dongzhu Tower, wouldn't that solve everything?"
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.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
] [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!"
