"Since the opening of the Pearl Tower, I have never seen such a crowd before. Young Hero Li, your methods are truly remarkable."
Under the colossal Sea King Pearl atop the Pearl Tower, the former owner of the establishment sighed with emotion.
Ever since the introduction of "group buying" and "slash the price" promotions, the Pearl Tower had become a must-visit spot for everyone attending the Rare Treasures Bazaar.
Previously, the Pearl Tower was only famous within the bazaar, but now its reputation had spread across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
"However, there's one thing I'm still curious about," the current second owner hesitated before asking, "The subsidies didn’t need to be so generous to achieve the same effect. Why has Young Hero Li been so exceedingly generous?"
He had initially assumed Li Mo's promotions were mostly gimmicks, but to his surprise, Li Mo had truly invested a fortune in them—so much that it pained him to watch.
Though the advertisements contained some theatrics, the promises within were genuine.
Every subsidy came directly from Li Mo's own pockets.
"Consider it an investment," Li Mo replied, nibbling on an ice pop while gazing at the bustling crowd with a smile.
"But there’s no return on this. How can it be considered an investment...?"
"Just think of it as me accumulating virtue," Li Mo said, his tone sincere.
He had examined every guest with his Heavenly Fate Divine Eye.
Those deemed worthy of investment received extra subsidies from the Mirage Spirit Pearl—some even got items for free, with silver thrown in as a bonus.
Those unworthy received only modest discounts.
As for those with ill intentions...
Even if the entire population of the Eastern Sea were gathered, they’d never manage to "slash the final price"!
Factoring in the returns from his investments, it seemed he hadn’t lost anything—in fact, he’d profited even more...
"If I were to write a story about this, I’d call it I Really Didn’t Mean to Lose My Way to Becoming the Richest Man..."
Feeling the monotony of wealth, Li Mo sighed and handed another ice pop to Lan Tian, who was staring at him eagerly.
"Virtue... No wonder everyone says Young Hero Li is a true gentleman, generous and righteous."
"Today, I’ve witnessed it firsthand. From now on, the Pearl Tower will follow Young Hero Li’s lead without question!"
"By the way, there are quite a few rare treasures among the auction items—things too precious to be openly priced. Would Young Hero Li like to take a look first?"
The Pearl Tower’s major shareholders quickly weighed the pros and cons in their minds.
They weren’t just merchants; many had ties to sects. The former majority shareholder, now the second-largest, had roots in the Penglai Star Sect.
Normally, outsiders wouldn’t find it easy to meddle in the bazaar’s business.
But Li Mo was young, terrifyingly talented, and richer than some nations. It was certain he would one day stand among the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands’ most formidable experts.
Even more frightening was the fact that an equally dazzling woman was soon to become his wife.
To them and their factions, investing in him—even gifting the Pearl Tower as a favor—was more than worth it.
Besides, Li Mo didn’t seem interested in interfering much with the Pearl Tower’s operations. He had only one demand:
The "Golden Mountain Subsidies" and "Slash the Price" promotions must continue indefinitely.
"As for the auction items, just send me a list," Li Mo said, not refusing outright. After a moment’s thought, he added, "But don’t reserve anything for me privately. I’ll bid normally if I need something. We shouldn’t break the Pearl Tower’s rules right from the start."
The shareholders exchanged glances. This young prodigy had more restraint than they’d expected.
"Hm?"
Li Mo suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise as his gaze fell upon the crowd below.
Among the people participating in the event, one individual’s information had caught his attention.
[Name: He Chi]
[...]
[Evaluation: Disciple of the Spirit Rhyme Sect, Eastern Wasteland Domain.]
[Recent Activity: Sent by the young sect master Qiao Ziyu to the Pearl Tower to "slash the price."]
He Chi wasn’t the only one. In the teeming crowd, many others were also disciples of the Spirit Rhyme Sect, blending in unnoticed.
In just this short time, Li Mo had spotted no fewer than several hundred of them.
"The Spirit Rhyme Sect of the Eastern Wasteland Domain... Are they that poor?"
Li Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. While many came to take advantage of the promotions, this was the first time he’d seen an entire sect mobilized just to "slash the price."
"The Spirit Rhyme Sect? They’re far from poor."
Elder Qian raised an eyebrow. "They were once the largest sect in the Eastern Wasteland Domain. If not for us, they might have become the first sect to dominate the entire region."
"Their disciples excel not only in martial arts but also in esoteric techniques, including curse magic... Hm?"
At this point, Old Qian’s voice trailed off. With the keen instincts of his Innate Free-Meal Constitution, he sensed something amiss.
Curse magic wasn’t widely practiced, yet on their very first day at the bazaar, they’d encountered a swindler skilled in it.
Wasn’t that a little too coincidental?
Li Mo was no naive fool in the outside world. Narrowing his eyes, he continued scanning the crowd until his gaze settled on a square-headed young man in purple robes.
[Name: Qiao Ziyu]
[Age: 31]
[Root Bone: Life-Micro Dharma Bone.]
[Cultivation: Inner Scenery, Fifth Heaven.]
[Fate: Blue-Purple (Perfectly ordinary for his tier.)]
[Evaluation: Skilled in both esoteric and martial arts, ranking among the elite of his realm. His methods are unpredictable, placing him at 48th on the Human Ranking.]
[Recent Activity: To ensure the Spirit Rhyme Sect’s rise as a regional hegemon, he devised a series of schemes—including sending swindlers to lure Li Mo out to sea, delaying his betrothal ceremony. To this end, he mobilized three thousand disciples to "slash the price"...]
"Tsk..."
One of the Pearl Tower’s shareholders suddenly shivered, his hair standing on end.
He instinctively turned around—
Only to see the usually cheerful and amiable "Sword Hero Li," now wearing an expression as cold as ice.
Lan Tian was so startled she nearly dropped her ice pop. The look on his face felt eerily familiar.
In short—utterly terrifying!!
"Young Hero Li, what has angered you so?"
"If I were to toss someone into the sea as fish food... would that be a problem?"
"Heh... We certainly have the means for that. Anyone who dares offend Young Hero Li must be a vile wretch. How many should we throw in?"
"Three thousand."
"Thr—how many?!"
The shareholders recoiled slightly.
Fish food? This wasn’t feeding the fish—this was land reclamation!
"Young Hero Li, weren’t you accumulating virtue? Why the sudden change of heart...?"
"What’s the point of hoarding virtue if I don’t spend it?!"
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
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!" "......"
] [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!"
