After arriving at the manor in the private car arranged by Li Mucheng, Ye Feng and the others gradually made their way inside.
Looking down the long pathway, Ye Feng spotted Li Mucheng and Su Yuxin waiting for him at the entrance.
"Look, Mucheng! Brother Ye Feng is here!"
As Ye Feng drew closer, Su Yuxin couldn't contain her excitement. With her father's and Li Mucheng's father's approval, her worries had dissipated. Now, the most important thing was Ye Feng's response, which had kept her awake all night in anticipation.
Beside Su Yuxin, Li Mucheng was in an even worse state. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion, yet despite this, she trembled slightly, her gaze fixed on Ye Feng with hopeful intensity.
"T-teacher..."
Only when Ye Feng stood before her did Li Mucheng finally speak, her voice soft and timid, her cheeks flushed with shyness.
"Welcome back."
"Mmm..."
As Ye Feng ascended the steps and took in Li Mucheng's appearance, he suddenly froze. With a puzzled tone, he asked,
"Mucheng, are you feeling unwell? Why do you have such dark circles?"
"Unwell? No, not at all!"
Li Mucheng shook her head vigorously before stepping forward to loop her arm through Ye Feng's. Even after such a short separation, her excitement seemed to have grown even more intense.
"Teacher... how did your talk with my father go last night?"
Noticing Li Mucheng steering the conversation in this direction, Ye Feng answered naturally, "Uncle Li's main concern is your safety and happiness. As long as you've made your choice, he’ll support you."
"R-really? Father, he..."
Hearing this, Li Mucheng tightened her grip on Ye Feng's arm, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"It seems everything is moving in a good direction."
Nearby, Shen Mengli observed the scene with mixed emotions. On one hand, she was happy about the prospect of returning to a peaceful and joyful life. On the other, she couldn't help but feel that her own progress had stalled. Deep down, she sensed something.
Could this so-called progress mean her heart hadn’t fully opened yet? Of course... becoming so open-minded wouldn’t be that simple.
As Shen Mengli lost herself in thought, she happened to lock eyes with Xie Yuyan, who was also watching her.
"What’s wrong? Something on your mind?"
Xie Yuyan moved closer, whispering the question into Shen Mengli’s ear.
"Well... it’s nothing serious. I just think life from now on will be wonderful, don’t you?"
"That depends on whether we can change our mindset."
"You think so too?"
Shen Mengli raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised at how well her thoughts aligned with Xie Yuyan’s.
"Of course... for Ye Feng’s sake, I’ll try to change myself too..."
As the group gathered in the living room to talk, Ye Feng reached out and gently tapped Li Mucheng’s forehead.
"Alright, Mucheng, didn’t we come here today to discuss things? If anyone has questions or something to say, now’s the time."
"Mmm..."
Li Mucheng knew clinging to Ye Feng might cause unnecessary tension, so after lingering in his embrace for a moment, she straightened up. To show the others she was also carefully considering matters related to Ye Feng, she spoke up first.
"Then... I’ll go first."
As soon as Li Mucheng spoke, everyone’s attention turned to her.
"I think... even though most of our conflicts have been resolved and we have a shared goal, the most important thing is honesty. If we all keep our own thoughts hidden while trying to accomplish our mission, it’ll never work."
She knew her words might be misunderstood—after all, she herself sometimes harbored selfish thoughts just to spend more time with Ye Feng. It was inevitable.
"For Teacher’s sake, and for our own, I believe that as long as we work together, we can complete whatever system task lies ahead, right?"
"I... I’ll do my best too!"
Shortly after Li Mucheng finished, Su Yuxin chimed in. Perhaps because she was the most distant from Ye Feng among them, or perhaps she simply wanted to voice her agreement with Li Mucheng.
"Mucheng is right. At this critical moment, we need to unite as one. Only then can we succeed against the system’s challenges."
Xie Yuyan gave Li Mucheng an approving glance, silently conveying her agreement.
"So... does anyone else have something to say? Feel free to speak up. I’ll listen carefully."
With Li Mucheng’s opening remarks receiving unanimous approval, the previously tense atmosphere eased considerably.
Encouraged by her lead, the mood grew livelier. It was then that Shen Mengli, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"First, I think we need to make a promise—though I may not have the right to say this..."
Shen Mengli clenched her fists, her crimson eyes locking onto Ye Feng with unwavering intensity.
"I want everyone here to swear that no matter what happens in the future, we won’t lose our rationality. And if anyone ever harms Xiao Feng, that person must never approach him again!"
The moment these words left her lips, the room fell silent. Even the sound of their own heartbeats seemed deafening.
"Mengli..."
Ye Feng opened his mouth to speak, but Shen Mengli’s sharp glare cut him off.
"Sorry, Xiao Feng. I can compromise on many things, but not this. I won’t let you suffer even the slightest harm. That’s my principle."
"I understand..."
Ye Feng nodded and said no more. He had always known how fiercely protective Shen Mengli was of him.
"That’s my stance. Does anyone object?"
"I don’t."
"Neither do I."
"Same here."
The other three answered almost in unison. Whether it was because Shen Mengli’s words resonated with them or they had other motives remained unknown.
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.
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!" "......"
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!
