"Mom, I have a gift for you."
Ta-da—
A wooden carving.
Beautiful.
Ren's Mother took an instant liking to it, her face lighting up with a bright smile. "Did... you have someone carve this for you?"
From her words, it was clear that Third Sister and Fourth Sister had kept their secret well.
The wooden carvings Cao Cheng had given them before had been hidden away—even their own mother didn’t know about them.
"I carved this myself," Cao Cheng said earnestly.
"You're full of crap," Old Cao muttered under his breath.
Ren's Mother believed Cao Cheng.
But Old Cao was different.
Didn’t Old Cao know his own son? Wood carving? He couldn’t carve a damn thing.
Hearing Old Cao’s remark, Ren's Mother shot him a glare.
"Is that any way to talk to your son?"
"..." Old Cao shrank back, chastened.
It wasn’t just that Ren's Mother was strong-willed—she had waited for Old Cao for over twenty years. Even now, she occasionally wore the bracelet he gave her two decades ago, right up until he reappeared in her life.
But Old Cao?
One auntie after another.
He even got married and had kids.
Sure, back then, it was Ren's grandfather who wronged Cao Cheng’s father first. But Ren's Mother had never wronged Old Cao.
And she waited for him for twenty years.
How many women could do that?
Fair is fair.
So,
if you really thought about it, in their relationship, Ren's Mother was the one standing tall, while Old Cao was the one kneeling.
This kind of emotional debt would take a lifetime to repay.
"I love this gift, son. Don’t listen to your father—he’s just jealous," Ren's Mother said, easing the tension between father and son.
Old Cao nodded, then asked expectantly, "So... where’s my statue?"
"Haven’t learned how to carve men yet. Sorry, Dad," Cao Cheng shrugged apologetically.
"?"
Old Cao laughed in exasperation, pointing at him. "You ungrateful little brat."
"Stop talking nonsense. My son is wonderful," Ren's Mother snapped.
Old Cao groaned. "No, you can’t spoil him like this. He’s always been the type to push his luck—he’ll turn rotten if you indulge him."
"Don’t you dare label my son. I know people better than you, and my son won’t be spoiled," Ren's Mother declared firmly.
But...
Cao Cheng didn’t entirely agree with her. Maybe he wouldn’t be spoiled, but anyone else in his shoes might easily grow arrogant from such pampering.
Even at his age, while he might not develop outright bad habits, some typical rich-kid tendencies could still emerge.
Besides,
Cao Cheng didn’t think Ren's Mother had the best judgment when it came to people. If she did, would she have fallen for Old Cao?
Her taste was... questionable at best.
......
......
Second Sister’s five-day vacation was over.
Cao Cheng felt like she hadn’t rested at all.
The first few days were spent in meetings and award ceremonies.
The last two? Shopping with her best friend.
Cao Cheng had always been curious about what kind of person could be her best friend. Either they had nerves of steel, or they were just as unhinged as her.
But then again,
it made sense.
Even Qin Hui had three friends—together, they became synonymous with infamy and wickedness.
So wasn’t it perfectly reasonable for Second Sister to have one bestie?
Probably another misfit—not necessarily icy, but definitely someone with few friends.
Otherwise, who’d hang out with Ren Fanxing?
......
That night.
Cao Cheng turned off his phone, then lit incense and purified himself in a ritual bath!
He spent ten Diamond Treasure Chests to synthesize a Divine-tier one.
He still had enough chests left to fuse another Diamond, but he held back.
After opening the Divine-tier chest, he planned to open the rest normally.
Mostly to stock up on daily consumables like Purple Flame Condensed Tea. He couldn’t just keep opening Diamond Chests, could he?
Even if Diamond Chests had higher odds of dropping skills.
But enjoying life was still the top priority.
Besides, he wasn’t exactly lacking in skills right now.
Also,
after two system upgrades, the items from the chests had leveled up too—even the tea had a new name.
Now called: Purple Flame Condensed Tea!
The description had changed as well:
Grown on the scorching Purple Flame Plateau, its leaves shimmer like jade. The boiling tea broth swirls like a dream, enhancing the drinker’s profound enlightenment.
Born of extreme heat, this tea has miraculous effects in healing internal injuries and qi deviations...
And so on.
Basically, it was two tiers above the old version—smoother to drink, faster for cultivating inner energy.
......
By the power vested in me—
Let’s go!
The void shimmered with an otherworldly aura.
Luckily, only Cao Cheng could see this spectacle. If others witnessed such divine phenomena, they’d think the world was undergoing a spiritual awakening.
Hurry up already.
This was supposed to be urban slice-of-life—what’s with the fantasy nonsense?
Finally, the chest fusion reached its peak brilliance.
Ever seen the entire universe flash just for you?
This radiant burst was more exhilarating than a nightclub’s strobe lights.
Ten Diamonds merged, birthing a kaleidoscopic Divine-tier chest.
[Ding~]
[Congratulations, Host! You’ve witnessed a miracle and obtained a Divine-tier chest. Reward: One Resurrection Card!]
Holy—!!
What’s the system implying?
That I’m gonna get killed, right?
Cao Cheng was stunned.
Genuinely stunned.
He’d been hoping for a beginner-level cultivation manual.
A Divine-tier chest had high odds of granting that.
But instead—a Resurrection Card?!
This thing...
was broken.
Sure, it had limits—like not working if you died of old age.
But for any other kind of death? Instant revival.
Time to play Jesus?
Even if some brat nuked the whole city, Cao Cheng would respawn unscathed, all debuffs wiped clean.
This was Divine-tier?
The power of a god?
Cao Cheng understood now.
......
Holding the card in his hand,
Cao Cheng’s fingers trembled with excitement.
Only those who’ve died once know how precious life truly is.
And this card wasn’t just about cheating death.
It reset you—erased all ailments.
Cancer? Incurable poison? Tortured in some lab until you’re half-dead?
Just die once.
Come back in peak condition.
Overpowered.
The card’s intricate patterns were mesmerizing.
Even if he couldn’t decipher their meaning, they pulsed with an allure that stirred his soul.
He crushed it without hesitation.
Stardust seeped into his body.
Now he had an extra life!
What was there to fear now?
Sure, he only had one for now.
But there’d be more Divine-tier chests...
Cao Cheng felt like he was playing an old-school Super Mario game, grabbing a 1-Up mushroom. Death? Just a minor setback.
And this was just his first Divine-tier pull.
"Based on this logic..."
Cao Cheng pondered. "Divine-tier chests contain godly items. So, cultivation manuals, elemental superpowers, or even... divine physiques—all possible, right?"
"Urban slice-of-life?"
"This is straight-up fantasy."
"And the best part? I’m the only one who gets to be fantastical."
Of course,
he’d still make money. Even gods needed to enjoy life.
Cao Cheng was feeling a little too invincible.
The only downside...
No system upgrade this time.
After opening the Divine-tier chest, the system stayed silent.
Was one Divine-tier chest not enough?
Did he need ten?
How long would that take?
No way.
We can't always rely on these few 'sisters.' Although they can pack a punch, there just aren't enough of them.
What we really need is the power of the masses.
The individual morale of the crowd may be low, but their strength lies in numbers.
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.
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!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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."
