The Fang Manor had already set up a mourning hall. Concubine Liu knelt to the side, feigning tears as she wept theatrically, while her son muttered under his breath, "Mother, your crying is too fake."
Concubine Liu covered her mouth with a handkerchief. "You little rascal, how can I cry? I'm exhausted from managing all this! And that fool of an elder brother of yours still hasn’t returned—what a heartless wretch!"
"Mother, is it true that Grandfather said the Emperor would arrange an official position for me?"
Concubine Liu gave him a light slap in mock annoyance. "How many times have you asked that? Would your grandfather lie to you?"
Fang Wenyuan grinned. As a concubine-born son, his father had always favored his elder brother. He had hoped that after the death of his brother’s birth mother, his own mother would naturally rise in status. But to his dismay, his father remained fixated on his deceased first wife, refusing to budge. If things continued this way, the entire Fang estate and the title of Duke would eventually fall to his elder brother, leaving him with nothing.
His grandfather had brought a secret decree from the new Emperor. When he first heard about poisoning his own father, Fang Wenyuan had hesitated, but the future his grandfather painted was too tempting to resist. Once his elder brother surrendered his military authority, the new Emperor would gradually push him out of court. Then, with a fabricated charge, the Fang estate and the dukedom would be his for the taking.
After discussing it with his mother, they decided to go through with it. Old General Fang and Fang Zhiyi were both stubborn men who cared little for social maneuvering. Since the first wife’s death, Concubine Liu had taken charge of the household, and now the entire Fang Manor was under their control. Poisoning the old general would be effortless.
"Stop grinning—we have guests!" Concubine Liu hissed at her son.
Fang Wenyuan quickly wiped the drool from his mouth and threw himself to the ground, wailing, "Father! Waaaaah..."
The visitors glanced at the pair, their eyes flickering with brief disgust before they composed themselves. They were family members of Old General Fang’s subordinates. "Our condolences, Madam. Our condolences, Young Master. We heard of the general’s sudden passing and came to pay our respects."
Concubine Liu pretended to wipe away tears, though inwardly she was annoyed. What business did these military families have coming here? She had hoped for high-ranking officials from court. Still, she forced herself to bow in gratitude.
Strangely, many visitors arrived that day—all from the families of Old General Fang’s former subordinates. The endless bowing and returning of condolences left Concubine Liu and her son dizzy.
When news reached the new Emperor in the palace, a trace of unease flickered in his eyes. "Good riddance to Fang Daowen. Who knew his influence in the military ran so deep? What was the late Emperor thinking, allowing him to build such a faction?"
Liu Wenhui, standing nearby, quickly added, "The late Emperor fought side by side with Fang Daowen to establish this kingdom. Their bond was understandable. But over time, loyalty can twist into something else."
"Your Majesty’s reign requires stability. The Fang family is a stumbling block that must be removed. Now we just wait for Fang Zhiyi to return to the capital."
The Emperor nodded. "Any news from the northern frontier? Fang Daowen’s burial is approaching, yet Fang Zhiyi still hasn’t returned?"
"Your Majesty, our spies report that Fang Zhiyi was about to depart when the northern barbarians launched a raid, delaying him."
The Emperor flicked his sleeve. "What? Does the northern border collapse without Fang Zhiyi?"
Liu Wenhui immediately dropped to his knees. "Your Majesty, calm yourself. Clearly, Fang Zhiyi has ulterior motives. Ignoring his own father’s funeral proves he’s a filial imposter!"
The Emperor’s voice turned icy. "Send more men to hasten his return."
"Does Your Majesty mean to summon him back to the capital?"
After a moment’s thought, the Emperor replied, "A summons might make him wary. Tell him I intend to posthumously grant his father the title of 'Prince of the Northern Garrison' and that he must return to accept it on his father’s behalf."
"Brilliant, Your Majesty!"
"And those in Fang Manor who knew too much—have they been dealt with?"
Liu Wenhui smirked. "All taken care of. Only Your Majesty, myself, my daughter, and my grandson remain privy to the truth."
The Emperor’s eyes darkened. In his mind, he had already sentenced Liu Wenhui’s family to death—but he wouldn’t be the one to do it. Fang Zhiyi would.
What a genius I am.
Meanwhile, at the northern frontier camp, a dozen heads hung at the gates. A row of fully armored commanders stood grim-faced, hands resting on their swords.
"These were the Emperor’s spies planted in our ranks—five commanders, eight captains!" shouted a military governor. "From this moment, all troops will obey Young General Fang’s orders! Anyone who deserts will be executed on the spot!"
Fang Zhiyi, clad in crimson armor, sat at the center and slowly raised his head. "Our scouts report that your families have been safely extracted in batches. They will soon arrive in the northern frontier."
The commanders knelt in unison. "We thank the general!"
"My family and the late Emperor fought to build this kingdom, toppling the tyrannical Northern Yuan. Alongside my father, you have guarded this desolate land for the prosperity of the Xia Kingdom! Yet the new Emperor, upon ascending the throne, ordered my father’s poisoning! This proves that treacherous officials surround him! They seek to destroy Xia’s foundation, to exterminate its loyal generals! Therefore, I, Fang Zhiyi, declare today—"
"We march on the capital! To purge the court of evil! To restore justice to Great Xia!"
"Purge the court!"
The Garrison Commander of Ning Fort was asleep with his concubine when the clamor outside jolted him awake. "Who the hell is making that racket?"
A Deputy General burst in without knocking. "Commander! Disaster! A massive army approaches our gates, demanding entry!"
The Garrison Commander bolted upright. "What? Have the northern barbarians broken through? Impossible—the northern border army would have sent word..."
The Deputy General grimaced. "Their banners—the vanguard is the Ghost Face Army of the northern border! Behind them, Fang’s Thunder Riders! Tens of thousands strong!"
"What?" The Garrison Commander’s legs gave way. "What are they doing? Without orders, they dare to—" Then it hit him. With the recent news from the capital—Fang Daowen’s death—there was only one explanation.
"They’re rebelling?"
"Commander, what do we do? Order our men to hold the fort?"
The Garrison Commander stood frozen for minutes before turning to his deputy. "Hold? With what? That’s the northern border army! Fang’s Ghost Face and Thunder Riders! Let me think, let me think..."
"Right—send for reinforcements!"
Before he could finish, another Deputy General rushed in. "Commander, worse news!"
"What now?"
"The watchtower reports—behind the Thunder Riders are the Dragon Guard Cavalry and the Vanguard Corps! Countless numbers!"
The Garrison Commander’s legs buckled, and he collapsed to the floor. "They’ve all turned. The entire northern army has mobilized."
With the northern frontier long secure, Ning Fort had seen no real conflict in years. Even their ranks were padded with ghost soldiers, their commanders pocketing the pay of nonexistent troops.
"Pass... pass my order. Open the gates."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
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."
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
