Fang Zhiyi had virtually become the Zhang family's worst nightmare. Under the threat of his sheer physical force, even a lazybones like Zhang Daming was driven to work as a temporary laborer at a construction site. Seeing him arrive, many acquaintances teased, Well, isn't this something? Even you, Zhang Daming, have a day where you actually work?
Zhang Daming wore a face full of sorrow. He occasionally looked back at Fang Zhiyi, who was staring at him from a distance, and closed his open mouth.
He hadn't lived such a bitter life in decades!
Wang Ling and Zhang Xiong were in the same boat. Wang Ling struggled to reclaim land that had been abandoned for years, sparking much discussion among the locals. Meanwhile, even though Zhang Xiong had a crippled hand, he still couldn't escape Fang Zhiyi's demonic clutches.
Get moving! A beautiful life is created with your own two hands! Don't slack off! Fang Zhiyi had completely let himself go. Every day before dawn, he would take a stick and pound on their doors. If they were even slightly slow to come out, he would kick the door in.
The evenings were even worse. Not only did Fang Zhiyi make them work during the day, but he also took on odd jobs for them to do at night.
Zhang Daming wanted to cry but had no tears left. A beautiful life is created with your own two hands? Then why don't you use your own hands to create it! What's the point of just yelling about it?
But even so, Fang Zhiyi always found a reason to pick a fight. He either complained that the food wasn't good or that they earned too little. Today he would take them to help people harvest grain, and tomorrow he would send them to the construction site. Compared to the Zhang couple, Zhang Xiong had it worse. After he messed up a job for the third time, Fang Zhiyi directly got him a pulley cart and ordered him to go out and beg.
If you don't beg for enough money, don't come back!
Zhang Xiong looked at the tattered clothes on his body, his face full of deep, bitter resentment.
Of course, even if you don't come back, I can still find you. And when I do... Fang Zhiyi cracked his wrists.
Meanwhile, Zhang Daming and Wang Ling, standing to the side, dared not say a word. Ever since Fang Zhiyi repeatedly used methods even more violent than Zhang Daming's to solve problems, they had grown terrified of him.
They were selfish by nature, otherwise, they wouldn't have sold their child. In this situation, their first instinct was naturally to save themselves. Faced with their son's pleading gaze, Zhang Daming lowered his head, and Wang Ling unnaturally turned her face away.
As a result, Zhang Xiong began to hate his parents.
A few more days passed. The Zhang family was living in a living hell, but Fang Zhiyi's reputation was excellent.
Did you hear? The son the Zhang family brought back.
The one who hacked people?
No, not that one. The college student. Who knows what method he used, but he got the whole Zhang family to go to work.
Are you kidding? That family? Working? Is that even humanly possible?
Hey, don't disbelieve it. I saw it with my own eyes. That kid really doesn't seem like Zhang family seed; he's made of good stuff!
Zhang Daming cared about his pride. He couldn't exactly say he was beaten into submission by his son, so upon hearing the villagers' gossip, he could only lower his head and quickly walk past.
It's all your fault. Look at what you brought back! Is this a son? This is my father, a living father! Zhang Daming grumbled resentfully at night.
Wang Ling also wore a bitter expression. She had gotten much darker from the sun recently, and when she came home, she had to cook under Fang Zhiyi's supervision. She didn't even dare to complain; if she scolded Fang Zhiyi, her precious eldest son would get beaten on the other side. Plus, Fang Zhiyi had a sharper tongue than she did.
Why don't we kick him out? Wang Ling said hesitantly.
Zhang Daming thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and nodded.
So the next day, when Fang Zhiyi returned from a stroll, he found the front door shut tight.
Leave! Go back to the city! Our relationship ends here! Zhang Daming pushed against the door from the inside. He was truly terrified of being tormented any further.
Mom will come visit you in the future! Wang Ling, terrified that Fang Zhiyi would lose his temper, quickly added, Our family's situation can't compare to others. Hurry back!
The answer they received was a dull thud.
What was that sound? Zhang Daming looked blankly at his wife. The next moment, the sound rang out right by his ear. Half an axe blade smashed through the wooden door in front of him, appearing vividly right before his eyes.
The axe was pulled out, and Fang Zhiyi's eye appeared in the gap.
That won't do. You are my closest relatives. You said so yourselves... How could I abandon my family to go enjoy a good life all by myself? Fang Zhiyi's voice revealed a trace of excitement that made one's blood run cold.
At this moment, Zhang Daming's legs went weak. He was genuinely terrified. This Second Son was even more terrifying than the Third Son! At least he could beat the Third Son in a fight, but this one he couldn't beat, and he was completely unreasonable!
Before Fang Zhiyi could dismantle the door, Zhang Daming took the initiative to open it, his face full of flattery. Son, um, Dad was just speaking nonsense earlier...
Fang Zhiyi glanced at him and sneered. He then stared straight at Wang Ling, who immediately said, Mom was joking too. You're the apple of Mom's eye. How could Mom drive you away?
At this time, Zhang Xiong, who had been standing motionless in the back, had a bad premonition.
Slap!
It wasn't me, why are you hitting me! Zhang Xiong truly had no temper left. The slap brought tears to his eyes.
Didn't you hear? It wasn't Mom's idea, and it wasn't Dad's idea. Then doesn't that mean it was your idea? I'll beat you to death, you culprit trying to tear this family apart!
Zhang Daming grimaced at the sight, but he didn't dare step forward in the slightest. He had already witnessed Fang Zhiyi's ferocity. Right now, as long as he wasn't the one getting hit, anything was fine. Wang Ling, although looking heartbroken, shared the exact same mentality.
If it didn't work the first time, they would try a second time. While out working, the Zhang family started secretly plotting. If they couldn't afford to provoke him, couldn't they just hide? If you won't leave, then we will!
So that night, Zhang Daming took his wife and son, packed a few things, and quietly snuck away from home. The muddy road at night was hard to walk on, but as long as they could get away from that devil who exploited the whole family, anything was worth it!
After running for who knows how long, Zhang Daming was panting from exhaustion. He leaned against a tree by the side of the road and sat down. Damn it, it's all your fault, you stupid woman. I told you a long time ago, he was already sold, but you just had to look for him. Look for him, huh? Look, is there a single good thing about the one we brought back?
Wang Ling also felt aggrieved. How was I supposed to know they would turn out like this? You only know how to blame me, but didn't you just want the money back then too?
The two started bickering. Only Zhang Xiong looked tense. Stop arguing. What if someone hears us?
Let who hear?
A voice that made his very soul tremble sounded right by his ear. Zhang Xiong slowly turned his head, squeezing out a smile that looked uglier than crying. Ergou, no, brother... how did you...
Zhang Daming and Wang Ling's faces turned completely white.
Fang Zhiyi was grinning ferociously like an evil spirit. Mom, Dad, where are you going in the middle of the night?
We, we... Zhang Daming caught a glimpse of the axe in Fang Zhiyi's hand, and his heart jolted. We were thinking of hitting the road early to find some money-making work.
Yes, yes, yes! Wang Ling nodded repeatedly.
Fang Zhiyi nodded and smiled. Oh, okay, let's go then? He seemed to believe them.
The Zhang family could only brace themselves and keep walking. Heaven did seem to favor them, though. A factory on the outskirts of town had a lot of things to move and was recruiting porters bright and early in the morning. Zhang Daming and the other two bit the bullet and signed up.
But they did not see a single cent of the money; Fang Zhiyi had taken it all.
Fang Zhiyi had it easy. He pocketed the cash and left, spending a carefree day in town before returning to pick up the trio.
By now, Zhang Daming and the other two were dead on their feet. They had no idea what Fang Zhiyi had said to the boss, but the man had watched them like a hawk. The grueling physical labor left the three of them in absolute agony. Zhang Xiong, with his crippled hand, felt particularly close to death.
"Mom, Dad, am I going to die..." Zhang Xiong wailed on the journey back, his face a picture of misery. His only good hand had completely lost all feeling.
"Don't talk nonsense..." Wang Ling murmured, trying to comfort him. She stared at Fang Zhiyi, who was strolling leisurely ahead of them, completely baffled as to where their plan had derailed. Weren't she and her husband supposed to be the ones forcing Fang Zhiyi to work and bleeding him dry?
Their escape plan had failed, leaving Wang Ling to consider her final option: calling the police.
Especially after her precious eldest son was once again beaten to a howling mess by Fang Zhiyi, she finally decided to risk it all.

] [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!"

lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...

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!

shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]