Wang Ergou led him into the branch helmsman's room. It was a bit dim inside, and an old man was currently calculating accounts with an abacus. Seeing Wang Ergou enter, he merely glanced up without saying a word, leaving Wang Ergou to stand waiting to the side.
Fang Zhiyi found it rather novel. It seemed the so-called demonic cult wasn't just about fighting and killing all day; everyone still had to make a living.
Only after Wang Ergou handed over the collected money did the branch helmsman look toward Fang Zhiyi.
"Who is this person?"
"Branch Helmsman, this is a little brother of mine who wants to join our Heaven-Shrouding Cult." Wang Ergou's words made Fang Zhiyi freeze again. What exactly was going through this guy's head to join a demonic cult? Were they really that close already?
The branch helmsman looked at Fang Zhiyi and nodded. "Alright, tell him the rules of our Heaven-Shrouding Cult later. If there's nothing else, you may step down."
Fang Zhiyi looked completely dumbfounded. Was that it? Was it really that simple? Were they truly not going to check his background at all?
Looking at Fang Zhiyi's blank expression, Wang Ergou suddenly remembered something. He stepped closer to the branch helmsman and whispered, "He has good skills. Should we assign him to the brothers who run errands?"
The branch helmsman finally looked at Fang Zhiyi seriously. "Good skills? Which sect are you from?"
As soon as his voice fell, the abacus in his hand suddenly burst apart. Several abacus beads shot toward Fang Zhiyi at high speed. Fang Zhiyi immediately dodged, his fingers striking out in rapid succession to knock down several of the flying beads.
The sudden turn of events left Wang Ergou somewhat stunned.
"I actually can't see your lineage. You must be a spy sent by some sect, right? Men!"
Only then did Fang Zhiyi realize he had underestimated this demonic cult branch. Six figures instantly appeared at the doorway behind him, stepping forward to surround him completely.
"Branch Helmsman, what is the meaning of this..." Wang Ergou was at a loss for what to do.
"You're blindly bringing people into our place again. The last spy was also brought by you, why don't you ever change?" The branch helmsman stood up, his eyes narrowing as he stared intently at Fang Zhiyi.
As the first person made a move, Fang Zhiyi tilted his head to dodge and counterattacked in one smooth motion. Although he had no inner strength, his martial techniques and reflexes were absolutely superior to anyone else's.
He landed a punch right in the man's armpit, causing the expert to jump up instantly. Fang Zhiyi followed up with a vicious upward kick to the groin. Watching this, Wang Ergou tightly clamped his own legs together.
A blade slashed down. It was as if Fang Zhiyi had eyes on the back of his head; he turned sideways to evade it. The attacker let out a surprised sound but didn't stop, following through with a horizontal sweep. However, Fang Zhiyi firmly clamped the blade between two fingers, rendering it unable to advance or retreat.
The man immediately became vigilant and tightly clamped his own legs together, but what greeted him instead was a full-force slap to the face.
The loud smack sent a shock through everyone present.
"Yeesh..." Wang Ergou winced, baring his teeth.
Relying on his agile footwork and keen observation, Fang Zhiyi consecutively took down four of the cultists attacking him.
"Strange, this martial arts style... is so mixed." The branch helmsman stroked his beard, his face full of confusion.
Seeing Fang Zhiyi thrust two fingers toward his opponent's eyes, the man immediately raised his hands to protect his face. But in the next moment, a sharp pain shot through his lower body, and he instantly curled up and fell to the floor.
"Stop!" The branch helmsman shouted, halting the last remaining cultist who was still standing.
Fang Zhiyi stood there. "I came here to join you, don't be ungrateful."
Wang Ergou's face was full of embarrassment. Brother, you don't look like someone begging to join at all, you look more like you're here to conquer us.
"He shouldn't be a spy from those orthodox sects." Helmsman Zuo made his conclusion. Wang Ergou turned to look at him as Helmsman Zuo continued, "Those people don't use such shameless methods. He's more like a street thug in a brawl."
Fang Zhiyi felt a bit uncomfortable. Being called shameless by a member of a demonic cult felt somewhat insulting.
"But we cannot keep you, so please leave." After the branch helmsman finished speaking, he began to walk around picking up the abacus beads he had just blasted out, sticking his rear in the air without any regard for his image.
"Branch Helmsman, why?" Wang Ergou asked in confusion. The twists and turns today were too thrilling, and he could hardly handle it.
"He has some skills but absolutely no inner strength. He'd have no problem making a living, and he could easily join those orthodox sects. Yet he's clamoring to join us. Don't you find that strange?"
For a moment, Wang Ergou didn't know what to say. Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed true. He looked at Fang Zhiyi apologetically, but just as he was about to speak, Fang Zhiyi beat him to it.
"The main branch eats lavishly while you guys eat scraps. Helmsman, are you really content with this?"
The branch helmsman's hand, which was picking up an abacus bead, froze.
"I'm afraid you also know that the so-called branch is nothing more than a pawn thrown out by the main branch to draw enemy fire."
The branch helmsman slowly stood up straight and turned to look at Fang Zhiyi. "What did you say?"
Fang Zhiyi frowned; he didn't like dragging things out. "I said, we're all out here navigating the martial world, whether it's the demonic cult or the orthodox sects, it doesn't matter. Who isn't in it for fame and fortune..."
"No! I mean what did you say in your previous sentence!"
Fang Zhiyi paused. "The previous sentence? I'm afraid you also know..."
"The one before that!"
Fang Zhiyi was getting a bit confused now. "The main branch eats lavishly while you guys eat scraps. Helmsman, are you..."
The branch helmsman lunged forward and grabbed Fang Zhiyi. Only then did Fang Zhiyi realize that this man's martial arts were quite high—at least, he wouldn't be able to defeat him.
"That's the sentence! What did you call me?"
"Helmsman..."
"That's it!" The branch helmsman's face was flushed with excitement. "Excellent! A teachable youth! Truly a teachable youth!"
Little Hei gave a brief evaluation: "He's just a title-chaser."
Fang Zhiyi had considered using force to make them let him stay, and he had even considered more radical methods, but he never imagined he would win this old man's appreciation just by calling him "Helmsman."
"Right, right, what were you saying about eating lavishly?" The old man asked again only after the injured cultists had been carried away.
Fang Zhiyi felt helpless. It turned out the man hadn't listened to a single word! He only heard the word "Helmsman"!
But it didn't matter, his goal was achieved anyway.
"Helmsman, if we want to establish a strong foothold, we must find another way to make changes."
The old man had a look of pure enjoyment on his face.
"Branch Helmsman, then should I..."
The old man suddenly glared at Wang Ergou. "Go, go, go, didn't you hear we're talking about serious business?"
Wang Ergou left feeling somewhat wronged, having no idea why the branch helmsman had suddenly lost his temper.
"Helmsman, I was thinking we could expand our scope of operations a bit. For example, smuggling, or perhaps opening a mine, or even tomb raiding..."
The old man shook his head. "I've already thought about the things you mentioned. Our situation here is different from over there." He specifically referred to the main branch as 'over there', and the look he gave Fang Zhiyi held some disappointment. "We don't have that many experts, nor do we have specialized people to handle these things. Furthermore, once those people from the Law Enforcement Hall find out, we'll be waiting for death. Did you think you were being very clever?"
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.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
] [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!"
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."
