"Jiang Xinyao, remember one thing: you are yourself first, and then any other identity."
After speaking, Qin Hao retracted the hand he had planted against the tree and took a step back, as if that highly aggressive wall-pinning had never happened.
Jiang Xinyao stood blankly on the spot, her back against the rough trunk, her mind completely blank.
None of the excessive demands she had anticipated appeared—no asking for treasures, no unreasonable conditions, not even the slightest hint of ambiguous coercion.
He used that incredibly precious "any condition" in exchange for... actually letting her "be herself"? He was giving her spiritual freedom and courage!
After the immense astonishment in Jiang Xinyao's heart passed, it was replaced by an overwhelming wave of shock and emotion.
No one had ever said such words to her. Her family taught her to shoulder the responsibilities of an Imperial Daughter, and she was accustomed to playing the expected role under the halo of the Imperial Daughter.
Those moments of confusion, those occasional thoughts of breaking free from her restraints, had been deeply suppressed by her.
Yet today, this person used the most direct and precious way to see through and validate the deepest desires of her heart!
A sour feeling rushed to her nose. Jiang Xinyao lowered her head, not wanting Qin Hao to see her reddening eyes.
"Why? You clearly could have made a demand that benefited you, so why did you..."
Qin Hao extended his index finger and placed it against Jiang Xinyao's lips.
"Because I think a Jiang Xinyao who can suppress her cultivation to fight fairly, who feels unwilling to lose but won't deny her defeat, is much more real and adorable than a Jiang Xinyao who merely conforms to the standards of an Imperial Daughter to cater to others' preferences."
"You also deserve a vaster sky."
Jiang Xinyao stared blankly at Qin Hao, her heart surging with unprecedentedly complex emotions.
There was astonishment, emotion, relief, and a trace of quietly growing palpitation that even she herself had not noticed.
"He's different, he's different from the rest!" This thought spread in Jiang Xinyao's heart.
Unknowingly, Qin Hao's image in her heart became tall, warm, and deeply branded into the bottom of her soul.
Jiang Xinyao took a deep breath. Her beautiful eyes stared unblinkingly at Qin Hao for quite a while, and finally, her gaze became firm.
"I understand. Thank you. I want to cancel my engagement! I don't want to be manipulated by others!"
Jiang Xinyao, who had originally wanted to break off her engagement, became even more determined after receiving Qin Hao's encouragement. What Qin Family Imperial Son? She didn't care at all. After breaking off the engagement, perhaps she could try to be with Ye Hao...
As soon as this thought emerged, Jiang Xinyao immediately blushed bright red. What was she thinking? She and Ye Hao had only met once...
Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction. The child was teachable. This was right. How could he be bound by a piece of paper?
Qin Hao was a transmigrator after all. Now that he was a lone wolf, he could flirt with girls without any psychological burden. But if he had a wife at home, that sense of responsibility in his heart would really prevent him from letting go.
"Ye Hao, there's something I don't understand. You are so strong and have an extraordinary background. Why are you acting as a rented Dao Companion for others? What reward do you want?"
Jiang Xinyao noticed that Qin Hao was covered in top-tier magical treasures from head to toe. He was clearly not someone lacking resources. Why would he exchange his services as a rented Dao Companion for resources?
"I want karmic luck. After our rental period ends, you will evaluate my service. Based on how good or bad your evaluation is, I can share a portion of the karmic luck on your body."
Qin Hao didn't hide it. Jiang Xinyao was the Imperial Daughter of the Jiang family. If Qin Wuya could see that his karmic luck had increased, the Jiang family members would naturally also be able to see that Jiang Xinyao's karmic luck had decreased.
Rather than lying and causing unnecessary trouble, it was better to lay it all out.
Hearing this, Jiang Xinyao couldn't help but show a look of sudden realization: "No wonder. A mysterious and profound thing like karmic luck is indeed not something other resources can compare to. Are you very short on karmic luck?"
Qin Hao nodded: "Extremely short. So when the time comes, you must give me a good review!"
Looking at Qin Hao's eager appearance, the corners of Jiang Xinyao's small mouth curled up: "That will depend on your performance. However, I do know a place where there is a chance to increase karmic luck."
As soon as these words came out, Qin Hao's eyes instantly lit up. What! There was actually a place that could increase karmic luck? Where? What he lacked the most right now was karmic luck, because with insufficient karmic luck, every time Qin Hao wanted to break through to the Soul Formation Realm, he could feel a strong rejection from the world!
Worried that he would be rejected by the Heavenly Dao and die on the spot, Qin Hao had been suppressing his cultivation, preventing it from breaking through. Now hearing that there was a place that could increase karmic luck, how could he not be excited?
Qin Hao figured that this good place should be in the Jiang family. If it were outside, with his identity as the Imperial Son of the Qin family, there was no reason he wouldn't have heard of it.
"Our Jiang family has a treasure that can increase another person's karmic luck. Do you want to go?" Jiang Xinyao's lips curled up uncontrollably. She seemed to know how to handle this guy Ye Hao now.
Qin Hao couldn't stop nodding repeatedly: "I want to go so badly! Lady Imperial Daughter, please make sure to take me there!"
Qin Hao felt that taking Jiang Xinyao's order was truly the right choice. Not only could he get the system's basic rewards, but he could even get extra karmic luck. It was simply fantastic!
"My shoulders are a bit sore..." Jiang Xinyao rolled her neck, a faint smile playing on her lips.
As soon as Jiang Xinyao finished speaking, Qin Hao understood immediately and stepped forward, then very naturally reached out and pressed his hands on Jiang Xinyao's slender shoulders.
"Is it here, my Lady Imperial Daughter?" Qin Hao applied just the right amount of pressure, using his warm body temperature to accurately massage Jiang Xinyao's shoulders.
Feeling Qin Hao's movements, Jiang Xinyao couldn't help but let out a soft, comfortable hum, the tips of her ears quietly turning red.
"My Jiang family has a supreme treasure called the Primordial Luck-Plundering Stele, which offers a chance to obtain karmic luck."
"For every successful challenge against someone, the Primordial Luck-Plundering Stele will reward the challenger with a portion of karmic luck. If you fail, it will plunder a portion of your karmic luck, but the amount plundered is very small, far less than the reward."
"This was originally a qualification that belonged to me. If you want me to give this qualification to you, shouldn't you pay a little something?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao's movements stiffened slightly: "What do you want? Let me tell you, I sell my skills, not my body."
Qin Hao's exaggerated display of guarding his chastity made Jiang Xinyao burst into laughter. She gave Qin Hao an exasperated eye-roll and reached out to swat away his hands resting on her shoulders.
"Pfft! Who wants your body? Even if you wanted to sell it, I wouldn't buy it. Stop flattering yourself."
Saying this, Jiang Xinyao turned around to face Qin Hao. Her beautiful eyes looked him up and down, flashing with a sly and curious light.
"My request is very simple. I want to see... what you look like when you take off your mask."
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
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."
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
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?!
