This kind of scenario—Lin Yu was all too familiar with it!
That’s how it always played out in novels.
Except today, the one playing the underdog who’d turn the tables happened to be him.
Nervous? Sure.
But there was also a tiny thrill of anticipation.
What young man didn’t dream of a "one-battle fame" moment?
Once they finished their taunting,
Lin Yu would just need to drop a line like: "Done talking? Then I’m gonna hit you now!"
Tsk tsk tsk…
After crushing the four martial arts instructors one by one,
The final boss would be Director Xia, who was now walking over slowly.
"Master Z, you’re right on time."
"Maomao’s still in the lounge. My master’s here today too."
"I hope you’re as good as Weiwei says. Don’t let everyone down."
Xia Xiashan’s arrival injected soul into Lin Yu’s fantasy moment.
Oh ho?
Behind the director, there was even a "reclusive old monster" observing the fight.
Classic!
"Director Xia, just call me Lin Yu."
"Lin as in forest, Yu as in feather."
"With so many people around today, calling me Master Z… feels a bit awkward."
Lin Yu introduced himself casually.
From the moment he decided to drag Maomao into the apartment, he never imagined he’d have to hide his name.
Whether he said it now or later, they wouldn’t know anyway.
Might as well be upfront—it made him seem more confident.
Xia Xiashan listened to Lin Yu’s introduction, her eyes flashing with appreciation.
"Straightforward. I like that."
"Don’t worry, aside from the few of us at the dinner table, no one knows your identity."
"Today, everyone just thinks… an outsider’s here to challenge the dojo!"
When she said "challenge the dojo,"
Her tone grew heavier.
Clearly, she couldn’t wait to beat Lin Yu up.
At Xia Xiashan’s signal,
The four martial arts instructors quickly approached Lin Yu.
Xia Xiashan made the introductions…
Little Mei: "So Instructor Lin is really this handsome, huh?"
Da Zhuang: "Welcome, welcome! Our daily classes are so dull. Having someone to spar with is a real honor."
Lang: "Instructor Lin, can I get your WeChat later? Regardless of how the match goes, it’s always good to have more friends in martial arts."
Xiao Shuai: "I’m probably closest to Instructor Lin in age. When I visit other cities, I also like checking out other dojos. Mind if I add you? More connections in the field never hurt."
Lin Yu: "???"
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go!
In novels, they were supposed to—
First, mock and belittle him, looking down their noses;
Then, arrogantly attack and get wrecked;
Finally, collapse in defeat, leaving the whole room stunned.
That’s how it always went in stories!
Total scam!
There was no disdain or sarcasm. The instructors were so polite and friendly that Lin Yu almost felt like bowing to them in apology.
Turns out, real-life martial artists weren’t so different from office coworkers when it came to socializing.
Lin Yu quickly ditched the "stereotypical expectations."
No grandstanding, no face-slapping.
Just an ordinary—if slightly unusual—day.
For example…
"Hey, damn!"
"Isn’t this the ‘Chariot-Horse-Cannon’ kid?"
A vaguely familiar voice cut through Lin Yu’s workplace socializing.
He turned to see a slightly hunched old man ambling into the crowd.
"Master Zheng!"
"Master Zheng’s here!"
"The match hasn’t started yet. Didn’t you want to rest more?"
"…"
The instructors greeted him respectfully.
Xia Xiashan, however, stayed silent,
Instead eyeing Lin Yu in confusion.
From the old man’s tone, it sounded like he knew Lin Yu?
How did these two, who should’ve had zero connection, even cross paths?
Lin Yu was just as shocked.
Wasn’t this the chess-playing old man?
Judging by everyone’s reaction…
He was Xia Xiashan’s master?!
Was Pingchuan really this small?
"Master Zheng, what a surprise…"
"You’re actually Director Xia’s master!"
Master Zheng chuckled, hands behind his back.
"Didn’t expect my top disciple’s challenger to be you, kid."
"What a coincidence, huh?"
He glanced at Xia Xiashan and explained:
"Back in my neighborhood, Xiao—Lin, was it?"
"We played chess together. His skills were impressive. Hard to forget."
"Lin, did you bring two phones again today?"
This old man was stubborn!
Still hung up on the "two phones" thing!
Xia Xiashan spoke up:
"Lin Yu, so you already knew my master."
"Saves us the introductions."
"My master, Zheng Zhihua, is the 12th-generation inheritor of Southern Xingyiquan."
"He’s quite renowned in the martial arts world."
Lin Yu’s inner thoughts:
Obviously. Dude’s famous.
Bitter sand~ stinging my face~
Lin Yu shook hands enthusiastically. "Of course, long admired, Master Zheng."
Zheng Zhihua waved it off. "Eh, just a reputation… Xiashan, make sure you hit him hard later."
Xia Xiashan: "???"
Lin Yu: "???"
Did this old man just blurt out his inner thoughts?
Lin Yu was standing right there!
If you want your disciple to go all out, at least say it privately!
Two chess games, and you hold this much of a grudge?!
Lin Yu: "Old man, I swear I only have one phone!"
Zheng Zhihua waved again. "Eh, you think I’m that petty? It’s not about that."
Xia Xiashan: "Master, I get it. You want me to defend the dojo’s honor!"
Zheng Zhihua: "You get nothing. I said it’s just a reputation. Not about that either."
Xia Xiashan: "…"
Lin Yu: "…"
This only confused Lin Yu more.
Not about chess, not about the dojo…
Then what?
He and the old man had no other history!
Zheng Zhihua didn’t explain further, just let them chat while he headed to a resting chair.
Xia Xiashan hurried after him, whispering:
"Uncle, do you really have some personal grudge against Lin Yu?"
Zheng Zhihua clasped his hands behind his back, muttering:
"Never thought it’d be this kid…"
"Cheating at chess is one thing!"
"But then he and some girl chased a stray dog around the neighborhood!"
"What did that dog ever do to them?"
"And after harassing the dog, he even groped the girl’s butt!"
"Damn it!"
"Disgusting. I couldn’t even watch—had to turn away!"
"Just tell me this…"
"How could anyone use a phone to cheat an old man at chess?!"
Xia Xiashan: "…"
Her uncle (and master) and Lin Yu’s history… was complicated.
Not far away.
Lin Yu, with his exceptional hearing: "…"
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?!
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!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
