If anyone else had said this, Village Chief Li Quan would never have believed it, not in a thousand years. But Chen Liang was different.
Chen Liang had come from the capital. He was skilled in both letters and arms, broad-minded and exceptionally knowledgeable—clearly no ordinary man. If he said it was true, then it had to be true.
The thought sent Village Chief Li Quan’s heart racing.
His heart pounded nonstop!
Although he was nearly seventy, he still had a young man’s heart. Cuihua was so fragrant and alluring—why couldn’t he enjoy the sweetness of love before being lowered into the grave?
His face changed from liver-red to a flushed crimson.
Even his cloudy eyes began to gleam with excitement.
Unfortunately…
In the end, reason still overpowered emotion. He shook his head and said, “Forget it, forget it. Let’s just forget it. I have a feeling it’s dangerous.”
“What danger could there be?” Chen Liang said. “As long as you and Liu Cuihua truly love each other, there’s no danger.”
“Besides…”
“Village Chief, don’t you want to know what it feels like to…”
“To have white hair and a beautiful bride in red?”
“But…” Village Chief Li Quan still hesitated. “No, it still won’t do!”
“All right!”
Unexpectedly, Chen Liang immediately nodded. “Since you’re afraid of dying and are determined to disappoint Cuihua’s heartfelt affection, then this marriage is off.”
“I’ll go tell Liu Cuihua right now that the village chief doesn’t have her in his heart. I’ll tell her not to wait for you anymore. If she finds someone else to marry, then she should go ahead and marry him.”
“She’s already in her twenties, so she isn’t young anymore. If she waits much longer, it may become difficult for her to find a husband!”
Chen Liang turned to leave, but Village Chief Liu Quan grabbed him in an instant and asked excitedly, “Young Master Chen Liang, what did you just say?”
“Cuihua… has been waiting for me?”
Chen Liang nodded. “If not, why else would she be waiting?”
“You sing outside her window every day. You’ve even scared all the dogs in the village half to death. How could she not know?”
“She’s known about your feelings for her for a long time and has been waiting for you. But she waited and waited, and you never came.”
“I thought I’d help bring the two of you together. Then you could live in harmony, love each other dearly, and enjoy a sweet life together. I’d even be able to claim credit for helping the village chief. It would be a win-win for everyone…”
“But since you’re unwilling, there’s nothing to be done.”
“She’ll just have to marry someone else.”
Those words struck Village Chief Liu Quan like a bolt from the blue.
The moment he realized that Cuihua had feelings for him, his brain practically became starved of oxygen from excitement. His face turned pale again, and his body swayed precariously. Without leaning on his cane, he could barely remain standing.
But then…
His spirit surged, powerful and overwhelming.
He suddenly waved his hand grandly. “Fine! Cuihua—I’ll marry her!”
Chen Liang immediately offered his approval. “That’s more like it! True love is invincible. You and Cuihua are truly in love—no mountain or sea, no hardship or danger, can keep you apart.”
“Then…”
“Village Chief, shall I go arrange the match for you right now?”
Village Chief Liu Quan waved his hand again. “Go! Go immediately!”
“And make sure you prepare a generous betrothal gift.”
“Don’t worry!” Village Chief Liu Quan said. “For Cuihua’s sake, I’ll make the betrothal gift generous—extremely generous.”
“Excellent!”
Chen Liang nodded in satisfaction, turned around, and left the village chief’s residence, heading toward the entrance of the village.
West Slope Village was not large. Before long, he came upon Liu Cuihua’s house. Compared with the village chief’s home, which was practically a grand mansion with carved beams and painted rafters, Liu Cuihua’s house was terribly shabby.
Its low mud walls were mottled and cracked. Withered yellow thatch covered the roof, the wooden door was crooked and battered, and a pile of firewood sat in the corner of the yard. No matter how one looked at it, the place was worn-down and dilapidated.
Chen Liang knocked on the door. After hearing someone call from inside, he strode in. A woman immediately appeared before him.
She looked about twenty years old, with clear, limpid eyes and fair, delicate skin. She was quite beautiful—indeed, even in the city, her natural beauty would not have paled beside that of the daughters of wealthy families.
Unfortunately, her clothing was pitifully shabby. Her garments were covered in patches, the fabric was thin and worn, and the hems of her trousers had been rubbed through, leaving holes.
But there was no denying her beauty. Even such humble surroundings could not conceal it.
She was none other than the village beauty of West Slope Village—
Liu Cuihua!
“Young Master Chen Liang? What, what brings you here?”
“I heard they said you were back. I was just thinking of going to see you. I never expected you to come to my house first.”
“Come in, sit down, sit down.”
“I’ll pour you some tea!”
Liu Cuihua immediately began bustling about. Yet after moving only a couple of steps, she somehow tripped and fell to the ground. Her clothes accidentally came undone as well, revealing one of her fair shoulders.
“Ouch! Young Master Chen Liang, help me up.”
“I can’t,” Chen Liang said, suppressing a laugh. “I injured my hand on the way back, so I can’t help you.”
“Ah?”
Liu Cuihua looked disappointed, but stood up on her own. After pouring Chen Liang a cup of barley tea, she asked, “Young Master Chen Liang, when you left our village this time, did you see lots of interesting things out there?”
“I’d really like to hear about them.”
“I wonder, Young Master Chen Liang, would you be willing to tell me?”
Chen Liang immediately let out a sigh. “Don’t ask. I thought I was a dragon, but after going out into the world, I discovered that I was nothing more than a worm. People looked down on me every single day. I had no choice but to return to West Slope Village.”
“From now on, I’m going to settle down here in West Slope Village.”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life here.”
“I’ll become a farmer and support myself by working the land.”
“Ah?”
Liu Cuihua froze for a moment. Her expression subtly changed, and a hint of distance crept into her eyes. She also quietly pulled her clothing back up, covering the shoulder she had exposed.
“Young Master Chen Liang, farming is very hard work.”
“That’s true!” Chen Liang said. “But what choice do I have? Fortunately, the village chief has taken me in. I’m working under the village chief now!”
“Ah?”
Liu Cuihua was startled again. “You’re working under the village chief now?”
“That’s right.” Chen Liang smiled. “And at the moment, I’m carrying out an errand for the village chief. I’ve come here specifically to tell you something.”
“By the way, where are your parents?”
“They went to the fields,” Liu Cuihua replied. Then she immediately asked, unable to contain her curiosity, “What is it? What does the village chief want with me?”
She asked so eagerly that Chen Liang became even more unhurried. He leisurely took a sip of tea before slowly saying, “The village chief said that he wants to marry you and bring you into his home. I wonder…”
“I! Agree!”
Before Chen Liang could finish, Liu Cuihua answered decisively, her voice brimming with longing.
Chen Liang nodded.
Just as he had expected…
Everything had unfolded exactly as he had predicted!
…
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
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."
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?"
