Sifang City.
The city gates were wide open.
Ye Fan and Su Xiu rode on horseback, approaching rapidly.
Having journeyed tirelessly, the two were already exhausted and covered in mud. However, upon arriving here, that confident and proud expression resurfaced on Ye Fan's face.
"Sister Xiu'er, now that we are here, we are completely safe. No matter how capable Ren Tianye is, he shouldn't even dream of stepping a single foot into my Sifang City."
"I told you I would protect you and keep you safe, and I do not break my promises!"
Su Xiu nodded, though there was little joy on her face. This journey had severely impacted her original, ingrained beliefs. In particular, the unusually rocky path of her romance with Ye Fan had stripped away her former pride.
As she was lost in thought, they arrived at the gates of Sifang City.
A group of people surged out from the wide-open gates.
The man leading them was dressed as a scholar in a long robe. Riding on a tall steed, he exuded an imposing aura. Surrounded by the crowd, his face was full of smiles.
"Fan'er, you have finally returned."
"Uncle, I missed you to death."
Ye Fan immediately rode forward and bowed from his horse. "Uncle, it was Fan'er's recklessness that caused you to worry."
"Sister Xiu'er, come here."
"Let me introduce you. This is the patriarch of my Ye family, my eldest uncle, and the current Lord of Sifang City."
Su Xiu forced a smile, bringing out the demeanor of a noble young lady, and bowed with great respect. "Uncle, I am Su Xiu."
"You are Su Xiu?" Eldest Uncle Ye Tiancheng's gaze revealed a hint of scrutiny before he nodded. "You truly live up to the title of the number one beauty of the Northern Frontier. Your looks are indeed extraordinary. No wonder you have captivated the three young masters of the Li family."
"Uncle, this is my woman!" As soon as Ye Fan heard this, he knew exactly what his uncle Ye Tiancheng was plotting and quickly intervened.
But Ye Tiancheng shook his head and said, "Fan'er, you are excellent in every way—flawless in your calculations, calm, and decisive. But why can't you overcome the hurdle of a beautiful woman?"
"She is merely the daughter of a merchant, lowly and humble. Why risk your life to save her? Since you have brought her back, you should maximize her value."
"Although our Ye family has occupied Sifang City, the Li family is a powerful local faction we must rely on. If one woman can improve the relationship between our two families, why not do it?"
Su Xiu's heart instantly turned cold.
Here we go again.
Last time it was Ye Fan's master, and now it was his uncle. Did her path of love with Ye Fan have to be fraught with so many hardships and obstacles?
She just wanted love. What was wrong with that?
Before Ye Fan could refuse, Ye Tiancheng continued, "You have been away from Sifang City for a while, so you might not know this. The three young masters of the Li family have now become the pillars of our Sifang City."
"The eldest young master, Li Botian, is the commander of our Sifang City army. He is currently leading our brothers to slaughter enemies in all directions and expand our territories."
"The second young master, Li Zhongdi, is the divine physician within Sifang City. His medical skills are miraculous, and he has won over countless high officials and nobles for our city."
"The third young master, Li Jiren, is the chief manager of construction in Sifang City. He is responsible for repairing the city walls, managing official lands, and other miscellaneous affairs. He has done a brilliant job, keeping the city stable and peaceful, which has led to our current prosperity."
"Why lose people's hearts over the daughter of a merchant?"
"In my opinion, whether we have this Su Xiu marry one of the Li family young masters, or have her shared by all of them at the same time, it doesn't matter. Either way..."
"This Su Xiu must marry into the Li family!"
Su Xiu's face instantly turned pale.
They even wanted her to be shared by the three Li family young masters?
She wasn't some promiscuous prostitute. How could she be reduced to such a fate?
She quickly reached out to tug at Ye Fan's sleeve. Ye Fan gave her a reassuring look and then smiled. "Uncle, let's not talk about this anymore..."
"No, this matter must be settled." Ye Tiancheng's attitude was extremely firm. "Furthermore, I have already arranged a marriage for you. It's with the young lady of the Li family."
"It's good that you came back now."
"You will marry the Li family young lady."
"Uncle..." Ye Fan wanted to say more, but Ye Tiancheng had already turned his horse around and ridden off, prompting Ye Fan to quickly chase after him.
Su Xiu was left behind alone, her face full of panic and helplessness. In this foreign land, she was all alone. The only person she could rely on was Brother Ye Fan, but Brother Ye Fan...
He always sought a compromise to please everyone.
He refused to give her peace and stability.
And now... they even wanted her to marry the three Li family young masters!
How could this happen?
"Miss Su Xiu!" A man who looked like a deputy general clad in armor approached her, his gaze as cold as a blade. "The City Lord asked me to say a few words to you."
"Since you have arrived in Sifang City, you should abide by our rules. Don't think that Lord Ye Fan can protect you at all times."
"Lord Ye Fan is just one person, while we have countless men."
"If you know what's good for you, you will obediently follow the City Lord's orders and marry the three Li family young masters. If you don't... Hmph!"
"The blade in my hand has never been dull!"
This threat, delivered with a voice as heavy as physical pressure, frightened Su Xiu into growing even paler. At this moment, she desperately wished her second uncle was by her side.
If her second uncle were here to protect her, she wouldn't have to suffer such anxiety.
But her second uncle wasn't here. She had to face this alone.
How was she supposed to face this?
...
Ten miles west of Sifang City.
Ten thousand elite troops of Sifang City were launching a charge against the mountain bandits.
These bandits were originally a nuisance to Sifang City, but not a serious threat. However, recently, countless scattered border guards had joined them, instantly bolstering their power.
Although Sifang City was not what it used to be, dealing with them was still exceptionally difficult. Moreover, harboring the intention to subjugate rather than destroy them made it even harder.
Fortunately, they finally found an opportunity to surround them at the foot of this mountain. The ten thousand elites of Sifang City immediately launched a fierce attack.
The bandits, mainly composed of former border guards, had impressive combat strength. However, most of them lacked proper weapons and armor. Under the assault of Sifang City's ten thousand fully armed elites, they steadily retreated.
"General Li, they can't hold on much longer!"
As the deputy general reported, a faint smile appeared on the cold, arrogant face of the Li family's eldest young master, Li Botian. "Fighting this group of bandits has taken months of effort and consumed an incalculable amount of money and provisions. Today, they either die or surrender!"
He immediately ordered, "Intensify the attack!"
"Do not give these people the slightest chance to catch their breath!"
As the order was issued, the offensive instantly became even sharper.
Just then, a person rushed over from a distance. It was a trusted aide of the Li family, bringing news concerning family matters.
"Eldest Young Master, Lady Su Xiu has arrived in Sifang City."
"What?" Li Botian paused, and then a look of joy spread across his face. "Sister Su Xiu has finally come."
"Deputy General, Deputy General..."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Halt the attack. This general is going to receive Sister Su Xiu!"
...
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!
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.
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
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...
