After leaving the Half-Leisure Residence, Chu Xingchen first sent his disciples back to the Destiny Pavilion to pack their belongings. Under Li Yingling’s knowing gaze, he casually made an excuse to step out.
The mass grave.
Workers were busy repairing the surrounding area. Since no remains could be found, Zheng Xiaofeng decided to refurbish the entire site and eventually erect a large memorial stone.
This was at least a decent solution—after all, digging up every bone and corpse from the mass grave would have been far too gruesome.
It could be considered a good deed, in a way.
On the ridge where Li Yingling had once stayed, two figures stood silently.
Zheng Xiaofeng clasped his hands toward Chu Xingchen and reported,
"The investigation into the Li Marquis’ estate and Minister Wang’s household is complete. Anyone guilty of abusing power, harming lives, or oppressing others has been arrested and punished according to the laws of the Xuanwu Kingdom."
"Among them, Marquis Li has been sentenced to exile. The steward, who orchestrated most of the crimes, was executed immediately."
"As for the other offenders in the marquis’ estate and their respective sentences, they are all listed here. Senior, please review if there are any omissions or errors."
Chu Xingchen glanced sideways.
Zheng Xiaofeng presented a lengthy list—likely the result of a thorough investigation into the entire marquis’ estate.
Chu Xingchen glanced at it but did not take it.
"The law is the law. They simply acted with impunity because no one held them accountable before. Now that someone does, they must pay for their past deeds."
His tone turned serious as he added, "I only ask one thing—were there any wrongful convictions?"
Zheng Xiaofeng quickly replied, "None. Every case has solid evidence and witness testimonies."
After a pause, Zheng Xiaofeng hesitated before asking,
"Shouldn’t we inform your senior disciple about this?"
"What’s there to say? They broke the law and got caught. It’s not like I deliberately sought revenge—this is the iron fist of justice."
Chu Xingchen’s expression was calm, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
Zheng Xiaofeng’s face filled with admiration, and he quickly praised,
"As expected of you, Senior. Such nobility! I still have much to learn from you."
"Thank you for handling this."
"No, I should be thanking you, Senior. It’s also thanks to your recommendation that I can join the Tianyan Sect."
Chu Xingchen patted Zheng Xiaofeng’s shoulder lightly before turning to leave.
Zheng Xiaofeng was being too sycophantic—no matter what was said, he’d respond with flattery.
There was no point in continuing the conversation.
Best to spare them both.
With this matter settled, it was time to return.
This trip to the capital had been pleasant—good food, entertaining performances.
But it lacked a certain human touch. Everything felt too calculated.
Chu Xingchen returned to the Destiny Pavilion and pushed open the door to find his rebellious senior disciple looking at him with confusion.
Her gaze drifted behind him as she asked, puzzled, "Master, you didn’t go after our junior brother?"
"Why would I?"
"Then why did you leave? I thought you couldn’t bear to part with him."
"Your master was naturally attending to important business. And why would I be reluctant?" Chu Xingchen crossed his arms and smiled at Li Yingling.
"If you ever want to leave in the future, I won’t stop you either."
Chen Baiqing, reading in a corner of the courtyard, turned around at her master’s words and said earnestly,
"Baiqing won’t leave. Baiqing will stay by Master’s side forever."
Chu Xingchen chuckled, teasing,
"Back in my hometown, the ones who say that are usually the first to run."
The joke took on a different meaning to Chen Baiqing. She hurriedly got up and ran to her master, clutching the hem of his robe.
Her large eyes gazed up at him, her voice soft and slightly nasal as she insisted,
"Baiqing isn’t lying to Master."
Chu Xingchen quickly reassured her, "Alright, I know. I was just teasing you."
"Really?"
"Really." He ruffled her hair gently before turning to Li Yingling. "How are the preparations? We’re heading back."
Li Yingling replied, "Already packed, Master. Let’s go."
Chu Xingchen nodded with a faint smile. "Let’s go."
Chen Baiqing suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Wait, Master! I need to get the candied fruits from my room!"
Li Yingling watched as Chen Baiqing hurried inside, then turned to her master and said softly,
"Master… thank you."
"Hm?" Chu Xingchen looked at her in confusion. "Why the sudden gratitude?"
"I went to the mass grave. I know you arranged that for me."
"Touched, aren’t you? Did your master’s move win your heart again?"
Li Yingling nodded, then grinned mischievously. "If you hadn’t said that, I would’ve been very moved."
"Damn it. Next time, I won’t say anything."
Li Yingling burst into laughter. But whether he said it or not, she was genuinely moved.
Wen Qing stood to the side, watching as the master and his two disciples chatted and laughed, boarding the spirit beast-drawn carriage once more. This time, Li Yingling took the reins—though her handling was visibly unsteady as the beast swayed left and right on its way out of the city.
Outside the capital.
Li Xingtian watched as his senior sister drove the carriage away with great inexperience.
He smiled and waved at the carriage once more.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, his master's hand reached out from the carriage window, waving back.
Li Xingtian's eyes widened in surprise…
Huh?
Then he saw his master shake the spatial ring in his hand, as if hinting at something.
Was this…? Had his master left something else for him inside the ring?
Li Xingtian probed the spatial ring with his divine sense, pushing aside the pile of spirit stones, and sure enough, he found something new.
A palm-sized gourd and a dark-red greatsword with a skull-like ornament at the hilt.
It looked… quite intimidating.
Li Xingtian first took out the small gourd.
A note was pasted on it.
【Blood-Restoring Gourd】
Perfect… just these four words carried his master’s signature style, and he instantly understood what was inside.
Li Xingtian gently shook the gourd, hearing the sloshing of liquid within. The sound alone made his heart sink.
Clutching at a last shred of hope, he twisted open the gourd’s stopper.
A faint sniff… and the familiar scent hit him.
His face twisted in discomfort for a long moment before he finally stuffed the gourd back into the spatial ring.
Was his master hinting that he should tread carefully? Otherwise, when pushed to the brink, he’d have to endure the torment of his master’s concoctions?
Hmm… indeed, he hadn’t even set foot on the Central Continent yet, but his courage had already wavered a little.
His master’s farewell was certainly… unique.
Next, Li Xingtian retrieved the dark-red greatsword from the ring.
The moment it touched his hand, an overwhelming surge of killing intent flooded his divine sense.
This was… a spirit treasure?!
Li Xingtian stared in astonishment in the direction his master had departed. Where had his perpetually broke master managed to scrounge up a spirit treasure for him?
He chuckled softly and sheathed the greatsword back into the spatial ring.
Now he truly believed his master’s claim—that they were the best of friends in this world.
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."
] [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!"
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
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?!
