Li Zi clearly didn’t understand the meaning behind Li Xingtian’s words—If you put it that way, then I also owe you an apology.
A look of confusion flashed across her face.
Li Xingtian couldn’t help but chuckle softly. His way of speaking had been influenced by his master’s habits.
As his senior sister had said, their master’s playful remarks were quite amusing.
Without realizing it, he’d picked up the habit too.
He explained to Li Zi that he had already sought out the Ling Li and reported her for standing him up.
Contrary to what Li Xingtian had expected, Li Zi didn’t beg for mercy, make excuses, or play the victim upon hearing the news.
She simply let out a deep sigh and then asked in a negotiating tone,
“Then… can I repay the spirit stones a little later?”
Li Xingtian didn’t respond. He just turned and walked away. He had plans to make—this matter wasn’t even a minor distraction for him.
One shouldn’t act recklessly. Only by having a plan could one avoid panic when unexpected situations arose.
He didn’t have much sympathy to spare for others.
His master’s grand hall was still missing a beam, after all.
Li Zi watched as Li Xingtian turned and left, then slowly got up from the ground.
Many in the tavern had witnessed the scene, but no one said a word.
Being a Ling Li was no easy job.
No one found Li Xingtian’s handling of the situation inappropriate either.
Li Zi said nothing and simply walked out of the tavern.
The sun had just set, and dusk was creeping in.
Inside the guest room, Li Xingtian carefully recalled the details of the secret realm while jotting down seemingly unrelated words on a piece of paper.
To others, these words made no sense, but Li Xingtian alone could decipher their meaning and connect them into a coherent plan.
Tonight, he would finalize the preparations—steadiness was key.
Knock, knock…
After the rapping on the door, the voice of the inn attendant came from outside:
“There’s a blue-dressed Ling Li here to see you. She says there’s been a resolution regarding today’s matter.”
“Understood,” Li Xingtian replied, still writing on the draft paper. “Tell her it’s their internal affair—they can handle it themselves.”
“I don’t have time to waste on trivial matters.”
Outside the door, the attendant responded, “Right away.”
But before long, the attendant’s voice sounded again:
“The Ling Li says she’s returning the spirit stones to you…”
Hearing this, Li Xingtian gathered the papers on the table into his spatial ring and pushed the door open.
His gaze fell on the attendant, who was staring delightedly at the spirit stone in his hand—clearly assuming it was now his.
But as the door swung open, the attendant’s cheerful expression froze.
Li Xingtian ignored him, plucked the spirit stone from his hand, then turned and shut the door without another word.
In the hallway, the attendant stood dumbfounded, staring at the closed door.
Only the faint warmth of the spirit stone lingered in his palm.
With a sigh of regret, he walked away. So much for generosity—still as stingy as the rest.
Back in the room, Li Xingtian examined the spirit stone. It looked different—this wasn’t the one he’d given Li Zi, but the one he’d handed to the blue-dressed Ling Li.
No matter. He hadn’t intended to meddle in their affairs anyway.
But a returned spirit stone was still a returned spirit stone. He tucked it into his spatial ring.
At dawn, just as Li Xingtian stepped out of his room to scout the area, he spotted Li Zi crouched in a corner.
The tomboyish girl’s face was now bruised purple and blue, two fingernails on her right hand were missing, and her once-neat linen clothes bore faint bloodstains—some areas already faded from vigorous washing.
She sat curled up in the corner, one eye blackened, her gaze fixed intently on the staircase.
Li Xingtian didn’t spare her another glance and strode straight toward the exit.
Rules were rules.
If you broke them, you bore the consequences.
No one had ever pitied him in the past.
Li Zi quickly scrambled to her feet and limped after him, her voice hoarse:
“Senior, what are your plans for today? Let me guide you.”
Without turning, Li Xingtian replied coolly,
“Someone already repaid that spirit stone for you yesterday. I don’t plan to hire you again.”
“I don’t need payment,” Li Zi insisted, hobbling behind him. “A Ling Li’s reputation is everything. Please, Senior, give me a chance—I can’t afford to lose this job…”
Li Xingtian shot her a sidelong glance, his tone icy:
“I’m under no obligation. Don’t waste my time.”
Li Zi fell silent but continued to trail him at a distance.
Ignoring her, Li Xingtian headed straight for a shop selling live spirit beasts.
The tomb he planned to excavate, as his master had put it, was exceptionally treacherous—riddled with unpredictable traps and pervasive poisons.
Using creatures to scout ahead was the safest way to avoid nasty surprises.
As for the poison-infested puppets inside, Li Xingtian still remembered the heavy price he’d paid the last time.
When it came to past mistakes, his motto was simple: Never repeat them.
Li Zi limped along silently behind him, following him into the shop.
When she saw the shopkeeper quoting an inflated price—the kind reserved for outsiders—she immediately spoke up:
“Shopkeeper, please recalculate.”
The shopkeeper glanced at her, sizing her up before asking, “Ling Li?”
Li Zi nodded eagerly, forcing a pained smile. “Yes, Ling Li.”
“Then, by custom, a ten percent discount.”
The shopkeeper adjusted his abacus and gave a new figure.
Li Xingtian glanced at Li Zi, then reached out and flicked the abacus beads again.
“Old Deng from the Treasure Pavilion recommended me.”
The shopkeeper eyed the new number on the abacus and nodded without hesitation.
“Done. I’ll throw in a little spirit sparrow—handy for scouting ahead.”
“And I’ll swap out these two rabbits for you as well.”
Li Zi, her blackened eye widening, checked the abacus again. A thirty percent discount?!
That was practically wholesale price!
And who was this Old Deng from the Treasure Pavilion?
How was this guy even more well-connected than her?
Just as Li Xingtian picked up an ordinary bag to pack the spirit beasts, the shopkeeper stopped him.
From a drawer, he produced a small Qiankun pouch and grinned.
“The bag’s on loan. If they escape, I’ll charge Old Deng triple.”
Li Xingtian didn’t refuse. “Then my thanks. I’ll return it within a month and pay the rental fee.”
The shopkeeper nodded approvingly. “Just as expected from someone Old Deng vouches for. You know how things work.”
With the pouch in hand, Li Xingtian prepared to head straight for the secret realm.
Buying live creatures like this could easily raise suspicions—after all, few would splurge on such delicacies.
Qiankun pouches that could hold living beings were expensive, and ordinary bags made one’s intentions obvious.
To avoid unnecessary attention, it was best to make such purchases on the day of departure.
First, it ensured the creatures stayed alive—these things were fragile, and prolonged captivity could kill them.
Second, it kept the operation discreet, warding off prying eyes.
Before stepping out, Li Xingtian glanced back at Li Zi.
"I don't have time to deal with you. Stop following me. Go explain things to them however you like—I won’t say another word about it."
Li Zi quickly let out a relieved sigh and said, "Many thanks for your generosity, Senior..."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
] [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!"
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?!
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."
