Both Chen Chang'an and Xuan Wudao could tell that this courtesan, Xian'er, was no ordinary person.
She was a cultivator, though her skills were mediocre.
Even so, there was no reason for her to end up in a place like this.
When Xian'er saw Chen Chang'an, she was visibly startled. She had heard that two eccentric wealthy men dressed as beggars had arrived.
But Chen Chang'an's appearance, attire, and demeanor bore no resemblance to a beggar.
"Do you play the zither?" Chen Chang'an asked, noticing the instrument in Xian'er's arms.
"Sir, our Xian'er only performs—she doesn't sell her body," another woman chimed in teasingly, earning a frown from Xuan Wudao, who shot her a displeased glare.
Xuan Wudao was no ordinary man, and his aura was far too imposing for mere brothel girls to withstand.
A single glance from him silenced their frivolous chatter, making it clear that these visitors were not to be trifled with.
"Then this humble girl shall embarrass herself with a performance."
Relieved that the two men didn’t seem like the usual lecherous patrons, Xian'er settled by the side, carefully arranging her guqin. Her slender fingers brushed the strings, and soon, a soul-stirring melody filled the air.
The music was gentle and lingering, tugging at the heartstrings—yet beneath its softness lay a faint undercurrent of sorrow.
Though Xian'er tried to conceal it, both Chen Chang'an and Xuan Wudao caught the hidden grief.
Exchanging a glance, they silently acknowledged: this woman had a story.
"My skills are lacking—please forgive me, honored guests."
Woof woof woof!
"Oh, my apologies—three guests."
Hearing Da Huang’s indignant barks, Xian'er couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.
This was the first time she’d seen someone bring a dog to a brothel—and even hire courtesans for it.
"Flowers bloom toward the sun; people must move forward."
"Let not the past weigh you down—only laughter should fill your days."
"One... should not live in the past."
Chen Chang'an’s words struck Xian'er like a bolt, leaving her trembling. She hadn’t expected him to discern her sorrow.
"Old Chen, not bad! You actually understand this stuff?" Xuan Wudao remarked.
"Back when I visited brothels, those pretentious scholars pissed me off—always putting on airs, and I never learned how to do it."
Chen Chang'an gave him a weary look. What exactly have you been doing all these years, you bastard?
"You never learned?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"Nope. What’s the point? Does it boost cultivation? Speed up progress?" Xuan Wudao scoffed.
"No, but... it might make you a little wiser."
"Tch. What do I need wisdom for? Strength speaks for itself," Xuan Wudao retorted dismissively.
"It’s useful. If you had any, you wouldn’t have spent centuries wondering whether beggars bathe."
"You—!"
Xuan Wudao glared but had no comeback. When it came to wit, he was admittedly straightforward.
"Gu Xian'er!"
"Gu Xian'er, where are you?"
"I know you’re here—come out and face me!"
A man’s furious shouts erupted from outside, draining the color from Gu Xian'er’s face.
"Sigh. It seems I can’t stay here any longer."
"Forgive me, honored guests. Our meeting today was fate, and that song was my gift to you."
"I must take my leave now."
With that, Gu Xian'er turned to leave.
Watching her, Chen Chang'an was bemused.
She runs, he chases. He chases, she runs?
How... cliché.
"Da Huang, ever seen this kind of drama before?" Chen Chang'an asked.
Da Huang shook his head vigorously. Despite his travels far and wide, he’d never encountered anything like this.
"Miss Xian'er, wait."
"Running won’t solve anything."
"Can you hide forever?"
"Why not talk it out openly? The problem might resolve itself—what do you think?" Chen Chang'an stepped in, blocking her path.
"Thank you for your kindness, young master, but some people... some things... cannot be reasoned with," Gu Xian'er replied, shaking her head.
"How do you know unless you try?"
Before she could respond, the door burst open as a young man stormed in, charging straight toward her.
"Xian'er, it really is you!"
"I heard you were here and came at once."
"Please, don’t run away anymore—stop hiding from me!"
Gu Xian'er recoiled, putting distance between them.
"Xian'er, you..."
The man—Lin Ruoheng—looked wounded, his eyes brimming with sorrow.
"Young Master Lin, why must you torment me?"
"Must I die before you’ll leave me be?"
"There can never be anything between us—you know this."
Her voice was steel, leaving no room for negotiation.
"No, there must be a way!"
"I’ve thought it through—I can—"
"Enough!"
Gu Xian'er cut him off sharply.
"Your Lin Family slaughtered my entire clan! Do you truly believe such a sin can be forgiven?"
"I lack the strength to seek vengeance—I’ve accepted that."
"But why must you hound me?"
"Lin Ruoheng, don’t push me too far!"
Huh?
A blood feud too?
This is beyond cliché—it’s a tragedy!
"Kid, you wiped out her family and still have the gall to chase after her?"
"If you regretted it, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place."
"How dare you show your face? If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to even look at her," Xuan Wudao sneered.
Lin Ruoheng’s expression darkened as he whirled toward Xuan Wudao.
"Who the hell are you? This is none of your concern!"
"Scram if you value your life."
"You even dared to make Xian'er serve you—consider yourselves lucky I haven’t killed you yet."
"One more word, and I’ll ensure you die without a grave!"
Die without a grave?
"Amusing. Truly amusing."
"It’s been a long time since anyone spoke to me like that."
"Boy, today, I’d love to play with you," Xuan Wudao said coldly.
"Enough. He’s just a junior—no need to stoop to his level."
Chen Chang'an raised a hand to stop Xuan Wudao, then turned to Lin Ruoheng.
"You’re from the Langya Lin Family?"
"Hmph. At least you have some sense. Since you know who I am, you should understand you’re out of your depth," Lin Ruoheng scoffed.
Out of their depth?
"Is Lin Xiangliu still alive?"
The name struck Lin Ruoheng like a thunderbolt.
Lin Xiangliu?
Did I hear that right?
This man just mentioned Lin Xiangliu?
"You... How dare you! You actually dare to address my Lin Family's ancestor by his name!"
"In all of Langya, no one has ever been so insolent!" Lin Ruoheng roared in fury.
"So it seems he's still alive."
"Boy, if you want to know just how bold I am, you can ask Lin Xiangliu yourself."
"Or better yet—have him come and face me!"
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
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.”
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
