Wen Xiuxiu's frenzied appearance made many onlookers shake their heads in pity.
No matter what, Wen Xiuxiu had once been a figure of some renown, praised by many for both her talent and beauty.
Yet this time, the ignorance and madness she displayed left people deeply disappointed.
Still, everyone understood—she simply couldn’t bear the shock of such a blow.
Had it been anyone else, they likely wouldn’t have remained calm either.
"Stop!"
"Are you trying to throw your life away?"
"Do you really think you stand a chance against him?"
The Sect Master of Hunyuan Immortal Sect swiftly intercepted Wen Xiuxiu. The current situation was something he had never anticipated.
To prevent further escalation, he couldn’t afford to provoke Chen Chang'an any further. Who knew what else the man might do?
"Sect Master!"
"He killed my husband! He killed Chang'an Gege!"
"I must avenge him, I—"
Slap!
The Sect Master struck Wen Xiuxiu hard across the face, his voice icy. "Snap out of it!"
"Chang'an Gege?"
"That was a fraud! A fraud!"
"You were deceived. Our entire sect was deceived!"
"Everyone was fooled by him!"
"And you still want to avenge him?"
"Do you have any idea how close he came to dragging the Hunyuan Immortal Sect into eternal ruin?"
The Sect Master’s words left Wen Xiuxiu utterly dazed.
Deceived…
Had she truly been deceived?
It was all a lie!
The man was fake. Every sweet word he’d spoken—fake!
In that moment, Wen Xiuxiu felt her world collapse. Her heart shattered, leaving her in a numb, hollow stupor.
"It’s over."
"Wen Xiuxiu can’t handle this. She’s lost her mind."
"Such a pity. Though she was never destined for greatness, she could’ve lived a happy life. But now…"
"Fate works in mysterious ways. Perhaps this was always her destiny."
Many sighed at Wen Xiuxiu’s plight, but what could anyone do?
Such was fate.
The Sect Master paid her no further attention. Compared to the survival of the sect, Wen Xiuxiu’s suffering meant nothing.
He didn’t even spare a thought for the Ancestor’s current state.
Instead, he turned to Chen Chang'an. "Might I ask… are you truly Chen Chang'an?"
"Oh?"
"Still doubting?"
"Care to test me yourself?"
The Sect Master could only force a bitter smile. If even the Ancestor had been defeated in a single move, what hope did he have?
"No need. I believe you."
"In fact, we owe you our gratitude, Young Master Chen."
"Had you not intervened, our sect might’ve been thoroughly swindled by that damned impostor."
"You’ve done us a great service—one the Hunyuan Immortal Sect will never forget."
"Who could’ve imagined someone would dare impersonate you?"
"Our ignorance blinded us. We couldn’t distinguish truth from lies."
"And earlier, we offended you. We beg your forgiveness."
The Sect Master’s words earned silent admiration from many. He was a shrewd man—shifting all blame onto the dead impostor.
In his telling, the Hunyuan Immortal Sect was the greatest victim, utterly deceived.
"So you’re saying…"
"None of you ever suspected the impostor?"
"Even when I questioned him earlier, none of you wavered."
"Are the people of Hunyuan Immortal Sect all complete fools?" Chen Chang'an sneered.
The Sect Master’s smile stiffened. Endure. No matter what he says, endure.
Surviving this crisis came first.
"You’re right!"
"We are fools—fools who fell for such a simple trick."
"But… who would’ve thought anyone would dare impersonate you?"
"Did you ever expect this?"
The Sect Master’s counter was brilliant. If even Chen Chang'an hadn’t anticipated this, how could others be blamed for being fooled?
"You’re quite the silver-tongued one."
"Unfortunately, I have a habit."
A habit?
What habit?
A sense of foreboding gripped the Sect Master. Even after such humility, did Chen Chang'an still intend to destroy them?
"Damn you!"
"I’ll kill you!"
At that moment, the Ancestor of Hunyuan Immortal Sect—previously sent flying by Chen Chang'an—returned, charging at him in a rage.
"Ancestor, wait!"
"Don’t act recklessly!"
The Sect Master hurriedly intercepted him.
"Why stop me?"
"Join me! Let’s cut this man down together!"
"Ancestor, he… he is Chen Chang'an."
"I don’t care if he’s Chen Chang'an! Do you think he’ll spare us?"
"Fight with me now! Kill him!"
"Otherwise, the consequences will be dire!"
"Do you understand?"
Dire consequences?
Would they really face annihilation?
The Sect Master hesitated. Then, recalling Chen Chang'an’s earlier words, his resolve hardened.
Meanwhile, the gathered guests grew restless. A battle was imminent—what should they do?
Stay and watch?
Or flee before disaster struck?
"What now? Do we stay?"
"I think we should leave."
"Agreed. There’s no reason to remain. Best avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
"Such a waste. I brought so many gifts for the Hunyuan Immortal Sect."
"Forget it. Survival comes first. Who knows what Chen Chang'an’s temper is like? If he turns on us, none will escape."
"True. Let’s go."
In moments, the guests had all fled, leaving only Chen Chang'an and the Hunyuan Immortal Sect behind.
"They’ve all left."
"Now, it’s time to settle things." Chen Chang'an’s voice was calm.
"Chen Chang'an!"
"Since it’s come to this, I’ll be frank."
"I knew he was a fraud from the start."
"I only used him to benefit the sect."
"I never expected you to appear."
"Hmph!"
"But so what?"
"The entire Hunyuan Immortal Sect against you—do you really think you can survive?"
All of them?
Would that even work?
"Then let’s find out."
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.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
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?"
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...
