Though No Return City was vast, news traveled swiftly within its walls. The moment Chen Chang'an left for the Forest of Life and Death, word spread like wildfire, reaching every corner within the span of a few incense sticks' burning time.
The Forest of Life and Death was a place few dared to venture—after all, it held little of value worth risking one's life for. Thus, Chen Chang'an's actions left many baffled.
Now, with the Medal Arena's duel fast approaching and Chen Chang'an still nowhere to be seen, suspicions began to mount.
"Tell me, do you think Chen Chang'an is just making excuses to run away because he’s afraid of losing too badly?"
"That’s quite possible. Who in their right mind would go to the Forest of Life and Death? The excuse is too flimsy."
"Even if he really did go, chances are he’s already dead. Ten deaths out of ten, I’d say."
"What kind of place is the Forest of Life and Death? How many have ever walked out of there alive? Even Yan Xiong wouldn’t dare step foot in it—what makes Chen Chang'an so special?"
"If you ask me, he’s just hiding. After making such a big scene, he’s too proud to admit he’s scared and backed down."
"Hahaha! He was all bravado a few days ago. I always knew that kid was all bark and no bite."
"So, are we still going to the Medal Arena today?"
"Of course! Why wouldn’t we? The Medal Arena has gone all out preparing for this fight. I plan to place a bet and make a killing."
"But what if Chen Chang'an doesn’t show?"
"Then he forfeits. Betting against him is a sure win."
Despite Chen Chang'an’s absence, the excitement and participation surrounding the event remained undiminished.
To accommodate the massive crowd eager to witness Chen Chang'an’s attempt at the Violet Gold Medal, the Medal Arena had undergone adjustments. The Bronze Arena on the second floor had been temporarily repurposed as the main stage, with the fighting platform expanded and reinforced with barriers.
Moreover, the second, third, and fourth floors had been opened up, allowing spectators on all three levels a clear view of the battle below.
In fact, today marked the largest gathering of Platinum Medal holders in No Return City’s history.
Led by Yan Xiong, every Platinum Medal holder had gathered at the Medal Arena. To them, Chen Chang'an’s bid for the Violet Gold Medal was nothing short of an attempt to climb over their reputations. Thus, each bore him deep resentment, eager to teach the upstart a lesson.
"Have you placed your bets yet?"
"Naturally. Haven’t you?"
"I have. I bet on Chen Chang'an losing every match. The odds are high—I feel like my fortune’s about to change."
"Zero wins? You really think that little of him?"
"Hahaha! Not at all. Chen Chang'an must have some skill if he reached Platinum in a single day."
"But I’ve already spoken with Liu Yan. He’ll be the first to fight, giving Chen Chang'an a brutal welcome. You know Liu Yan’s temper—if Chen Chang'an loses, he dies."
"And a dead man can’t win another match, can he?"
"Oh? Liu Yan’s going first? Then Chen Chang'an is in real danger. Hold on, I need to place my bet too."
More and more people were placing wagers, especially since the City Lord’s office was overseeing the betting pool—no one had to worry about unpaid winnings.
The Medal Arena’s overseer, Wei Fengtang, had also made an appearance, much to everyone’s surprise.
Wei Fengtang rarely showed up at the arena despite his position, yet Chen Chang'an’s challenge had drawn him out. Was he here to personally oversee the event?
Taking his seat at the head of the arena, Wei Fengtang asked, "Has Chen Chang'an arrived yet?"
"No word so far. No one knows why he suddenly ran off to the Forest of Life and Death."
"Who knows if he’ll even return? With all this hype, if he doesn’t show, how do we salvage this?"
The arena’s other officials were equally anxious. The event had become the talk of the city—ending in disappointment would be a disgrace.
"Why did the City Lord insist on making this such a spectacle? Does he really have that much faith in Chen Chang'an?" one official dared to ask.
"The City Lord’s affairs are none of your concern."
"Just do as you’re told."
"There’s no set time for the event to begin. We wait," Wei Fengtang said sternly.
"Yes, Lord Wei."
Pleasure House
For three days, there had been no word from Chen Chang'an, leaving Gu Xian'er deeply worried.
Meanwhile, the big yellow dog, Da Huang, seemed utterly carefree, spending his days playing with the mentally impaired youth who resembled Wu Mingdao, showing no concern for Chen Chang'an’s absence.
"Senior Da Huang, I’ve heard many have already gone to the Medal Arena. Why hasn’t Young Master returned yet?" Gu Xian'er couldn’t help but ask.
"Why the rush? Chen Chang'an will be back. Just wait," Da Huang replied without turning his head.
"Hehehe, will be back, just wait," the simple-minded youth echoed with a giggle, mimicking Da Huang’s words.
"Kid, if you really are Wu Mingdao, how are you going to live with yourself when you regain your memories and realize you acted like this?"
"If it were me, I’d rather die again."
Seeing the youth’s state, Da Huang sighed. The proud Wu Mingdao of the past would have found this existence worse than death.
"Hehehe, die again, die again," the youth repeated cheerfully, clapping his hands.
"Damn it, don’t say that! Forget those words!"
"Hehehe, forget those words, forget those words."
Da Huang shook his head. The boy was too far gone to understand life and death anyway.
"Pee-pee! I need to pee!" Suddenly, the youth stood up and began pulling down his pants.
Gu Xian'er gasped and vanished in a flash, retreating to her room in embarrassment.
Da Huang sighed. The kid had no sense of decency—even less than himself.
"Go to the outhouse."
But the youth paid no heed.
"Fine, I’ll take you."
Da Huang grabbed the youth by the scruff and dragged him to the latrine.
"Hmm?"
Da Huang glanced up as the brothel madam approached. "What do you want? Chen Chang'an isn’t here. Your usual tricks won’t work."
"I’m just delivering something."
"Someone asked me to bring these two items."
"They said Chen Chang'an instructed you to heal the boy first."
What?
Da Huang froze.
Chen Chang'an was back?
The innkeeper tossed the Spirit-Replenishing Grass and the Evil-Cleansing Grass to Da Huang, then said with a smile, "Chen Chang'an should have arrived at the Medal Battlefield by now. Aren’t you going to check on him?"
"Check on him? Nah, not interested. No point—the outcome’s already set in stone."
"You’re that confident in him?"
"None of your damn business. If you wanna see, go yourself. Don’t bother me while I’m handling important matters," Da Huang retorted rudely.
"Alright then, I won’t disturb you, Lord Dog, while you attend to your business."
The innkeeper didn’t take offense—after all, Da Huang was unfathomably powerful, and she knew better than to provoke him.
She turned her gaze toward the direction of the Medal Battlefield and murmured under her breath, "Chen Chang'an… just how many secrets are you still hiding?"
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?!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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?"
