The morning sunlight filtered through the shark silk curtains, casting mottled shadows on the massive ten-thousand-year warm jade bed that was large enough to accommodate five people.
Ye Xuan woke up.
His body was as stiff as a rock, maintaining a flat posture, not daring to move an inch.
Because pressing down on his chest was a pale, slender arm that felt as heavy as a python.
Xia Lengyue clung to him like an octopus, tightly wrapping her entire body around him.
Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, her warm breath spilling over his collarbone. One of her legs domineeringly pressed between his, displaying a posture of absolute possession and absolute control.
Mmm...
Sensing the slight change in Ye Xuan's breathing rhythm, Xia Lengyue immediately let out a lazy nasal hum.
She slowly opened her eyes. There was no sleepiness in her gaze; instead, it held a piercingly clear light that made one's heart palpitate. She had clearly been awake for a long time, merely enjoying the feeling of pinning him beneath her.
Good morning, Husband.
She lifted her head, and on that breathtakingly beautiful face that haunted the dreams of countless male cultivators, a smile bloomed—one so sickeningly sweet it was somewhat unsettling.
Then, she leaned in and gently bit Ye Xuan's Adam's apple.
It was moist, warm, and brought a faint sting.
Ye Xuan's body tensed abruptly, a wave of visceral, physical revulsion churning in his stomach.
But he did not push her away. He simply stared blankly at the tassels on the bed canopy, his voice hoarse and cold:
Morning.
This was their current mode of interaction.
Sharing the same bed, but dreaming different dreams.
Xia Lengyue did not seem to mind this.
She reached out, her fingertips affectionately tracing Ye Xuan's taut jawline. Her tone carried a hint of boastful satisfaction: Did you sleep well last night, Husband? I slept wonderfully... As long as I am holding you, I feel my heart is completely filled.
Filled?
Ye Xuan sneered internally.
You might be filled, but I was almost strangled to death.
He sat up stiffly from the bed, his movements as mechanical as a freshly wound-up puppet. He threw off the blanket and got out of bed straight away, not even glancing at the woman beside him.
I am going to cultivate.
Xia Lengyue was not angry at his coldness. On the contrary, she lay on her side, propping her head up with one hand. Her waterfall-like black hair cascaded over her snow-white skin, and her red dudou peeked through, exuding boundless charm.
She watched Ye Xuan's somewhat flustered back, a morbid obsession flickering in the depths of her eyes.
Go ahead, Husband.
Remember to drink the Nine-Revolution Soul-Returning Soup on the table. It is to replenish your kidney essence.
Ye Xuan paused in his dressing, his fingers gripping his sash tightly.
Replenish kidney essence?
Do you really want me to die in bed?
Over the past half year, although Ye Xuan had been forced to share a bed with her, he had held onto his final bottom line—absolutely no physical consummation.
Every time Xia Lengyue wanted to take things a step further, he would turn as cold as a corpse, even resorting to self-harm to resist.
Even though Xia Lengyue was crazy, she could not bear to force him. She merely used gentle traps to chip away at his willpower little by little.
Got it.
Ye Xuan replied coldly. He picked up the bowl of priceless spirit soup and downed it in one gulp as if drinking poison, then dashed out of the bedchamber as if fleeing for his life.
Behind him echoed Xia Lengyue's laughter—as clear as silver bells, yet chilling to the bone.
Leaving the bedchamber, Ye Xuan did not feel relieved.
Because the entire Lengyue Peak, and even the whole Qingyun Sect, was filled with that woman's informants.
Today's Ye Xuan held a noble status; he was the sect's number one true disciple and the Dao companion of Direct Disciple Xia.
To get a breath of fresh air, Ye Xuan went to the sect's Scripture Pavilion.
He wanted to find some obscure texts about ancient teleportation arrays to make a backup plan for his future escape.
Senior... Senior Brother Ye?
Just as Ye Xuan was browsing in front of a bookshelf, a timid voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Ye Xuan turned his head and saw a delicate-looking young girl in an outer sect disciple's uniform. She was holding a few bamboo scrolls, looking at him with a flushed face. The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, her eyes clear, carrying a trace of shyness and admiration for the strong.
Senior Brother Ye, I do not quite understand this scroll on the Fundamental Principles of the Five Elements. Could I... ask you for some guidance?
Gathering her courage, the girl handed over the bamboo scroll in her hands.
Ye Xuan was stunned for a moment.
Over the past half year, other than Xia Lengyue, almost no female dared to approach within ten feet of him.
Looking at the girl's pure and flawless eyes, the tense string in Ye Xuan's heart loosened slightly.
That was the look of a normal person—no possessiveness, no madness, only a pure thirst for knowledge.
Which part do you not understand?
Ye Xuan subconsciously reached out, wanting to take the bamboo scroll.
However.
At the exact moment his fingertips were about to touch the scroll.
Crack.
The surrounding air froze without warning.
A terrifying chill instantly shot up from the soles of Ye Xuan's feet to the top of his head. The temperature inside the entire Scripture Pavilion plummeted, and white frost even began to form on the bookshelves.
The young girl shuddered all over, as if targeted by some terrifying beast. Her face instantly turned deathly pale, and her teeth chattered violently.
Ah...
She looked behind Ye Xuan in terror.
Ye Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.
He did not need to turn around to know who had come.
Husband.
A voice that was so gentle it seemed it could drip water, yet as cold as if it came from the Nine Nether Hell, echoed faintly in his ear.
What are you doing?
An exquisitely maintained jade-like hand reached out from behind Ye Xuan and gently grasped his wrist.
Then, applying pressure bit by bit.
It pulled his hand back away from the bamboo scroll.
Ye Xuan turned around.
He saw that Xia Lengyue was standing behind him, having arrived at some unknown time.
She was wearing a spotless white dress, a flawless smile hung on her face, but her eyes were fixed dead on the trembling outer sect girl.
This look was not like looking at a person.
It was like looking at a pile of trash that had dirtied her beloved toy.
Senior... Senior Sister Xia...
The girl was so frightened that her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees with a thud, the bamboo scrolls in her hands scattering across the floor. I... I just wanted to ask Senior Brother Ye for guidance...
Shh.
Xia Lengyue raised a finger and pressed it against her bright red lips.
She slowly walked up to the girl, looking down at her from above.
Ask for guidance?
Do you think you are worthy?
Xia Lengyue chuckled lightly, her voice soft: Do you know? His hands are meant for holding a sword, and for holding me.
How dare a lowly thing like you let him touch your belongings?
If you dirty my husband, can you afford to pay for it?
The girl was already crying from fear, kowtowing desperately: I am sorry! Spare my life, Senior Sister Xia! I will never dare to do it again!
Xia Lengyue tilted her head, seemingly pondering how to handle this.
Suddenly, she raised her foot.
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone fracturing rang out.
She directly crushed the girl's right hand—the very hand that had just offered the bamboo scroll!
Ah!
A shrill scream echoed through the Scripture Pavilion.
The surrounding disciples were so terrified they kept as quiet as winter cicadas, all lowering their heads, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Since this hand is disobedient, you no longer need it.
Xia Lengyue wore a smile, but her eyes were savage.
She turned around, took out a silk handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks from her bosom, and carefully wiped the hand Ye Xuan had just extended.
Over and over again.
She wiped it until the back of Ye Xuan's hand turned red.
"It's dirty."
She murmured softly, her eyes full of disgust and heartache. "Husband, it's too dirty outside. There are these reckless vixens everywhere."
"In the future... don't talk to them, okay?"
"I will get jealous."
"And when I get jealous... I want to kill."
Ye Xuan allowed her to wipe his hand, looking at the young girl who had fainted from pain on the ground, and looking at the fearful gazes surrounding them.
His heart was cold to the extreme.
But he did not resist, nor did he plead for that young girl.
Because he knew that if he pleaded, what the girl would lose wouldn't just be a hand, but her life.
"Understood."
Ye Xuan lowered his eyes, his voice calm and rippleless. "I won't look anymore. Let's go back."
"Okay!"
Xia Lengyue instantly changed her expression. She hooked her arm through his, rested her head on his shoulder, and smiled radiantly. "I knew my husband was the most obedient. Let's go, I'll make you lotus seed soup when we get back."
The two left, leaning on each other.
They left behind a mess on the ground, and countless gazes watching Ye Xuan's back, filled with sympathy, fear, and... deep contempt.
It was the dead of night.
The candlelight in the bedchamber flickered.
Ye Xuan sat on the edge of the bed, watching Xia Lengyue remove her makeup.
In the bronze mirror, the woman was stunningly beautiful. She had removed her jewelry and her long hair fell loosely, yet it still couldn't conceal her suffocating desire for control.
"Husband, it's time to rest."
Xia Lengyue blew out the candle, leaving only a luminous pearl emitting a soft halo.
She walked to the bed and, as usual, wanted to slip into Ye Xuan's arms.
Furthermore, this time, her hand restlessly reached into Ye Xuan's inner garments, her fingertips tracing circles on his firm chest, full of suggestive intent.
"Husband... tonight..."
Her voice carried a trace of uncontrollable lust and longing. "Can we..."
Ye Xuan's body instantly tensed.
Here it comes again.
This sickening probing.
He suddenly grabbed Xia Lengyue's misbehaving hand with such force that it bruised her wrist.
"No."
Ye Xuan's voice was as cold and hard as iron.
Xia Lengyue's movements stiffened, the tenderness in her eyes instantly freezing, replaced by a surge of anger and grievance from being rejected.
"Why?"
She sat up abruptly, her long hair flying wildly, her emotions somewhat out of control. "How long do I have to wait? I've already waited for half a year! Ye Xuan, I am your Dao companion! I've done so much for you! Why do you just refuse to touch me?"
"Are you disgusted by me? Or... are you still thinking about that slut whose hand I stomped and broke?"
Her voice was sharp and piercing, seeming especially terrifying in the dead of night.
Ye Xuan looked at her twisted face.
He knew he had to suppress her arrogance, otherwise it would be hard to end things peacefully tonight.
He took a deep breath, the coldness in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by a deep pain and... fear.
He let go of Xia Lengyue's hand, hugged his head with both hands, and his body began to tremble violently.
"No..."
Ye Xuan's voice carried a crying tone, as if desperately suppressing some immense terror:
"Senior Sister... I don't dare..."
"Whenever I close my eyes... whenever I touch your body..."
"I just... I can see that dream..."
The dream again.
The anger in Xia Lengyue's eyes was instantly extinguished as if doused by a basin of cold water. She looked at Ye Xuan with some panic: "What dream? Is it the same one as before?"
"Yes..."
Ye Xuan raised his head, his face pale as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
He looked at Xia Lengyue, his eyes hollow:
"Just now... right when your hand touched my chest..."
"I suddenly saw... a knife."
"A sharp bone-paring knife."
"The you in the dream... was also touching my chest like this... and then... and then smiling as you said..."
Ye Xuan trembled as he imitated the tone of Xia Lengyue from his memory:
"'Husband, your heart's blood is perfect to go with wine.'"
"And then you... with a squelch... stabbed it in..."
"Ah!"
Ye Xuan suddenly let out a miserable scream, violently pushed Xia Lengyue away, and shrank into the corner of the bed. He guarded his chest tightly with both hands, his eyes full of terror:
"Don't come over! Don't dig out my heart! I'll be obedient! I will be obedient! Please don't dig..."
This acting was worthy of a Best Actor award.
Because this wasn't just acting; it was a terror he had genuinely experienced.
Xia Lengyue froze in place.
She looked at Ye Xuan, who was shivering in the corner like a frightened little beast.
Her heart was in turmoil.
How could this be?
Is it really karmic retribution? Is it really his soul remembering those pains for him?
Guilt surged up like the tide.
But even more so... a guilty conscience.

his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"

for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?