Chen Miemie returned laden with a fishbone, two portions of salt, and a glass artifact.
The Dentist saw him onto the boat back to the inn, and they agreed to meet again the next day.
Humming a little tune, Chen Miemie pushed open the inn’s door.
Surrounded by the glow of fireflies, he found a knight’s suit of armor standing in the front courtyard.
As he passed it, Chen Miemie said, “[Seahorse], what are you doing waiting here? If you need me, you can just message me directly.”
Two points of light flared inside the helmet’s visor. They were [Seahorse]’s eyes, which had just opened.
She lifted her visor. “I haven’t been here long. I was just getting a little sleepy and accidentally dozed off.”
“You’re really something. You can sleep standing up in an unfamiliar place.”
“I’m used to it. It was only a light doze. I can wake up before an attack reaches me.”
“Come upstairs with me.”
Fourth floor, suite living room.
Xunhuan poured them each a cup of tea, then withdrew into the room.
“We left our last conversation unfinished. I’m here to continue where we left off.” [Seahorse] took the initiative.
“Where did we leave off?”
[Seahorse] remembered perfectly. “We were talking about how awkward our position in the city is right now.”
“Oh, right. We got sidetracked. So tell me—what’s the problem with our position?”
“Chen Miemie, the war between these two cities isn’t simply a matter of two opposing sides. There are actually three factions: humans, the sea-dwelling demons, and witches.”
Chen Miemie searched his limited store of knowledge for a moment.
“As far as I know, the witches in [Foamwave Harbor] aren’t particularly powerful. They can’t really be considered a third faction, can they?”
[Seahorse] nodded. “If you’re only talking about the human witches, then you’re right. But Chen Miemie, don’t forget that there are also demon witches in [Mussel Ruins]. Human witches and demon witches are of the same race.”
Chen Miemie immediately realized that his knowledge was woefully inadequate.
“Are the witches in [Mussel Ruins] very powerful?”
“Within the demon territories, [Mussel Ruins] is the city with the second-highest number of witches, after the demon witches’ capital.”
Chen Miemie: ...
No wonder Chen Miaomiao had caused trouble in [Mussel Ruins] but hadn’t fled immediately, instead staying behind to help clean up the mess. It turned out that the city was practically the witches’ own turf.
“Don’t tell me there’s a Grand Witch stationed there too?”
“No. The demon Grand Witch is the Fourth Seat of the Tea Party. She comes from the land-dwelling demons and isn’t used to living in the sea.”
“All right. So what’s the problem now?”
“The problem is that neither we nor the witches in [Mussel Ruins] have a clear position. Everyone is confused about what choice to make.
“There are currently three different opinions among the witches.
“First, the witches of the different branches—humans and demons—could each act independently, taking their respective cities’ side and attacking the opposing city.
“Second, both branches could stay out of the conflict and support neither side.
“Third, all witches could unite as a third faction, wait for the right moment, and reap the benefits while the humans and demons fight, using the opportunity to seize territory.”
Chen Miemie looked at the steel contraption in front of him, his head beginning to ache.
“That sounds incredibly complicated. What about the Grand Witches? Isn’t anyone in charge?”
[Seahorse] shook her head.
“This concerns the immediate interests and future of countless witches in both cities. The Grand Witches can’t simply make a decision remotely, so all they can do is offer advice.
“The Fourth Seat’s recommendation is that we all stay out of the conflict and avoid getting involved, thereby preventing unnecessary casualties.
“She says that whether or not [Foamwave Harbor] is submerged, the sea witches won’t suffer any losses. There aren’t many human witches, and they can withdraw to other cities.
“She also advises against taking advantage of the situation to seize territory. The humans and demons will most likely retaliate in the future, and provoking two powerful enemies would bring more trouble than it’s worth.”
Hearing this analysis, Chen Miemie couldn’t help but agree. “She’s ruled out the third option and chosen the second. It’s fairly objective and impartial, and it seems to best serve the witches’ interests. What’s the recommendation from the human witches?”
[Seahorse] looked at Chen Miemie without saying a word.
“Why are you looking at me?”
[Seahorse] continued to stare at him. “Aren’t you the one who came here to offer advice on behalf of the Third Seat, the Seventh Seat, and Silence?”
Chen Miemie: ???
Seriously? I’m not even a witch, and I came here as a tourist! Why does it feel like someone has been manipulating me from the shadows?
Chen Miemie ventured, “My opinion won’t affect your decision-making, will it?”
“Of course it will. If your opinion aligns with the Fourth Seat’s, we can unify our internal position and begin carrying out the plan immediately. If it doesn’t, things will be much more difficult. We’ll have to make our own judgment and choose for ourselves.”
Chen Miemie fell silent.
Only after a long while did he speak. “I still don’t understand the situation well enough to offer any advice. Let me learn more first. Until then, we should remain on standby.”
[Seahorse] wasn’t surprised.
With a matter this serious, making a decision after learning about it only moments ago—after no more than a casual conversation—would have been downright irresponsible.
“All right. The Tide Palace is also waiting to hear our position. Since we’re currently living in the city, I’ll put on a show of preparing for war when I return, while actually delaying as much as possible.”
After [Seahorse] left, Chen Miemie sat alone on the balcony.
Below him, a peaceful stream wound beneath little bridges, the scene as beautiful as a painting.
“Sometimes you just can’t have peace when the world refuses to be still. I only wanted to be a traveler, yet somehow I’ve been dragged into this mess step by step.”
Xiao Hong appeared of her own accord.
[That’s what a journey is. Besides mountains, rivers, and scenic views, there have to be a few surprises to make it more exciting, don’t you think?]
Chen Miemie looked up at the blood-red moon in the sky.
‘True. Beyond the mountains and rivers, there are the countless kinds of people one encounters along the way. Forming bonds with others means becoming entangled in their causes and effects. That, in itself, is part of the journey.’
[I’m looking forward to seeing how you perform.]
‘You little rascal, Xiao Hong. Don’t think I don’t know that you love nothing more than bloodshed and chaos. You’re the one who enjoys watching the fun most.’
Having been exposed, Xiao Hong pretended not to understand and vanished from the conversation.
Once Chen Miemie’s outlook had changed, his actions immediately became more decisive.
He rose from the reclining chair on the balcony.
“The best way to gain a thorough understanding of the situation is to start uncovering a mystery that even the major powers haven’t been able to solve.”
Chen Miemie went downstairs to the inn’s front desk.
Hearing the noise, A-Lin looked toward him. He assumed Chen Miemie was merely passing through, perhaps preparing to head out in the middle of the night.
But Chen Miemie walked straight up to him and silently fixed him with a stare.
“Chen Miemie, is there something I can help you with?”
“There is, actually. A-Lin, I heard that when your father was alive, [Mystery] was involved in making a special kind of medal?”
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
