That night.
At the Song residence.
In the living room.
Song Ming's face showed a hint of surprise as he spoke on the phone: "You mean... you've turned all the underworld forces Su Muwan subdued to your side?"
"Shangguan Chuxue, how did you manage that?"
From the other end of the line, Shangguan Chuxue's voice came through: "Heh, I have my ways."
"Also, you should focus on breaking through with your Rakshasa Technique as soon as possible. The martial arts manuals... I've already delivered them to your place."
"Oh, and I heard from my subordinates that you've taken in a... strange woman recently?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ming subconsciously gripped his phone tighter.
He glanced at the five martial arts manuals on the table, which would cause a sensation if they were ever made public. His voice lowered as he said, "Shangguan Chuxue, Xiao Lian is now my family. Don't you dare think of doing anything to her."
"I'm grateful for your help."
"But Xiao Lian, you are not to touch her."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
It seemed Shangguan Chuxue was pondering something before she calmly replied, "You're my partner, so naturally, I need to investigate the backgrounds of people who appear out of nowhere."
"You.......!"
"But don't worry, I've already looked into her. Her background is clean; her congenital heart disease is real, and she does have a sick older sister."
Shangguan Chuxue was confident in her intelligence network.
Unless there was some supernatural hacker capable of altering online data, her information was infallible!
Hearing this, Song Ming's expression changed drastically.
He had never shared Xiao Lian's detailed background with Shangguan Chuxue, yet her tone...
It was as if she knew exactly what Xiao Lian had told them.
Could it be...
There was an informant from Shangguan Chuxue within his ranks?!
Suppressing his suspicions, Song Ming said in a deep voice, "That's good to know. Also, if we want to unify Jiang City, the first obstacle we must overcome is Su Ba of the Su family."
“He's a late-stage strong player at the Peak level. Even with my breakthrough, I won't be able to reach that level.”
"How do you plan to deal with him?"
Hearing this, Shangguan Chuxue chuckled lightly: "Do you know who Su Ba trusts the most?"
"Who?"
“Heh, it's the Su family's butler… Uncle Xu! His true identity is actually Su Ba's adopted son.”
"Originally, he thought he would be the head of the Su family, but unfortunately, the previous generation passed it to Su Muwan's father."
"And this generation went to Su Muwan."
"Uncle Xu... has long harbored resentment."
"I've already communicated with Jiutian Dudao, the leader of the Black Dragon Organization. She will use the only bottle of precious ancient potion 【Power-Nullifying Water】 left in the Black Dragon Organization to neutralize Su Ba!!"
At this point, Song Ming's expression had relaxed. The Power-Nullifying Water was a colorless, odorless, and terrifying poison.
Even the Black Dragon Organization only had one bottle, and this time, it was being used to unify the underworld.
At the same time, Song Ming felt a chill at the depth of Shangguan Chuxue's methods.
This woman... truly is terrifying!
Su Muwan, what can you possibly do to compete with her?
A moment later, the call ended.
Song Ming took a deep breath.
He looked at the martial arts manuals on the table and clenched his fists.
When his Rakshasa Technique breaks through, it will be the day Jiang City is unified!
However, he felt an uneasy premonition... Was there a problem within his own Rakshasa Palace?
Otherwise, how did Shangguan Chuxue know about Xiao Lian's information?
At that moment, Su Bailian's soft voice came from behind: "Ming gege, who were you talking to just now?"
"I made some red bean soup for you. Drink some, okay?"
As she spoke, Su Bailian brought over the red bean soup, her gaze pure and innocent as she looked at Song Ming.
Hearing Su Bailian's voice, Song Ming turned his head, his expression softening with emotion.
"It was a bad person. Don't worry about her, Xiao Lian."
He didn't think much of it and, while drinking the red bean soup, asked curiously, "Xiao Lian, where did you go yesterday?"
Yesterday, Xiao Lian had left with a basket after saying something, and he didn't know where she went.
Jiutian Dudao had also pulled him aside, gloating and not letting him leave.
And today, Xiao Lian had gone out again.
Coming back very late.
Su Bailian, hearing this, watched as Song Ming drank the red bean soup, not daring to meet his gaze: "I... I..."
As she spoke, tears began to fall: "I'm sorry, Ming gege... boohoo..."
"Hmm?"
After finishing the soup, Song Ming put down the bowl and immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong, Xiao Lian? It's okay, tell me, I'll take care of it for you."
Then, Su Bailian recounted how Jiutian Dudao had given her five million and asked her to leave the Song residence.
As she spoke, she took out the bank card and sobbed, "Boohoo... Ming gege, I really don't want to leave you."
"But... when I think about how difficult it is for Ming gege's Rakshasa Palace to operate, and how Xia Gao gege and the others have complained to me many times."
"So I thought, maybe Ming gege needs this five million."
"That's why I decided to take the five million for you, and after taking care of Ming gege's health, I would leave the Song residence..."
"And these past two days, I've been working outside to earn money, thinking of repaying Ming gege."
"Boohoo..."
As she spoke, Su Bailian wiped her tears and choked out, "Ming gege, don't blame Dudao jiejie. This was my own choice."
As the words fell, Song Ming's mind went blank.
A surge of fury erupted within him.
He roared inwardly!
Jiutian Dudao!!!
How dare you treat my Xiao Lian like this!!!
You are nothing but a vile woman!!!
Song Ming now understood why Jiutian Dudao had been so smug when she said Xiao Lian wouldn't be coming back.
At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, but now he knew the reason.
Song Ming felt a lingering fear. He had almost lost Xiao Lian!
He decided that after eliminating the Su family, he would immediately cancel his cooperation with the Black Dragon Organization!
Such a person is unworthy of working with him!
Moreover...
Song Ming looked at Su Bailian with concern, his voice tense: "Xiao Lian? You mentioned Xia Gao?"
"Have you been to the Rakshasa Palace?"
Although their Rakshasa Palace mainly dealt with underworld forces, the members within were a mixed bunch.
If any of them had ill intentions toward Xiao Lian, such a pure woman, he didn't even want to imagine what could happen!
Hearing this, Xiao Lian's expression showed hesitation and grievance. She bit her lip and nodded slightly: "Yes..."
"Because the Rakshasa Palace is Ming gege's business, I thought I could help out too."
Seeing Xiao Lian's expression, Song Ming clenched his teeth, thinking of a possibility. He suppressed his anger and asked, "Did... did they do anything to you?"
"No... no... They just kept talking badly about Ming gege, and it made me feel very uncomfortable."
"?!"
Song Ming's eye twitched.
His face darkened ominously.
Very well!
After six years, you all think you're capable, don't you?
It seems... my suspicions were correct.
Song Ming took a deep breath, his eyes cold and piercing. He needed to visit the Rakshasa Palace.
Meanwhile, Su Bailian glanced at Song Ming's dark expression.
Then she looked at the empty red bean soup bowl.
A sigh of relief escaped her.
Perfect, he didn't notice.
Su Bailian thought for a moment, feeling a bit puzzled.
Qin Luo had asked her to drop a small centipede into Song Ming's soup today...
What was the point of that?
Moreover...
Su Bailian blinked.
She recalled the unusual behavior of Su Muwan and Qin Luo at the coffee shop earlier.
Hmm.
If there's no connection between these two, then I, Su Bailian, don't deserve to be called the White Lotus Master!
Su Bailian felt a bit apprehensive.
If Su Muwan had noticed that she had figured out their unusual relationship...
Then... then...
"Xiao Lian, why is your face so pale?"
"Boohoo... Thinking about how Ming gege was beaten by the Su family's young lady, it makes my head spin..."
"Sss! Don't worry, Xiao Lian. There won't be a Su family in Jiang City anymore!"
"Ah? Why?"
"Heh heh, because the person Su Ba trusts the most..."
"....."
"...”
A moment later.
Su Bailian's pupils dilated in shock.
?! What? You're telling me to have my own father poison Grandpa Su?
Dad!! Are you out of your mind?!
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.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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 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.
