Arriving at the magnificent Huachuang Tower, Master Jienan straightened his posture with visible pride.
"Are your two disciples here?" An Yi asked with curiosity.
Master Jienan smiled. "Indeed. What do you think? Quite impressive, isn’t it?"
An Yi’s lips twitched.
Lan Tuo Temple… monks…
He already had a hunch about who Master Jienan’s disciples might be.
What a damn coincidence!
"I have three outstanding disciples," Master Jienan said leisurely.
An Yi perked up. "Is Lin Chen one of them?"
"He is."
Master Jienan nodded.
Hongtian, wagging his dog head, nudged An Yi and asked, "Who’s Lin Chen?"
"That poker-faced guy you once chased around. You probably don’t remember."
An Yi paused mid-sentence, then flicked Hongtian’s head with a knuckle. "How many times have I told you? Don’t talk in public!"
"Tch! Just a bunch of snacks. Why bother?"
Hongtian scoffed but obediently shut his mouth.
He knew full well that a talking dog in this world would end up in a lab for dissection.
Master Jienan clasped his hands behind his back, radiating pride. "Though Lin Chen only trained under me for three months, he’s undoubtedly my most accomplished disciple. Now, he works as a bodyguard!"
"What’s so impressive about that?" An Yi grinned.
"His annual income is this much!"
Master Jienan raised a finger, adopting a mysterious expression.
An Yi raised an eyebrow. "A hundred million?"
Master Jienan: "..."
How dare you guess so high?! He couldn’t even keep up the act now.
"Exactly."
Master Jienan glanced at An Yi’s beat-up Wuling Hongguang and chuckled teasingly. "Xiao An, you’ve got some catching up to do."
But seeing An Yi’s unshaken expression, Master Jienan felt like he’d just performed for thin air.
"My other two disciples are also bodyguards. Though they don’t earn as much as Lin Chen, they still pull in millions annually—working right in this very building."
Master Jienan spoke with unmistakable pride.
A seven-figure salary in this world? That was undeniably upper-class.
An Yi nodded. "Oh."
Master Jienan: "..."
"Xiao An, you ought to understand—times have changed. Martial artists might be strong, but they’re nothing compared to money." Master Jienan sighed, shaking his head as he eyed An Yi’s shabby car.
In his twilight years, he’d originally planned to find a simple gatekeeping job to coast into retirement.
But now, stuck with this penniless guy, he might as well prepare to feast on the northwest wind.
At his age, he didn’t deserve this kind of suffering!
Maybe he should tactfully decline the gatekeeping offer and go live the high life with his millionaire disciples instead.
Just then, a sleek sedan pulled up in front of the building.
A bald man in a sharp suit and sunglasses—Long—stepped out.
"Boss! Long time no see!"
Long greeted An Yi warmly.
"Guess who’s here?" An Yi smiled.
Master Jienan stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Hu… it’s been a while. You’ve grown."
Long deadpanned, "I’m Long."
"Ahem, same difference. Long, you’ve grown."
Master Jienan wore a nostalgic expression.
Long squinted at him for a few seconds before recognition dawned—his face twisted in shock.
"Old thief Jienan?! Weren’t you kicked out of Lan Tuo Temple a decade ago?"
"Cough, retired… retired."
Master Jienan awkwardly corrected. "Anyway, I’m here now."
"Yeah, but why?" Long frowned.
Back then, he and Hu had been innocent young monks.
Unfortunately, they’d ended up with a shameless master.
After years under him, they’d absorbed none of Buddhism’s wisdom or martial arts’ discipline—just 80% of Master Jienan’s bad habits.
Even after the old man was expelled, the damage was done. They could never reintegrate into Lan Tuo Temple’s pure monastic life.
And so, their eventual exile was sealed.
Master Jienan beamed. "Hu and I have kept in touch. I know how well you’re doing. Long, I’m proud of you."
"Hu??"
Long stared at the old man.
Ah. So this scheming fossil was here to mooch off him in his old age?
Damn it. He’d beat Hu’s thick skull in later!
Long turned to An Yi. "Boss, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. I’ve recruited a batch of martial artists—our security team’s just started training."
An Yi nodded. "Good work. Keep bringing in skilled fighters. Money’s no issue—I’ve got plenty to spare."
"Boss?!"
Watching Long’s deference to An Yi, Master Jienan’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
His prized disciple… worked for An Yi?!
This kid was the real deal!
Master Jienan stiffened, his face cycling through shock, delight, and finally, reverence.
Bowing slightly, he spoke with newfound respect: "Young Master."
An Yi’s expression darkened with melancholy.
That single address—Young Master—told him everything.
A chasm had opened between them, one they could never cross again.
Memories surfaced: moonlight, an old man, a fleeing hedgehog… fading into the distance.
"Young Master An, if you’re this rich, why drive that junker?" Master Jienan asked, puzzled.
An Yi smiled faintly. "To stay low-key."
Hongtian rolled his eyes.
Low-key my ass!
"Let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve been back." An Yi strode into the building.
Master Jienan scurried after him, holding up three fingers. "Ahem, Young Master Yi… about the gatekeeper’s salary… how about this much?"
"Three million?"
An Yi considered it. Given that the old monk was a Void Realm expert—ranked in the top 50 of the Heavenly Leaderboard—three million a year wasn’t unreasonable.
With him guarding the gates, plus Long, Hu, and their team of martial artists, few in Xia would dare mess with the An Corporation.
"Fine. Three million it is."
Master Jienan froze.
He’d meant three hundred thousand.
Staring at An Yi’s nonchalance, shame washed over him for his earlier shortsightedness.
At the mention of three million, he found his life’s purpose:
To stand guard for the rise of the An Corporation!
Long trailed behind, watching Master Jienan’s hunched back. His lips moved silently.
After years apart, the cunning old fox seemed… older.
"Your… your eye. What happened?"
Long asked casually, as if it didn’t matter.
Master Jienan chuckled. "Let bygones be bygones."
Floors seven through nine of Huachuang Tower belonged entirely to the An Corporation.
Ding Renfeng strutted through the office in a tight suit, buttons straining, a Cohiba cigar in his mouth and a carton of Wangzai Milk in hand.
Employees bowed respectfully as he passed.
"Good day, President Ding!"
"Vice President Ding!"
"President Ding!"
"Mhm. Not bad."
Ding Renfeng nodded, pleased with the thriving company atmosphere.
Tomorrow, fire the guy who called me ‘Vice President.’
At the entrance, Ding Renfeng took a sip of his Wangzai milk tea and suddenly caught sight of An Yi. His expression instantly lit up with excitement.
"Boss, what brings you here?" Ding Renfeng greeted him with a hearty laugh.
"Just free today, nothing much."
An Yi glanced at the cigar in his hand and couldn't help but remark, "Still smoking those fakes?"
"Got used to it back when I couldn’t afford the real stuff. These knockoffs have this weird, sour stench—like an old lady’s foot bindings. Somehow, it’s addictive!" Ding Renfeng chuckled. Then, noticing the dog An Yi was leading, he immediately gushed, "Boss, your taste in pets is unmatched. This dog looks majestic, dignified, and extraordinary—like some kind of mythical beast at first glance."
Hearing this, Hongtian perked up his head, puffing out his chest with pride.
Who would’ve thought? After hiding his true nature for so long, this long-haired guy saw right through him.
Guess you can’t hide the truth forever!
Ding Renfeng forced himself to keep up the flattery, though his face burned with embarrassment.
This dog…
Was ugly as hell!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
