After several days of interaction, Song YanShi grew increasingly fond of the young man. He possessed both literary talent and military knowledge, with a resilient character. Through various tests, Song YanShi glimpsed a hint of ruthlessness hidden deep within him, a trait that further endeared him to Song YanShi.
Moreover...
The girl liked him.
However, he also seemed qualified to be my son-in-law, Song YanShi thought.
In those days, Song YanShi was indeed in high spirits. He even thought about Bai ShiXuan, his once formidable opponent in court. Interestingly, both of them shared a similarity—they had no sons but each had a lone daughter.
Bai ShiXuan detested scholars, but if he were to meet this young man, perhaps he might find him likable, just like me, Song YanShi pondered.
For some reason, Song YanShi thought this way.
However, things took a turn when Song YanShi revealed his true identity to the young man...
"Left Prime Minister of Dawu Country, Song YanShi!"
Once the young man learned this name, he suddenly froze in place.
Song YanShi thought to himself: My daughter still understands the importance of discretion; she didn't reveal my identity to this scholar due to personal matters. This had been a rule Song YanShi established for his family over the years—no plaques in the mansion and no discussion of his matters when outside.
But then, in the next moment...
The look in the young man's eyes made a lasting impression on Song YanShi.
An intuition arose within Song YanShi, making him inexplicably want to abandon the idea of making him his son-in-law.
Even to the extent of...
The saying, "If not for my use, then for my destruction."
At that moment, Song YanShi, for some unknown reason, felt a sense of murderous intent.
However, in the end, due to the appearance of his daughter, the conversation between the two men that day didn't continue. For some time afterward, they did not speak.
It wasn't until several months later that the daughter suddenly announced her intention to marry him.
Song YanShi least wanted a rift between his daughter and himself.
Since Song YanShi valued talent and harbored a lingering fear, he devised a plan to make the young man withdraw, even though the method was not particularly admirable.
First, the daughter couldn't marry him, but the young man could choose to marry into the family.
Second, a name change.
The name "Qingming" was good, but Song YanShi chose 'GaoSheng.'
GaoSheng, rising step by step.
For ordinary people, this was surely an auspicious name, but for Confucian scholars, it was too explicit.
Like those powerful figures in history who ascended to the throne, they always went through elaborate processes of three refusals and three resignations.
For scholars, unless their parents chose their names, no one liked their name to reveal a blatant meaning of 'I just want to become a high-ranking official' or 'I study just to become a high-ranking official.'
Both matters carried a sense of humiliation.
...
...
In the capital city, under the night sky, a storm was brewing.
Leaning against the railing, Song YanShi lightly tapped the border guard's railing with his fingertips.
Why did Lu Gaosheng want to deal with him?
Over the years, aside from the slightly humiliating act of changing his name and making him a county magistrate, had he mistreated him in any way? The top scholar's title, luxurious lifestyle, and grand estate—everything was at his disposal.
No.
Now was not the time to think about these things.
After eliminating all possibilities, what remained was the truth.
Lu Gaosheng...
"Six years ago, when I sent him to become a county magistrate, I only intended to temper the aggression in him, but I never expected..."
Nurturing a tiger invites calamity!
The Prefect of Tian Ge isn't beholden to him, nor is he to Tang Li. Perhaps the Prefect of Tian Ge, being wary of his status as the Left Chancellor, wouldn't dare to suppress Lu Gaosheng, but he certainly wouldn't go out of his way to protect him either.
According to the information gathered by Song YanShi in the past few months, in these short six years, Lu Gaosheng has risen solely based on his own abilities, steadily climbing up the ranks. Even the position of the next Prefect is almost within his grasp.
After careful consideration...
Song YanShi ultimately issued a decisive order.
"Spread my command: Have Flowing Fox disperse the remaining men to every township in Tian Ruo Prefecture. As for Lu Gaosheng himself, select a few skilled individuals and immediately enter Tian Ruo City to blockade his mansion. Keep a close eye on him; as I suspected, the grain and provisions are likely in his hands!"
"If he knows what's good for him, there's no need for conflict. But if he insists on being my enemy..."
Song YanShi remained silent, but made a sliding motion at his neck.
The figure in black immediately understood and nodded, replying, "Yes, Chancellor Song! As for Miss's side..."
Song YanShi suddenly hesitated, caught off guard by a moment of uncertainty.
Just a bit.
Song YanShi calmly stated, "As I said earlier, if Lu Gaosheng doesn't know his place, kill him and be done with it. My orders are not to be questioned!"
Then, Song YanShi turned and asked, "Where is the squad from the Zhennan Army now?"
The figure in black answered, "After receiving the secret order, the Grand General has already selected a group of elites. However, the journey is long, and as you know, the Right Chancellor's side has been keeping an eye on the Grand General, so they have not yet entered Tian Ge Prefecture. But from what we know, they're close! It will only take a day or two."
Song YanShi nodded.
His final move would certainly not rely on Flowing Fox and the hastily assembled mercenaries.
The elite soldiers under the Grand General of Zhennan Army, that's the real ace up his sleeve!!
Originally, it was anticipated that they would catch up after the grain and provisions were transported to the Northern Land, but now, an unexpected event, which might not all be bad, seemed to be unfolding.
As the figure in black rose to relay the orders, Song YanShi casually added, "Use Red Eagle for the message."
The figure in black widened his eyes, thinking it was rather imprudent, and advised, "Chancellor Song, Red Eagle is for urgent military matters. It shouldn't be used unless it's absolutely necessary. Every time it's used, it leaves a record in the military department, and this..."
"Do you think I need your reminders?"
Song YanShi's icy tone made the figure in black silently lower his head.
"Lu Gaosheng is not Tang Li, let alone a worthless Prefect of Tian Ge! Dealing with him requires speed! It requires ruthlessness! What I'm competing with him now is time!"
...
...
This dream has been recurring for a long time.
When did it start?
Actually, I know.
My naturally keen ears always seem to pick up on various truths in this world, like...
That year, beneath the towers of the brothel.
These ears overheard a conversation:
"Hehe, studying? Brother Li, in this day and age, who needs to study for the imperial examinations?"
"Brother Lin, you topped the provincial exam three years ago, so naturally, you wouldn't understand the struggles us common folks face."
"Well... it's no secret. Actually, these exams are just a formality. You slip some money, get the examiners to pick a few papers, swap the names, and there you go!"
"What? You can do that?"
"Hehe, I'll be honest with you. Three years ago, that's exactly what I did. The nobleman at the time even chose a top-notch paper for me. As for the original name... uh, I forgot, seemed to be surnamed Lu, anyway, I ended up at the top of the list."
"But... isn't that unethical? The scholars who earn the top spot legitimately would lose out if their names are swapped."
"Hey! I treat you as a brother, invite you for drinks, and this is how you talk?"
"Uh, sorry, my apologies."
In the end, that dandy surnamed Lin muttered:
"The books I'm supposed to read? My old man finished them for me when he toiled away back then! Why did he work so hard? Wasn't it all for our Lin family to have officials for generations to come? So, now that I want to become an official, do I still need to study?"
Study?
What a load of crap.
Just like what Zhang San said on the first day he entered Tianruo City, and what Lu Gaosheng heard upstairs:
"Why should the efforts of generations in our family lose to your ten years of studying?"
] [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!"
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.
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
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!
