Xu Mu sat there, leaning against a large tree, waiting quietly.
Before long, a woman dressed in black casual wear appeared before him.
Xu Mu’s expression turned puzzled. Judging by her figure, she didn’t seem to be Dai Xingluo.
Her steps were unsteady, as if something was wrong with her body.
But Xu Mu was too far away, and she was bundled up tightly, making it impossible for him to discern the issue.
He immediately activated his Divine Eye to observe.
Name: Xia Sihan
Identity: Daughter of the Demon Sword Sect’s leader, female lead of Master Descends the Mountain, My Seven Senior Sisters Are Stunning
Favorability: 0
Fate Level: 8 (Max 10)
Xu Mu was astonished by what he saw.
He had never heard of the Demon Sword Sect, but any faction with "Demon" in its name likely wasn’t part of the righteous sects.
Before he could speak, Xia Sihan suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Xu Mu called out from a distance. At least one thing was certain—this woman wasn’t the one who had kidnapped him.
She was clearly severely injured, fleeing in this direction when she happened to spot him.
As Xia Sihan fell, the sunglasses she wore clattered to the ground.
She propped herself up with difficulty, her lychee-like eyes locking onto the bound Xu Mu.
Struggling to rise again, she leaned against a nearby tree, inching toward him with great effort.
Finally, she collapsed to her knees before him.
As she drew closer, Xu Mu felt a wave of scorching heat radiating from her—something was definitely wrong.
Xu Mu slipped his hands free from the ropes and grabbed her wrist.
"Let go of me!"
Xia Sihan’s body was hypersensitive. She immediately drew a dagger from her waist and swung at Xu Mu.
But her arm was weak and limp, lacking any strength.
Xu Mu effortlessly caught the blade.
"Relax, I mean no harm. I just want to check your pulse."
He tossed the dagger aside and held her wrist firmly.
Xia Sihan struggled briefly, but her body had no strength left. Seeing that Xu Mu made no further moves, she reluctantly relaxed.
"Something’s not right."
Xu Mu leaned closer and pulled down her black mask.
Xia Sihan’s face was revealed—she was young, no more than twenty.
Sweat had plastered her long black hair to her cheeks, and her round, apple-like face was flushed.
Her features were naturally cold and aloof, but paired with those large eyes, there was an air of naivety, even a hint of foolishness.
It was as if she had never experienced the harshness of the world, radiating an innocent charm.
Yet now, those same eyes were filled with hostility—no, outright murderous intent.
"Damn! Just as I thought, the smell is strong."
As the mask came off, Xia Sihan’s breath hit Xu Mu’s face.
"It’s Spring Night Grass. You’ve been poisoned."
Xu Mu waved a hand in front of his nose.
Spring Night Grass was a third-grade natural treasure.
Natural treasures referred to rare items with potent effects—not all of them beneficial.
Some of the deadliest poisons also fell under this category.
And the Spring Night Grass affecting Xia Sihan was undoubtedly a poison.
Consuming it would cloud the mind like drunkenness, sapping all strength.
It amplified primal desires to their limits.
Clearly, someone had drugged her, intending to take advantage of her.
Still, her willpower was impressive—she had managed to flee this far.
"You… If you know what it is… then get lost!"
Xia Sihan clenched her fists, glaring at Xu Mu with venomous eyes.
"Spring Night Grass is still a natural treasure. If the effects aren’t released, it might fry your brain."
Xu Mu met her gaze calmly.
"So you’re just like the rest—thinking of taking advantage of me! You men are all the same, worthless!"
Tears welled in Xia Sihan’s eyes, overflowing like a broken dam, filled with grief and fury.
She had never imagined that the man she once held in high regard would stoop so low.
To drug her—it felt like the sky had collapsed.
"Fine, then I won’t help."
Xu Mu tucked his hands behind his back, slipping them back into the ropes.
Xia Sihan shot him a cold glance, mustering all her strength to rise again.
But her arms gave out, and she crumpled back to the ground.
Remembering Xu Mu’s words, she realized he might actually know medicine. "Is it… true? Will it burn my brain?"
She hadn’t noticed it before, but now her mind felt like it was on fire.
The searing pain made it impossible to think.
"About a twenty or thirty percent chance," Xu Mu said nonchalantly.
"That high?!"
Xia Sihan bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. She couldn’t afford to lose her mind—she had vengeance to exact!
If she turned into a fool, her life would be over.
She studied Xu Mu again. At least he wasn’t bad-looking.
Taking a deep breath, she seemed to make a monumental decision. "Fine… fine!"
Xia Sihan never thought her proud reputation would be ruined by some nobody today.
But she refused to let it end here. She would have her revenge!
Xia Sihan began stripping off her casual wear, her mind so foggy she was nearly beyond reason.
Once she resolved to let Xu Mu have his way, her primal desires surged uncontrollably, overwhelming her body.
She lunged at him instinctively.
But Xu Mu suddenly raised a hand, stopping her. "What are you doing? Don’t get any ideas—I’m a married man!"
Xia Sihan was dumbfounded. What kind of act was this?
She considered herself more than attractive enough for a man like him.
"Miss, please control yourself. I’m a traditional man—once there’s intimacy, I feel responsible."
Xu Mu shook his head at her. "I don’t even know you well enough. I don’t want to get entangled."
"Entangled my ass!"
Xia Sihan couldn’t hold back her curse. "You think you’ll ever see me again after this? Bury this in your heart, or I’ll kill you!"
"I have principles. I don’t sleep with women I don’t know. Because… I’m a good man."
Xu Mu looked her in the eye. "I’ll help you, but I won’t do that."
Hearing this, Xia Sihan’s fevered mind regained a sliver of clarity.
"You… You can help me without doing that?"
"Of course. I’m a doctor. I understand this natural treasure—we just need to neutralize its effects."
Xu Mu waved dismissively.
……
Xia Sihan wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.
She almost wished they had just gotten it over with.
But to be fair, Xu Mu hadn’t lied.
He had indeed preserved her chastity.
Still, something felt off…
"Who’s there?!"
Xia Sihan suddenly turned toward the distant woods, her face tense. Had her pursuers caught up?

and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!

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.”

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.

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…