The bearded middle-aged man moved with lightning speed, charging straight toward Xu Mu.
Fan Shiyu, who was standing beside Xu Mu, immediately unleashed her Gang Qi outward.
Boom!
The released Qi slammed into the bearded man with tremendous force.
The bearded man staggered back but steadied himself after just two steps.
He let out a loud laugh and said, "Was that what I drank earlier? It even has a sweet aftertaste!"
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet shattered as he lunged at Xu Mu once more.
Only then did the surrounding crowd realize the bearded man’s true intentions.
Earlier, he had dared to trade a seventh-grade Blue Sunflower—just to speed up his recovery.
Now, he intended to reclaim his treasure and snatch that half-empty bottle of mineral water as well.
Besides, what he drank earlier belonged to a beauty.
No psychological burden there.
Xu Mu quickly grabbed the half-empty bottle from the ground and bolted away.
The bearded man sneered and gave chase without hesitation.
Fan Shiyu and Dai Xingluo flanked him from both sides, attacking simultaneously.
Boom!
The bearded man expelled his Qi outward in an explosive burst.
The ground beneath him fractured violently, sending both Fan Shiyu and Dai Xingluo flying backward.
Fan Shiyu’s expression darkened—this level of power… was he at the mid-stage of Gang Qi, or even higher?
If that was the case, even if they joined forces, they wouldn’t be able to stop him from killing Xu Mu.
"Haha! Ladies, after I finish off this brat, I’ll drink again—but this time, straight from the source!" the bearded man roared with laughter.
Bang! Bang!
Two sharp cracks echoed through the air.
The bearded man was still mid-laugh when blood suddenly sprayed from his forehead and chest.
He stared at Xu Mu in disbelief. "You little bastard… you—"
Thud!
He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Times have changed, old man."
Xu Mu walked back, carrying his backpack in one hand and gripping a Desert Eagle in the other.
He crouched down and rummaged through the bearded man’s bag, finding quite a few valuable items.
He stuffed them all into his own backpack.
The onlookers were stunned.
No one expected this kid to be carrying a firearm.
Many in the crowd were assassins, well-versed in handling guns—but those were for overseas missions.
Domestic security checks made it nearly impossible to carry such weapons here.
Yet, he had one.
At that moment, Dai Xiao spotted another bottle of "water" on the ground and rushed over, gulping it down without hesitation.
Right now, survival was all that mattered. He could settle the score with Xu Mu later.
He already had a plan—once they got out, he’d tie Xu Mu up and force him to drink his own piss.
That would be fair.
"You two did well."
Xu Mu opened his storage space, using his backpack to block the crowd’s view as he pulled out two fresh bottles of mineral water.
He tossed one each to Fan Shiyu and Dai Xingluo.
Their faces lit up with joy when they saw the unopened bottles.
[Affection +6]
[Affection +5]
They both drank half the bottle before their bodies finally relaxed.
"Xu Mu! You bastard! You had water all along? Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Dai Xiao nearly fainted from rage.
He had just chugged piss, and now Xu Mu was handing out fresh bottles like it was nothing.
"Dai Xiao, that’s where you’re wrong. Even if I have water, what’s it to you?" Xu Mu replied coolly. "Besides, you drank my piss for free. I didn’t even charge you."
Dai Xiao’s face twisted in fury before he turned to Dai Xingluo. "Xingluo, you still have half a bottle left, right? Let me have some."
"You’ve got some nerve! What happened to the three bottles I gave you earlier?" Dai Xingluo had no intention of sharing precious resources with him.
They were still trapped here with no way out in sight.
Survival supplies were not something she’d just hand over.
"That old bastard over there stole my water," Dai Xiao said, pointing at a bald man wearing sunglasses.
Dai Xingluo’s gaze turned icy as she strode toward the old man.
Dai Xiao smirked—he couldn’t take the old man on, but Dai Xingluo was a different story.
"Old man! Hand over my water, or I’ll kill you!" Dai Xiao shouted, stepping forward aggressively.
"Ant."
The sunglasses-wearing old man snorted and struck out with his palm.
Boom!
Dai Xiao’s body convulsed violently.
His front remained unharmed, but the back of his shirt exploded into shreds.
Blood mist sprayed from his back as if his flesh had split open.
Whoosh!
Dai Xiao was sent flying, crashing into a distant tree before going completely still.
Xu Mu’s heart pounded as he studied the old man’s palm.
In the dimming light, something was unmistakable—faint yellow radiance flickered at the center of his hand.
Divine Ability!
Dai Xingluo, who had been ready to fight, immediately halted.
She loved battle, thrived on the adrenaline of combat—but she wasn’t stupid.
As someone at the early stage of Gang Qi, challenging a Divine Ability expert was suicide.
Fan Shiyu also understood now—no wonder she had been no match earlier.
Looking around, she realized why no one dared touch the eighth-grade spiritual herb nearby.
Instead, they were all fixated on Xu Mu’s water.
Some of them must have already known about the old man’s true strength.
Fan Shiyu walked over to Dai Xiao and quickly snapped photos with her phone.
She needed video evidence to complete the mission.
Even if she wasn’t the one who killed him, Dai Xiao’s death still counted.
Xu Mu sighed inwardly—Dai Xiao had met his end in such a way.
But whether Dai Xiao lived or died made no difference to the Dai family.
As an early-game antagonist family, their influence ran far deeper.
Night had fallen, and the golden glow of the Divine Wheat grew more pronounced.
Yet, Xu Mu still hadn’t caught sight of Xu Ningbing.
A sense of unease crept into his heart.
Shaking his head, Xu Mu decided he couldn’t just wait around. He had to keep searching.
"Brother!" Dai Xingluo immediately followed him.
After witnessing the old man’s power, she wasn’t foolish enough to try reclaiming the water.
But Xu Mu seemed to have plenty—as long as she stuck with him, she’d survive.
Fan Shiyu also trailed behind Xu Mu.
Her mission was already complete. Now, the priority was finding an exit and escaping this hellhole.
"Your family member just died, and you don’t seem the least bit upset," Fan Shiyu remarked coolly to Dai Xingluo.
"I have no ties to the Dai family. People like him? Their deaths mean nothing to me," Dai Xingluo replied flatly. "Helping him was a favor. Not helping is just how things are."
Xu Mu didn’t ask for details—he already knew the story.
Dai Xingluo’s mother had originally been a servant in the Dai household.
Only after becoming pregnant with Dai Xingluo was she granted the status of a concubine.
But even then, she was still treated like a servant by Dai Xiao’s father’s two legitimate wives.
If even the mother suffered, how could Dai Xingluo have had a decent childhood?
At one point, Dai Xingluo, fed up with the abuse, ran away and disappeared for years—yet the Dai family didn’t even bother searching.
Later, when her mother fell seriously ill, the family only sent her to the hospital as a formality.
Once treatment failed, they simply gave up, leaving her to die.
About half a month later, Dai Xingluo returned to the Dai family.
Only then did the family learn that her disappearance was due to being taken away by a sect, where she had even become an outer disciple.
Dai Xingluo caused a scene in the Dai household, furiously berating her father.
The family clearly possessed rare healing treasures, yet they had refused to use them to save her mother.
She even attempted to kill her father’s two wives but was injured and stopped by her grandfather.
Once again, Dai Xingluo left the Dai family, vowing to avenge her mother.
"Brother, why do you keep letting her follow you?"
Dai Xingluo clung to Xu Mu’s arm, shaking it. "She’s only sticking around for your water."
"Aren’t you the same?"
Fan Shiyu retorted coolly.
"Xu Mu and I are a match made in heaven. What are you? I can bear his children—dare you?"
Dai Xingluo shot Fan Shiyu a disdainful glance.

ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"

Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"

reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"