Xu Mu saw that the two were safe and sound, and his anxious heart finally settled.
He immediately walked towards Dai Xingluo and Meng Wanyue, with Chen Xuan following close behind him.
Arriving beside the group, Xu Mu didn't directly remove the hood of his black robe.
He merely pulled the hood back a bit to reveal his face.
Liang Yi had already memorized his appearance; showing it fully would definitely lead to discovery.
"It's good that you're both okay."
Xu Mu said to the two with a smile.
"Boss Xu, I was so worried about you."
Meng Wanyue immediately stepped forward, grabbing Xu Mu's arm, her face full of concern.
On that previous grassland, she had searched for a long time but couldn't find any trace of Xu Mu.
Instead, she found the person she disliked, Dai Xingluo.
"Brother, you scared me to death."
Upon seeing Xu Mu, Dai Xingluo also immediately pounced over, wrapping her arms around his other arm.
"Junior Sister Xingluo is truly interesting, deliberately finding a man to provoke me? You've succeeded."
To the side stood a man wearing a black trench coat.
He had a square face, long flowing hair, and a long sword strapped to his back.
He drew the sword, pointing it at Xu Mu in front of him, and said coldly, "Dai Xingluo is the woman I, Zhao Gang, have set my sights on. If you don't want to die, stay away from her."
Meng Wanyue saw him pointing the sword at Xu Mu and prepared to act, but Xu Mu stopped her.
"Brother, a melon forced from the vine is never sweet."
Xu Mu didn't need to think to know this man was the senior brother Dai Xingluo had mentioned earlier.
"Zhao Gang, can't you stop pestering me! I told you years ago, I'm not interested in you!"
Dai Xingluo's willow-like eyebrows shot up, a murderous glint in her eyes.
Seeing this, Xu Mu was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Dai Xingluo to be so aloof when facing other men.
He had previously thought she was the same with everyone.
"Dai Xingluo, it's enough that I'm interested in you. Your talent is excellent. After marrying me, even as a concubine, I can guarantee you'll have the same status as the principal wife."
Zhao Gang looked at Dai Xingluo's classical beauty aura, his eyes filled with fervor. "Once you marry me, you'll no longer be an outer sect disciple. You can learn our sect's top-tier techniques."
"I'm not interested. Brother, let's go."
Dai Xingluo pulled Xu Mu's arm, turning to leave.
"Junior Sister! My patience has its limits. I think you should know that back at the Heavenly Sword Sect, I already had the ability to force you."
Zhao Gang's expression gradually turned sinister. "This is me respecting you. After all, in the future, you'll still have to live together with your six elder sisters."
"Six? Hold on, buddy..."
Xu Mu couldn't help but exclaim.
Before he could finish his sentence, he was dragged away by Dai Xingluo.
"Junior Sister Xingluo, I'll give you one more hour. After that, I'll start using methods you won't like."
Zhao Gang sheathed his sword and walked into the distance.
"Good grief! Master was right, a beautiful woman is trouble indeed."
Chen Xuan muttered beside them.
These women really were trouble, especially the beautiful ones.
"What did you say?"
Dai Xingluo stared at Chen Xuan and asked.
"Oh... I said Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. The weather is just too hot."
Chen Xuan hurriedly waved his hands.
...
Elsewhere.
Fang Chu was still battling Liang Yi, and the fight was becoming increasingly intense.
But as the battle continued, Liang Yi sensed something was off.
Judging by his style, he was completely different from the previous "Fang Chu."
Thinking this, she launched another attack towards Fang Chu.
Liang Yi's move this time was just a feint; her real target was the black robe on Fang Chu's body.
She seized the chance, grabbed it, and tore with force.
The black robe ripped apart completely, revealing Fang Chu's figure.
Seeing this, Liang Yi immediately frowned. "You're not Fang Chu?"
"Of course I'm Fang Chu!"
Fang Chu said this, then asked, "Could it be we just share the same name?"
"Exactly. A man claimed to be Fang Chu. The one I'm looking for is him, not you!"
Liang Yi took a deep breath. No wonder it felt off.
Their fighting styles and techniques were completely different.
"What are the odds?"
Fang Chu thought for a moment, then remembered the two people he had encountered earlier at the foot of the mountain.
He then asked, "What does the Fang Chu you mentioned look like?"
"He's taller than you, about one meter eighty-five, and... quite handsome..."
Liang Yi didn't really know how to describe him, but that scoundrel was somewhat good-looking.
"Is it him?"
Upon hearing "one meter eighty-five," Fang Chu took out his phone, found a photo of Xu Mu, and showed it.
"Yes! That's him! You know him?"
Liang Yi stared at the phone and asked.
"Of course I know him. He's my enemy, impersonating my name!"
Fang Chu cursed angrily. "Damn it! That bastard Xu Mu is even more shameless than me!"
"His name is Xu Mu?" Liang Yi asked.
"Exactly. Where is he? I'm going to kill him. This isn't the outside world!"
Fang Chu was trembling with rage.
"I don't know either, but he's definitely here. Let's find him together!"
Liang Yi knew how to find Xu Mu: he had a companion carrying a woven bag.
Even wearing a black robe, that person still carried it, so the back of the robe was very bulging.
Like a hunchback, easy to spot.
...
On Xu Mu's side, he had already explained the whole story from beginning to end to Dai Xingluo and Meng Wanyue.
Now, he had four formation bracelets in his possession. Adding the three people before him made seven.
Plus the one in Miao He's hands, that made eight.
If Miao He could find one more, they could leave this formation.
"Oh no!"
Just as Xu Mu was speaking, he sensed two people approaching: Fang Chu and Liang Yi.
Since Fang Chu's face was exposed, it was clear the misunderstanding had been resolved.
"Brother Mu, what's wrong?" Chen Xuan asked curiously.
"Nothing. Old Chen, I'm entrusting these two to you for now. Make sure nothing happens to them. Wait for me to get one more bracelet, then I'll come find you."
After saying this, Xu Mu took off the hood of his black robe and walked outside.
"Boss Xu!"
Meng Wanyue immediately followed behind Xu Mu, clearly wanting to face the enemy with him.
"Wanyue, be good."
Xu Mu smiled at Meng Wanyue.
"Brother! Once we leave these ruins, let's get married!"
Dai Xingluo said with a serious face.
"Damn it! Usually when someone says that kind of line, we never make it out!"
Xu Mu shot a glare at Dai Xingluo and walked outside.
He had just stepped out of the building when Fang Chu in the distance spotted him first.
"Damn it! Xu Mu, you're dead today!"
Fang Chu roared and charged towards Xu Mu first.
Liang Yi followed closely behind. She had a feeling that the scoundrel who had performed that "Millennium Kill" on her earlier was probably him.
Because seeing Xu Mu made her backside ache faintly.
Xu Mu tried to distance himself from the Grandmaster-level expert over there, running in another direction.
He hadn't run far when another person charged towards him.
It was none other than Zhao Gang.
Seeing this person, Liang Yi stopped and asked, "A person from the Heavenly Sword Sect? Are you protecting him?"
After all, Zhao Gang was the senior brother of the Green Wood Mountain branch of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and very powerful.
"Of course not. I'd be delighted if he died. I'm just here to watch the show."
Zhao Gang shot Xu Mu a disdainful smile. It looked like he wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the man would die on his own.
Xu Mu's expression grew serious. He drew the dagger he had been steeping.
These three were all skilled fighters; he couldn't afford to be careless.
"Spring Night Grass" would be perfect for them.

ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!

young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."

] [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!"

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!