Xu Mu felt a bit helpless. He was a guy who still cared about his dignity.
He couldn't exactly put on a live show right in front of this old man, could he?
"I have a witness. That woman is also from the Sky Demon Tribe. She was present when we got married."
Xu Mu said, pointing at Hongyu over there.
"Uh... that's right."
Hongyu nodded.
"Child, do you really think I'm a fool? If I'm not mistaken, you're only saying this to save her life."
Hao Yang looked at Xu Mu with a placid expression.
Xu Mu's heart jolted. What was the deal with this old man? Could it be that he wasn't crazy at all?
After a slight hesitation, Xu Mu decided to bluff with a half-truth. After all, the old man didn't know the true nature of his relationship with Fu Jinyu.
"Senior, I'll tell you the truth. Just as you said, she and I have no relationship. I just want to save her life."
Xu Mu nodded and then said, "I like her. I've known her for five years. I hope Senior will do me a favor and spare her life."
When Fu Jinyu heard Xu Mu say he liked her, black text suddenly popped up above her head.
Affection +8
But then hearing Xu Mu say he had known her for five years, she knew he was clearly spouting nonsense again.
Affection -3
"Five years?"
Hao Yang asked curiously, "How far have you two progressed?"
"Uh... just following her and exploring the ruins together."
"You haven't even held hands?"
Hao Yang asked with a frown.
"Right. In my eyes, she is a goddess, sacred and inviolable."
Xu Mu said as he looked down at Fu Jinyu.
Fu Jinyu remained expressionless. Since she knew Xu Mu was just spouting nonsense, her heart was incredibly calm.
"Coward!"
Hao Yang looked utterly disappointed. "I have to admit, this woman is indeed not bad; she won't starve any future children. It's just that these Sky Demon Tribe eyes are too ugly. Although they can be concealed with a cultivation method, this is her original appearance after all."
"Your eyes are the ugly ones!"
Fu Jinyu was never a submissive person. She had always been the type to rather die than submit.
"Still acting tough, huh? Then next, I'm going to kiss you on the lips. Of course, you can also choose to let this kid take my place."
As Hao Yang spoke, he pointed at Xu Mu.
Xu Mu was a bit dumbfounded. This assist was so perfect that anyone who didn't know better would think he had deliberately hired Hao Yang to do this.
"I won't choose either!"
Fu Jinyu's eyes flashed with panic as she immediately shut them tight.
"If you won't choose, then I'll do it myself!"
With that, Hao Yang lowered his head.
Seeing this, Fu Jinyu quickly erupted with power. But in the next moment, Hao Yang's hand suddenly tightened its grip. In just a few seconds, Fu Jinyu's jade-white cheeks turned purplish-red.
Fu Jinyu continuously struck at Hao Yang's body, but Hao Yang completely ignored it.
"I choose... Xu Mu!"
Fu Jinyu cried out intermittently.
It had to be said that Hao Yang had perfectly grasped Fu Jinyu's weak point.
For someone like Fu Jinyu, a warrior could be killed but not humiliated. She wasn't afraid of death, but she was terrified of being insulted.
Anyway, she had previously eaten the medicinal herbs that Xu Mu had already taken bites out of. In comparison, this was easier to accept.
"Take the initiative."
Only then did Hao Yang release his grip on Fu Jinyu's neck.
Fu Jinyu's face was full of humiliation. She never expected to run into this madman while exploring the ruins. If she had known, she wouldn't have come.
Then, she looked at Xu Mu, gritted her teeth, leaned her pretty face over, and gave his cheek a quick peck.
In an instant, Fu Jinyu's breathing became rapid.
Affection +5
"Brother Mu!"
Seeing this, Meng Wanyue immediately trotted over.
"It's fine, Wanyue. I can endure it!"
Xu Mu said with a solemn face, "After all, Fu Jinyu saved me. If I see her dying and do nothing to save her, my conscience won't let me live it down!"
Hearing this, Meng Wanyue nodded slightly. What he said indeed made sense. Repaying kindness was a good quality, even though she felt a bit uncomfortable in her heart.
"Is that enough?"
Fu Jinyu tried hard to return to normal as she cast a cold glance at Hao Yang.
"No! Didn't you understand what I just said? I said lips, not cheeks."
Hao Yang said indifferently.
"You..."
"You don't want to, huh? Then I'll do it for him."
As Hao Yang spoke, he walked towards Fu Jinyu.
Fu Jinyu stared at Xu Mu again, lunged straight at him, and gave him a bite of a kiss.
Even though she pulled away quickly, her face was incredibly red, and she couldn't keep herself calm at all.
Affection +8
Xu Mu touched his lips. This assist was so good that a fleeting thought of acting like Lu Bu and acknowledging the old man as his godfather even flashed through his mind.
"Is that finally enough?"
Fu Jinyu's face was gloomy.
"It's enough, but there's more. Next, I plan to cop a feel of those bombs. Of course, you can let him do it instead."
Hao Yang pointed at Xu Mu again.
"Holy crap!"
Xu Mu looked at Hao Yang, and suddenly, this man's image in his heart grew instantly taller.
"A warrior can be killed but not humiliated! I, Fu Jinyu, will absolutely not let a scoundrel like you get your way!"
A black dagger appeared in Fu Jinyu's hand, and she aimed it at her own neck, ready to stab herself.
"Stop!"
Xu Mu immediately stepped forward and grabbed Fu Jinyu's wrist. He looked at Hao Yang and said, "Senior, please just let her go."
"Child, this time I'll listen to you."
After Hao Yang said this, he grinned. "You'd better study the surroundings first and figure out how to get me out of here."
Only then did Xu Mu let go of Fu Jinyu's wrist. "Alright!"
Fu Jinyu took a deep breath and looked at Hao Yang with an icy expression. She committed this grudge to memory; she would definitely take revenge in the future.
Hao Yang lay on the ground, took out a mineral water bottle, and held it above his mouth.
The alcohol inside had already been entirely consumed by him, but he held the bottle upside down, letting the remaining drops of liquor fall into his mouth one by one.
"Who exactly are you?"
Fu Jinyu stared at Hao Yang and asked.
"I like adopting sons. I want them, once they are capable, to be just like me and adopt children who have no parents."
Hao Yang still kept his face turned upwards, only shifting his eyes to glance at Fu Jinyu. "In the ancient martial arts world, many people call me the Stepfather, Hao Yang."
"What? You are Hao Yang!"
Hearing this name, Fu Jinyu was incredibly shocked in her heart. "The One Madman from One Madman, Two Mutilators, Three Killers, Four Wealthy Families?"
"I hate that title. I'm not crazy at all! I even went to Kunlun Mountain to ask them to remove my name, but they said it was just something the Sect Master casually mentioned in private. They didn't expect it to spread like this, and there was nothing they could do about it."
Hao Yang said expressionlessly.
Hearing this, Xu Mu glanced at Hao Yang. "Senior, countless people dream of entering this ranking, yet you actually want to withdraw from it."
Fu Jinyu also nodded along. This ranking represented the top-tier combat power in the secular world of the Dragon Kingdom.
As the Empress of the Sky Demon Tribe, she was naturally very clear about this.
"Hmph! This is merely a ranking of those active in the secular world over the past ten years. Putting me together with this bunch of people is an insult to me. If we're really going to rank everyone, even the Sect Master of Kunlun Mountain wouldn't make the cut."
Hao Yang said indifferently.
Xu Mu was a bit surprised. It seemed that this Hao Yang was indeed far from simple.

he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...

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?"

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.”

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…