Meng Wanyue looked at Xu Mu with a solemn expression. "The Dragon King has already given me orders to ensure their safety. I will do everything in my power, even at the cost of my life."
"Wanyue."
Xu Mu gazed into Meng Wanyue's cool, distant eyes. "I’d rather you protect them for my sake, not the Dragon King’s."
At these words, Meng Wanyue shuddered, unsure how to respond.
The Dragon King had ordered her to protect Ye Tong and Ye Yu. Xu Mu had asked the same.
This time, the task was identical, so she had no reason to hesitate.
But what if next time, the orders conflicted?
What if the Dragon King commanded her to kill someone, but Xu Mu forbade it? Whom should she obey?
Meng Wanyue’s mind went blank. As a former killing tool, she had never struggled with such dilemmas before.
But now, she didn’t know what to do.
"Wanyue, maybe I’m being sentimental. Don’t overthink it. Just focus on keeping them safe."
Xu Mu offered a faint smile.
"Boss Xu, regardless of the Dragon King, even if it were someone else, I’d protect them with my life if you asked."
Meng Wanyue met his gaze.
She understood her own heart. Compared to the Dragon King, she felt at ease and secure with Xu Mu.
Around the Dragon King, she was tense, uncomfortable.
She knew who truly cared for her.
"Wanyue, your words put me at ease. Here’s a gift—something I stumbled upon by chance."
Xu Mu handed her a rusted metal plate inscribed with the Mountain-Splitting Palm technique.
At first, Meng Wanyue didn’t recognize it. But after a closer look, her eyes widened in shock.
"Boss Xu, this… this is a cultivation manual!" she exclaimed.
"Exactly. I had someone check—it’s only a Yellow-grade technique, nothing too advanced. When I have time, I’ll find you something better."
Xu Mu grinned.
He had already mastered the Mountain-Splitting Palm himself. The technique was decent, allowing the user to channel energy into blade-like strikes.
Such attacks far surpassed ordinary energy projection.
"Boss Xu, this is too valuable! Even a Yellow-grade manual isn’t something just anyone can obtain. I can’t accept it."
Meng Wanyue shook her head vehemently.
In the world of assassins, only the elite few stood above the rest.
True masters disdained becoming hired killers.
Most cultivation techniques were hoarded by sects and hidden clans.
Assassins like her rarely had access to them.
Before, Meng Wanyue relied solely on skill and stealth for her kills.
But after joining the Dragon King, she nearly died on a mission once. As a reward, he granted her a Yellow-grade manual.
She had been endlessly grateful.
Yet here was Xu Mu, simply giving her one? How could she possibly take it?
"Not listening, are you?"
Xu Mu glared at her. "It’s not a one-time use item. Just take a photo of it."
He knew the lore—Yellow and Mystic-grade techniques could be recorded in writing.
Earth-grade and above, however, required the original manual to cultivate.
"But—"
"Keep refusing, and I’ll smack your fleshiest spot."
Xu Mu cut her off, pointing at her threateningly.
[Affection +10]
Meng Wanyue’s cheeks burned, but her heart swelled with joy and gratitude.
Nodding quickly, she pulled out her phone and photographed the manual.
"Boss Xu, I won’t let you down. I’ll master this technique as fast as I can." She tucked her phone away.
"Go on, then." Xu Mu waved her off with a smile.
"Right."
Meng Wanyue turned and left, eager to study the manual.
Once she was gone, Xu Mu stored the metal plate back in his spatial storage.
Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes in thought.
Ye Tong’s commute from home to work was along main roads—likely safe.
He had also instructed Ye Tong to tell Ye Yu to stay on campus and avoid unnecessary outings.
As long as those two were protected, everything should be fine.
Just as he mulled it over, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen—a virtual number.
Answering, he demanded, "Who is this?"
"Xu Mu? A video link will be sent to your phone shortly. Make sure to watch it."
The voice was distorted, impossible to identify.
"What if it’s malware? Not clicking."
Before Xu Mu could finish, the call ended.
Seconds later, a text arrived with the promised link.
Hesitating briefly, Xu Mu pulled an old phone from his desk drawer.
It wasn’t truly old—just replaced after he upgraded to the latest triple-fold model.
This spare had no sensitive data, used mainly for risky browsing. Even if infected, no harm done.
Typing the URL into the spare phone, he opened the link—a video.
The footage began with a woman tied to a pillar.
Had it not been for this, Xu Mu might have forgotten her: Mu Qingying, the flat-chested schoolteacher the original Xu Mu had pursued.
Her oval face was framed by a ponytail, but now, fear twisted her features.
"Xu Mu, your beloved ‘goddess’ is in my hands, waiting for her hero. If you don’t come to the abandoned chemical plant in Wu City, Jiang Province, by 4 PM today, who knows what’ll happen to her?"
The recorder paused, then added, "If you call the police, Mu Qingying dies. Then you. Be a man—come alone. Someone will meet you there."
The video ended.
Xu Mu sighed. Why did the kidnappers keep targeting women he didn’t care about?
He was starting to question Lin Yang’s intelligence.
First Feng Yue, now Mu Qingying. Should he panic or take a leisurely bathroom break?
Then again, he understood Lin Yang’s logic.
The original Xu Mu had showered Feng Yue’s bar with cash daily—his crush was no secret.
Similarly, he’d sent Mu Qingying flowers at school every day.
Lin Yang’s choices made sense.
His mistake was not realizing Xu Mu’s soul had been replaced.
Rubbing his temples, Xu Mu debated whether to go.
If Mu Qingying failed as leverage, Lin Yang might escalate—and then Xu Mu would really have to worry.
But since it was Mu Qingying, he had room to maneuver. She posed no real threat to him.
Decision made, he pushed off the desk, ready to move.
This dragon’s den was worth storming.
As he opened his office door, Meng Wanyue appeared in the hallway.
"Boss Xu, where are you going?" she asked curiously.
"I—"
After a brief hesitation, Xu Mu decided to bring her along. "Come with me."
An extra hand never hurt. Their target was him—perfect for Meng Wanyue to rescue Mu Qingying unnoticed.
Plus, he wanted to test his recent progress firsthand.
...
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?
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
