Ji Wushuang's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable force.
Li Jing stared at her blankly.
She took in Ji Wushuang's sweat-drenched hair and those steady, unflinching eyes.
Somehow, Li Jing found the strength—she actually stood up.
Ji Wushuang said nothing more.
She simply slowed her pace.
Step by step, she walked alongside Li Jing.
The rest of the platoon streamed past them one by one.
Every soldier cast complicated glances at Ji Wushuang.
At the two disproportionately large packs strapped to her chest and back.
At her slender yet unyielding spine.
The sun dipped below the horizon.
When Ji Wushuang and Li Jing—the last two—finally crossed the finish line,
the entire recruit company fell silent.
All eyes were on her.
The company commander, the political instructor, every squad leader, every recruit.
Ji Wushuang set down the two packs gently.
Two dull thuds echoed.
She neither boasted nor complained.
She simply returned to her formation, standing at rigid attention.
As if she'd done nothing more remarkable than tie her shoes.
After that day, no one dared gossip about her behind her back.
The nickname "Monster" stuck.
But now, it carried a new layer—something called "awe."
...
In Tangzhou, where decades passed without change,
hundreds of thousands lived the same unchanging lives.
Among them was Chen Lei.
His routine marched on without variation:
Class, dismissal, evening self-study.
The factory whistles, the cooking fumes from apartment blocks, his parents' nagging.
He often stood on the balcony, gazing southward.
He didn't know which direction Ji Wushuang's unit was stationed.
But he imagined it must be somewhere far south—
a place without the stench of steel mills or coal dust.
He often remembered too—that moment at the train station when she'd turned and waved.
He wanted to write her a letter.
The thought circled in his mind for ages.
He didn't know what to say.
His life was too ordinary, too dull.
Hers must be so much more exciting.
...And exhausting, right?
He feared his letter might disturb her.
Feared she'd find his words utterly uninteresting.
Then one day,
he came across an article about military life in the school newspaper.
It described the hardships of barracks existence.
How letters from home were a soldier's greatest comfort.
"A letter from home is worth ten thousand pieces of gold."
Chen Lei's heart stirred.
He wasn't family.
But they'd been neighbors. Classmates.
You could even say... childhood friends?
No—they absolutely were childhood friends!
He decided—no, he realized it was his duty—to write that letter.
That night, he took out stationery and pen.
He wrote for hours, filling pages.
Then crossed most of it out.
The final version he mailed contained just a few sparse lines:
"Ji Wushuang:
Hello.
This is Chen Lei.
How are you? Have you adjusted to army life?
Is the training very tough?
How's the food? Are you getting enough to eat?
Tangzhou hasn't changed.
I asked Uncle Ji and Aunt Chen—they told me to remind you:
Autumn's here. It's getting cold. Dress warmly.
Best wishes,
Chen Lei"
A clumsy letter, brimming with adolescent earnestness.
He dropped it into the green mailbox outside the post office.
His heart tangled between hope and anxiety.
One month later.
Mail call at the recruit company—
always the liveliest moment of the week.
The squad leader read names off envelopes.
Each called recruit whooped and ran forward.
Ji Wushuang didn't join the scramble.
She expected no letters.
Her father wasn't the letter-writing type.
If her mother wrote, the page would probably be soaked with tears.
"Ji Wushuang!"
The squad leader's sudden shout froze the room.
Every head turned toward her.
Ji Wushuang blinked in surprise.
She approached and accepted the envelope.
The handwriting was unexpectedly delicate.
Postmarked from Tangzhou.
From Chen Lei.
Back at her bunk, she quietly opened it alone.
Those simple, awkward questions made her lips twitch:
"Is the training very tough?"
"How's the food?"
For the first time since enlisting, she smiled.
Faint as a ripple on water—gone in an instant.
But when she read her parents' message, her eyes glistened.
Ji Wushuang quickly composed herself.
Still, someone in the barracks noticed.
They realized this "Monster" might not be so unapproachable after all.
She could smile. She could cry?
Ji Wushuang felt something long absent—
warmth from her distant hometown.
Care without demands.
After lights out that night,
she took paper and pen.
By moonlight through the window,
she wrote her reply.
Even shorter than his:
"Chen Lei:
Letter received.
Give my regards to Mom and Dad.
Tell them I'm fine.
Training isn't hard. I eat enough.
Study hard.
Ji Wushuang"
The recruit company entered a new phase:
live-fire exercises.
Every recruit's most anticipated—
and most talent-revealing—training.
On the range, gunfire popped continuously.
The air thickened with gunpowder.
Ji Wushuang held a real rifle for the first time—
a Type 81 assault rifle, cold and heavy.
Yet to her, it possessed a lethal elegance.
She didn't tremble with excitement.
Just followed the drill instructor's teachings:
Check the weapon. Chamber a round. Aim.
Her mind was still—so still she heard her own heartbeat.
She remembered childhood days in the factory district,
hitting sparrows with a slingshot.
She'd always been the most accurate.
"Ready—fire!"
At the instructor's command,
Ji Wushuang squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The recoil slammed her shoulder.
Her body barely swayed.
Beside her, female recruits gasped or winced.
Some even flinched and shut their eyes.
Not Ji Wushuang.
Her gaze never left the sights and target.
First shot: 8 rings.
Decent, but unremarkable.
The instructor called out scores.
Ji Wushuang ignored it.
She adjusted her breathing.
BANG!
Second shot.
BANG!
Third.
...
Five rounds spent, she lowered the rifle expressionlessly.
From downrange, the scorer's voice came—
shaking with disbelief.
"Target five: 8 rings, 9 rings, 10 rings, 10 rings, 10 rings!"
Her last three bullets had all pierced the bullseye.
The range fell silent for a heartbeat.
Every eye fixed on Ji Wushuang.
The male drill instructor strode over.
He examined her target, then her face—
like she was buried treasure.
"Natural talent! Absolute natural talent!" he exclaimed.
"What's your name?"
"Reporting, Instructor! Recruit Ji Wushuang!"
"Ji Wushuang..."
The instructor read out the name.
"What a great name!"
"You—you were born to handle a gun!"
From that day on, Ji Wushuang gained a new nickname.
"The Monster Marksman."
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
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?"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
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?!
