The winter snow in Jingzhou this year fell exceptionally heavy.
The entire city was swaddled in a thick, quiet layer of white.
The main residence of the Huangfu Family was ablaze with lights.
The central heating had steamed a thin layer of condensation onto the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
Through this misty veil, one could see the snowflakes swirling wildly outside.
It also shut out the biting cold wind beyond.
In the banquet hall, glasses clinked.
Men and women in elegant attire held champagne flutes, their faces adorned with proper, impeccable smiles.
They discussed finance, real estate, cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Each word represented the flow of wealth amounting to hundreds of millions.
This was the center of power, a showcase for fame and fortune, a breeding ground for desire.
It was also a massive, ornate cage.
Ten-year-old Huangfu Chengshi stood in a corner of this cage.
He wore a slightly ill-fitting, white child's suit.
This suit had been hastily purchased by his stepmother's orders.
The sleeves were a bit too long, the shoulders a bit too broad.
It made Huangfu Chengshi look like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes to wear.
Even more, he resembled a young songbird, its feathers not yet fully grown, forcibly stuffed into a display case.
He did not belong here.
Huangfu Chengshi knew this very well.
His father, Huangfu Ting, the Third Master of the Huangfu Family, was holding a wine glass, laughing and chatting with a banker.
Huangfu Ting's gaze had never once drifted towards this corner.
Father Huangfu Ting was a charming and dashing man.
His mother had been Huangfu Ting's first love.
An ordinary woman without any background.
She had passed away from illness not long after giving birth to Huangfu Chengshi.
Huangfu Ting's affection for his first love might have been sincere.
But that sincerity had long been worn away under family pressure and the relentless flow of time.
He soon, under the family's arrangement, married another woman of suitable social standing as his stepmother, Zhuang Wanqing.
At this moment, his stepmother, dressed in an elegant cheongsam, was discussing next month's new arrivals from Paris with several society ladies.
Her smile was gentle and virtuous.
Zhuang Wanqing genuinely admired Huangfu Ting.
And so she hated.
She hated the woman who had once stolen the man she loved.
And by extension, she loathed the only child that woman had left behind.
She would not mistreat him.
Such behavior was beneath her status.
She simply treated him as air.
A thorough and polite neglect.
As for his father, that fickle and philandering man.
At home, he held little authority to begin with.
Towards this child who constantly reminded him of that "inglorious" past, he showed not a shred of concern.
Even when they occasionally met in the hallway.
Huangfu Ting would only frown, cast a fleeting glance, and then look away.
As if his son, Huangfu Chengshi, were some unclean stain.
The servants, naturally, were all experts at reading the wind.
Otherwise, they wouldn't survive in the Huangfu household.
Since Huangfu Chengshi received no care from his parents, the servants naturally followed suit, currying favor with the powerful and bullying the weak.
Thus, within this splendid prison called "home," Huangfu Chengshi became an extra, ill-fitting, and awkward presence.
"Young masters, you may go play in the snow in the garden now."
A servant approached and said respectfully.
This was a fixed part of the banquet routine.
The adults remained inside, engaged in their "hunt."
The children were herded outside for their "games."
For the children of the Huangfu Family.
So-called free time was merely a small-scale game of power.
And Huangfu Chengshi was always at the very bottom of the food chain.
He knew his "game" was about to begin.
He had deliberately appeared here today.
He had deliberately worn this ridiculous suit.
He had also deliberately, two days prior, let his father "accidentally" see his report card, which once again showed him ranked first in his entire grade.
He knew his father would receive a few words of praise from Grandfather because of it.
He also knew this praise would become a thorn, deeply embedded in the hearts of his eldest and second uncles.
It would even become a whip, lashing at his good-for-nothing older cousins.
He had set a trap.
A childish, yet malicious, trap set by a child.
He himself was the perfect bait.
He quietly followed a group of his cousins out of the warm banquet hall.
The icy air instantly enveloped him.
He gave a slight shiver.
Not from the cold.
But from a flicker of excitement at the impending spectacle.
The snow in the garden was deep, crunching underfoot with a "squeak-squeak" sound.
Several children soon began playing noisily.
Having snowball fights, building snowmen.
Their cheerful laughter carried far.
Huangfu Chengshi did not join in.
He walked alone towards the rockery deep in the garden.
The lighting there was dim, a blind spot for the surveillance cameras.
It was also a perfect stage.
He had just walked behind the rockery.
Several figures closed in around him.
Leading them was his eldest uncle's son, Huangfu Chengxuan.
He stood half a head taller, wearing a thin, insincere smile.
"Huangfu Chengshi, I heard you got first in your grade again on the mock exams?"
Huangfu Chengshi kept his head down, silent.
He clenched the hand hidden in his pocket.
Inside it was a fountain pen.
A reward from Grandfather just a few days prior.
A globally limited edition.
He knew Huangfu Chengxuan had been eyeing this pen for a while.
"Bookworm, what else can you do besides study?"
Another cousin gave him a shove.
"I heard Third Uncle got praised by Grandfather again because of your grades?"
"Just an unwanted stray kid, what's there to be so proud of?"
All sorts of venomous insults rained down on Huangfu Chengshi like pellets of hail.
Huangfu Chengshi remained silent.
He counted the seconds in his mind.
According to his calculations.
In another five minutes, the old butler responsible for patrolling the garden would pass by here.
The old butler was the person Grandfather trusted most.
As long as he saw this scene.
As long as he saw him, injured "by accident" while protecting Grandfather's gift.
Then, Huangfu Chengxuan and the others wouldn't have an easy time for a while.
Grandfather valued face above all and detested infighting among brothers.
"Get that new pen of his."
Huangfu Chengxuan finally lost patience.
He gave the order.
"A limited edition from Grandfather, wasted on someone like him."
Huangfu Chengxuan reached a hand towards Huangfu Chengshi's pocket.
Here it comes.
A glint of cold light, almost imperceptible, flashed in Huangfu Chengshi's eyes.
He suddenly clutched his pocket protectively.
His body trembled slightly from "fear."
"Oh? You dare to resist?"
This act of his thoroughly enraged Huangfu Chengxuan.
He shoved Huangfu Chengshi to the ground.
The icy, damp snow instantly soaked through the thin fabric of the suit.
Several children swarmed over him.
Fists and feet immediately began to land on his body.
The children's blows weren't very heavy.
But they were enough to leave some bruises that looked frightening but didn't actually harm any bones or tendons.
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?"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
