In the grand mansion of the Gu Family, the living room on the first floor was bustling with activity.
The high vaulted ceiling was adorned with a magnificent chandelier, each crystal shimmering with golden light, illuminating the room in a warm and radiant glow.
The walls were adorned with oil paintings, each a masterpiece crafted by renowned artists.
The furnishings in the living room were both luxurious and elegant, with exquisite carpets spread across the floor, soft and opulent, resembling a deep pool of flowing water.
The intricately carved furniture was arranged in perfect order, each piece exuding an air of tradition and solemnity.
On one of the sofas sat a group of people with diverse temperaments—men and women, young and old.
Some were suave and dignified, exuding an air of nobility. Others sat quietly, their sharp eyes scanning the room.
Some sat in the corner, gentle and refined, chatting amiably with acquaintances.
One person had their feet propped up on the coffee table, a bold smile on their face, with no one daring to sit near them.
Each person in the room occupied their own space, their unique auras and identities creating a subtle tension in the air.
Servants of the Gu Family bustled about, serving tea, water, and snacks to these guests, whom the family elders had instructed to be treated with utmost care.
Among the younger generation from smaller factions, some already knew each other.
A group of young men and women huddled together in a corner, whispering among themselves:
"Wow, this is impressive. Look at those two sitting over there—they're from Fire Cloud Mountain and Carefree Mountain. Two of the Four Great Mountains are represented here."
"And people from Unity Sect and Water Cloud Sect are here too."
"Not to mention representatives from all the major martial arts families."
"Is the Gu Family of Jianghai really that influential? How do they command such respect from all these big shots?"
At this remark, a middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat standing nearby chuckled softly.
"Young ones, you underestimate the Gu Family too much," he said.
"The Gu Family is a powerful local force in Jianghai, a well-known martial arts family in the ancient martial world. It's only natural that so many factions would come here."
"Of course... the most surprising attendees, in my opinion, are those two over there."
As he spoke, the man shifted his gaze toward two women sitting in the corner.
The others followed his line of sight.
In the corner sat two stunning women.
One had long, flowing hair, her brows carrying a blend of gentleness and resilience.
She wore a simple yet elegant green dress, her demeanor graceful, like a flower about to bloom, exuding a fresh and intelligent aura.
However, what was strange was that her eyes were slightly closed.
The other girl was entirely different. She wore a black robe, her expression cold, with a faint hint of killing intent in her brow.
Her beauty was tinged with aloofness, like an orchid blooming in the darkness, making her seem unapproachable.
The presence of these two women here was, frankly, a surprise to all the major factions present.
The younger generation, captivated by their beauty, couldn't help but feel a stir in their hearts.
They eagerly asked their elders:
"Master, who are they?"
However, the response they received was a stern rebuke.
Instantly, everyone who didn't know their identities understood that these were not people to be trifled with.
The woman in green was none other than Shangguan Miaoyin.
She was both the most talented young member of the Shangguan Family and a member of the [Night] organization.
Having been ordered by Leng Qingqiu to investigate the forces entering Jianghai—their numbers and strength—Shangguan Miaoyin had come to the Gu Family.
First, she knew that these factions had agreed to gather at the Gu Family today. Second... she wanted to meet the husband her master had chosen from the mundane world.
She wanted to see what made him special enough to be chosen by her master.
Listening to the murmurs around her, Shangguan Miaoyin smiled gently and turned to the cold-faced girl beside her.
"Ning Qian, what brings you to a place like this?" she asked softly.
"Is it also for... the Night?"
The girl, who appeared to be around 15 or 16 years old, showed a slight reaction to Shangguan Miaoyin's words.
She glanced at Shangguan Miaoyin before looking away, her voice icy.
"Of course not. I'm here to find my senior brother."
At this, Shangguan Miaoyin gained a valuable piece of information.
She probed casually, "Senior brother? Oh, you mean Xiao Lin, the young master of the Dragon King Palace?"
Hearing the name "Xiao Lin," Ning Qian's cold expression softened slightly, and a hint of shyness appeared in her eyes.
Her movements stiffened, and she refused to elaborate, simply nodding. "Yes."
In truth, besides Xiao Lin, there was another person training on Dragon King Mountain—Ning Qian herself!
She was Xiao Lin's junior sister on Dragon King Mountain!
She had come down the mountain to find Xiao Lin because their master, Lin, had said that the divination signs had changed. With the reappearance of the Night organization, Xiao Lin was bound to encounter trouble during this time.
Therefore, she had been sent down the mountain to assist him.
Shangguan Miaoyin fell silent, a faint smile playing on her lips. She planned to report this information to her master after the gathering.
But before that...
She narrowed her eyes and scanned the room. Boring... so boring.
A bunch of insignificant people.
If it weren't for her master's orders, these nobodies wouldn't even be worthy of sharing the same space with her.
She assumed that Gu Yan, the man her master had chosen, was just as dull as the rest of them.
Just as she was thinking this, a voice filled with apology rang out.
"Sorry, sorry. I was held up at the company, so I'm a bit late."
"I hope you haven't been waiting too long?"
At these words, the living room quieted down, and everyone turned to look.
Gu Tianming, the head of the Gu Family, walked in with an apologetic expression.
Behind him was a man with a gentle, amiable smile—Gu Yan himself.
Following his father's instructions, Gu Yan maintained his smile and spoke sparingly.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
The main event—Gu Tianming—had finally arrived.
Gu Tianming had deliberately waited for Gu Yan to return before making his appearance, intending to help his son acclimate to the serious atmosphere of having so many martial artists present.
He also wanted Gu Yan to get to know the representatives of the major factions in the martial world.
It would be beneficial for future interactions.
As Gu Yan walked in, his eyes quickly scanned the room, dismissing the insignificant figures.
When his gaze landed on the black-robed figure in the corner, a faint smile appeared in his heart.
Good, Xiao Lin's junior sister is here.
Now... everyone is accounted for.
Shangguan Miaoyin noticed Gu Yan looking in her direction and felt a surge of disdain.
Another man easily swayed by beauty.
Sigh, she really couldn't understand why her master had chosen such a man as a pawn.
Ah, she realized—it was precisely because Gu Yan was so useless that he could be discarded without a second thought.
Of course!
Her master was truly wise.
Shangguan Miaoyin inwardly praised her master. Well then, let's see just how pathetic this man really is.
She narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Gu Yan, ready to report his flaws to her master later.
Gu Yan, on the other hand, felt a strange sensation, as if an intense gaze was fixed on him.
He couldn't help but sigh. There were too many people easily swayed by looks these days.
Being handsome was truly a curse... men really needed to protect themselves in this day and age.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
n Our Village Many years later, Xiushui Village had transformed from a remote, impoverished hamlet into the renowned and flourishing Xiushui City of the Shifang Continent. All of this, solely because it was the birthplace of the Shifang Continent's number one sect—the Lingxian Sect. This is the story of a group of village youths, family, and friends, building a sect and growing together. Lin Xiao: As the sect master, my days are filled with countless tasks. Cultivating really gets in the way of building the sect. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Congratulations, Host, on successfully activating the Auto-Cultivation Function] Lin Xiao: Oh no, we're out of spirit stones. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Sect Mission issued. Mission Reward: Spirit Stones xN] No one loves their host more profoundly than this System!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
