One week later.
18:00 in the evening.
A week had passed since the camping picnic.
The entire city of Jianghai was abuzz with discussions about the most prominent family in the region—the Gu Family.
Because today marked the annual [Family Gathering] of the Gu Family.
All the executives of the Gu Family's enterprises, along with every member of the family, would gather at the Gu Family Manor for the event.
Gu Family.
Gu Yan stood before a full-length mirror.
Servants bustled around him, selecting the perfect attire for tonight's gathering.
"Young Master, how does this look?"
The servants asked nervously. After all, this was the eldest son of the Gu Family, and today was an especially important occasion.
If he were displeased, they might as well be thrown into the Jianghai River to feed the fish.
"Hmm..."
Gu Yan studied his reflection, and soon, a smug grin crept onto his face. "When you're this handsome, anything looks good."
"Absolutely, Young Master is absolutely right!"
The servants hurriedly nodded in agreement—though it wasn’t mere flattery.
In their eyes, Gu Yan’s looks were world-class, and with his natural charisma enhanced by the formalwear, he could easily pass for a noble prince from some far-off kingdom.
That is... if he didn’t open his mouth and say something bizarre.
"Wow, praising yourself like a melon seller hawking her own wares."
A light scoff came from the side.
Gu Yan turned to see Gu Yingying and Gu Yunrou, both dressed in elegant evening gowns. The sisters each had their own charm, exuding an indescribable aura.
"Clearly, it’s not self-praise—just facts."
"If you can name a man handsomer than your dear brother, by all means, enlighten me."
Gu Yan smirked, radiating confidence.
"I don’t know whether to call you narcissistic or just overly confident..."
Gu Yingying gave him a once-over, her cheeks flushing slightly before she averted her gaze with a huff. "Anyway, let’s hurry and pick up Sister Ling'er!"
"Oh? So you’re also eager to see my beloved Qingqiu?"
"Beloved Qingqiu..."
Gu Yunrou’s eye twitched.
Her younger brother was perfect in every way—except for the occasional cringe-inducing remarks.
Wait... was this what love did to a man?
Just then, Old Gao approached and whispered to Gu Yan, "Young Master, it’s time to leave. Master and Madam are waiting."
Gu Tianming and Su Murong had already arrived at the Gu Family Manor earlier to accompany Grandmother Gu and Old Master Gu.
Gu Yan nodded. Glancing at Gu Yunrou and Gu Yingying, he said, "Alright, let’s go. Take two cars—you and Yingying head to the manor first."
"I’ll go pick up Qingqiu."
"?"
Gu Yingying immediately pouted. She wanted to see Sister Ling'er too—they had even exchanged contact info!
Gu Yunrou sighed in amusement. "Oh, so you just want some alone time, huh?"
She pulled Gu Yingying along, chuckling. "But fine, who told me to be the elder sister? I’ll indulge you."
"Thanks, sis~"
Gu Yan grinned.
Ah, having an understanding older sister was truly a blessing.
Unlike this little gremlin here!
---
Leng Family.
The Leng sisters had also finished preparing.
"Big sis! You’re definitely going to be the center of attention tonight!"
"Even I’m about to fall for you!"
Since this was the Gu Family’s grand annual gathering, Leng Ling'er had meticulously applied a glamorous evening makeup look on Leng Qingqiu.
As for the gown, it was custom-made based on her taste—and Gu Yan’s preferences.
Leng Ling'er was confident her brother-in-law would be utterly enchanted!
Leng Qingqiu chuckled softly. "Ling'er, don’t exaggerate."
"It’s not an exaggeration!"
Leng Ling'er insisted. Just then—
Buzz!
A message from Gu Yan arrived, confirming he was outside.
"Let’s go, sis! Brother-in-law is here."
"Mm."
Leng Qingqiu nodded, her heart inexplicably fluttering with nervousness.
The bold move she had made during the camping picnic a week ago still left her feeling shy.
When Gu Yan later asked what had been going through her mind at the time, she had stammered, unable to explain.
How could she admit she had acted on impulse—inspired by a scene from a romance novel she’d read?
Outside, a pristine white luxury car idled by the gate.
Gu Yan stood waiting, bouquet in hand, eagerly peering toward the entrance.
A proper romantic gesture was a must.
Then—
Creak.
The door opened.
Two figures stepped out.
Gu Yan... was utterly stunned.
"Hiss—!"
He sucked in a sharp breath.
This... this was...!
"Speechless, huh, brother-in-law?"
"Ooh! Are those flowers for me?"
Leng Ling'er reached out excitedly—only for her hand to be smacked away.
Thwack!
Gu Yan brushed her aside and presented the roses to Leng Qingqiu instead, his voice filled with awe.
"Truly, 'the lotus shies from your jade-like beauty.' Qingqiu, what are the other attendees supposed to do now?"
"You’re putting way too much pressure on your husband!"
Leng Qingqiu couldn’t suppress her smile as she accepted the bouquet.
The sweet fragrance of the roses seemed to seep into her heart. "Flatterer."
"Every word is sincere."
Gu Yan took her hand, grinning. "Come, Qingqiu. Let’s show those amateurs what a real goddess looks like."
"A goddess?"
"In every sense of the word."
"Oh."
Leng Ling'er rubbed her stinging hand, glaring at Gu Yan’s retreating back as he turned toward the car. "Jerk!"
So annoying! She had put effort into her look too! Stupid brother-in-law!
"Hey, brat! You coming or not?"
"Grr—fine!"
With a pout, Leng Ling'er scrambled into the car after them.
---
The car sped toward the manor.
The annual gathering always lasted three days, and this year was no exception.
The first two days followed the usual banquet schedule.
But the third day...
That was the main event.
The [Successor Vote].
Each heir had three chances. If, by the third vote, the number of rejections outweighed approvals, the candidate would permanently lose eligibility to inherit the Gu Family.
And this year... was Gu Yan’s final opportunity.
[Master, we’ve secured control over all voting members.]
[Some were already influenced by the Young Master’s prior negotiations, so they’re excluded.]
[This year, Young Master Gu Yan will undoubtedly become the Gu Family heir.]
[Soon, the Gu Family will be ours! Heh heh heh~!]
[As expected of you, Master! Achieving what we never could!]
Outwardly, Leng Qingqiu remained composed.
But internally, she was communicating with the Night Organization.
To ensure Gu Yan’s succession, she had pulled many strings behind the scenes.
Originally, she had planned to neutralize Gu Yunrou and Gu Yingying if they posed a threat—but it seemed her worries were unfounded.
Meanwhile...
[Sir, all Gu Family members have arrived. Gu Zihua’s faction has been completely neutralized.]
[Also, my lord, you should pay attention to Gu Linyi. Grandmother Gu and Old Master Gu seem to dote on him quite a bit.]
[Aside from that, many martial factions have arrived at the Gu Family Manor to attend the banquet—some even include... Grandmasters!]
Gu Yan maintained a calm expression, but in his mind, he was communicating with his subordinates about the situation.
So far, things were unfolding more or less as he had anticipated.
He stole a discreet glance at Leng Qingqiu—and whether by coincidence or not,
Leng Qingqiu was also using her perception to observe him in secret.
When she noticed him sneakily looking her way, her heart tightened.
[In any case, report to me if anything changes.]
[Understood, Master.]
Gu Yan seemed to sense something as well.
He responded mentally,
[Keep me updated if anything happens.]
[Yes, my lord.]
Hmph.
The corners of their lips curled up faintly.
Perfect—just as planned. (x2)
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
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…
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.”
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
