Half an hour later.
Sword Holding Department cafeteria.
"So, just like that, I became a consultant for the Sword Holding Department."
Lin Yinyin took off the department badge pinned to her chest and handed it to Gu Yan for inspection.
Her tray was piled high with candies and sweets.
"Oh?"
"So, does that mean the restrictions on you as a leader have been lifted?"
Gu Yan studied the badge thoughtfully. This badge... contained a tracking array inside.
It constantly monitored Lin Yinyin's whereabouts.
No such array was embedded in the badges of other Sword Holders.
"That's right, they don't control me anymore!"
Lin Yyin giggled and nodded.
Poor child.
With a mere thought, Gu Yan altered the array within the badge before returning it to her.
Now, the department would only see the real-time location he wanted them to see.
This would prove crucial for his later plan to seize the 'Silver Core' embedded in Lin Yinyin's forehead.
Lin Yinyin took the badge back and grinned. "Little Yan, there's one more thing—remember all those candies you gave me before?"
"I've finished them all. Do you have any more?"
She blinked at Gu Yan expectantly. "No matter what I try, your candies are still the tastiest."
"Heh, anything for the boss."
A faint, unreadable glint flashed in Gu Yan's eyes as he stretched out both hands in front of her. "Remember this magic trick?"
"Just tell me how much you want... and I'll conjure up exactly that."
As soon as he finished speaking—
Clatter!!
A cascade of candies poured from Gu Yan's palms onto the table.
Lin Yinyin's eyes widened in awe. She scooped up the mountain of sweets with both hands, laughing gleefully. "E-enough! Any more and I won't be able to finish them all!"
"Little Yan, you're the best!"
"Just glad to please the boss."
Gu Yan smirked slightly, his gaze drifting subtly toward the space between Lin Yinyin's brows.
Heh.
Perfect.
Just a little more, and the Claw Cells would fully consume the sealing array around the Silver Core.
Once that happened, Lin Yinyin's core power would be exposed.
And he... would finally obtain the Silver Qi!
In the shadows of the cafeteria,
a black-uniformed inspector from the monitoring team kept watch on Lin Yinyin's movements.
Pressing his earpiece, he reported: "It's Gu Yan again. He gave the Anti-Demon Weapon more candies—same as before, nothing suspicious."
A low voice responded through the earpiece:
"Good. Continue surveillance. Report immediately if signs of rampage appear."
"Understood!"
As time passed,
the cafeteria gradually filled with more people.
Soon, a commotion erupted near the entrance.
"Wow! It's the LV3 Sword Holders!!"
"They must be back from a mission!"
"Lady Shangguan is so beautiful!"
"Lord Murong!! So handsome!!"
"And Miss Bai Lian—she's adorable! She's totally my dream girl!"
"Lord Jun Zilan!!"
"Even the genius Mind Swordsman, Liu Jianxing, is here!!"
Hearing the familiar names echoing around him, Gu Yan glanced up.
There,
a grand procession of Sword Holders strode through the entrance.
Clad in white uniforms, every one of them exuded an aura surpassing the Xiantian realm.
Looking at these familiar faces...
Well, well...
Gu Yan chuckled inwardly.
More than half of them were former members of the Night Organization.
Bai Lian basked in the adoration of the crowd.
Keh keh keh~ That's right, just like this! Let all you foolish men fall under the spell of this young lady's innate charm!!
As expected, no one in this world can resist my allure.
Except... that one guy who keeps showing up in front of me... Huh?!
Mid-thought, Bai Lian suddenly froze, her expression stiffening.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
"Gu Yan?!"
Unable to contain herself, she pointed dramatically in his direction.
The moment Bai Lian spoke—
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
Every pair of eyes in the room snapped toward Gu Yan, who sat quietly in the corner.
Gu Yan?!
Murong Ci's gaze sharpened. Gu Yan... long time no see...
Shangguan Miaoyin remained expressionless, but she subtly sniffed the air.
Hmm?
Gu Yan's scent... carried traces of our Master.
A pang of resentment twisted inside her. Damn this man. The Master must only be getting close to him for the sake of the plan.
Liu Jianxing also turned toward Gu Yan, his face lighting up. "Brother Gu!"
Their friendship dated back to last year's Night King invasion of Jianghai.
The two had forged a deep bond during that battle!
Unfortunately, after the nationwide martial awakening, he hadn't seen Gu Yan again.
Rumors said Gu Yan was busy with civilian martial organizations, yet he never appeared in the media.
Who would've thought they'd reunite right after a mission?
Without hesitation, Liu Jianxing strode over enthusiastically. "Brother Gu!"
Murong Ci frowned but, after a brief pause, followed suit.
[Hey! Blockhead, what are you doing?!]
Bai Lian screeched through the team's mental link.
Helpless, she trailed after them.
Shangguan Miaoyin observed the scene, then smiled faintly and whispered to the others:
"Come, let's greet the man our Master openly acknowledges in the mundane world."
At these words,
the expressions of those around her darkened.
So this... is that Gu Yan? Why does he look so familiar? Almost like he'd visited the tea restaurant they ran in the civilian sector before.
Jun Zilan flicked open his folding fan with a light chuckle.
"Pfft. This man's cultivation hasn't improved one bit. How laughable."
With that, he too sauntered over.
In no time,
Gu Yan's table was packed with people.
The sudden gathering instantly drew the attention of the entire cafeteria.
"Damn... Young Master Gu is this well-connected?"
"Yeah, who knew he was acquainted with Lord Murong and the others?"
"Well, the Gu family is an ancient martial clan. There were rumors that Gu Yan spent some time in Jianghai's martial division—same batch as Liu Jianxing!"
"Really? Weird how everyone flocks to him the moment he shows up."
"True. Too bad the Director doesn't usually eat here, otherwise...?!"
"Otherwise what?"
One person blinked in confusion at their suddenly rigid companion.
Following their gaze toward the cafeteria entrance—
They gasped.
There,
two figures stood.
One was the prodigy known as [Leng Ling'er], who had broken through to the Xiantian realm mid-battle against demons, single-handedly turning the tide of war!
Her golden ponytail swished as she glanced around, seemingly searching for someone.
The other—
With closed eyes, an icy demeanor, and beauty that could topple nations...
The Director of the Sword Holding Department herself—Leng Qingqiu!!
"Director!"
"Director!"
"Director!"
The entire cafeteria rose to their feet, voices ringing out in unison.
To them, Leng Qingqiu was nothing short of a deity.
Everyone held a mix of respect and fear toward her, for she struck with ruthless precision and always maintained an icy, unapproachable demeanor in public.
She was terrifying, yet one couldn’t help but admire her strength!
"Ah! Brother-in-law is over there!"
Leng Ling'er spotted Gu Yan squeezed into a corner and immediately grabbed Leng Qingqiu's arm excitedly. "Sis, let’s go over!"
"Mm."
Leng Qingqiu gave a slight nod before walking toward Gu Yan.
The people sitting near him quickly picked up their trays and scrambled to make space.
Shangguan Miaoyin and the others promptly cleared a path, greeting her with deference: "Department Head."
"Madam."
Who would’ve thought the Madam would come to the cafeteria just for this man?
How unbelievable!
Shangguan Miaoyin seethed with envy in her heart.
Then, Leng Qingqiu stopped in front of Gu Yan.
He looked up at her, feeling a surge of happiness.
Truth be told, he had always known Leng Qingqiu would become a central figure among humans.
But he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly—and with such overwhelming influence!
One second passed. Two seconds passed. The cafeteria fell dead silent; no one dared disturb Leng Qingqiu.
Everyone assumed she was here to reprimand Gu Yan. After all, the commotion earlier in the building seemed to have been caused by him interrupting the Department Head’s training!
Then, at the third second—
Leng Qingqiu finally spoke, her voice breaking the silence: "I'm hungry."
Gu Yan smiled and nodded. "Got it. Can I use the cafeteria kitchen?"
"Yes."
"And..."
Leng Qingqiu reached out, gently ruffling the hair of Lin Yinyin, who sat nearby blinking in confusion. Her tone remained indifferent. "I want the cream puffs you make."
"No problem."
"I’ll make them right now."
"Oh, I should probably make extra this time."
With a warm smile, Gu Yan stood and headed for the kitchen.
The entire cafeteria froze in shock.
What just happened?!
Their exchange had been so natural, so effortless. Leng Qingqiu’s tone was as cool and detached as ever.
But even so—her words had left everyone stunned.
Hungry... hungry?!
The Department Head just told a man... she was hungry?!
The Ice Goddess... actually gets hungry?!
The Ice Goddess... actually eats food?!
And wait—these two can communicate normally?!
This was the first time anyone had seen... this side of Leng Qingqiu!
But the biggest bombshell of all—
So our Department Head and Gu Yan really are a couple!!!
Judging by how smoothly they interacted, they must do this all the time!!
Have they already moved in together?!
Meanwhile, Shangguan Miaoyin and the others sensed they should make themselves scarce. She cleared her throat. "Since Madam has business with Gu Yan, we’ll take our leave—"
"Sit down."
"Gu Yan said... he’d make extra."
Leng Qingqiu’s calm command sent cold sweat dripping down the backs of the Night Organization members.
They nodded stiffly and sat back down.
Instantly, the atmosphere around them turned suffocating.
Leng Ling'er, however, chattered away beside Leng Qingqiu. "Sis, I haven’t had Brother-in-law’s cooking in ages!"
"I’m gonna feast today!"
Hmph. Feasting on his dishes?
Ling'er really is still a child.
Leng Qingqiu sighed inwardly.
Little did she know—
Gu Yan’s desserts were the real masterpiece!!!
You’ve got a long way to go before you can compete with your sister, kid!
[......Hey.]
[......It’s time...... Let me out already.]
"Not yet. Wait till I finish eating."
[.........Tch.]
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
