Three days later.
The funeral of Long Tianyuan began.
The ceremony was broadcast live across the entire alliance.
A solemn and sorrowful atmosphere permeated the funeral site, the gloomy sky seemingly mourning the departure of this legendary figure.
A crowd gathered before a dignified tombstone, white flowers swaying gently in the wind, whispering endless grief.
Inside the memorial hall, members of the Leng Family and the alliance stood in plain white garments, their expressions heavy with sorrow.
They bowed their heads in silent tribute, reminiscing about Long Tianyuan's heroic deeds in life.
Leng Qingqiu stood at the entrance of the hall, her face cold, a trace of anger flickering between her brows.
Three days had passed, and Gu Yan had disappeared again.
Was he off somewhere cozying up to some seductress right now?!
How infuriating!
But... probably not. If that were the case, she should have sensed it.
Perhaps because she had been intimate with Gu Yan for so long, she could vaguely sense his emotions from afar. So she was certain—he still loved only her!!
Most sects from the ancient martial world, having suffered invasions from the Night Organization, had relocated to the alliance's stronghold and joined their ranks.
Disciples of the Primordial Sect, including Mo Chongxiao, followed local customs and stood among the crowd in plain white attire.
His expression was equally grave. He had often interacted with Long Tianyuan in the past and understood the man's immense importance to the alliance.
Now, with the alliance losing its pillar, he felt profound grief.
However...
His gaze shifted to a certain aloof figure standing at the forefront, silent and composed.
Humanity still had Leng Qingqiu—a powerhouse. The alliance... would not lose to the Night King!
Leng Ling'er stood among the crowd, her expression tinged with sadness.
Though she hadn’t been close to Long Tianyuan, death was still a somber affair, and she couldn’t help but feel sorrow.
The Night King... truly was an irredeemably evil monster!
For some reason, a sense of destiny surged within her. Night King, I will defeat you and protect the world's peace!!
Hehe.
When that happens, my sister and brother-in-law will definitely praise me!
The funeral soon concluded.
That day, the entire alliance was gripped by grief and panic.
Grief for Long Tianyuan’s death.
Panic over what they should do next.
But quickly, another voice emerged.
They believed that even without Long Tianyuan, they still had Leng Qingqiu—the head of the Sword Holding Department.
With Leng Qingqiu, there was still hope!
Moreover, their recent expedition had resulted only in injuries, no casualties, meaning their forces remained strong and intact.
If Leng Qingqiu led them, they would surely defeat the Night King!
Thus, more and more voices called for Leng Qingqiu to become the alliance’s new leader.
......
......
Meanwhile, in the Sword Holding Department office, after a long day of funeral arrangements...
Leng Qingqiu clenched her teeth, gripping the phone Gu Yan had once given her—their only means of communication.
Yet the result...
"Ah, sorry Qingqiu, I’m busy right now~~ Please wait for my call later~~"
"Ah, sorry Qingqiu, I’m busy right now~~ Please wait for my call later~~"
"Ah, sorry Qingqiu, I’m busy right now~~ Please wait for my call later~~"
The other end of the line only played Gu Yan’s infuriatingly cheerful pre-recorded message on loop.
I’m going to lose it!!
Leng Qingqiu set the phone down and took deep breaths.
Her face was icy, her mind replaying images of Gu Yan as the Night King—cold and indifferent toward her, yet showering affection on those two unfamiliar women (or so she believed).
Unbelievable!!
He was cheating!
Ling'er was right—once men gain power, they cast aside all bonds!
And it’s not like she and Gu Yan were even married—just dating!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her entire body trembling.
Her fists clenched. Hard.
This time, if Gu Yan didn’t give her a proper explanation, she would not forgive him!
No matter how he tried to sweet-talk her, she wouldn’t cave in!!
Just then—
Knock knock.
"Madam, someone from the alliance claims to be from the [Spirit] organization and wishes to see you!"
Shangguan Miaoyin’s voice came from outside the door.
Spirit organization?
Already seething, Leng Qingqiu replied coldly, "Enter."
Click.
The door opened.
A man with a haughty smile and an air of arrogance strode in.
Behind him followed a balding man with an obsequious expression—the alliance’s deputy leader.
The arrogant man walked straight up to Leng Qingqiu and spoke with condescension, "Leng Qingqiu?"
"I hear you’ve broken through to Grandmaster?"
"Excellent. A talent like you is exactly what our master seeks."
"Now, our master wishes to meet you. Come with me, and you’ll gain everything you desire—even the position of the alliance’s new leader!"
(Truthfully, the rumors he’d heard were that Leng Qingqiu had surpassed Grandmaster and reached a new realm called [Post-Grade].
But that had to be nonsense!!
After all, he was only a Master. At best, Leng Qingqiu could only match Long Tianyuan’s level!)
Hearing this, Shangguan Miaoyin’s expression darkened dangerously as she glared at the man.
Leng Qingqiu, however, simply looked at him and uttered one icy word:
"Leave."
Then, turning to Shangguan Miaoyin, she snapped, "Why is the department letting lunatics in now?"
Shangguan Miaoyin bowed. "My apologies, Madam. I’ll remove these two lunatics immediately."
The arrogant man stiffened. He turned to the deputy leader. "You... didn’t brief her beforehand?"
The deputy wiped his sweat. With Leng Qingqiu’s intimidating aura, he hadn’t dared to approach her alone.
So he quickly stepped in, adopting a placating tone. "Ahem, Little Leng—"
"Little Leng? Who are you calling Little Leng?"
Leng Qingqiu’s sharp retort made the deputy break out in a cold sweat.
He stammered, "I-I’m the alliance’s deputy leader... the one who always sits closest to the leader during meetings?"
"Oh."
Only then did Leng Qingqiu recall him. She glanced dismissively at the arrogant man before addressing the deputy with frosty calm.
"So... your organization enjoys recruiting lunatics?"
"!!!"
The deputy’s face paled.
The arrogant man, unable to contain himself any longer, clenched his fists and snarled, "Leng Qingqiu! Don’t think being the head of the Sword Holding Department makes you untouchable!"
"Let me make this clear—the true rulers of the alliance aren’t its leaders! They’re the masters I serve!"
"This is your only chance to join us! Don’t throw it away!!"
The deputy hastily added, "Madam Leng, please just go with them. Don’t make things difficult for me..."
The arrogant man scoffed at him. "Pathetic. You actually fear her?"
The deputy lowered his head. She’s a Post-Grade expert—of course I do.
"Enough."
Leng Qingqiu’s head throbbed from the noise. Her patience, already frayed by Gu Yan’s absence, had reached its limit.
At this moment, she was brimming with anger, her icy gaze fixed on the arrogant man. "You have one breath to leave. If you don't... face the consequences."
The words barely left her lips.
The arrogant man burst into mocking laughter. "Oh, I’d like to see you try! Do you even know who’s backing me?!"
"Let me tell you, I’ve dealt with plenty like you!"
"Just wait till you meet the—"
Leng Qingqiu had no patience for his bluster. With a mere thought, a silver needle of psychic energy pierced through his brain nerves.
Thud!
As his nerves spasmed, his voice cut off abruptly.
"…?!"
"I... uh... uh..."
The man suddenly realized he couldn’t speak anymore.
Then—thump!—he collapsed to the ground, limbs twitching uncontrollably.
From the looks of it... it was almost as if... he’d suffered a stroke and was paralyzed?!
"Ugh... ugh!!"
He writhed on the floor, his face twisted, mouth drooping, words slurred beyond recognition. His eyes widened in disbelief.
He was here on his orders! How dare this woman actually attack him?!
Was she out of her mind?!
The deputy director’s face paled, and he looked at Leng Qingqiu with despair. "Director Leng... you’re really putting me in a tough spot here..."
Leng Qingqiu couldn’t be bothered to entertain them further. She waved a hand impatiently. "Take them and get out."
"Understood, ma’am."
Shangguan Miaoyin stepped forward, dragging the stroke-stricken man away. "Hey, Deputy Director, try to move your body a little."
"Miss Shangguan, ah... this is just... sigh!"
Click.
With their departure, the farce came to an end.
Leng Qingqiu finally sat down, exasperated.
She massaged her temples. No, she was still furious. What the hell was Gu Yan even doing?!
She had made up her mind—no matter what Gu Yan said, she would not forgive him!
Wait, no—she couldn’t just outright ask him who those two women were. That’d be admitting she cared!
Ugh! Maybe she should just stew in silence and let Gu Yan figure it out himself.
Just then—
Ring ring~~
Leng Qingqiu: ?
The phone on the desk suddenly rang.
And it was Gu Yan’s custom ringtone.
Was he... calling her back?
Her brow arched. After a quick glance around to confirm no one was watching, she picked up the phone with deliberate reluctance.
Hmph. Let’s hear what kind of excuse you’ve prepared.
with Taming My Adopted Niece) (Multiple Heroines + Power Fantasy) Before transmigrating, Wang Jianqiang suffered greatly from novels with no female leads. Holding firm to the belief that "women only slow down my blade," he stubbornly maintained his virginity even after decades in the Sect of Dual Cultivation. In his twilight years, with his cultivation stagnant at the third level of Qi Refining, he finally succumbed and "rewarded" himself once—triggering the awakening of the Godly Cultivation System. From then on, he realized women might actually be his lucky stars on the path to immortality. Deciding to indulge freely and savor life, he found his ungrateful adopted niece knocking at his door...
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"