One week later.
An earth-shattering event occurred that shocked the entire world.
The industries of the three great families collectively signed low-price transfer agreements and sold everything to the Gu Family.
This news exploded like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the global business community.
Media outlets scrambled to report on it, market analysts speculated wildly about the reasons behind it, and investors reacted swiftly with a flurry of moves.
Stock markets around the world fluctuated in response—the stock prices of the three great families' enterprises plummeted, while the Gu Family's stocks soared in a matter of hours.
Soon, however, people noticed something even more terrifying.
As the Gu Family swallowed up the industries of the three great families, a new category emerged in the stock market: Martial Stocks.
The martial industry had officially entered the public eye.
This meant that the old industrial landscape had been overturned—from now on, the world would belong to the martial industry.
Alliance Headquarters.
Leng Qingqiu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of her office, her expression grave.
She was already aware of the Gu Family's transformation and the transfer of the three great families' industries.
Or rather, it was impossible for anyone not to know about such a massive event.
Yet, instead of easing her mind, this series of upheavals only deepened her unease.
Why would the three great families do this?
How did Gu Yan pull it off? And why now, of all times?
As she pondered, a soft knock sounded at her office door.
"Come in."
Leng Qingqiu snapped out of her thoughts.
Shangguan Miaoyin entered, her face equally grim. "Master, it's been confirmed—the three great families have indeed transferred their industries to the Gu Family."
"There must be some grand conspiracy behind this!"
"We've already uncovered some clues..."
Leng Qingqiu nodded, signaling her to continue.
"According to our investigation, the three great families recently faced massive financial troubles and internal conflicts, all of which seemed to erupt suddenly within a short period."
"Meanwhile, the Gu Family executed a series of precise business maneuvers and legal strategies to swiftly take over these industries."
"But, Master..." Shangguan Miaoyin's voice grew heavier. "How could the Gu Family possibly have the strength to absorb so many industries? There must be someone powerful pulling the strings behind the scenes!"
Leng Qingqiu fell silent for a moment.
Is Gu Yan the one behind this?
If so, how did he manage it?
The three great families would never willingly give up their foundations in the secular world.
Unless... Gu Yan struck some kind of deal with them?
But the moment this thought crossed her mind, she shook her head.
No. If the three great families moved against Leng Xing'an, they would have targeted the Gu Family as well.
Yet... this situation doesn't make sense.
Are the three ancestral elders of the great families complete fools?
How could they let Gu Yan take everything so easily?
Or is there truly some unspeakable secret at play?
Seeing her master lost in thought, Shangguan Miaoyin hesitated before speaking again. "Master... could it be that Gu Yan has betrayed—"
"No." Leng Qingqiu cut her off coldly.
She trusted Gu Yan. There was no way he would collude with the three great families.
But then... what was really happening?
Leng Qingqiu was baffled. What exactly has Gu Yan done?
---
Meanwhile, in the Long Family estate.
Long Aotian was savoring a freshly brewed cup of tea delivered that morning.
However, after a single sip, his brow furrowed in displeasure.
"What's wrong with this tea today?" he demanded. "Why does it taste so off?"
The family member who had delivered the tea bowed nervously. "My lord, our usual stock of tea has run out."
"Then order more! Must I teach you such basic things?"
"It's just... no one is delivering anymore."
At this, Long Aotian's expression darkened.
In the past, the finest teas had been offered to him as tribute by other families.
What was happening now? Had they forgotten their place?
He tapped the armrest of his chair impatiently. "Teach the Jiang Family a lesson!"
His favorite tea had always come from the Jiang Family.
If they dared to neglect their duties, his subordinates would remind them who their true master was.
Yet, the subordinate who had always obeyed without question...
...now knelt on the ground, trembling. "My lord... the Long Family is no longer what it once was."
"What do you mean?" Long Aotian's voice was icy.
"My lord... all of the Long Family's industries have been transferred to the Gu Family!"
"This news has spread everywhere online! Everyone believes the Long Family is finished."
"All the servants—big and small—have fled the estate!"
Long Aotian shot to his feet, his killing intent erupting like a storm.
"WHAT?!"
He seized the man by the skull and roared, "Who gave the order for this?! Who kept this from me?!"
"It... it was Young Master Long Tianyun..."
Long Tianyun?!
You insolent wretch!
CRACK!
Long Aotian crushed the man's skull in his grip.
His eyes burned with fury. He had always sensed Long Tianyun's ambition, but never imagined the boy would dare to sell out the Long Family behind his back!
The Gu Family... Was this Grandmother Gu's doing?
Damn it! What about the other two families?
If I didn’t know, surely they didn’t either?
Unless...
A chilling possibility struck him.
What if the other two ancestral elders had conspired to monopolize the deity's favor by orchestrating the downfall of the Long Family?
Damn them!
He immediately summoned his most trusted death guard.
SWOOSH!
A shadowy figure materialized before him.
Long Aotian suppressed his rage and demanded, "Why wasn’t I informed of such a critical matter?"
The shadow lowered its head. "My lord, you once decreed that secular affairs were beneath your notice. Since Long Tianyun is the official head of the family, his decisions were treated as yours. Moreover... I was occupied with monitoring Leng Ling'er and Lin Yinyin. I only just learned of these events."
Long Aotian's face twisted with fury.
He had always considered himself above worldly concerns, dismissing industries and luxuries as trivial.
But now...
Damn it all!
The shadow was his most loyal death guard, raised from childhood—there was no chance of betrayal.
The fault lay entirely with Long Tianyun.
Fine. If this is how it is... then I’ll paint the world red with blood.
"Report," he growled. "What of the other two families?"
"My lord... it seems they are in the same situation as the Long Family."
Hearing this, Long Aotian's rage cooled slightly.
At least the other two old monsters hadn’t conspired against him.
What the hell is going on here?
Since when does Gu Yan of the Gu Family have such tactics?
No... impossible.
Long Aotian's expression darkened—this must be Leng Qingqiu's doing.
He had long heard of her unparalleled intellect, her almost demonic cunning.
After becoming the alliance leader, Leng Qingqiu had gained access to far more resources.
She couldn’t openly attack them, so she had Gu Yan use the Gu Family to swallow their assets.
What made it worse was that Long Tianyun had clearly betrayed him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been left in the dark—especially since he never bothered with online affairs.
Damn it.
This move wouldn’t cripple the Long Family’s core strength—their martial forces—but it was still a slap in Long Aotian’s face.
"Go kill Long Tianyun!"
"I'm heading out!"
After barking his orders, Long Aotian vanished in a flicker of movement.
He needed to meet with those two old relics to discuss their next steps.
Truth be told, aside from the frustration of being blindsided, he wasn’t too bothered.
For one, he never cared much for the mundane world’s affairs.
And secondly... once the gods descended upon this world, not just these assets, but the entire world would belong to the three great families!
Hmph. Leng Qingqiu and Gu Yan, don’t celebrate too soon. Sooner or later, I’ll make you spit out every last thing you’ve taken!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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)
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.”
