His brows were tightly furrowed, his lips pressed into a sharp, stern line, and undisguised, raging fire burned in his eyes.
His entire aura became extremely aggressive, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
By slightly releasing the aura of a Qi Refining stage cultivator, he added a heart-palpitating coercion to his presence.
As he walked briskly out of the hall, he angrily shouted at a volume loud enough for everyone nearby to hear:
"Men! Prepare a carriage for this Marquis immediately! Hurry! I am furious! This is simply outrageous!!"
His loud voice, full of indignation, instantly attracted countless astonished gazes.
Gu Chengyin did not even look at them; he strode out quickly, heading straight for the main gate of the Crown Prince's Palace.
Soon, a black-painted carriage bearing the unique insignia of the Crown Prince's Palace, pulled by two magnificent steeds, galloped up to the palace gates.
The driver had clearly received strict orders and dared not delay in the slightest.
Gu Chengyin stepped into the carriage in one stride. Before he even steadied himself, he shouted sternly at the driver:
"To the Ministry of Revenue! Be quick! Use your fastest speed for this Marquis!!"
"Yes, Lord Marquis!"
Not daring to ask any questions, the driver violently shook the reins, and his whip cracked sharply in the air.
The two fine horses let out a long neigh and broke into a gallop. Pulling the carriage like an arrow released from a bow, they dashed madly toward the district where the Ministry of Revenue's office was located!
The carriage sped along the broad avenue, its wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement with a thunderous roar.
They soon entered the streets of the Divine Capital. Since Gu Chengyin had ordered him to be fast, the driver truly drove the carriage like lightning.
Showing no regard for the pedestrians and vehicles on the street, everyone they encountered hurriedly dodged out of the way, looking on in shock and uncertainty as this imposing carriage from the Crown Prince's Palace vanished into the distance.
The Ministry of Revenue was a grand complex of official buildings.
It was early afternoon, and the office was on its lunch break.
Clerks and managers from various departments were gathered in twos and threes, holding teacups and chatting in a relatively relaxed atmosphere.
Suddenly, the urgent and loud sound of hooves and wheels came from afar, rapidly approaching and shattering the tranquility.
Many clerks lingering by the doors or windows looked toward the noise, only to see a luxuriously decorated carriage hurtling recklessly toward the Ministry of Revenue!
"Who... who is this? How dare they gallop so wildly in front of the Ministry of Revenue?" a young clerk could not help but exclaim, his face showing displeasure.
"Shh! Quiet!" an older clerk nearby quickly stopped him. His expression changed slightly as he pointed at the carriage's insignia and whispered, "Look closely! That is the crest of the Crown Prince's Palace! And the patterns next to it... it looks like the newly appointed Marquis Side-by-Side!"
"Marquis Side-by-Side?" Hearing this, everyone was startled.
This person was currently riding high in the Divine Capital, rumored to be deeply trusted by His Highness.
He was a ruthless character who even dared to directly confront the Commander of the Golden Feather Guards during the morning court session. Why would he suddenly come to the Ministry of Revenue? And judging from his posture, he came with ill intentions.
Under everyone's bewildered gazes, the carriage showed no signs of slowing down. It charged straight to the main gate of the Ministry of Revenue before suddenly slamming to a halt at the driver's urgent shout!
The fine steeds reared up on their hind legs, letting out long neighs as the wheels scraped harshly against the bluestone ground.
The carriage curtain was violently thrown open by a slender, powerful hand!
Gu Chengyin's figure appeared on the carriage shaft.
His face was livid, his brows knitted with frost and fury, and his eyes were as sharp as knives.
When his gaze swept over the dumbfounded clerks in front of the gate, it seemed to carry a tangible chill, making everyone who met his eyes shudder inwardly and subconsciously take half a step back.
"It is Marquis Side-by-Side!"
"It really is him!"
"What he is holding... looks like an account book?"
"He looks so angry, whose trouble is he looking for?"
Whispers spread rapidly through the crowd, and everyone felt the oppressive atmosphere of an approaching storm.
Gu Chengyin ignored the surrounding chatter and stares. He jumped down nimbly from the carriage, stirring up a slight breeze as he landed.
He then looked toward the majestic vermilion gates of the Ministry of Revenue, and the shadowy courtyards and buildings inside.
After taking just two steps, he suddenly remembered something and stopped. Then he spun around, his gaze accurately locking onto a young clerk standing not far away, holding a tea bowl.
Gu Chengyin stepped forward in a few strides and, without a word of explanation, grabbed the young clerk by the collar!
His movements were as fast as lightning and full of force. The young clerk cried out in fear, and the tea bowl in his hand crashed to the ground, scattering shards and splashing tea everywhere.
"Speak!"
"Where is that old scoundrel Shangguan Yuan right now?!"
"Point him out to this Marquis! If you dare stay silent, this Marquis will break your legs right now!"
How could that clerk have ever seen such a terrifying display? He was frightened out of his wits, his face pale as paper, his teeth chattering.
He raised a trembling hand, pointing toward a corridor on the left side of a deep courtyard within the office, his voice thick with tears. "The Minister is... in the backyard... the East... East Wing's duty room... in the... courtyard..."
Gu Chengyin snorted coldly and finally released the young clerk.
The young clerk staggered a few steps and fell onto his backside, still reeling from the shock.
Gu Chengyin ignored everyone else, turned around, and strode briskly in the direction the young clerk had pointed.
His steps were extremely heavy, his boots making dull thuds against the ground.
The officials and clerks he encountered along the way were all intimidated by this terrifying momentum. They quickly stepped aside, keeping as quiet as cicadas in winter, and watched as this star of calamity headed straight for the duty room.
The news of Marquis Side-by-Side storming the office seemed to grow wings, spreading rapidly.
For a time, everyone in the Ministry of Revenue was in a state of panic, whispering amongst themselves.
Many busybodies could not help but quietly follow him.
Gu Chengyin passed through layers of corridors, seemingly oblivious to the prying eyes trailing behind him.
Soon, he arrived in front of an independent small courtyard adorned with lush flowers and trees.
The courtyard gate was wide open, and the leisurely chirping of birds could be heard from within.
At a glance, he saw a comfortable bamboo rocking chair set up under a leafy old locust tree in the center of the courtyard.
And Shangguan Yuan was swaying with the rocking chair, his eyes narrowed as he enjoyed the warm afternoon sun.
On the small round table beside him sat a cup of steaming clear tea, painting a picture of utter relaxation and contentment.
Gu Chengyin's eyes suddenly turned incredibly icy.
Without the slightest hesitation or warning, the moment he stepped through the courtyard gate, he pushed off the ground with immense force!
"Bang!!!"
A deafening crash shattered the tranquility of the small courtyard!
Gu Chengyin had delivered a flying kick, viciously striking the small round table holding the teacup next to Shangguan Yuan!
The sturdy wooden table went flying upon impact, tumbling into the nearby porch railing and instantly shattering into pieces.
The celadon teacup on top of it was smashed to smithereens. Boiling hot tea and tea leaves splashed everywhere, with a few drops even landing on Shangguan Yuan's official robes.
The massive noise startled the birds in the tree into flight and caused Shangguan Yuan to snap his eyes open in the rocking chair, the leisurely comfort on his face instantly replaced by shock and bewilderment.
He raised his head and looked at Gu Chengyin standing in the middle of the courtyard, radiating a terrifying fury.
His mouth hung slightly open; he was completely stunned.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
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.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
