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  • They All Want to Be My Female Lead v2 c31

    31. Instructor Yu Xuan is Angry

    The intense commotion attracted students from nearby to gather around. Seeing the two instructors confronting each other in the field, along with their disciples behind them, everyone felt that something big had happened.

    Especially given Instructor Yu Xuan’s current state – she was actually angry, how rare!

    Instructor Yu Xuan always had a very good temper. Even if students made mistakes, she would mostly just teach them a lesson or two and rarely scolded them. Even if other female instructors said bad things behind her back, she wouldn’t take it to heart and would just laugh it off.

    Whether it was students or instructors, everyone was deeply impressed by her gentle smile that was like water, and they all looked up to her.

    But at this moment, Instructor Yu Xuan showed a fierce expression that had never been seen before. Her aqua blue eyes revealed killing intent, and the water mystic power of a five-star Mystic Master surged around her like raging waves.

    “Instructor Yu Xuan, you came just in time.” Zhang Wei spoke coldly, completely unaware: “Your disciple, relying on his slightly higher cultivation, attacked our junior class students and injured them. When I called him over to the office for questioning, he even talked back to me and refused to obey. Such behavior is already a serious violation of the academy rules and must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others!”

    Instructor Yu Xuan narrowed her eyes and said lightly: “Yan Zhen, speak!”

    Now that the instructor was here, Yan Zhen didn’t play any tricks and truthfully said: “It’s like this, Instructor. Yesterday when I was sending Meng’er back to her class, I was blocked by them. They took advantage of their numbers and spoke very rudely, even threatening me to stay away from Meng’er. I told them to go somewhere with no people around to talk, and then I casually dealt with them.”

    Instructor Yu Xuan nodded and looked at Zhang Wei again: “Instructor Zhang Wei, did you hear that? Your disciples provoked trouble on their own but ended up being taught a lesson by Yan Zhen. It’s their own fault.”

    The academy rules did indeed protect students with lower strength, but the weak also couldn’t lack self-awareness and provoke seniors with higher cultivation. Otherwise, they would have to bear the consequences.

    The Mystic Academy did not prohibit fights between students. On the contrary, it even encouraged it. If there was a conflict, they should go to the dueling platform to determine who’s superior. The winner is king and the loser is the enemy!

    Zhang Wei glanced at the few disciples beside him and saw their evasive eyes. He snorted coldly.

    “This is only his one-sided story, how can it be taken as fact?”

    Yan Zhen laughed. So the words of Specialist Ma Sha and the others were considered objective facts?

    He hated the most this kind of hypocrite who hid behind the banner of justice and wore a layer of official skin.

    Instructor Yu Xuan’s face was expressionless: “What your disciples say is objective fact, but what my Yan Zhen says is a one-sided story? Instructor Zhang Wei, it seems you don’t take me seriously at all. Fine then, let’s see the truth through action.”

    An instructor at the Mystic Master realm actually made a move against Yan Zhen who was only at the Mystic One realm, and even injured him so badly. She absolutely would not let this guy off easily!

    As soon as she finished speaking, Instructor Yu Xuan once again drew the silver longbow in her hand. This was her personal weapon, a third-grade Silver Hawk Bow.

    The bowstring was pulled into a full moon shape, and blue water mystic power condensed into a crystal arrow like a vortex. The arrow was covered in clear spiral patterns, giving a strong penetrating feeling.

    Instructor Yu Xuan said coldly: “As an instructor, you bullied and injured my disciple. Then take this arrow from me!”

    Zhang Wei never thought that Instructor Yu Xuan, who always presented a gentle image, would get so angry. With her personality, shouldn’t she speak some nice words to him, and then he would give her face and everyone could step down, letting the matter pass?

    Why did it turn out like this?

    Looking at the vortex arrow aimed at him, Zhang Wei’s face turned pale and his scalp tingled.

    Instructor Yu Xuan was a five-star Mystic Master, while he was only two-star, a whole three stars apart. Moreover, Instructor Yu Xuan was from the Sacred Land Academy and had outstanding cultivation skills and techniques, as well as a third-grade mystic bow that had accompanied her for a long time. How could he take this powered-up arrow head-on?

    “Instructor Yu Xuan, don’t make a mistake! We are both instructors. If we fight in the academy, we will surely be punished by the Dean!”

    “Then let the punishment come!”

    Instructor Yu Xuan released her fingers without hesitation.

    The bow that was drawn into a full moon shape suddenly straightened with a buzzing sound, and the vortex arrow condensed from water mystic power shot out like a crossbow, leaving a trail of watery afterimage in the air.

    At the critical moment, Zhang Wei immediately summoned his protective mystic tool to block in front. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat blood on it to activate it.

    “Wang Qi Hun Ring!”

    It was a grayish-black copper ring with yellow runes written all over it. Under the infusion of mystic power, the hollow part of the copper ring formed a crystalline light film, on which the faint image of a rakshasa woman’s head with flesh horns appeared.

    The Wang Qi Hun Ring was a damaged fourth-grade mystic tool and was also Zhang Wei’s capital for looking down on other instructors. Once this ring was brought out, it could block most attacks from Mystic Masters. It’s just that activating it required Zhang Wei to consume his essence blood, so he wouldn’t use it unless absolutely necessary.

    The vortex arrow collided with the Wang Qi Hun Ring. The high-speed spinning water arrow stabbed into the light film on the copper ring, causing the light film to cave in deeply, but it was difficult to pierce through.

    Seeing this scene, Zhang Wei felt relieved, thinking that even elite instructors from the Sacred Land Academy couldn’t break through his Hun Ring!

    Instructor Yu Xuan frowned slightly and coldly spat out a word: “Explode.”

    With a single command, the mystic power of the vortex arrow rapidly expanded, and then, under Zhang Wei’s horrified gaze, it exploded with a bang!

    Mystic Technique: Water Explosion.

    This vortex arrow was a combination of two mystic techniques!

    Bang!

    The highly concentrated water mystic power was completely released. The Wang Qi Hun Ring’s light film shattered in the intense explosion, losing the support of mystic power and flying out like an ordinary copper ring.

    The shockwave of the explosion swept over Zhang Wei, instantly dispersing the protective mystic power on his body. It blasted him to the point of spitting out a mouthful of blood, and his entire body flew out uncontrollably, heavily crashing into a pillar of the eaves corridor before sliding down, unable to get up again.

    With both external and internal injuries, even with careful treatment, it would take at least ten to fifteen days to recover.

    Te Ma Sha and the others were also knocked over by the shockwave of the explosion, rolling on the ground a few times, scaring them to the point of almost wetting their pants.

    The surrounding students who were watching the show were also so shocked that their eyeballs nearly popped out. They secretly thought that Instructor Yu Xuan was so terrifying when she got angry, taking down a discipline instructor with a single arrow.

    Instructor Yu Xuan snorted coldly, not pitying them at all. She slowly retracted her mystic power and put the Silver Hawk Bow back into her storage ring before turning around and walking to Yan Zhen.

    Seeing the red and swollen bleeding wounds on his body, Instructor Yu Xuan wanted to give Zhang Wei another arrow.

    Yan Zhen blinked, as if seeing the beautiful instructor in front of him for the first time: “Instructor, will there be any trouble doing this?”

    “If there’s any trouble, I’ll take responsibility. Go to my place to treat your injuries first.”

    Instructor Yu Xuan grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand without waiting for a response and led him away from here. The crowd hurriedly parted to make way for them.

    After the two disappeared, the other instructors who had long rushed over but didn’t dare to show themselves in the crowd helped Zhang Wei up.

    Not long after, the Dean of the Mystic Academy finally arrived unhurriedly. Seeing Zhang Wei beaten up like a dead dog, he shook his head helplessly.

    Using your butt to think, you would know that anyone who comes out of the Sacred Land Academy is not to be messed with.

    What a fool.

    “Take him to heal his injuries.”

  • They All Want to Be My Female Lead v2 c30

    30 Trump Card Transformation

    After the qi refining class ended, the girls in the class surrounded Yan Zhen, curiously asking him questions, and some even took the opportunity to grope him a few times.

    Mi Xue’er and Yan Ruyu hurriedly blocked those thirsty girls and didn’t let them touch Yan Zhen, then told Yan Zhen to leave quickly.

    Yan Zhen escaped from the classroom as if fleeing and headed to the junior class to find Yan Meng’er.

    However, halfway there, someone stopped him.

    It wasn’t a student, but an instructor wearing an instructor’s uniform, with an impeccable slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a pair of black round-framed glasses, a thin and tall figure, a pale face, around forty years old.

    Under the scorching sun, the middle-aged instructor adjusted his glasses, looked at Yan Zhen, and said indifferently, “Are you the one who injured my disciples yesterday?”

    Yan Zhen was stunned for a moment, quickly thinking of the few junior class Smarties he had beaten up yesterday, and said expressionlessly, “It wasn’t me.”

    “Not you? They all identified you. Do you still want to quibble?”

    “Who are they?”

    The middle-aged instructor waved his hand, and a few junior class students immediately walked out from behind the pillars of the corridor. The leader, Tema Sha, said arrogantly, “Instructor, don’t listen to his nonsense. It was him! He bullied us with his higher cultivation level and even launched sneak attacks! He’s simply a disgrace to the academy. He must be made to know the consequences of violating academy rules!”

    The middle-aged instructor nodded slightly and turned back to Yan Zhen, “As an intermediate class student, you sneak-attacked junior class students, seriously violating academy rules. Do you have anything else to say?”

    Yan Zhen shook his head, “I don’t know them. They say I beat them, but where’s the evidence? Empty claims are not proof. I could also say that I was beaten by them, five people attacking me alone, ambushing me as soon as I turned the corner. Would you believe it?”

    The middle-aged instructor didn’t expect Yan Zhen to refute so logically and became a bit impatient, “If you didn’t beat them, why would they say it was you?”

    “You should ask them this question. What’s the use of asking me?” Yan Zhen’s gaze was like looking at an idiot. “Perhaps they felt aggrieved after being bullied but didn’t dare to take revenge, so they found someone relatively easy to bully to frame… Their mentality is really dark.”

    Hearing this, Tema Sha was so angry that his face turned red and his neck swelled. This boy was actually so sharp-tongued, completely turning black and white.

    “Instructor, don’t believe him. This boy has a glib tongue. Capture him first and interrogate him thoroughly. I’m not afraid he won’t confess.”

    The middle-aged instructor adjusted his glasses again in a somewhat neurotic manner, only coldly saying after straightening them, “I am the discipline instructor ‘Zhang Wei’. I now suspect you of violating academy rules. Come with me to the office for questioning immediately.”

    With that said, he turned and walked away.

    “I won’t go.” Yan Zhen said indifferently. There was no such plot in the script, and he was too lazy to move. “Instructor, you should ask your disciples first and understand the situation clearly before speaking. Otherwise, it will only add to the joke.”

    “What did you say?”

    Zhang Wei suddenly turned back, his Mystic Master cultivation level erupting fiercely, the powerful aura making Tema Sha and the others beside him roll on the ground and piss themselves.

    Yan Zhen also felt a clear pressure, as if being stared at by a man-eating fierce beast, his heartbeat speeding up.

    However, he cultivated the Imperial Blaze Art, and the scripture itself had a trace of imperial majesty. Coupled with refining the heaven and earth extreme flames higher than his realm, he could ignore this bit of realm pressure just by slightly activating his technique.

    But Yan Zhen’s use of his technique to resist made Zhang Wei even angrier, “You want to resist? Are you forcing me to take you by force? Hmm?”

    Yan Zhen’s face turned cold, silently cursing his bad luck.

    It wasn’t a character from the script, so he had no interest in interacting with him at all. Even slapping his face was a waste of time!

    He also raised his mystic power. Although he was a 5-star Mystic Scholar, the oppressive feeling he emitted was already no less than a Mystic Master.

    “A 2-star Mystic Master, the bottom cultivation among instructors. Is this what gives you such great confidence?”

    “You dare to speak to me like this? Simply lawless! Let me teach you a good lesson on behalf of your instructor!”

    Zhang Wei got angry and stretched out his index finger, aiming at Yan Zhen from a distance.

    As a Mystic Master, his mystic power could already kill through the void!

    He flicked his finger, and a beam of finger force shot out at the speed of an arrow leaving the bowstring.

    Yan Zhen didn’t move at all, only tilting his neck slightly. The finger force brushed past his ear, leaving a faint stinging pain, and then made a small hole in the tree behind him.

    This strike was meant to cut off his ear, already exceeding the scope of corporal punishment. It was intentional harm.

    “Reaction is not bad? Let’s see how you dodge!”

    Another finger force attack came. Yan Zhen hurriedly dodged, his pant leg torn with a hole, burning with pain.

    It wasn’t over yet. Zhang Wei took a step forward and continued to flick out finger force from a distance.

    Really taking me for granted!?

    Yan Zhen took a horse stance, and the Eight Extremes Explosion responded, shattering the incoming force with a single punch.

    Feeling waves of pain from his fist, Yan Zhen knew he couldn’t continue like this. He immediately took out a Trump Card (1st Grade) from his system backpack.

    Trump Card (1st Grade) was a card that would take effect when he was in the Mystic Scholar realm, allowing him to turn danger into safety!

    And the way to turn danger into safety was up to him to decide!

    If he wanted to run, he could instantly escape a thousand miles away.

    If he wanted to fight, he could obtain power on par with his opponent’s realm for a certain period of time!

    He had two Trump Cards (1st Grade), one obtained from completing the novice task and one from advancing to Mystic Scholar.

    Now he would use one and try the power of the trump card!

    If he didn’t use it, both cards would become invalid after he advanced to Mystic Master.

    –System!

    Yan Zhen shouted in his mind, and the latter immediately responded to him:

    [Awaiting your orders, Host.]

    –Belt mode!

    [Understood.]

    Yan Zhen’s empty left hand grabbed out of thin air, and the system turned into a card case appearing in his hand.

    Grabbing the card case, he attached it to his lower abdomen, and the card case automatically extended into a belt, tightly wrapping around him.

    Trump Card (1st Grade), insert card.

    “Transform.”

    The boy coldly spat out two words.

    Boom! The belt erupted with gold and silver flames, enveloping Yan Zhen’s entire body.

    At the same time, an impassioned BGM came from the system driver:

    [Imperial Blaze! Extreme Flames! Fire power eruption! Mystic Mandate Celestial Warrior, Yan–]

    At the exciting moment, suddenly, the system’s voice stopped, replaced by a ding sound.

    [Ding! System’s warm reminder: The host’s crisis is about to be resolved. Do you still want to continue using Trump Card (1st Grade)?]

    –Huh? What the hell? Not transforming?

    Interrupted by the system like this, Yan Zhen’s just ignited hot blood instantly cooled down, feeling inexplicable.

    But the next moment, he understood the system’s meaning.

    “Zhang Wei, try laying a hand on him!”

    A woman’s coquettish shout echoed in the academy’s sky. As the voice arrived, a huge arrow condensed from water mystic power also broke through the void, its target being Zhang Wei.

    Zhang Wei, who had wanted to continue approaching Yan Zhen, had a drastic change in expression. He immediately erupted with mystic power and retreated, pulling away a large distance.

    The cannon-like water arrow fell on the ground with a bang, exploding into a pit large enough to hold a person, with shattered stones flying.

    Smoke and dust scattered. Instructor Yu Xuan, holding a silver longbow, descended from the sky and landed in front of Yan Zhen, protecting him behind her, revealing her 5-star Mystic Scholar cultivation without reservation.

    Yan Zhen blinked, “Instructor Yu Xuan?”

    “Yan Zhen, are you alright?”

    Instructor Yu Xuan looked him up and down, finding that his ear was swollen and his pant leg had a hole torn in it. She instantly became furious.

  • It turns out, they are the protagonists 64

    Chapter 64: Me? Wipe Out? Never!

    “This is going to be tricky…”

    Mu Zhi’an leaned against a pillar in the moonlit courtyard, staring at the three letters in his hand, lost in thought.

    Firstly, he couldn’t refuse Bai Ruoxi’s invitation. While she was forgiving, repeatedly testing her patience would be foolish.

    As for Ye Lingxuan… judging by her earlier wariness, this letter was either written by Ye Qian or on her behalf.

    Ye Qian was the epitome of a naive and innocent freshman, easily swayed by a charming senior.

    Ye Lingxuan, on the other hand, was more experienced, accustomed to flattery and sweet words. A single snow lotus and a few compliments wouldn’t win her over.

    Her opinion of him might have improved slightly, but that was all.

    However, this invitation was a valuable opportunity.

    While he wasn’t interested in women with… smaller assets, he was curious about the forces behind her.

    Once she joined the Two Polarities Sect, her beauty would attract countless admirers.

    Could he refuse Lan Mulian’s invitation?

    She had been hiding in her “nest” like an ostrich, and now she finally wanted to venture out. If he refused, he might never get another chance to spend time with her outside the inn.

    “This is a problem”

    He sighed, looking at the snow lotuses swaying gently in the breeze.

    He had given them to those women for a reason.

    Bai Ruoxi was gentle and unassuming. She wouldn’t brag about receiving a gift.

    Lan Mulian was also aloof, but she was more reserved, more dignified. She wouldn’t mention the snow lotus, even if she appreciated it.

    And besides, their relationship was still platonic, despite a hint of flirtation. It wasn’t romantic… yet.

    As for Ye Lingxuan, she was still wary of him. She wouldn’t mention the snow lotus at all.

    However…

    Now they all wanted to attend the auction to acquire Luminous Soil and preserve their flowers.

    It was a disaster.

    He couldn’t refuse any of them. They were all valuable assets. If he rejected them, they might swim out of his pond.

    But accepting all four invitations… it was too much.

    Even a master of time management couldn’t handle this. He sighed again, looking at the snow lotuses gleaming in the moonlight.

    “Mengrou, why did we even start cultivating these snow lotuses?”

    Wei Mengrou, her figure tall and alluring, materialized from the shadows beside him. She glanced at him, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. “Didn’t you give them all away? That’s why we’re in this mess.”

    He looked at her, noticing the disdain in her eyes. Instead of feeling annoyed, he smiled.

    He imagined her, dressed in a maid outfit, forced to obey his commands, her eyes filled with resentment and disdain.

    The thought… it was thrilling.

    “Are you thinking about joining the snow lotuses in the pond?” she asked coldly.

    Did she sense his fantasies?

    He blinked, then realized.

    Since her traumatic experience, her Core Formation abilities had become more sensitive to negative emotions directed at her.

    But he didn’t harbor any ill will towards her.

    He was simply imagining her reaction to his teasing.

    It wasn’t realistic… yet.

    But perhaps in the future…

    “Mengrou, about these snow lotuses…” he began.

    “They symbolize loyalty and purity… just like me?” she asked, her voice flat, her gaze fixed on him.

    He chuckled, shaking his head. “I was wondering, how long do they last after being picked?”

    The Mu family hadn’t cultivated snow lotuses for very long, and he hadn’t paid much attention to them in the past. He didn’t know how long they could survive.

    She pondered for a moment. “Five to ten days.”

    He frowned. “Are there any exceptions?”

    She shook her head. “None of the snow lotuses we’ve cultivated have wilted before five days.”

    “That’s strange”

    He frowned, thinking aloud. “I gave Senior Sister a snow lotus a few days ago. I don’t remember exactly how many, but it was definitely less than five.”

    But when he had visited the inn with another snow lotus, the one in the vase had already wilted.

    Was it the change in environment? Or… was that snow lotus not the one he had given her? Was it one of the inn’s inferior imitations?

    If that was the case, where was the snow lotus he had given her?

    “If you regret giving them away, you shouldn’t have done it,” Wei Mengrou said, her voice indifferent.

    He nodded. “You’re right, from now on, I’ll only give snow lotuses to you, Mengrou.”

    She scoffed. “I don’t need them.”

    She paused, then added, “I can pick my own.”

    “It’s not the same,” he insisted.

    “So what are you going to do? Accept all four invitations?” she asked.

    Bai Ruoxi, Huang Manting, the Ye sisters, and Lan Mulian… she was both amused and curious to see how he would handle this mess.

    “It’s simple. I’ll refuse them all,” he replied with a smile.

    “You’re going to reject them?”

    “Not exactly,” he said, his words contradicting his previous statement.

    “I can’t solve this problem”

    He looked at her, but her ample bosom obscured her face.

    He sighed, glancing at the snow lotuses in the pond. “But I can… eliminate the problem itself.”

     

  • It turns out, they are the protagonists 63

    Chapter 63: The Classic Triple Wipeout

    “A letter from Miss Huang?”

    Mu Zhi’an frowned, looking at the servant standing before him.

    This guy’s got no tact… Does he not realize the situation? Handing me another woman’s letter so openly?

    “Oh, and Miss Huang’s servant asked me to relay a message,” the clueless servant continued.

    “She said to tell you to be sure not to miss the auction in two days. She’ll be waiting for you in her private room. Those were her exact words.”

    A strange silence fell over the courtyard. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating ripples on the surface of the pond, the snow lotuses swaying gracefully, their beauty seeming to mock him.

    Are you sure you’re not a Gongsun family assassin sent to ruin me? You’re not helping. Mu Zhi’an sighed. “I understand. You’re dismissed.”

    After the servant left, he turned to the two women.

    Bai Ruoxi’s eyes were downcast, her voice soft, a hint of sadness in her tone. “It seems you enjoyed your conversation with Miss Huang.”

    It was as if she were saying: You seem to have a good relationship with your mistress.

    He sighed. “I went to the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce to secure those three market districts from the Gongsun family. The conversation with Huang Manting… it was just to pass the time. I couldn’t just sit there in silence, could I?”

    She stared at him, her expression unreadable. “And the auction in two days… you’re going with her?”

    You chatted with her to acquire the market districts, what’s the excuse for the auction?

    He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

    She was clearly displeased.

    He looked at Wei Mengrou, hoping for support.

    She didn’t even bother speaking, simply giving him a look of utter disdain, as if he were a bug beneath her shoe, then vanished silently.

    Her disdain, it’s strangely exciting, he thought to himself, watching her go.

    Thankfully, she wasn’t the jealous type. She might be quiet and reserved, but she was understanding and mature.

    She was leaving to give him and Bai Ruoxi some privacy.

    Dealing with Bai Ruoxi alone would be easier.

    Despite her cold exterior, she was soft-hearted. He could tell from her ample bosom. All he needed was a reasonable explanation, and she would calm down.

    He retrieved the letter from Huang Manting and offered it to her.

    She tilted her head, confused. “What’s this?”

    He sighed. “Ruoxi, I know you’ve been feeling insecure lately, with everything that’s happened to your family. I’ve been neglecting your feelings.”

    “If you don’t trust me, let’s open this letter together and see what she wrote.”

    She looked up at him, surprised. “You’re letting me… read it?”

    He took her hand, his voice sincere. “Anything to ease your worries.”

    This time, she didn’t resist, her gaze downcast, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

    He opened the letter, and they both read its contents.

    “Young Master Mu,

    To be honest, before writing this letter, I wanted to visit you at the Mu Manor. However, I’ve calmed down somewhat.

    I have to admit, I underestimated you. Miss Bai’s taste in men isn’t as bad as I thought. You might only be at the third level of Foundation Establishment, but you’re quite clever.

    Visiting the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce to intimidate the Gongsun family, acquiring three market districts… you’ve played your cards well. But rest assured, I’m not angry. In fact, I admire your resourcefulness. You’re the first person to outsmart me.

    I’ll be waiting for you in my private room at the Morning Glory Auction House the day after tomorrow. I hope you’ll honor me with your presence.

    Huang Manting”

    Even a casual observer could sense the simmering rage beneath her polite words. Imagine being a cunning and ambitious woman, used to getting her way, only to be outsmarted by a seemingly foolish playboy.

    It was enough to make your blood boil.

    If Mu Zhi’an wrote back, it would be a truly devastating blow.

    Bai Ruoxi looked at him, her voice soft. “You tricked her?”

    Her eyes, which had been filled with a hint of darkness, now sparkled with amusement.

    He chuckled, shaking his head. “I simply chatted with her. I never lied to her.”

    It was true. He had simply gone to the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce, chatted with Miss Huang, and satisfied her curiosity. Nothing more.

    “That’s true, but I feel a little sorry for her,” Bai Ruoxi said, sighing. “Huang Manting… she’s so arrogant. To realize she’s been played, she’ll probably lose sleep over it.”

    He looked at her, smiling. “If you feel sorry for her, why are you smiling?”

    She frowned. “I’m not smiling.”

    She bit her lip, her expression serious, as if trying to maintain her aloof facade.

    But she couldn’t help but smile, imagining Huang Manting’s frustration.

    He was also in a good mood. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

    She blushed, but didn’t resist. Her current behavior was a stark contrast to her past coldness towards him.

    The crisis had been averted.

    “Are you going to meet with her the day after tomorrow?” she asked suddenly.

    He nodded, smiling. “If I’m free, why not? I’m curious to see what tricks she has up her sleeve.”

    She frowned. “I also want to go to the auction.”

    Luminous Soil wasn’t particularly rare, but it was difficult to find near Tianxuan City. To preserve the snow lotus, she needed to acquire some.

    Her unspoken message was clear: She wanted him to accompany her.

    He pondered for a moment, then smiled. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

    As for Huang Manting, it didn’t matter. He would simply meet with her briefly, then leave.

    Choosing between her and Bai Ruoxi wasn’t a difficult decision.

    Bai Ruoxi was far superior in certain areas. And he had no interest in Huang Manting.

    She leaned against him, her heart pounding, her gaze meeting his for a fleeting moment, a soft smile on her lips.

    Rising Phoenix Inn.

    Feiying sat on the bed, watching her sister write a letter.

    It was mid-autumn, and Lan Mulian wore a beautiful moon-white robe that accentuated her slender figure, her waist cinched by a thin ribbon. Despite her beauty, most people felt intimidated in her presence, their gazes downcast.

    “Are you writing to the Mu family’s young master?” Feiying asked suddenly.

    Lan Mulian paused, then nodded. “He sent me a letter. It’s only polite to reply.”

    “Oh…”

    Feiying’s tone was laced with amusement.

    With her sister’s status and reputation, she was certain she had received countless letters from admirers. She had never seen her reply to any of them.

    But she wouldn’t point it out.

    She glanced at the box of osmanthus cake on the table, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Did he give you that as well?”

    “Yes. Try some if you like. He said it’s a famous pastry from Tianxuan City,” Lan Mulian replied, her voice calm.

    “It is quite famous. I enjoy their osmanthus cake. I occasionally visit the Tide Sea Inn to indulge myself.”

    She glanced at the snow lotus in the vase.

    “Did he give you that as well? My, my… it seems he’s truly smitten with you. But Sister, you’re twenty-three this year, several years older than him, aren’t you? If I remember correctly, the Mu family’s young master is only…”

    She paused, her lips curving into a playful smile as she noticed her sister’s gaze upon her. “But age doesn’t matter for cultivators, does it? As long as you love each other.”

    Lan Mulian glared at her flirtatious sister. “We’re not like that.”

    She ignored her sister and continued writing.

    Feiying chuckled, leaning back in her chair, pouring herself a cup of tea and taking a piece of osmanthus cake.

    She glanced at the snow lotus, then said, “By the way, we recently acquired a batch of Luminous Soil at the auction house. You’re welcome to browse our selection if you’re interested.”

    Luminous Soil wasn’t particularly rare. She knew her sister could easily acquire some.

    But she was currently in Tianxuan City. By the time she returned to the sect, the snow lotus would have wilted.

    “Unfortunately, I’ll be hosting the auction, so I won’t be able to accompany you. If you need someone to guide you, perhaps you could invite him?”

    She smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “I can arrange a private room for you, so you won’t have to worry about being stared at.”

    Lan Mulian’s eyes flickered, a ripple of interest disturbing her usually calm demeanor.

    Her sister’s suggestion was… tempting.

    If she were at the sect, she could easily preserve the snow lotus. But here in Tianxuan City, Luminous Soil was her only option.

    And she had come down the mountain early, only to spend her days cooped up in an inn, it was a waste.

    She looked at the letter she had been writing, then opened it again, adding an invitation for Mu Zhi’an.

    Ye Manor.

    Beneath the soft moonlight, Ye Qian, her youthful face pressed against Ye Lingxuan’s shoulder, clung to her arm.

    “Sister, let’s go to the Tide Sea Inn next time. Their osmanthus cake is really delicious,” she said suddenly.

    Ye Lingxuan glanced at her, a knowing smile on her lips. “Is it the cake that’s delicious, or is it because the Mu family’s young master gave it to you?”

    “What are you talking about, Sister?” Ye Qian protested, nudging her playfully.

    Ye Lingxuan chuckled, seeing the blush on her cheeks.

    She was so innocent… easily swayed by a Foundation Establishment Pill and some pastries.

    If she wasn’t here, Mu Zhi’an would probably steal her heart… and everything else in a few days.

    “By the way, Sister, there’s an auction in a few days. Should we go?” Ye Qian asked suddenly.

    “I heard they’re auctioning Luminous Soil, which can preserve flowers for a long time.”

    “It would be a shame for that beautiful snow lotus to wilt.”

    Ye Lingxuan pondered for a moment, then nodded.

    She had been planning to invite her friend, but Ye Qian had beat her to it.

    “But Sister, do you know how auctions work?” Ye Qian asked.

    She didn’t recall Ye Lingxuan ever attending an auction. Whenever she wanted something, a mysterious benefactor always provided it. She never lacked anything, so there was no need for auctions.

    Ye Lingxuan shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

    She paused, then said, “Perhaps we could ask Brother Ye Yu to take us?”

    Ye Qian frowned slightly. “Whatever you think is best, Sister.”

    She didn’t seem happy with that suggestion.

    Ye Lingxuan, noticing her reaction, quickly changed her approach. “The Mu family’s young master has plenty of free time. Perhaps I should send him an invitation.”

    Ye Qian’s eyes lit up. “Wouldn’t that be troubling him?”

    “….”

    Ye Lingxuan stared at her, speechless.

    She still believed Mu Zhi’an had ulterior motives, but seeing Ye Qian’s reaction… she couldn’t criticize him.

    “I’ll have a servant deliver a letter to him,” she said with a sigh.

    He was a clever man. After her warning earlier, he would know to behave himself.

    And the snow lotus… it was a rare treasure in Tianxuan City. It was worth preserving.

    That night, Mu Zhi’an finished his meditation, having contributed to Bai Ruoxi’s cultivation progress.

    He sat in the courtyard, bathed in the moonlight, his hands behind his head, a troubled expression on his face as he read a letter he had just received.

    He heard footsteps approaching and turned to see the servant who had delivered the letter earlier.

    “What is it now?” he asked, frowning.

    The servant hesitated, then presented another letter. “A servant from the Ye Manor delivered this, Young Master. It’s from Miss Ye Lingxuan.”

    He accepted the letter, dismissed the servant, and opened it.

    He read its contents, then silently opened another letter he had received earlier.

    He spread out all three letters.

    The first was an invitation from Huang Manting.

    The second was a letter from Lan Mulian, inviting him to the auction at the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce.

    The third was from Ye Lingxuan, also inviting him to the auction.

    He stared at the invitations, recalling Bai Ruoxi’s request earlier, and a cold dread washed over him.

    “Oh no… did I mess up?”

  • They All Want to Be My Female Lead v2 c29

    29 Instructor Yu Xuan: Looking Forward to the Evening

    In the fire refinement starry space, on the central altar, the protruding stone bed was covered with soft and comfortable bedding and draped with a hazy, dreamlike bed curtain.

    Inside the curtain, a peerlessly beautiful white-haired woman lay on her side, her head gently resting on a jade pillow, the thin quilt just covering her chest, hiding most of her spring scenery and the handsome boy quietly sleeping in her arms.

    Chen Xi stretched out her fair jade-like hand, carefully caressing Yan Zhen’s cheeks, feeling his exhaled breath evenly hitting her cleavage, and couldn’t help but think of his obedient suckling appearance, her heart surging with waves of passion.

    Under her guidance, Yan Zhen had changed from being motionless to being able to obey her requests. As long as they continued, she could capture his body and soul, making him truly like her.

    Not just the liking between master and disciple, she wanted more and more of his affection, so she would do more and more things to make him happy.

    While thinking, Chen Xi placed her forehead against Yan Zhen’s, her divine soul entering his dreams to peep at his instinctive desires hidden deep in his heart.

    The last “Close Guidance of the Older Female Teacher” was something that had appeared in Yan Zhen’s dream, so she tried her best to replicate it.

    The idea of this time’s spaghetti strap nightgown and stone bed massage also came from Yan Zhen.

    What would it be this time?

    Successfully entering Yan Zhen’s dream, Chen Xi then saw an incredible scene.

    Whip, candle, basement.

    Queen and boy.

    Chen Xi’s face instantly turned red. Watching the domineering queen swing the whip and smack it on the boy’s body, her heart ached, even though the boy looked very pleasured.

    –No, no, this is really undoable. Let’s change to the next one.

    The scene changed. In an alcohol-smelling hospital room, a boy who got into a car accident injured his hands and couldn’t move. The attending doctor cooperated with the nurse to take care of him from head to toe.

    –This one is okay.

    The problem was that she was alone. Did she have to split herself into a clone to help? It wasn’t difficult.

    Her mind returning to reality, Chen Xi looked at Yan Zhen’s innocent sleeping face and lightly flicked his nose.

    “Naughty Zhen’er, the things you’re interested in are always strange. Who knows where you get so many tricks, always teasing this master.”

    After saying that, she pursed her lips and smiled, “But who let this master like you? Then I’ll satisfy you~”

    Yan Zhen smacked his lips in his sleep and snuggled into her embrace.

    When Yan Zhen woke up, he was still on a bed, but not the stone bed on the altar, but the wooden bed in his room.

    Thinking of his beautiful master’s charm last night and how he couldn’t help but respond, he became uneasy in his heart.

    –System, system, my character setting hasn’t collapsed, right?

    [The host’s reaction belongs to a normal physiological phenomenon and does not violate the protagonist’s character setting. You can rest assured.]

    –That’s great.

    Yan Zhen felt relieved and started to reflect.

    His beautiful master dual cultivated with him for the sake of his body. How could he only care about enjoying it?

    In the future, if there was dual cultivation, he must have a reverent and grateful heart, and not be blinded by the G-cup divine breasts.

    Because it was still early, Yan Zhen did some morning exercises before brushing his teeth and washing up. When he arrived at the dining room, he found only Yan Meng’er busy. Yan Ruyu, Mi Xue’er, and Instructor Yu Xuan hadn’t come yet.

    Breakfast was already set on the table. Yan Meng’er was preparing what they would eat at noon.

    His cousin was wearing the academy uniform, with an apron tied around her waist. Compared to her usual mischievousness, she had more of a good wife’s charm.

    Yan Zhen looked at her back and greeted her.

    Yan Meng’er didn’t turn her head and continued frying meat patties.

    “Good morning, Cousin. Breakfast is ready. Hurry up and sit down to eat.”

    “Where are they?”

    “Elder Sister and Sister Xue’er seemed to have slept together last night. They probably talked late. Instructor Yu Xuan also looks very tired recently.”

    “So they all woke up late? How rare.”

    Yan Zhen sat in his usual seat, too lazy to wait for them, and started eating by himself.

    When he was almost done eating, Yan Ruyu and Mi Xue’er finally came in yawning. Instructor Yu Xuan was the last to arrive.

    “Good morning, Instructor.”

    “Morning, morning.”

    When Instructor Yu Xuan saw Yan Zhen, her face became unnatural, two small blushes appearing on her cheeks.

    For the sake of tonight’s “Secret Teaching”, she had crammed a whole bunch of postures, uh, knowledge all night, so she didn’t get enough rest.

    Moreover, in the process of cramming knowledge, she used Yan Zhen as an interactive partner in her mind, as if she had been fantasizing about him all along, so she felt guilty when she saw Yan Zhen.

    Instructor Yu Xuan sat across from Yan Zhen and picked up her chopsticks while secretly glancing at him, thinking if he was like her, seemingly calm, but actually looking forward to the evening’s arrival?

    She didn’t know that because Yan Zhen had been focusing on drawing the fire talisman for the past three days, coupled with his beautiful master’s gentle comfort, he had temporarily forgotten about the “Secret Teaching” the two had agreed upon.

    Yan Zhen downed the soy milk in his cup in one gulp, exhaling a breath of milky fragrance, and then said, “I might come back late tonight. You don’t have to wait for me to eat.”

    Upon hearing this, Instructor Yu Xuan thought he was planning to avoid the three girls in advance and then sneak into her room.

    It seemed he had already thought of a plan, seemingly even more eager than her~

    The beautiful instructor’s lips curved slightly, secretly delighted.

    “Little Brother Yan Zhen, are you going to the street?”

    “Mm, I’m going to buy some medicinal ingredients. They’re quite rare, so I plan to ask around from store to store.”

    In the script, his beautiful master didn’t use the massage method or dual cultivation method to help him alleviate the aftereffects of divine soul palpitation at all, but instead used medicinal assistance from the beginning.

    Yan Zhen originally thought he would deviate from the script again, but it turned out to be connecting only now, which was fine.

    Arriving at the Mystic Academy, Yan Zhen was about to take out paper and pen to draw the fire talisman, but was informed that this morning was a breathing exercise class and he had to go to the qi refining field.

    Only then did he suddenly remember that there would soon be a showing off plot that needed to be acted out. He followed behind Mi Xue’er and Yan Ruyu and came to the qi refining field.

    The so-called qi refining field was a large classroom engraved with a qi gathering formation. The profound qi of heaven and earth was relatively denser than outside, but the effect was far inferior to the qi gathering formation his beautiful master had engraved for him.

    The instructor was an old teacher who taught them to change their breathing rhythm according to the circulation rhythm of the technique, improving the efficiency of qi refining.

    [Ding! Key plot begins]

    The familiar system prompt sound. Yan Zhen knew it was time for him to show his true skills.

    The Imperial Blaze Art activated. With a slight breath, most of the profound qi in the room gathered around Yan Zhen, forming a visible qi vortex swirling around him.

    Yan Ruyu and Mi Xue’er sitting beside him and the nearby students all benefited, their breathing speed greatly increased, but those further away from him couldn’t absorb it at all, feeling extremely depressed.

    This was the result of Yan Zhen restraining himself.

    The celestial sovereign level technique + all profound barriers opened was too domineering!

    It even stunned the experienced old instructor.

    The students who couldn’t absorb the profound qi all woke up one after another. Seeing the qi vortex centered on Yan Zhen and the students near the qi vortex with obviously accelerated breathing efficiency, some were angry, some were amazed, some were admiring.

    Then, many students successively approached Yan Zhen, mostly girls who already had some thoughts about him. Now with a proper reason, they flocked to him one after another.

  • They All Want to Be My Female Lead V2 C28

    28 Beautiful Master’s Lap Pillow Massage

    Without using yellow paper and vermilion, using only white paper and black ink, it was very difficult to infuse mystic power into the strokes of the talisman pattern. It required more delicate control of the divine soul, and the difficulty was more than doubled.

    However, after succeeding, Yan Zhen’s divine soul would slowly give birth to spiritual power and then cultivate the way of alchemy.

    He could only continue to work hard.

    The system once again issued a task, the same as last time, requiring him to draw the Fire Talisman, but with an additional “successfully give birth to spiritual power”.

    Chen Xi still demonstrated for Yan Zhen first, telling him the key points while demonstrating. After the demonstration, she let Yan Zhen start practicing.

    Until late at night, Yan Zhen, who had even forgotten to eat dinner, stopped when his stomach started growling.

    Chen Xi reached out and rubbed Yan Zhen’s brow, saying indifferently, “Let’s stop here for today, Zhen’er. Go eat dinner and take a bath first. Come back later, and this master will give you a head massage to prevent headaches when you wake up the next day.”

    Yan Zhen nodded, “Then I’ll go out first. See you later, Master.”

    Activating the Star Shifting Fire Seal, Yan Zhen returned to his room, planning to go to the kitchen to cook some noodles and wash up.

    Arriving at the kitchen, Yan Zhen found that the stove was still burning and there was a note on the steaming pot lid:

    These are all your portions.

    Yan Zhen picked up the note, and the beautiful faces of the four women seemed to appear in his mind, strands of warmth welling up in his heart.

    Opening the pot lid, there were three dishes, one soup, and a bowl of rice being kept warm in the pot.

    Yan Zhen ate until he was 80% full in the kitchen. After washing the bowls and chopsticks, he went to the bathroom.

    This time, Yan Zhen didn’t soak in the bathtub. He rinsed his body, changed into his pajamas, and returned to his room, re-entering the crystal space.

    However, the scene before his eyes made him stunned.

    A long block protruded on the empty altar, covered with a layer of bedding and hanging with a semi-transparent bed curtain.

    His beautiful master was kneeling on the bed. Her usual black long-sleeved dress was changed into a black spaghetti strap nightgown, creating an even stronger black and white contrast with her flawless icy skin and silver long cascading hair, extremely eye-catching.

    The black straps hung on her pink-white shoulders, close to her collarbones, forming a shallow V-shaped neckline, pushed up by her G-cup huge peaks into an unattainable arc, the tightly stretched black fabric vaguely revealing round points.

    The skirt of the nightgown loosely fell, just covering her rear, exposing a pair of snow-white and plump thighs, side by side forming the highest jade pillow.

    Even with such a sexy and alluring attire, Chen Xi still maintained a fairy-like cold aura, but her gaze towards Yan Zhen was filled with loving kindness and gentleness, simply a combination of an angel and a devil.

    Yan Zhen couldn’t help but feel his face flushed and heart pounding, thinking why would his beautiful master be dressed like this? The script didn’t mention a single word about it. Last time’s “older female teacher” was the same. Where did his beautiful master get these clothes?

    Damn it, why did she look so good?

    No, hold it in. He couldn’t be a rebellious disciple and let his character setting collapse!

    But he saw Chen Xi smile slightly and beckon to him, softly saying, “Come here quickly, Zhen’er.”

    Yan Zhen warned himself while walking over step by step like a wooden man, then stood at the head of the bed, not daring to look too much at his beautiful master, like a student giving a speech on stage for the first time.

    Chen Xi felt secretly delighted at Yan Zhen’s restrained reaction, thinking that the silly disciple was actually shy, indicating that her careful dressing up was worth it.

    “Zhen’er, what are you standing there for? Lie down, this master will eliminate the aftereffects of your divine soul palpitation for you.”

    As she spoke, she patted her thighs with her little hands, the snowy soft flesh of her thighs slightly trembling, making slapping sounds.

    “Oh, oh.”

    Yan Zhen’s little face was red. He took off his wooden clogs and crawled onto the bed. With his back to his beautiful master, he slowly lay down, his head just resting on his beautiful master’s lap.

    A bountiful and soft fleshy sensation came from behind his head, accompanied by a sense of security in his chest, as well as a hot and swelling sensation in another place.

    Yan Zhen tried his best to suppress his evil thoughts, not wanting his beautiful master to notice his ugly state.

    But Chen Xi had long been staring at his reaction, how could she not know? She just didn’t expose him. Her jade-like hands rested on Yan Zhen’s temples on both sides and gently started massaging him.

    Like a spring breeze brushing the face, a faint sense of comfort slowly spread out, transmitting from the head to the whole body.

    Yan Zhen gradually relaxed, his whole body feeling lazy.

    “Zhen’er, how do you feel about life at the Mystic Academy?”

    “It’s okay, it’s just that I can’t learn anything new. The vast majority of knowledge has been taught to me by Master.”

    “Are there any particularly beautiful girls in your class?”

    “Not really. The most beautiful ones are Elder Sister Ruyu and Senior Sister Xue’er. Oh right, Instructor Yu Xuan is also quite good-looking.”

    “Instructor?”

    Chen Xi’s movements paused, an unprecedented sense of nervousness arising in her heart. She carefully recalled the gentle and beautiful woman that Yan Zhen had introduced to her in her previous life.

    –Is it her?

    Yan Zhen felt his beautiful master’s hands stop and quickly realized something was wrong. He explained, “Master, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t take anyone else as my master. An instructor is different from a master. She’s only responsible for guiding my cultivation until graduation. After graduation, I’ll be out of her tutelage. But Master will always be my revered master.”

    Chen Xi frowned. These words made her both happy and unhappy, so she lightly knocked on Yan Zhen’s forehead.

    “Don’t joke around. How could this master not understand flexibility? Since Zhen’er has become her disciple, you must respect her as a true master and not neglect her.”

    –Disrespectful behavior can only be directed at her.

    Yan Zhen didn’t think too much and obediently said oh, thinking that his beautiful master was really open-minded, truly worthy of being a half-step Mystic Saint supreme expert!

    Chen Xi didn’t speak again and silently gave Yan Zhen a head massage.

    After massaging for a while, Chen Xi stopped and asked, “Do you still feel dizzy, Zhen’er?”

    Yan Zhen lightly shook his head. A faint stabbing pain came, and he said with a bitter face, “There’s still a little. Maybe it will be better after sleeping. Master, you’ve worked hard too. The massage should be enough here.”

    “The aftereffects of divine soul palpitation, if not alleviated in time, will cause big problems. It absolutely cannot be taken lightly.” Chen Xi thought for a moment. “Zhen’er, your divine soul is relatively strong. The aftereffects produced by the palpitation may not be completely alleviated by just a head massage. It still needs medicinal assistance.”

    “Then I’ll go buy medicinal ingredients tomorrow.”

    “Divine soul-related medicinal ingredients may be difficult to buy here.”

    After all, the divine soul was something that only alchemists would cultivate. Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t come into contact with it until the Mystic Ancestor realm and above.

    Everything related to the divine soul was not only expensive but also in short supply.

    “Then what should we do?”

    “Before finding medicinal assistance, we can only use a substitute method for now.”

    “What method?”

    Chen Xi seemed to hesitate whether to tell Yan Zhen. After a long pause, she leaned close to his ear and softly said those two words.

    “Ah, this?” Yan Zhen blinked blankly, then shook his head. “Forget it. I don’t want Master to compromise yourself for me.”

    Hearing these words, Chen Xi felt the air around her turn sweet. Her jade-like hands cupped Yan Zhen’s cheeks, looking at him from above, and said with a faint smile, “Zhen’er, with this intention of yours, this master won’t feel compromised at all– Good boy, close your eyes.”

    Yan Zhen wanted to say something more, but Chen Xi had already slowly kissed him.

    Everything was left unspoken.

  • I Am a Devil, I Only Understand Transactions 32

    Chapter 032 – Collectible

    “Fully take over? What are you going to do?” Yukinoshita Saori’s pupils shrank: “You want to sell off the law firm that the Yukinoshita family has accumulated over generations?”

    “Mother, our only choice now is to give up these things, do you think many people are willing to take them over at this time?” Yukinoshita Haruno shook her head: “The only one who has offered a price at this level is one person.”

    “How much money?” Yukinoshita Saori quickly asked.

    Haruno casually mentioned a figure and the name of the buyer.

    Yukinoshita Saori was just about to explode, after all, the price offered was simply taking advantage of the situation.

    With the buyer’s financial capacity, they could easily swallow the law firm and then restore it to its original value.

    But after thinking about it, she sat back down dejectedly.

    Indeed, at this time being able to offer this price is already very rare.

    “The reason I’m willing to sit here and talk to you is because I need your consent.” Yukinoshita Haruno said softly: “Your way is completely unreliable, we can’t pin our hopes on vague occultism, but should rely on our own abilities to solve the current problem.”

    “Then what about our future?” Yukinoshita Saori couldn’t help but feel confused.

    She had never imagined that her family would be on the edge of the cliff due to the three circuit breakers.

    The Yukinoshita family was actually doing very well, at this point taking a step back wouldn’t lead to everyone jumping off a cliff.

    “It’s the three choices I mentioned, we rely on a big family, and the Yukinoshita family will cease to exist, just like the Shijo family relying on the Shinomiya family, but even being able to rely on a family like the Shijo is lucky for us.” Yukinoshita Haruno analyzed calmly: “The Yukinoshita family will be subject to others in the future, but our enemies won’t swallow us up.”

    “What else?” Yukinoshita Saori continued.

    “The second choice, go abroad, be a small-time wealthy person in another country, don’t even think about big cities.” Yukinoshita Haruno said: “At least this way we can ensure that we few won’t run into danger.”

    “What’s the third one?” Yukinoshita Saori began to weigh the options.

    After calming down, or rather, accepting reality, it wasn’t that difficult to choose anymore.

    “Become a small family, operate a few industries, maintain the status quo, Yukino can forget about relying on the family to advance in her career, father also needs to keep a low profile, including you and me, if others bully us, we can only choose to endure, not retaliate, in this way…” Yukinoshita Haruno sighed: “Maybe the next generation will adapt, and after accumulating for two more generations, if everyone is very outstanding, it’s not impossible to reach the current level.”

    “Sigh, let it be.” Yukinoshita Saori said indifferently: “The future of the Yukinoshita family is in your hands.”

    “Okay, remember to sign the papers when the time comes.” Yukinoshita Haruno nodded, put down the red wine, and walked out.

    “You’ve been drinking, remember not to drive.” Yukinoshita Saori said.

    “Don’t worry, the driver has to finish this month’s work.” Yukinoshita Haruno waved behind her.

    Seeing Haruno leave, Yukinoshita Saori seemed to have made up her mind about something, and started to get dressed, preparing to go to that mysterious izakaya.

    She wanted to know, how much could the family bleed if she staked herself, whether there was a chance of not being cheated.

    As a former business tycoon, she was still very good at reading contracts.

    Hopefully… the devil really is as respectful of the spirit of the contract as the legends say.

    At this moment, a pure white feather fell on her head.

    The fate of those few people was very clear…

    Yukinoshita Saori’s gaze quickly became resolute.

    So what? At this point, can they still rely on the gods to save the Yukinoshita family?

    Haruno is working hard, she can’t fall behind either.

    Sometimes, people have to go into the abyss, even the gods can’t stop them.

    They all have their own reasons, their own purposes.

    Some for family, some for love, some for the family, some for wealth and status.

    To achieve their goals, even if it means selling their souls, even if they’ll die the next moment, they are unafraid, there are things more important than life or even the soul.

    At the same time, Sora Ginko had already left the izakaya, and Luo Feng had followed.

    “Where are you going?” Luo Feng asked.

    “I don’t know.” Sora Ginko turned her head away.

    She had realized that Luo Feng was really obeying the contract, at 8 o’clock sharp, he directly stopped his… actions towards her.

    Given his physical strength and abilities as shown yesterday, he clearly could have gone on for much longer.

    “Aren’t you going to play shogi?” Luo Feng adjusted his hat.

    “Shogi?” A faint smile appeared on Sora Ginko’s face.

    She could now respond to that child’s expectations, right?

    When the time for the matches comes, she can show off her new shogi style.

    Was this all… not in vain?

    “Yes, I’ll go play shogi.” Sora Ginko nodded firmly, then her gaze became a bit complicated: “I don’t know how I should interact with you during the day…”

    As for the night, no need to say, with this guy’s despicable nature, he probably won’t waste a single second.

    She had originally thought that she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed today, and her voice would be hoarse, but unexpectedly, she was quite normal now.

    “It’s up to you, an occasional izakaya owner, a passing devil, a big brother, or even wanting to make me your boyfriend or husband, all are possible.” Luo Feng said casually: “I will try my best to accommodate whatever way you choose to interact with me, and if you need me, I can even keep you company when I’m bored.”

    “You’ll marry me?” Sora Ginko was taken aback.

    “Of course not.” Luo Feng looked at her with a puzzled expression: “When did you get the illusion that a devil would get married?”

    “Then why did you say I can treat you as a husband?” Sora Ginko gritted her teeth.

    Even though he did that kind of thing to her last night, now he’s just acting like he didn’t take responsibility, is this what a devil is like?

    No, he is taking responsibility, it’s just that his way of taking responsibility is different from normal people.

    She suddenly had the illusion that she was somehow being “rented” by him…

    “I never said you can treat me as your husband.” Luo Feng said frankly: “How you handle our relationship is your own business, it has nothing to do with me. Oh right, you have to remember, you can’t have intimate contact with anyone other than me, at most you can shake hands.”

    “Tch…” Sora Ginko turned her head away: “We’re just a simple transactional relationship, whether others touch me or not…”

    “It’s very important, if you don’t believe me, go to the museum and let them touch those precious collectibles, see if they agree?” Luo Feng smiled: “If I think you’re not clean anymore, not only will you be punished, the other party will too.”

    “How can that be the same?”

    “It’s the same, you are my collectible.”

  • I Am a Devil, I Only Understand Transactions 31

    Chapter 031 – Don’t Come Over Here!

    Early the next morning, Luo Feng was hugging the still sleeping Sora Ginko, pondering about life.

    After becoming a devil, he has been fighting, fighting, and never stopping. Although there are many succubi who want to join him, they are all too filthy.

    Being an administrative officer is better, even the lowest-ranking devil can fire an Armstrong circular acceleration jet-propelled Armstrong cannon three times a day.

    Look, this child is so good, her soul is pure, her age is suitable, if I cultivate her well, she will definitely be my most wonderful treasure.

    Don’t be fooled by the fact that Sora Ginko only signed a six-month contract, some contracts, as long as you sign them, the person is gone.

    Once you take the first step into the forbidden, she won’t care about the second step or the third step.

    Sinking into the abyss doesn’t mean you have to jump in, but to sink step by step.

    I only signed a six-month contract with her, and gave her 80% of the previous computing power, this shouldn’t be too much, right?

    Discounted merchandise must have some flaws!

    Actually caring about her, I really am a benevolent devil.

    By the way, from noon to midnight yesterday, I really put this child through a lot, it’s a good thing I’m a devil, so I can use my powers to heal while I’m at it, otherwise with this ordinary human body, it would have been a bit too much to bear.

    Luo Feng lifted Sora Ginko’s bangs and gently kissed her forehead.

    How should I coax her to continue the contract next?

    Let her sell her soul and become mine forever, now that seems too simple, the temptation of playing against the gods is not something these shogi players can resist.

    But, isn’t this a bit too boring?

    Take it slow, to conquer her, one night is not enough, after conquering her body, I need to conquer her soul.

    Bit by bit, let her know that the Kuzuryuu Yaichi incident was all a misunderstanding, let her know that Kuzuryuu Yaichi liked her from the beginning, I wonder what expression she will have?

    Thinking about it is quite interesting.

    The expression of human despair and collapse, is the best spiritual nourishment.

    I need to grasp the right degree, can’t completely ruin her, this kind of beautiful soul is not easy to find.

    “Umm…”

    At this moment, Sora Ginko slowly woke up.

    As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Luo Feng staring at her.

    She was startled and quickly retreated a bit, covering her body with her clothes, tears falling down her face.

    From now on, she won’t be able to get married, is there really a big difference between half a year and one year? Can she really get away from this guy?

    But feeling her lively brain, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it, and couldn’t deceive herself either.

    “Get up early.” Luo Feng patted Sora Ginko’s adorable little head: “If you want to stay with me a little longer, I don’t mind.”

    “Get out…”

    “Why?” Luo Feng looked at her puzzled.

    “Get out! I need to get dressed!” Sora Ginko shouted.

    “Tsk, let me check the time…” Luo Feng looked at the clock and smiled: “Look, it’s only 7 o’clock.”

    “7 o’clock? What do you mean?” Sora Ginko was stunned, forgetting her embarrassment and anger.

    Meanwhile, in Chiba, at the Yukinoshita residence.

    Yukinoshita Saori silently watched the news on the TV, her leather sofa almost having holes clawed into it.

    Why, why did the US stock market have a third circuit breaker?

    This is simply a joke!

    Didn’t they say that this was a good time to bottom fish, and that there wouldn’t be any more circuit breakers?

    Watching the reporter deliver the news, that damned president still rambling on there, even going to play golf, Yukinoshita Saori was furious.

    How is this person still alive? Hasn’t there been a good Samaritan passing by to directly take him down?

    He must be a mole, definitely a mole from another country? He became president just to undermine the US, right?

    Yukinoshita Saori felt that this possibility really couldn’t be ruled out.

    In fact, at this time, no matter which president it was, it wouldn’t be much better. After all, in a capitalist country, especially where people are so unruly, it’s basically impossible to make them behave normally.

    Your country’s downfall has nothing to do with me, just don’t drag me down!

    Yukinoshita Saori took a deep breath, but still couldn’t calm down, instead feeling a bit hypoxic.

    Yukinoshita Haruno was sitting next to her, the graceful posture she usually had in front of her mother was gone, she was just lying on the edge of the sofa, holding a glass of red wine, sipping it slowly.

    She looked at the TV and suddenly laughed: “Really, even the legendary stock god hasn’t seen a scene like this, huh?”

    She had already given up any illusions about the US stock market, it was basically done for.

    “You can still laugh?” Yukinoshita Saori growled.

    Now this money can really be treated as non-existent! Apart from gods and devils, there’s no one who can save the stock market, right?

    “Mother, you’ve taught me that we must always maintain the etiquette of the Yukinoshita family, you haven’t forgotten that, have you? Roaring is not within our family’s etiquette.” Yukinoshita Haruno said softly: “Now, hope is even more remote, we must treat this capital as non-existent.”

    “Do you know what it means to lose this capital?”

    Crack.

    One of Yukinoshita Saori’s nails broke: “If we don’t have this capital, your father won’t have any say anymore!”

    In Japan, a county councilor’s voice is completely tied to the capital behind him, if the capital is not enough, he’s basically just a decoration.

    At that time, how could he protect the Yukinoshita family?

    Or rather, how could the Yukinoshita family provide him with assistance?

    Capital and politics are interdependent, this is the environment in Japan, and no one is an exception.

    Even though her nail broke, she didn’t cry out in pain, nor did she bandage it.

    How could the physical pain compare to the pain in her heart?

    The Yukinoshita family, the Yukinoshita family… is it going to be destroyed by her own hands?

    “There’s still hope.” Yukinoshita Haruno said in a floating tone: “As long as we give up the construction company and downsize the scale of operations, there’s still a chance to stand up again.”

    To abandon a major part of your family’s industry, this kind of courage is not something everyone has, and this kind of decision is not something everyone can make.

    Haruno had thought about it a lot before, and reluctantly, this was the only way.

    Amputate a limb to save the body…

    “Give up? You’re thinking too simply.” Yukinoshita Saori said hatefully: “If we go under, do you think those people will let us go so easily?”

    “If you had listened to me three years ago and married well, wouldn’t this have never happened?”

    “Marry?” Yukinoshita Haruno sneered: “In the end, weren’t you the one who backed out? I was the one to marry in, and the marriage between Yukino and someone else, wasn’t that your final decision?”

    “Don’t think I don’t know, the two marriage alliances of Yukino, were all sabotaged by you.” Yukinoshita Saori said coldly.

    “Oh? It was indeed me who sabotaged them, wasn’t it you who were testing me?” Yukinoshita Haruno swirled the red wine in her hand: “You wanted to see how far I could go, so you chose marriage candidates that weren’t to your liking. You wanted someone who could help our family, not have ambitions against us, and be stronger than us, but how easy is that to find?”

    “…” Yukinoshita Saori didn’t say anything, it was indeed like that.

    Because of Haruno’s excellence, she always wanted to find a husband for Haruno who could be dominated by Haruno, without ambition, and be capable enough to be presentable.

    When finding a boyfriend for Yukino, she always wanted someone who perfectly fit her ideal family standard.

    In fact, many people are single not because they can’t find someone, but because they are too picky.

    And the Yukinoshita family, indeed has the capital to be picky.

    Both daughters are stunningly beautiful, and also very capable, one in business, one in politics, with bright futures.

    Unfortunately, now it’s all gone.

    Their appearance is still there, but capital will not marry them just because they are good-looking, after all, there are plenty of beautiful women out there, and with this money they can do much more.

    A woman? Just pay a similar price.

    Helping the Yukinoshita family, obviously is not just a similar price.

    “Then, shall we go find that guy? He really has the ability to save us.” Yukinoshita Saori tried to discuss with Haruno: “I won’t let you go trade, let Yukino go trade, as long as you’re still here, both of us sacrificing ourselves won’t matter, you can rise in the family, let’s just take a look at the contract…”

    She had no other way, even though she had seen how terrifying the devil’s actions could be, at this moment, she could only pin her hopes on the devil.

    Normal people, now it’s impossible for them to save the Yukinoshita family, capable people will only laugh at them and try to take advantage, they won’t do those thankless and difficult tasks.

    How they would act, Yukinoshita Saori knew it all too well, these tricks she had used on others before.

    Cause and effect, retribution is inevitable.

    “Didn’t you say it yourself?” Yukinoshita Haruno put down the red wine and said softly: “Even if he really is the so-called devil, our wishes may be realized in a distorted way.”

    She actually still didn’t believe that Luo Feng was the devil.

    “But we have no hope left!” Yukinoshita Saori became excited: “Rather than having the family devoured, we might as well all die together, at least we’d die with dignity!”

    “Calm down.” Yukinoshita Haruno put down the red wine and said calmly: “Don’t dream about going back to the prosperous days of the past, we still have hope.”

    “Today I’m going to attend a banquet, someone is willing to fully take over our company, although the price has been squeezed down a bit, as long as we have new capital, we’ll have a little bit of living space. Whether it’s relying on a big family, becoming an ordinary small Chiba family with reduced voice, or starting over in another country, at least we have options.”

  • I Am a Devil, I Only Understand Transactions 30

    Chapter 030 – Thank You for the Compliment

    Seeing her reaction, Luo Feng was very satisfied as he squeezed her chest, “A bit small, but she should grow bigger in the future.”

    It doesn’t matter. A child with such a beautiful soul, size doesn’t matter at all.

    Small has its advantages, and big has its advantages too.

    Luo Feng was looking for a lover, not a wife, and he never planned to just find someone like this. His relationship with Sora Ginko was a purely transactional one.

    Don’t they have big ones waiting for him to save as well?

    Tsk, I really am a benevolent devil, always thinking about how to save the masses.

    At that moment, a contract appeared in front of Sora Ginko’s eyes.

    According to the contract, she had to serve Luo Feng every night from 7 PM to 8 AM the next morning, when she had to go to school.

    If there were shogi tournaments, she could take a leave of absence with Luo Feng. This izakaya only operates until midnight, so she would have 8 hours of sufficient sleep, or rather, it ensures she will be energetic the next day.

    With the power of the devil, she can sleep for 4 hours and still be energetic the next day.

    There will be no rest days for half a year.

    See, a very humane contract.

    Just as Sora Ginko was about to put her hand on it, a voice rang out in her heart. Her instinct told her that if she signed this contract, she would have to fulfill it.

    Any ambiguous terms would ultimately be interpreted by Luo Feng.

    During this period, Luo Feng can do anything to force her to sign the contract and kill her. He can put her in any position, and she won’t be able to resist.

    If violated, the contract will forcibly execute it.

    Sora Ginko had already made up her mind. At this point, she didn’t care anymore.

    How much more miserable could it get? Kuzuryuu Yaichi doesn’t belong to me, he doesn’t even like me.

    My body doesn’t matter anymore, the only thing I want is shogi!

    And he has already given me a discount, I don’t know if it’s because I moved him, or his kindness, or because I apologized to him…

    She steeled her heart and put her handprint on it, also imprinting her soul.

    It’s back, it’s all back.

    The memories of that game, and my inspiration, they’re all back!

    She enjoyed replaying the game in her mind, the one she played with Luo Feng…

    Hmm, I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but the chessboard I could simulate in my mind before seemed to be missing two pieces?

    Not only that, the number of moves I could pre-read also decreased a bit…

    Is it because I’m not focused enough now?

    It should be like that.

    “Comfortable.” Sora Ginko closed her eyes in enjoyment.

    Only those who have experienced this kind of chessboard in their mind know how precious it is, and how enjoyable playing shogi can be.

    Bring on the 3-dan tournament, professional shogi player matches, all of them!

    I’m no longer the me from before, I can change the entire shogi world, my shogi skills have improved by leaps and bounds.

    Those difficult matches in the past now seem exceptionally easy.

    Is this the power of the devil? Awesome!

    I hope he didn’t lie to me, and that he really did give me this ability.

    It turns out he’s not an utterly evil guy.

    This kind of reaction from her is very normal, just like how a person curses the other person, but as long as the other person treats her a little better, she will be very grateful.

    On the other hand, if you’re always too good to her… there are too many examples of “repaying kindness with resentment”.

    Sora Ginko’s mind was now crystal clear, completely immersed in the countless chessboards and matches.

    Kuzuryuu Yaichi, the angel’s warning, all of these were thrown to the back of her mind.

    She suddenly understood why Luo Feng said that woman, even knowing it might be a trap here, would definitely come and sign the contract. In the absence of any retreat or way out, this is the only glimmer of hope.

    This feeling of regaining what was lost is the most wonderful feeling in the world!

    Those who were originally geniuses really don’t know how hard-won this ability is. Only someone like her, an average person, can truly appreciate the preciousness of this talent.

    Even if her life is only half a year left, as long as she can enjoy this power again, she can accept it.

    Shogi is her everything!

    Hearing the truth in the morning, being willing to die in the evening.

    The matches between famous players and Kuzuryuu Yaichi, as well as some other brilliant matches that she couldn’t understand before, she can now understand them all.

    She even wonders when she will transcend the shogi recognized by this world, when she will ascend to the realm of the gods, and trample on Yaichi, the famous players, and all those other shogi players.

    If Sora Ginko wasn’t so obsessed with shogi, she wouldn’t enjoy it so much, like giving Yukinoshita Saori this kind of shogi talent. She wouldn’t just give up her soul, but even a year of her life.

    Thinking about it, if it weren’t for this guy, she probably wouldn’t have found this path.

    This path, directly leading to the peak of shogi.

    “Hmm, since it’s comfortable, then shall we…”

    “Huh?” Sora Ginko suddenly felt something strange, especially on her chest, it seemed like…

    She lowered her head and saw a pair of large hands covering her chest.

    She opened her eyes wide.

    Wait, is it starting this fast?

    Sora Ginko was completely unprepared, the previous anger and numbness had been skillfully resolved by Luo Feng, and now she was in a panic.

    Even though she was decisive when signing the contract, it doesn’t mean she was ready!

    It’s like a person who has gone through thousands of mock exams, but still gets nervous when they enter the real college entrance exam.

    My upper body is now bare, and he is currently…

    She suddenly noticed that the surroundings had changed, and the two of them were no longer in the previous izakaya, but had come to a spacious bedroom. She was lying obediently on her side, and Luo Feng was hugging her from behind.

    This bed is too big, at least ten people could lie on it!

    The bedroom’s decor is very luxurious, not the familiar Japanese or European style, but an antique Chinese style.

    The man is wearing English-style clothing, while she is wearing a typical Japanese sailor uniform, in this Chinese-style bedroom, this scene gives Sora Ginko a sense of absurdity.

    “Wait, we don’t have an emotional foundation…”

    “Emotional foundation? Why think about that.” Luo Feng’s low voice sounded in Sora Ginko’s ear, and one of his large hands slowly moved downward: “This is a transaction, a reasonable transaction. You accompany me for half a year, and I grant you abilities. Don’t worry, the current abilities are for life, and I won’t take back those two games’ memories either, this is what you deserve.”

    “Don’t ever think of me as a good person. Granting you abilities you shouldn’t have, and then having to cultivate feelings, that would be a losing business.”

    “Although the timing today is not quite right, since you’ve already signed the contract and have the resolve, don’t even think about running away.” Luo Feng did not stop his actions: “The real ritual has begun.”

    “No, your clothes…” Sora Ginko couldn’t resist, instinctively covering her face.

    “What do you think? Haven’t you watched those special movies?”

    “I, I haven’t…”

    “Lying to the devil is not a good thing, you know.”

    “Wait… you really are a devil!”

    “Thank you for the compliment.”

  • I Am a Devil, I Only Understand Transactions 29

    Chapter 29: The Fatal Blow

    Ginko Sora vented all the conflicting emotions she had over the past few days with this momentum. After venting, she was like a deflated ball.

    “Seal memories, yes, you can indeed seal the memories of these past few days. Then I’ll go back to my previous life…” Ginko Sora mumbled. “Tell me, to seal my memories of these past few days and make me forget you, what kind of price do I need to pay?”

    “Young lady, your thoughts are very dangerous.” Luo Feng pressed his forehead against Ginko Sora’s. “Wanting to erase a devil from your mind and erase your most precious memories.”

    “It’s not precious at all!” Ginko Sora broke free from Luo Feng and let out a low roar.

    Seeing her so spirited, Luo Feng showed a fulfilled and gratified expression.

    “Indeed not precious.” Luo Feng snapped his fingers. “But do you think your previous memories are very precious?”

    Ginko Sora saw some scenes in her mind.

    Nine years ago, in the elementary school Meijin match, Machi Kugui lost to Tsukiyomisaka in the semifinals and sat alone on a long bench in the corner of the venue, crying.

    At this time, Yaichi Kuzuryuu appeared. He gently said, “Don’t cry. Let me show you an extremely interesting shogi game!” Then he defeated Tsukiyomizaka in the finals.

    Love at first sight! Because of shogi!

    Ginko Sora was in a daze for a moment. They, they had known each other since they were young? At that time, she still hated Yaichi, so that woman had taken advantage of the situation back then?

    Luo Feng was afraid she would fall and quickly held her to sit on a chair. One hand naturally stroked her lower abdomen, and the other was placed on her temple.

    The first scene was when she confessed to Yaichi Kuzuryuu for the first time, which was when Yaichi Kuzuryuu broke down for the first time during the Ryuou match.

    “Is there really nothing you want me to do… Right now, I can make an exception… and do anything for you…”

    “Can you not come and bother me? There are still title matches coming up, and Senior Sister, you also have the Women’s Gyokusa title defense match, right? I appreciate your concern for me, but for now, it’s better for us to focus on our own matters.”

    “I’ve always been with you until now! And I will always be with you in the future! Can’t we just get stronger together like before? Is that not okay?”

    “Even if you’re by my side, what can you do?”

    “?”

    “So what use can a Reward Association member like you be? Do you know who I’m fighting against? It’s that Meijin! Without even the experience of the 3-dan league, you dare to compare your child’s play-like shogi to a professional title match? If I study with you, I feel like I’ll become even more dull, you know? I’d rather study alone with software for higher efficiency!”

    Next was the scene of her second confession to Yaichi Kuzuryuu and being ruthlessly rejected by him again.

    Then there were Yaichi Kuzuryuu’s stories with lolis and some female shogi players. Under Luo Feng’s brilliant editing, Ginko Sora went from anger to despair and finally returned to calmness.

    Didn’t you just see it? What’s the big deal?

    She laughed. So the previous me was so stupid… only knowing how to give without receiving anything in return.

    My shogi, my feelings, were all denied by him…

    Indeed, I never had any beautiful memories. I shouldn’t be living in this world!

    Luo Feng expressed that he absolutely didn’t deceive Ginko Sora here and didn’t fabricate anything. These were all real events. But what was god-level editing?

    This was something he learned from humans. As long as you quote out of context, you can make people fall into an inescapable situation.

    Luo Feng didn’t want a puppet on strings or a corpse, so it was time to show her what she should see.

    Ginko Sora saw scenes of herself playing shogi in the past. When she was four years old, she took a car to find her master to play. She defeated one female shogi player after another, maintaining an undefeated record among them. The joy of winning, the unwillingness of losing to male shogi players, and the desire to become stronger gradually awakened her love for shogi.

    In Ginko Sora’s calmness, fluctuations appeared again. That ash-like state of mind slowly rekindled.

    “You had bad memories in the past, but these memories are also the most precious things to you! Not to mention the past, just the memories of these past few days, don’t you think they’re precious?” Luo Feng snapped his fingers.

    Instantly, a memory appeared in Ginko Sora’s mind, along with the talent she had lost!

    It was that segment! That shogi game played by three people! Every move could be called a divine move!

    The man and woman weren’t playing one move each. Sometimes one would play a move, sometimes the other. It was two against one.

    Such beautiful shogi…

    Every move could extend into countless possibilities. Even though some strategies had already been defeated, changing a move or a way of thinking would create a new way to play.

    This must be the true God of Shogi, right? If one could play against such an existence and lose to them, wouldn’t that be a lifelong fulfillment?

    She also saw Keika Kiyotaki’s gratification upon knowing her improvement and that child’s expectation, that pure love for shogi.

    He wasn’t flattering her to death, but truly wanted to see her creative shogi.

    And that creative way of playing, the god-like way of playing, was all in her mind!

    What she could calculate was definitely inferior to what that god-like being could calculate. How many moves could she see, how many moves could that child see, how many moves could the Meijin see?

    If she possessed such shogi strength, she could even defeat computers…

    No, defeating computers would be too insulting to that god-like existence!

    “Beautiful, isn’t it? Do you want this kind of shogi?” Luo Feng smiled. “You’ve lost love, but you still have your career! You know what? Those two weren’t gods, but ordinary humans. They relied on their own abilities to play against gods and even… defeated gods.”(No Game No Life reference)

    “You’re human too. Why can’t you do what they can do?”

    “Women’s number one? Yaichi Kuzuryuu? Meijin? These are all too low-level! As long as you make a deal with me, your shogi can let you climb to the top step by step, allowing you to jump out of this world and play against gods.”

    “Anyway, you have nothing to lose anymore. Why not try my proposal? Sign it. I’ll give you a discount. Half a year is enough. It’s super cost-effective!”

    Hearing the devil’s whispers and seeing that magnificent shogi, thinking about the withdrawal symptoms of losing that power, Ginko Sora silently…

    nodded.