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  • The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 72

    72: If There Is No Equality in This World

    What if my sister wasn’t the [Protagonist] of [Moonlight Liberium]?

    Leticia had said, “I’m the only one.”

    There were many others like her, who had to survive alone.

    In that “back alley.” In the dilapidated district we formally called the ‘old town district,’ where officially, no one lived.

    There were many girls who didn’t have a matching pocket watch, a letter from their mother, or a noble father.

    Many girls who weren’t ‘my sister.’

    The Vanderwaals family’s support was, after all, just a limited, temporary fix.

    There was no lie in my words when I called myself the embodiment of inequality. I had only saved my sister from the “back alley.”

    I believed that would save many more people. That was the plot.

    Even so, I had abandoned them.

    The other children in the same situation as my sister.

    Even now, there might be children dying, resenting the world, cursing their fate.

    I possessed the coldness to dismiss them, to consider it unavoidable.

    …But I hadn’t completely abandoned the weakness that made me ache for them, the helplessness I felt at being unable to save them.

    Leticia looked up.

    She looked at the two of us and then averted her gaze.

    “Even so… I wanted… a little more equality. I wanted a job where I would be paid fairly, a position where I wouldn’t be exploited…”

    …What I was giving her wasn’t ‘equality.’

    What I was offering her wasn’t an independent life, but a future tied to the seat of the family head.

    That was the ‘happiness’ I envisioned for her.

    I wished true equality existed.

    I wished there was another way to protect people’s happiness, a way different from the inequality we nobles had perpetuated for generations.

    …Perhaps that was what the revolutionary government of Ruins had wanted.

    They called themselves a republic. They tried to create a peaceful nation where everyone worked together.

    But no one knew how.

    I didn’t know either.

    …I suddenly thought of [Moonlight Liberium].

    I didn’t understand how that romance simulation game worked. It was similar to reading a book. The [Event Stills] were like illustrations.

    But it was more than that. It had elements that enhanced immersion.

    The character illustrations sometimes moved, and their voices played simultaneously.

    Music played in the background, changing with each scene. Sometimes calm, sometimes unsettling, sometimes passionate.

    They couldn’t possibly have a live orchestra… how did they do it?

    My sister’s voice acting was good, and so were the voices of the others… the confession scenes, in particular, were whispered as if directly into your ear. It was a moment of weakness I would regret for the rest of my life, being moved by Prince Konrad’s voice, of all people.

    It was like magic—and yet, the story it told was a typical romance, the kind you would find in a bookstore or see performed in a theater.

    What a waste of technology.

    …A world where such magical technology could be used for entertainment…

    If only it were just a playful stage for romance.

    …No, wait, what would I be doing in that case?

    There was no one suitable for a political marriage right now.

    No man I would entrust my everything to.

    …I glanced at Leticia, who was still looking down.

    “I’m from the ‘back alley.’ I wasn’t born a noble…”

    She murmured, as if reflecting on her circumstances.

    She took a deep breath and looked up defiantly.

    “—But I am a noble of Eustasia now. If there is no equality in this world, we will bear the burden. To bring us a little closer… to equality.”

    We were the embodiment of inequality.

    We couldn’t abandon the ruling class.

    The peace we sought was maintained by a power structure built on inequality.

    It wasn’t perfect. There were those who suffered. Those who couldn’t be saved. Even rulers struggled.

    There was no such thing as perfect governance.

    Even so.

    If there was no equality in this world…

    ――We would bear the burden.

    Her words were the words of a noble.

    “There must be something only I can do. And something only Your Highness can do—as the future ruler of this country.”

    “…Yes, you’re right.”

    Konrad smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

    “Duty and loyalty. Lady Leticia, I swear on your words that I will strive to be a good king. —That is the duty I bear.”

    The more a king strived for perfection, the lonelier he became. A benevolent ruler couldn’t be without a human heart, yet a ruler who couldn’t see people as numbers was surely a foolish one.

    ――That’s why we were needed.

    The nobles who swore loyalty to the king and fulfilled their duties.

    Those who were granted territories, each bearing their share of responsibility, passing it down through generations.

    Leticia undoubtedly had noble blood flowing through her veins.

    But at the same time, she was the one who denied the very idea of aristocracy.

    If someone from her background could acquire such noble ideals and the ability to act on them… then nobles weren’t necessary.

    We nobles received education from birth—not from the age of sixteen, like her.

    Well, there were some who hadn’t absorbed their noble education.

    Even so, the underlying principle was that it was better to educate and raise children from a young age, ensuring a minimum level of competence, rather than selecting those with aptitude… perhaps aristocracy was, surprisingly, a system that believed in the power of education.

    And a considerable number of commoners, like Judith and Ciel, were involved in the actual governance of the country.

    The people weren’t powerless.

    While they might not have succeeded in creating a better nation, the revolutionaries of Ruins had instilled a sense of crisis in the ruling class—they had reawakened the fear of the dormant guillotine.

    The fear they had awakened was surely one of the reasons I would be sent to the guillotine.

    Konrad, who had likely been reflecting on his own words and renewing his resolve, spoke hesitantly.

    “…As the First Prince, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I am destined to be king. Much is expected of me.”

    “? Yes.”

    Konrad looked nervous, while Leticia, though her expression was serious, seemed to have returned to her usual self.

    “…Wi… wi… —Will you… support me from now on, Lady Leticia?”

    “Yes, Your Highness. As a noble, I will support the royal family in any way I can.”

    My sister smiled in response.

    Prince Konrad breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, his guard down.

    What a heartwarming scene.

    He was probably about to ask her to support him… by his side.

    …While it wasn’t an official line, it resembled a [Confession Line] from later in the game, after their relationship had deepened.

    That line went like this—[“I want you to support me, by my side, from now on. As my queen, as my wife… as my lover… Leticia, will you marry me?”]

    And then he would offer her a wedding ring in a beautiful box.

    While a bit… no, very cheesy, it was a grand gesture that would surely make any woman swoon.

    It was also a risky move, considering the possibility of rejection.

    Incidentally, the [Choices] were [1. “Yes!”] and… [2. “I’m sorry.”].

    The fact that there was still an option to refuse after becoming so close was terrifying.

    It truly was a romance simulation game where everything depended on the [Protagonist]’s choices.

    Since I had only followed each route along a linear path to the [Ending], I didn’t know what would happen if she chose “I’m sorry.”

    While I would never refuse such a confession, I was slightly curious about his reaction if she did.

    Konrad cleared his throat and composed himself.

    “So, um… Lady Leticia.”

    “Yes, Your Highness?”

    “If you have some free time in your schedule… I was wondering if we could… spend some time together…”

  • My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 66

    Chapter 66: I Hope You’ll Be Happy Too

    Just as Jiang Xue finished organizing Xiao Luohan’s textbooks and workbooks, the lunch break bell rang.

    She drew the curtains, took a small, dust-covered pillow from her canvas bag, and placed it on her desk.

    “Let’s sleep first. Looking at things in dim light is bad for your eyes,” she whispered, then lay down on the pillow and closed her eyes.

    Xiao Luohan hadn’t planned to study during lunch break from the start. Due to her frail health, she had always followed the principle of “resting when needed.” Even during the marriage alliance, in a foreign land, she hadn’t changed her habit of taking naps and going to bed early.

    She also opened her canvas bag and took out the small pillow Jiang Xue had put inside that morning.

    In this world, people didn’t use soap beans or cleansing powders for laundry, but laundry detergent with various fragrances and bars of soap. Resting her head on the pillow, the fragrance was the same as the one in Jiang Xue’s bedroom.

    The familiar scent was comforting. She looked at Jiang Xue, who was resting with her eyes closed, and soon drifted off to sleep.

    When she opened her eyes again, she was in the “mindscape.”

    Jiang Xue was already there, lying on her stomach by the window, her mouth slightly open as she looked at the scenery outside.

    “Jiang Xue,” Xiao Luohan called out, walking over and lying down beside her, looking out the window as well.

    “Y-You’re here too!” Jiang Xue replied absentmindedly, then pointed out the window. “Can you see? Is this… is this still the ancient world you used to live in?”

    When she first crossed over, Xiao Luohan had come here alone in a dream.

    Perhaps Elder Sister wanted her to be at ease, so the scene outside the window back then had been Shizhu, her mother, the late Empress’s maternal family, and the subsequent events in Beiliao.

    “Your materials should have been delivered to the late Empress’s maternal family through a dream sent by Elder Sister,” Xiao Luohan replied. “Last time I looked out the window, Elder Sister’s aunt was already using a rifle.”

    Jiang Xue: …

    Good heavens!

    “I thought I was seeing things just now—how could an ancient army use guns in battle?!” After hearing Xiao Luohan’s explanation, Jiang Xue breathed a sigh of relief. “It feels like the developments after you left are similar to the play we saw during the New Year’s Eve gala!”

    The little princess, guided by the female general in her dreams, had eventually overcome a stronger enemy and won the war.

    “Except that in reality, the person being guided in the dream is a member of the late Empress’s maternal family,” she said. “I just saw Daying in chaos. The Crown Prince was burned to death on his wedding day, and the dog emperor, who had only one son and many daughters, fainted from anger. When he woke up, everything had changed!”

    As Jiang Xue spoke, the scene outside the window was still changing, but it stopped at a simply furnished room.

    Xiao Luohan, who had been listening, suddenly froze when she saw the room’s layout.

    Then, she saw her own portrait hanging on the wall, with burning incense below, fresh fruits and pastries offered on the table, and a dish of…

    Seeing what was in the small dish, Xiao Luohan’s nose tingled.

    Chili dipping sauce.

    She looked again and saw Shizhu, but compared to before, Shizhu’s clothes were of better quality, and she looked more energetic.

    Shizhu was kneeling on a cushion, her hands clasped together, muttering something.

    Xiao Luohan thought she wouldn’t be able to hear, like last time, but this time, Shizhu’s voice clearly reached her ears:

    “I hope to see Your Highness again in a dream, at least to know that you are safe and sound, but I also hope that you have completely gone to the other world, so please don’t enter my dreams, otherwise… otherwise, you might have to come back!”

    “From Shizhu’s tone, even though the situation in Beiliao has improved, she doesn’t seem to want you to return to your original world?” Jiang Xue asked uncertainly.

    This was… a little puzzling.

    “She used the supplies you gave me and read the books you sent, so she knows what kind of ‘paradise’ this world is,” Xiao Luohan explained. “Her beloved only daughter passed away, so she has transferred her affections to me. If I’m fortunate enough to stay in this ‘paradise,’ she naturally doesn’t want me to go back.”

    She tried to reach out towards the window.

    As she expected, an invisible barrier separated her hand from Shizhu.

    “…I’ve already left that world. Even being able to see this is probably an exception, thanks to Elder Sister’s power.” She sighed and lowered her hand.

    Being unable to touch was also good. This way, Shizhu, who believed in ghosts and spirits, would think that she had gone to a good place and was living a good life.

    At this moment, Jiang Xue, witnessing everything, felt like an outsider—which was indeed the case. Her emotional connection to the ancient world was limited to everything that happened around Xiao Luo.

    Besides that, whether it was Shizhu, Xiao Luo’s mother, or even Elder Sister Red Fox, she couldn’t feel the same strong and genuine emotions as Xiao Luo.

    She knew that the scene outside the window was a bond that only Xiao Luo could truly empathize with, so she remained silent, quietly accompanying Xiao Luo, listening to her occasional thoughts.

    The world outside the window seemed to be on fast-forward. She watched as Beiliao’s army swept across the battlefield, winning a great victory, and then watched as Elder Sister Red Fox’s aunt led the troops into Daying’s capital, finally capturing the dog emperor’s “siblings” who had attempted to seize the throne during the chaos.

    Seeing this, Jiang Xue thought she should cheer for Beiliao, but then she saw Xiao Luohan turn and walk towards the desk.

    “Beiliao won,” Jiang Xue followed and sat down on the soft cushion beside her. “Is that… a good thing?”

    “Yes,” Xiao Luohan replied with a smile in her voice. “Although I can’t communicate with Shizhu and the others, Elder Sister should still be able to see my words.”

    She started grinding ink.

    Seeing this, Jiang Xue took some writing paper from the bookshelf, folded it neatly, and placed it within Xiao Luohan’s reach, then prepared to give her some space.

    But before she could take a step, Xiao Luohan gently tugged on her sleeve.

    “I’m feeling a little lonely now,” Xiao Luohan said tactfully.

    Jiang Xue immediately sat back down, waiting to see what she would write.

    Soon, Xiao Luohan spread out the paper and dipped her brush in ink:

    【Elder Sister, I hope this letter finds you well.

    Jiang Xue and I have witnessed Beiliao’s victory and Daying’s downfall. Jiang Xue is very happy that her information was helpful.】

    Since this was a letter only her elder sister could see, she naturally used more colloquial language, as if she was talking to her elder sister face to face.

    【If possible, please tell Mother and Shizhu in a dream that I didn’t die in the fire at the Eastern Palace, but personally shot the Crown Prince and was then taken to another world by a ‘ghost or spirit.’

    Today was my first day of school in the new world, and everything is well. I’m catching up on my studies and trying to integrate as soon as possible.

    I sincerely wish Elder Sister the best in fulfilling her wish.】

    Xiao Luohan didn’t plan to change the final well wishes.

    After arriving here, she finally understood that being able to fulfill one’s “ideal” or “dream” in one’s lifetime was the greatest happiness.

    She hoped her elder sister would also be happy.

    As soon as she put down her brush, she saw a flash of bright color in the corner of her eye.

    Jiang Xue, sitting beside her, also saw it—it was the red fox she was so familiar with, now slowly walking in, its large tail swaying gently behind it.

    She saw Xiao Luohan stand up and rush over, hugging the red fox tightly.

    The red fox didn’t resist this time, even nuzzling against her, then looking at Jiang Xue.

    “Elder Sister Red Fox,” Jiang Xue also walked over, knelt down, and bowed to her. “I will definitely not let Xiao Luo suffer any grievances, you can rest assured!”

    “There’s no need to swear every time you see me,” the red fox said. “I only need to see Xiao Luo’s appearance to know how she’s doing.”

    She wouldn’t have entrusted her most beloved younger sister to Jiang Xue if she didn’t trust her.

    Hearing this, Xiao Luohan hugged the red fox even tighter.

    “Xiao Luo, don’t be too anxious over there,” the red fox nuzzled her face against Xiao Luohan’s cheek. “It’s a free and easy place. Don’t trap yourself with obsessions.”

    These were harsh words. Not only Xiao Luohan, but even Jiang Xue, the “outsider” listening in, was stunned.

    But after recovering, she felt that Elder Sister Red Fox’s words made sense.

    In her opinion, Xiao Luo was indeed carrying various burdens, some she should bear, some she shouldn’t, all weighing down on her.

    Was she truly free in this new world? No, she had even been trying to quickly understand everything here, to bind herself to the new identity of a “seventeen-year-old high school student.”

    Considering herself an outsider, her perspective limited by her experiences, Jiang Xue couldn’t make an objective and mature judgment, only feeling that “Xiao Luo shouldn’t be so tired.” But she could only observe for now and find a way to help if Xiao Luo’s condition worsened.

    The red fox seemed to have something else to do, or perhaps it had only come to give this piece of advice. After speaking, it disappeared from Xiao Luohan’s arms.

    Jiang Xue hurriedly reached out to support her and met Xiao Luohan’s gaze.

    It was a look of confusion, but Jiang Xue could understand the reason for her bewilderment.

    —Something she had believed in had been denied by the person she trusted and was closest to.

    And precisely because this was a sincere “it’s for your own good,” without any malice, only because she had noticed the signs and wanted to extinguish the painful bud at its root, Elder Sister Red Fox’s advice made Xiao Luohan even more confused.

    Jiang Xue thought for a moment, then expressed her affirmation and support. “I think having obsessions is a good thing.”

    “With obsession, there are wishes you want to fulfill in your lifetime, and it gives you the motivation to move forward. Studies, work, life, there will always be difficult times, and obsession is like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey. Even just smelling it, seeing a glimpse of it, can make you take a few more steps forward and get through those tough times.”

    She ruffled Xiao Luohan’s hair and, seeing her listening attentively, continued, “But no matter what you do, ‘too much is as bad as too little.’ Even for senior year students like us, whose ‘one exam determines our fate,’ even if my older sister works overtime to push a project forward, those periods of intense pressure don’t last too long. Otherwise, if a person is constantly tense, both mentally and physically, they’ll break down!”

    “So, Elder Sister Red Fox actually hopes that you can quickly learn to ‘relax’.” She emphasized the word. “This is a brand new world, and there are no responsibilities or obligations that you must bear now. As long as you happily find something you’re good at or enjoy doing, everyone will be happy.”

    As she spoke, she felt something fluffy brush against her hand.

    …Was Elder Sister Red Fox agreeing with her words?

  • On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 216

    Chapter 216: My Everything

    With the bowl of wine balanced on her head, Luo Qiaoqiao stood at the front of the line of women, her captivating gaze fixed on Chen Yin.

    He was silent.

    “What are you waiting for?” she asked, her lips curving into a seductive smile.

    The other women watched nervously, unsure what this wealthy and beautiful woman was up to.

    Chen Yin walked over to her,

    Took the bowl of wine from her head,

    And drank it in one gulp.

    Luo Qiaoqiao’s eyes followed his every move, a playful glint in them.

    “…That’s it?”

    “What do you want me to do?” Chen Yin shrugged helplessly. “All these women are yours. Do whatever you want with them.”

    “You’re telling me you don’t find any of them appealing?” Luo Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes playfully.

    “I don’t.”

    “…Not even me?”

    Chen Yin didn’t answer.

    Luo Qiaoqiao’s beauty and ethereal aura eclipsed all the other women in the room. No man would even notice them when she was present.

    He sighed and drank the wine from the other women’s bowls, then gestured for them to leave.

    Luo Qiaoqiao pouted. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like them?”

    “Why would I?”

    “Men like these things.”

    She added, “At least, my father does.”

    …And your mother hasn’t killed him yet? He’s a lucky man. Chen Yin thought to himself.

    “Sister Qiaoqiao, I’m here to drink.”

    He sat down at the table. “You don’t have to do this.”

    “You dislike these women that much?”

    “They’re not as beautiful as you.”

    “But you haven’t even looked at me.” Luo Qiaoqiao’s eyes were slightly red-rimmed. “If I’m so beautiful, why won’t you look at me?”

    Why won’t you look at me?

    Why do you only care about the others?

    If you don’t like me, what’s the difference between me and these women?

    Chen Yin understood. She was still upset.

    Luo Qiaoqiao grabbed a jar of wine and drained it, her cheeks flushing slightly, her eyes unfocused as she leaned against him.

    “I don’t know how many more times I’ll be able to drink like this.”

    “I don’t know if I’ll have enough time for you to fall for me.”

    “But you know what? I’ve never been nice to a man before.”

    “I don’t know how to please a man, how to make him happy.”

    “I don’t know how to be different from the other women around you, how to make you remember me.”

    She choked back a sob, her head lowered. “I’m… so stupid.”

    “I don’t want to be like them. I want to leave a mark on your heart.”

    “But I don’t know how.”

    “So I can only try my best to please you, to do everything that might make you happy.”

    Men liked money, so she had taken him to the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion and let him choose whatever he wanted.

    Men liked women, so she had allowed him to indulge in the brothel, even in her presence.

    “I feel so pathetic.”

    She bit her lip, her eyes blurry with tears. “Who am I? I’m Luo Qiaoqiao!”

    “The renowned Silk-Robe Fairy! The daughter of the Heavenly Net Sect’s Vice Sect Master!”

    “I’ve never bowed down to anyone before.” She looked at him sadly.

    …Except for you.

    She had met him by chance, fallen for him for no reason,

    And thrown herself at his feet, like a lovesick puppy.

    “Chen Yin, I’ve never been in love before. Tell me,”

    She asked, her eyes filled with tears, “does loving someone really mean becoming so humble and insignificant?”

    So insignificant that you abandon all your principles and pride, even your own life,

    Just for a single glance from him?

    “I know I’m being unreasonable, throwing a tantrum.”

    “My mother told me that love isn’t a transaction, that you can’t expect someone to love you back just because you’re nice to them.”

    She wiped away a tear and whispered,

    “I know, I’ve always known.”

    “I just… can’t let go.”

    “I just want you to… look at me. Just once.”

    Not like at the Fairy Conference, when his eyes had been fixed on Yin Mengwan, not even noticing her standing there, her heart aching.

    Not like when they fell from the cliff, when he had only seen Shen Shuanglian, not realizing that she had also jumped, shielding him with her body.

    Not like when he stormed the Mist Spirit Sect, his eyes only on Yu Xiang, not seeing her begging her parents to help him.

    She knew there were many people in his heart.

    She would probably always be the one standing in the shadows, unnoticed and forgotten.

    …But just once,

    Look at her.

    See the girl standing before you,

    The girl who had spent a fortune for him,

    Who had shared countless drinks with him under the moonlight,

    Who was willing to risk her life to help him.

    “Just once,” she whispered, her voice choked with tears, “please?”

    She seemed drunk, leaning against him, her tears soaking his shoulder.

    It was like a confession, but it sounded more like she was talking to herself.

    Chen Yin looked at her silently, his eyes downcast.

    He knew he should say something.

    Something comforting, something sweet, something he was so good at.

    But he didn’t.

    He knew that wasn’t what she needed.

    This girl, the once proud and flamboyant Silk-Robe Fairy, was now like a lost and heartbroken child, clinging to him,

    Begging for a scrap of his affection.

    …But he had nothing to offer her.

    He suddenly remembered a line from a Wong Kar-wai movie he had disliked in his previous life:

    “In the minute before 3pm on April 16th, 1960, you were with me. Because of you, I’ll remember this minute.”

    He had found it pretentious and meaningless back then.

    He hadn’t understood its appeal.

    But today, he finally did.

    For some people, a single moment with someone could be the most precious and cherished thing in their life.

    He gently stroked her hair.

    “What time is it?”

    Luo Qiaoqiao, her eyes red and swollen, looked up at him timidly. “Almost… the Hour of the Tiger.”

    “I’ve spent countless Hours of the Tiger lost in sleep or drunken stupor.”

    “But from now on, whenever the Hour of the Tiger arrives, whether I’m awake or asleep, or just staring at the pre-dawn sky…”

    “…I’ll remember you.” He gently kissed her lips.

    The sweet and slightly tart taste of bayberry wine.

    Luo Qiaoqiao’s blurry eyes cleared slightly, then closed again as she kissed him back, her tongue tracing his lips.

    “…What does it taste like?”

    “Why do you ask?”

    “I want to know which one is better.”

    Chen Yin thought for a moment, then said seriously, “I forgot.”

    “You’re lying.”

    “I’m not. Right now, I only remember the taste of Sister Qiaoqiao.”

    “I’ve forgotten everyone else.”

    Luo Qiaoqiao stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

    A genuine, heartfelt smile.

    “Thank you,” she kissed him again, “that’s all I wanted.”

    …Even if it’s a lie.

    I know I’ve left my mark on your heart.

    That’s enough.

    I don’t need much. Just this.

    Under the red silk canopy, Luo Qiaoqiao’s eyes fluttered closed, but she still clung to his robe.

    “Go to sleep if you’re tired.”

    “…I don’t want to.”

    “Why?”

    “I’m afraid I’ll wake up and realize it was all a dream.”

    “I’m not leaving,” Chen Yin whispered. “I’ll be here all night.”

    But Luo Qiaoqiao pouted. “You said that last time too.”

    And then he had left her alone in the tavern.

    She had searched for him everywhere, but he was gone.

    Chen Yin chuckled awkwardly. “I really mean it this time.”

    “I don’t believe you.”

    She suddenly bit his earlobe, hard enough to leave a mark.

    “If I can’t find you tomorrow, I’ll bite you to death.” She said fiercely.

    Chen Yin felt a pleasant tingling sensation on his ear.

    He suddenly thought that if this was the punishment, then perhaps running away wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

    Of course, he wouldn’t do that.

    The night was fading, the room filled with the warm glow of the red canopy and the scent of incense.

    Chen Yin carefully carried Luo Qiaoqiao, who was now fast asleep, to the bed.

    He wanted to change her clothes, but she clung to him like an octopus, even in her sleep.

    He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her hair.

    Luo Qiaoqiao, as if sensing his touch, nuzzled her cheek against his hand, her expression peaceful, a faint smile on her lips.

    Chen Yin gently caressed her face, his eyes filled with tenderness, until she was sound asleep.

    Then, his gaze hardened slightly.

    “…Luo Qiaoqiao’s System.”

    “I know you can hear me.” He spoke into the empty air.

    “I’m giving you a choice.”

    “Enter my scroll. That way, Qiaoqiao won’t have to suffer anymore.”

    The room was silent, only the faint crackling of the incense disturbing the stillness.

    After a long pause, a soft sigh echoed through the room.

    “…Thank you for saving her.”

    “Be good to her. I don’t understand humans,”

    “But she… is a good girl.”

    A faint light flickered, then disappeared into Chen Yin’s chest.

  • Friend(GL) 125

    Chapter 125: Care

    It had been a long time since You Ruxu had been sick for so long. Usually, a cold would only last two days at most, rarely developing into a fever. She exercised regularly at the station and had a good constitution. But this time, her fever persisted for almost a week, subsiding in the morning, then returning at night. She was initially treated in Jindu, then Wu Xiulian brought her back to Yuhai.

    Wu Xiulian thought her condition was similar to that time during her school years.

    “Sis, I think it’s a sickness of the heart, not easily cured,” Wu Xiulian said, looking at the sleeping You Ruxu. She had been back for half a month, and most of that time was spent in the hospital. She had lost a lot of weight, her chin sharp, her face flushed unnaturally from the fever, her forehead covered in sweat. The fever kept coming and going, if it weren’t for the daily checkups by the doctor, Wu Xiulian’s mother would have been even more worried.

    Wu Xiulian’s mother sighed, “This child, always tormenting herself.”

    Wu Xiulian said, “She’s been carrying that guilt for so many years, I guess she can’t bear it any longer.”

    Wu Xiulian’s mother looked down at You Ruxu, her heart aching. She gently wiped You Ruxu’s face and forehead with a damp cloth, and just as she reached for her neck, You Ruxu’s eyes fluttered open, her voice hoarse as she called out, “Mom, Aunt.”

    Wu Xiulian quickly sat beside her: “Xu Xu, you’re awake.”

    You Ruxu said, “I fell asleep again?”

    Wu Xiulian’s mother said, “Just for a little while.” She touched You Ruxu’s forehead, the fever had subsided, “What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll make it for you.”

    You Ruxu said, “Mom, anything is fine.”

    Wu Xiulian said, “Our Xu Xu is not a picky eater.”

    “You Ruxu is also not a picky eater.” A voice, Zhou Tianzui’s voice, echoed in her ears. You Ruxu was dazed for a moment, then said, “Yes, I’m not picky.”

    Wu Xiulian’s mother nodded, “Then your aunt will stay with you, your father’s working late tonight.”

    “Mom,” You Ruxu said, “Tell Dad not to come, I’m fine.”

    Wu Xiulian’s mother’s eyes teared up slightly.

    They were all worried about her, at a loss for what to do, even the doctors had no solution. You Ruxu, knowing her mother’s worry, said, “Mom, I’ll be fine soon.”

    Wu Xiulian’s mother nodded, smiling reassuringly.

    After Wu Xiulian’s mother left, Wu Xiulian sat by her bedside, “Xu Xu, want some fruit?”

    You Ruxu said, “Aunt, I want an apple.”

    “Okay, I’ll peel one for you.” Wu Xiulian said, “Apples are good for you, rich in vitamins…”

    You Ruxu smiled.

    She was still weak, this illness had drained her, a pale and fragile smile, unlike her usual sharp and capable demeanor. Wu Xiulian peeled the apple, “Several TV stations contacted me, asking about your job prospects, now that you’ve resigned.”

    You Ruxu had completed the handover procedures before coming to Yuhai, and after Wu Xiulian’s mother arrived, she officially resigned. It had been almost half a month since she returned to Yuhai, and knowing she was currently unemployed, many TV stations had contacted her, and unable to reach her, asked Wu Xiulian instead, “Are you still planning to be a reporter?”

    You Ruxu’s eyes lit up, a rare display of emotion, hearing Wu Xiulian’s question, she nodded, “Yes, which stations?”

    “Just the local ones, Huizhen, and a few others.” Wu Xiulian said, “Oh, and Chaohuang, remember Han Shuang? Your classmate, she also asked if you would be interested in joining them. Your mother was worried you wouldn’t find a job here.”

    It was a lighthearted tease, although You Ruxu had been working in Jindu, many of her interviews were directly with national television, so her reputation preceded her, hence the numerous job offers upon her return.

    You Ruxu said, “I remember her.”

    “I think Chaohuang would be a good choice.” Chaohuang focused on social news, different from the city TV station, their work relatively safer. You Ruxu, her mind still slightly hazy, didn’t commit, “I’ll consider it.”

    Wu Xiulian looked at her.

    You Ruxu seemed like a wilted flower. Wu Xiulian said, “Here’s your apple, eat it.”

    You Ruxu took the apple, thanked her, and took a bite, the coldness and sweetness mixing on her tongue. She chewed slowly and heard Wu Xiulian say, “Xu Xu, if you really can’t let go, I’ll go back to Jindu with you, okay? I’ll talk to the Zhou family again…”

    “Aunt,” You Ruxu said, “Maybe later.”

    Too much had happened recently, from the Fengyuan incident to everything else, they had been constantly busy, including Yu Qiao, first finding out about her relationship with Zhou Tianzui, then finally starting to accept it, only to learn about her true identity, Yu Qiao’s reaction was understandable. You Ruxu thought she also needed time, even if it was to hate her, it would take time.

    Wu Xiulian nodded, “I’ll listen to you.”

    She looked down, wanting to smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, “Xu Xu, do you hate me?”

    You Ruxu said, “Aunt, I don’t hate you.”

    “But I hate myself.” Wu Xiulian said, “Actually, I went to see Zhou Tianzui’s mother that day.”

    You Ruxu looked at Wu Xiulian.

    Wu Xiulian continued, “She said I was protecting you, protecting the You family, then what about them? Did they deserve to be wronged, to be judged and ridiculed? ” Wu Xiulian wiped her eyes, “Her words stunned me, and I realized how selfish I had been.”

    “If it wasn’t for me, they would have had the respect they deserved years ago, they suffered for over a decade because of me.” Wu Xiulian said, “Xu Xu, it was my fault, don’t blame yourself, I’ll find a way to make amends, please stop torturing yourself, okay?”

    You Ruxu put down the apple, hearing her words.

    Torturing herself?

    She wasn’t torturing herself, she just, thinking of Zhou Tianzui, thinking of Yu Qiao, it hurt, these past two weeks, she had been in a daze, her dreams filled with memories of Jindu, of meeting Zhou Tianzui, of her smile, of their unspoken understanding, of the jealousy she felt when Zhou Tianzui was close to others, she dreamt of the day she realized who Zhou Tianzui was, her anxiety, the nightmares, she dreamt of Yu Qiao, of her kindness, a kindness she didn’t deserve.

    You Ruxu leaned back against the pillows, her hand resting on the bedside table, her phone ringing. Wu Xiulian handed her the phone, “Chen Xiang, your colleague, right?”

    “Yes.” You Ruxu’s palms were sweating, anyone or anything related to Jindu made her heart race. Wu Xiulian asked, “Are you going to answer?”

    You Ruxu took the phone.

    “Teacher You!” Chen Xiang’s cheerful voice on the other end, as if carrying the air of Jindu with it, of a place where Zhou Tianzui existed. You Ruxu’s throat tightened slightly, her voice hoarse as she replied, “Yes.”

    “What’s wrong with your voice?” Chen Xiang asked, “Is your cold still bothering you?”

    You Ruxu said, “It hasn’t completely gone away yet.”

    “You’ve been sick for so long.” Chen Xiang said worriedly, “Are you sure there’s nothing else wrong?”

    You Ruxu said, “No, I’m just recovering slowly.”

    “You must have been overworking yourself, pushing yourself too hard, you need to rest properly.” Chen Xiang said, “Being sick is awful, Teacher You, take care of yourself.”

    You Ruxu smiled faintly, her lips pressed together, she wanted to ask about Zhou Tianzui, but would Chen Xiang know?

    How could she know?

    But logic was one thing, and emotions, they often trampled over logic, overriding her self-control, a self-control that vanished whenever she was around Zhou Tianzui.

    You Ruxu couldn’t help but ask, “Is Dr. Zhou, still going on blind dates?”

    “Huh?” Chen Xiang was puzzled, “Dr. Zhou? No, I don’t think so, I heard she went on blind dates for a week, then stopped. Oh, and this is funny, a few guys from Team 1 wanted to go, but they were turned away before they even met her.” She chuckled, a lighthearted tone, but You Ruxu’s emotions were a rollercoaster.

    Zhou Tianzui.

    Had stopped going on blind dates?

    Then Yu Qiao, must be furious.

    You Ruxu said, “Really?”

    “Seriously!” Chen Xiang chuckled, “You should have seen their faces, so regretful, they said they should have asked someone to set them up earlier. Dr. Zhou doesn’t seem to have a partner, I did hear she was in a relationship before…”

    You Ruxu’s heart skipped a beat: “A relationship?”

    Then she asked, “Why are you at the hospital?”

    Chen Xiang covered her mouth, Teacher You was truly sharp, always catching the important details, “I’ve been covering a story lately, the person involved is in the hospital, so I’ve been here often.”

    She chuckled awkwardly, “So I see Dr. Zhou quite often.”

    You Ruxu paused, “How is she doing lately?”

    “She seems fine.” Chen Xiang said, then realizing something was off, Zhou Tianzui had asked her about You Ruxu, and now You Ruxu was asking about Zhou Tianzui, weren’t they in contact?

    Was it because of, the Zhou Qiming incident?

    Chen Xiang understood, feeling a pang of sympathy, Zhou Tianzui and You Ruxu had been so close before, she couldn’t help but say, “Actually, Dr. Zhou is also very concerned about you.”

    You Ruxu paused, “About me?”

    Chen Xiang said, “Yes, she’s been asking about you these past few days.”

    It was an exaggeration, but Zhou Tianzui had asked about her twice. You Ruxu gripped her phone tightly, her body still weak from the fever, a sudden surge of energy, listening attentively to Chen Xiang, her body tense, any movement causing pain.

    Chen Xiang said, “Why don’t you try contacting her?”

    “I…” You Ruxu was speechless. Zhou Tianzui had asked about her, but hadn’t contacted her, was it because of Yu Qiao? The thought of her, a sharp stab in her heart, drained her of all her newfound energy. She held her phone and said, “I see, thank you.”

    Chen Xiang was slightly embarrassed, “Teacher You, you’re too polite, I’ll come visit you in Yuhai next time!” Then she asked, “But Teacher You, are you really not coming back?”

    A sliver of hope in her voice.

    You Ruxu thought for a long moment, her phone silent, Chen Xiang almost thought the call had been disconnected, when You Ruxu finally said, “Yes, I’m not coming back.”

  • The Saintess Has A Showdown 197-198

    Chapter 197: The Snow Monarch

    –Battlefield Secret Realm, White Velvet Snow Forest
    Although this secret realm was already covered in snow, the current snowfall was unnatural, drawing everyone’s attention.

    An endless flurry of white snowflakes, not physical, but illusory, formed from overflowing spirit energy.

    Whose spirit energy could possibly fill the entire secret realm…?

    Hei Luelan lay on the ground, barely clinging to life, her eyes unfocused, her heart filled with despair.

    There was no hope now. They would all die here. First, the White Velvet Snow Forest would be destroyed, then the Water Heart Stage, then the entire Sea Region, and even the Wind Realm and the Cangsheng Palace would be caught in the crossfire.

    As despair consumed her, a pair of dazzlingly white feet, so pale they seemed almost luminous, appeared in her vision.

    Delicate toes, adorned with ice-flower nail art, stepped through the snow towards her.

    Hei Luelan was startled. Even in her weakened state, she should have sensed someone approaching.

    She slowly raised her gaze, following the woman’s pure white wedding dress upwards.

    The woman’s attire was… strange. Although a wedding dress, its style resembled a shroud.

    No!!!

    It wasn’t a wedding dress or a shroud, but mourning clothes, the kind worn for a ghost marriage!

    The next second, Hei Luelan’s eyes widened in terror, her breath catching in her throat, her face contorted in a grimace of fear, like a victim in a horror movie.

    She tried to get up and run, but her body was paralyzed, her mind frozen.

    Before this being, none of her spirit beasts dared to appear.

    How weak, how insignificant, how pathetic…

    The woman in the white wedding dress, her bare feet treading lightly on the snow, reached Hei Luelan and gently picked up the white hair clutched in her hand.

    Then, she turned and left, leaving behind a frozen statue.

    The Snow Monarch, a legendary-rank spirit beast!!!

    Meanwhile, several kilometers away, at the edge of the secret realm, Gong Lianyue felt a wave of dizziness.

    She looked towards the source of the spirit energy fluctuation, her heart heavy. If what that Pool of Hidden Secrets Spirit Master had said was true, the Snow Monarch was now within the secret realm, and Hei Luelan was dead.

    Although she didn’t know how, the Snow Monarch, a titled legendary being, likely possessed several spirit beasts with teleportation abilities.

    This terrifying snowfall, blanketing the entire secret realm, was the result of the Snow Monarch’s overflowing spirit energy.

    “I’ve sent word to the other factions. What’s your plan?”

    Luo Kuxin, the green-haired woman, her voice grim, approached from behind.

    The Pool of Hidden Secrets’ actions threatened not only the Spirit Masters within this secret realm, but the entire Sea Region.

    But besieging a legendary being, even one suppressed to the Dead Sea Stage, within a secret realm with only a few Saint-rank spirit beasts… it seemed like a fool’s errand.

    She wondered what had possessed the Nether Empress. Having already suffered at the hands of the Snow Monarch once, she was still challenging it after a thousand years.

    “My plan?”

    Gong Lianyue’s voice was tinged with despair. Even the usually calm and collected Sorrowful Saintess felt lost.

    Compared to the sudden appearance of the Snow Monarch, the Wind Realm’s threats seemed insignificant.

    What she wanted to say was this: Pool of Hidden Secrets, I’ll kill your entire clan!

    How could a few Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters possibly defeat a legendary being?

    Even if it was suppressed to the Dead Sea Stage, even to the Illumination Stage, it wouldn’t matter!!!

    Escaping was also pointless. Even if she fled to the Wind Realm, she wouldn’t be safe.

    She would have to reach the Cangsheng Palace…

    The Cangsheng Palace had three legendary beings, including her own Water Element, but first, she had to escape this sealed secret realm.

    And she couldn’t just abandon the Sea Region.

    “The outside world… it must be in chaos by now.”

    “Yes, even the ancestors of the water lineage must have been alerted. The Nether Empress is in serious trouble~~~” Luo Kuxin sighed, seemingly anticipating the Nether Empress’s downfall, yet her tone lacked any real joy.

    Perhaps today… the Sea Region… would be destroyed…

    Just as Luo Kuxin predicted, the Water Heart Stage was in chaos, the Pool of Hidden Secrets members surrounded by a large number of Sea Region Spirit Masters.

    Even the Nether Empress, surrounded by four or five Sun and Moon Realm auras, sat calmly in the void, her expression unchanged.

    Some rogue cultivators and Spirit Masters from smaller factions had already begun to flee, but realizing that even escaping the Sea Region wouldn’t save them from a legendary being, they turned their anger and frustration on the Pool of Hidden Secrets.

    Weaker than their opponents, they resorted to verbal attacks, cursing and insulting the Pool of Hidden Secrets’ ancestry.

    Thud!

    A beautiful, blue-haired woman with an aged aura emerged from the swirling ocean.

    Leaning on a sea dragon-headed cane, she tapped the air, the resulting shockwave silencing the chaotic arena.

    “You Xinchan, what are you thinking? Do you really believe these children can defeat a legendary being?”

    “No, they are merely pawns, a necessary sacrifice to enrage the Snow Monarch, Teacher.”

    Sensing the familiar, violent spirit energy behind her, the Nether Empress’s expression remained unchanged, a flicker of madness in her eyes.

    Did those fools really think these Dead Sea Stage weaklings could defeat the Snow Monarch?

    It was a joke, a deception for the gullible. And yet, her own descendants had believed it. Such naive, sheltered fools, born in hell, having never seen the world. She almost laughed out loud.

    “You Xinchan, you’ve gone mad,” the blue-haired woman said, shaking her head, her expression filled with pity.

    “So what?”

    The Nether Empress remained defiant, unfazed by the angry auras surrounding her, unwilling to fight.

    With the legendary being about to descend, the Sea Region factions wouldn’t dare to attack the Pool of Hidden Secrets now.

    And to save the Sea Region, they had to follow her plan.

    This meticulously crafted, 170-step plan, a thousand years in the making, was only at its first stage. She had simulated it countless times in her mind.

    Once the Dead Sea Stage pawns in the secret realm were eliminated, it would be time for the second stage…

    The true battle against the Snow Monarch… was still a long way off.

    But no matter how long it took, she would wait.

    Chapter 198: Contract Severance

    –War Secret Realm, White Velvet Snow Forest
    Victory: Impossible.

    Escape: Useless.

    Pleading: Unseen.

    Where was hope?

    Legendary beings were perfect creatures, their every inch of skin like polished jade, their beauty breathtaking.

    The woman in the pure white wedding dress walked through the secret realm, the world around her frozen in a deathly silence, all hope extinguished.

    This world… was dying…

    Bang!

    Suddenly, a group of Spirit Masters stood before the Snow Monarch, blocking her path.

    The veiled, silver-haired woman, the Blissful Saintess of the Water Wish Pavilion, Gong Lianyue and Luo Kuxin’s former teammate.

    A desperate plan formed in the Blissful Saintess’s mind. Since death was inevitable, she might as well try.

    Her plan was to attract the Snow Monarch’s attention with a loud shout, forcing that cold, indifferent gaze upon them.

    Then, the five of them would immediately prostrate themselves and beg for mercy. Surely, a legendary being, in its infinite compassion, would spare them.

    Taking a deep breath, the Blissful Saintess unleashed the loudest shout she could muster.

    “SNOW——！！！！！！”

    The Snow Monarch, her aura calm and undisturbed, walked past five frozen statues.

    She had vaguely heard something, but it had been instantly silenced by the chilling aura radiating from her.

    She didn’t even bother to look. No mortal could see the microorganisms crushed beneath her feet.

    However, a flicker of… something… a hint of urgency and… recognition, touched the Snow Monarch’s consciousness.

    She sensed a strangely familiar spirit energy, something that shouldn’t be possible…

    A few minutes later, most of the Spirit Masters in the secret realm were frozen, their bodies contorted in grotesque positions.

    No life could approach within a kilometer of the Snow Monarch. Even the five-member team from the Cold Court had been annihilated.

    Encased in ice, their auras still lingering, their bodies frozen, only their consciousness remained, trapped in a frozen hell.

    The Snow Monarch’s ice had no temperature.

    The cold they felt… was despair.

    A chilling despair spread, and a figure appeared before the Snow Monarch.

    A beautiful girl with snow-white hair, seemingly unaffected by the legendary being’s presence. Xue Beihan, the Desireless Saintess of the Winter Floating Sky.

    Lacking all five senses, Xue Beihan couldn’t even sense spirit energy. She was completely immune to the Snow Monarch’s aura.

    The two passed each other, neither acknowledging the other’s presence, until their shoulders bumped accidentally.

    Another strange ice sculpture… added to the collection…

    A few minutes later, the Winter Floating Sky, the Cold Court, the Pool of Hidden Secrets, the Jade Pot Palace, the Snow Fairy Mansion, the Azure Stream Palace, the Tide Pavilion, the Water Wish Pavilion, the Sea Concubine Palace, and the Ice Shield Palace—all frozen.

    This wasn’t surprising. Their spirit beasts, too terrified to even appear, had severed their connection from miles away.

    Seeing this, the spectators outside lost all hope.

    This was the Snow Monarch, at the Dead Sea Stage…?

    What was the point? Even fifty Sun and Moon Realm experts wouldn’t stand a chance!

    Wait…

    Noticing something on the spirit energy screen, everyone held their breath.

    One person remained: Gong Lianyue, the Sorrowful Saintess!

    And at her feet lay a withered corpse, the Wrathful Saintess…

    Although it was Luo Kuxin’s high-ranking 03 clone, a significant loss, she had feared that being frozen would sever even their mental connection, leaving this clone trapped in eternal isolation, so she had chosen to end its existence.

    With only the Sorrowful Saintess remaining, the Nether Empress’s heart pounded with excitement.

    Her plan to… slay a god… had originally consisted of over a thousand steps, but the Sorrowful Saintess’s presence had simplified it to a mere 170.

    The Sorrowful Saintess’s death would shatter the secret realm, marking the end of the first stage.

    The true battle… was about to begin!!!

    Hundreds of meters apart, the Snow Monarch and the blue-haired girl faced each other.

    Facing the woman in the white wedding dress, Gong Lianyue, wearing the mysterious black crown, was protected from the legendary being’s terrifying aura, preventing her from being instantly frozen.

    Of course, if the Snow Monarch decided to unleash its full power, she had no chance of survival. This was a gamble.

    To protect the Sea Region, she would fight with everything she had.

    The next second, a chilling aura, and the Frost Snow Woman, her expression filled with excitement as she gazed at the woman in the wedding dress, materialized.

    Seeing this, the outside world erupted.

    Expressions of shock and excitement, a collective gasp of relief, while the Nether Empress’s face turned an even darker shade of green, her fury palpable.

    Facing the Snow Monarch, the Sorrowful Saintess had actually summoned the Frost Snow Woman, reuniting mother and daughter, revealing her trump card. What an unexpected turn of events!

    Perhaps… this would be the end of the Snow Monarch’s threat!

    Swish!

    The next second, without warning, the Frost Snow Woman turned into a statue of ice.

    A wave of icy air swirled around the Snow Monarch, almost lifting her veil, revealing her soft, pink lips.

    Just a glimpse of her lips and chin was enough to confirm that she was the most beautiful being in existence.

    Her lower lip curled slightly in a frown.

    Then, the Snow Monarch’s gaze turned, focusing on the blue-haired girl.

    “?”

    “???”

    Seeing the frozen Frost Snow Woman, the Water Heart Stage fell silent, a wave of despair washing over the spectators.

    The situation had spiraled out of control. Even with the black crown, Gong Lianyue’s spirit energy fluctuated wildly.

    A legendary being’s motives were unfathomable. There was clearly something she didn’t understand.

    Frozen by the Snow Monarch’s gaze, she could no longer move.

    Ice slowly crept up Gong Lianyue’s body, from her feet to her ankles, its progress agonizingly slow, because the Snow Monarch’s rage was at its peak.

    Each layer of ice, incredibly dense and heavy, was unbreakable, even with a million years of effort.

    Facing death, the Sorrowful Saintess’s expression remained unchanged, seemingly unafraid of being frozen for eternity.

    However, her heart was filled with a bitter amusement.

    Before a legendary being, everything was truly insignificant.

    The Frost Snow Woman probably wouldn’t die. This was likely just punishment for contracting with a human without permission?

    If it was the Snow Monarch, it could probably extract her from her soul core…

    With this thought, Gong Lianyue pulled out a blood-red pill from her storage space, a hint of sadness in her eyes.

    “Thank you for everything. This is my final command.”

    “Flee. Leave this realm and never return.”

    Gong Lianyue swallowed the Heart Severing Pill, dissolving all her spirit beast contracts.

  • As a villain, I just want them to behave 260

    Chapter 260: Capture

    At this moment, Fate wasn’t stronger than Carol. Although she had many escape methods, Carol wasn’t easy to fool.

    Carol, nearing her full power, was a nightmare for the world. She could even destroy the entire world single-handedly.

    She was excessively strong, defying common sense.

    According to Ottovia Nuonuo, the world’s destruction was inevitable, which also meant that Carol’s emergence was inevitable.

    This conclusion had been reached ten thousand years ago. Fate was truly a mysterious thing.

    The abilities he currently possessed were somehow related to the Fate that Fox had stolen, but the reason for their specific manifestation was unknown.

    Regarding his own growth, Kailun initially speculated it was linked to the degree of his influence on the world. The greater the impact, the more power he could borrow.

    The majority of the attributes he “borrowed” likely came from Carol. Only her attributes could support his growth rate.

    Based on the fact that his attributes were gradually decreasing while Carol’s were continuously increasing, this speculation seemed plausible.

    However, there were still many inconsistencies, and even Kailun couldn’t find a definitive answer.

    He could ensure the overall direction was correct, but the finer details could only be optimized later.

    “Where are we?”

    Bella, waking up from her sleep, asked, tugging on Kailun’s collar.

    Her thoughts were jumbled, as if she had just woken up from a strange dream, unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Only when she was in Kailun’s arms did she feel a sense of completeness.

    “A valley outside the Royal City with a special meaning, but that’s all in the past now.”

    Seeing that Bella was awake, Kailun shifted into a comfortable position and lay down on the rock. “There’s nothing to do now. If you’re bored, you can sleep a little longer. The troublesome entity has already left.”

    Bella, lying on top of him, shook her head, her beautiful lavender hair cascading over him.

    She looked around and, seeing no one else nearby, slowly lowered her head, resting it on his chest, listening to his reassuring heartbeat.

    “Is it almost over?” she asked.

    Kailun twirled a strand of her hair with his finger and looked up at the sky. “Yes, this mess will be over soon. In the future, we can sleep in every day and never have to stay up late reading books again. No work, no worries about being attacked, no worries at all. Thinking about it makes me feel a bit lazy, but it doesn’t sound bad.”

    “Thank you,” Bella said, nuzzling his hand.

    Kailun: “What are you thanking me for?”

    Bella moved closer, her face close to his, and gently rubbed her horns against his forehead. “Without you, I might have died without knowing why, like Grandpa said. I could accept that before, but now there are more people I can’t let go of. It’s good to be alive.”

    Hearing her words, Kailun rolled over, pinning Bella beneath him and stopping her sentimental thoughts. “If you keep overthinking, I’ll shut your mouth and make you whimper. We’re in a special situation now. No one will see us even if we do something ‘weird’ out here.”

    After Fate left, only he and Bella remained. There were no outsiders here. If he wanted to, he could take advantage of this opportunity to “bully” Bella.

    She blushed and swallowed nervously. “You promised to help me continue the Dragon lineage, but you’ve been putting it off for so long. You’re such a liar. But let’s forget it for now. That kind of thing… that kind of thing should be done at home.”

    Bella was quite traditional. It would be difficult to “bully” her in the wilderness.

    If Kailun insisted, she wouldn’t refuse, but he clearly didn’t have the time for that now.

    “Alright, I’ll let you off the hook this time. I won’t be so easygoing next time. Just wait until you give me a nest of little dragon girls.”

    Kailun scratched her chin. “Let’s wait for Carol and the others. I hope everything goes smoothly for them.”

    “Hng~”

    Bella closed her eyes contentedly, like a kitten being petted by its owner.

    This scene was quite pleasing to Kailun. Beautiful girls always had a way of tugging at his heartstrings.

    He teased Bella for a while longer before releasing her hands. But then, her tail wrapped around his waist.

    She always did this, clinging to him with her tail whenever her emotions fluctuated.

    Her tail was incredibly dexterous, capable of movements beyond imagination, like a nimble little hand, with a cool touch.

    Don’t ask how Kailun knew this. He had “tried” it before.

    Ten minutes later, the crack in the sky expanded further, and terrifying magic erupted from the distant horizon.

    Just as Kailun thought this world was about to collapse, Carol appeared in the valley, carrying someone in her arms.

    “Thump!”

    “As expected, I finally caught her. This entity is much stronger than I anticipated.”

    Carol tossed Fate at Kailun’s feet and smoothed her slightly messy hair.

    She had almost let Fate escape.

    If she had remembered fewer spells, she might not have been able to capture her.

    It was a bit of a fluke, but she had succeeded.

    “Well, well, well. Long time no see.”

    Fate, her hands bound and magic suppressed, smiled at Kailun. Carol had already removed her veil.

    Her beauty was flawless, giving her a mature and alluring aura.

    But what Kailun cared about most was her expression. Even as a prisoner, she didn’t show any signs of dejection.

    “Long time no see. I didn’t expect you to be so optimistic. Have you considered what will happen if you lose?” Kailun asked, crouching down in front of Fate with Bella in his arms.

    “I have, but would you really kill me?”

    Fate smiled faintly and puffed out her chest. “You wouldn’t, right? You would at least take a beautiful girl like me as a concubine. I know your personality. You’ve always been like this, haven’t you?”

    Fate wasn’t worried about being killed by Kailun. Even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

    As an entity connected to the concept of Fate, she couldn’t truly die. Even if the world was destroyed, she couldn’t be truly killed.

    Hearing her slander, Kailun’s face darkened. He turned to Carol. “What should we do next?”

    Carol smiled and patted her skirt as she crouched down beside Kailun. “Naturally, we need to change the existing fate lines and strengthen the current ones.”

    She pointed at Fate’s clothes. “See those clothes? They’re woven from fate lines. Now, let’s strip them off and restore everything to its original state.”

    Hearing her words, Fate’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Kailun and saw him smiling mischievously.

    Knowing him well, she felt a flicker of panic.

  • Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 144

    Chapter 144

    “??? What’s going on? Why did the screen suddenly go black???”

    “All the live broadcast windows are closed? Seriously? The last time this happened was when CEO Mao fell the night before last, did my poor Maomao fall again?!”

    “It can’t be, weren’t Yan Yan and CEO Mao just asking about clues to the treasure chests, talking to that staff member named Liu Ming? How could they fall? Did they just collapse on flat ground?”

    “The other babies didn’t fall either, and the dads are all doing their makeup, it can’t be them either.”

    “There’s a notification! ‘Live broadcast temporarily paused due to technical issues,’ thankfully it’s not because someone is injured. But what kind of technical issue?”

    “Is the signal blocked in the air-raid shelter? But that wouldn’t affect the dads’ live broadcast. Is it a system-wide issue?”

    “Ahhh, I just want to know when the live broadcast will resume! Yan Yan just got several clues to the treasure chests, I want to see Yan Yan and CEO Mao open them!!!”

    …

    Unlike the confused and eager viewers in the live broadcast room, Jin Youliang, who had promptly cut off the live feed in the villa’s monitoring room, almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

    What the hell!

    Was this Cheng Tingyan cursed today!

    Couldn’t she run? Couldn’t she see that glowing treasure chest? She was walking even slower than a sixty-year-old grandma!

    And that sentence, “There’s a rope on the ground, is it a trap from the program team? But ahead… it’s a slope, are they trying to make us roll down?”

    If it weren’t for Wei Maomao’s fall in the bathroom the night before last, and Su Li accidentally shouting it out on Wei Chengli’s live stream, making Shi Dingshan change the live broadcast to a three-minute delay, Cheng Tingyan’s insightful words would have been broadcasted live!

    Jin Youliang, his head buzzing, cut off the signal when Cheng Tingyan raised her water gun and shot outside the camera’s view, making the live broadcast freeze at the moment when Wei Maomao and Cheng Tingyan were talking to Liu Ming, minimizing the impact as much as possible. But Jin Youliang knew very well that this was just a temporary solution. The viewers outside were temporarily fooled, but the staff on site, Zeng Huanian in the air-raid shelter, the footage in those cameras that couldn’t be remotely deleted, and… Shi Dingshan, who would definitely investigate this matter thoroughly… they wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

    It was just a six-year-old child, how could she be so sharp as to hit that person with her water gun? As long as that person was smart, dodged in time, and avoided those cameras that claimed to have no blind spots but actually did, they could escape and blend into the crowd. And that rope, the buckle on the other end could be easily removed with a bit of force, they couldn’t possibly not have enough time to retrieve it, right?

    Because he cut off the signal from all the cameras, the villa couldn’t receive any more live footage. Jin Youliang could only rely on his imagination, hoping that person was as reliable as he thought.

    Ahhh! He had worked so hard, whether it was taking down Shi Dingshan again, diverting Qin Sichao, manipulating Zeng Huanian, or analyzing the little babies’ psychology to design targeted plans, what did he do wrong! He couldn’t be so unlucky that he couldn’t even cover his tracks, right! Jin Youliang, clutching his hair, didn’t want to face his current failure, he didn’t want to think about the upcoming investigation.

    But he still had to do something.

    Jin Youliang rubbed his face vigorously, he first sent a message to the staff in charge of the live broadcast page, asking them to post an announcement about the technical issue, then he called Zeng Huanian.

    He was now a dedicated assistant director who knew nothing about what had happened, but for the sake of the program team’s reputation, he had to cut off the live broadcast when the accident happened!

    Jin Youliang tried to calm down, to get into character. But the unanswered call made him increasingly anxious as time passed.

    Zeng Huanian… truly wasn’t deliberately not answering the call.

    It was just that one thing after another, like hailstones suddenly falling from the sky, hitting him hard and fast, making him dizzy.

    Where did the rope come from? What trap? Who was Cheng Tingyan shooting at? How come the monitoring screens suddenly went black? And the live broadcast was also gone?

    What was going on over there! Were the babies okay!

    Shi Dingshan’s emphasis on safety echoed in Zeng Huanian’s ears, he rushed into the air-raid shelter like a crazed leopard. He didn’t need night vision goggles, he didn’t need a flashlight, he just relied on his memory from the multiple times he scouted the location and charged into the darkness.

    In various parts of the air-raid shelter, the babies, unaware of the situation outside, were still shooting their water guns, and the dedicated NPCs were still shaking their broken bowls, sieves, and small balls, waiting for the next customer.

    Zeng Huanian rushed past them without even glancing at them, leaving behind a trail of shocked gazes.

    Light, darkness, light, darkness, darkness, darkness…

    Finally reaching the last dark tunnel, Zeng Huanian saw a flashlight beam in the distance, at roughly the same location where the monitoring screen went black earlier.

    But before reaching the light, Zeng Huanian was greeted by a strange, pungent smell.

    Zeng Huanian, caught off guard, before he could even feel relieved that the two little babies were standing there unharmed, he couldn’t help but sneeze repeatedly.

    “You… Achoo… Are… Achoo… Achoo…” Zeng Huanian said, tears streaming down his face, but his mind suddenly clicked, he was shocked. “What smell… Achoo… Gas leak… Achoo… Leak…”

    “It’s my pepper spray, walk forward, towards the upwind direction.”

    A muffled female voice came from the corner outside the flashlight beam, startling Zeng Huanian, he looked around in panic. “Achoo… Who!”

    Wei Maomao, standing in the upwind direction, kindly turned her wrist, illuminating the… people… a few steps away, partially hidden behind a box.

    Zeng Huanian, who had rushed towards the two little babies, never expected to see, wow, there were three other people there!

    “Xiao Liu, Xiao Shi… Achoo…” Zeng Huanian said, walking towards the upwind direction, squinting his stinging eyes at the three disheveled figures. “And Xiao Lü? What’s going on? What happened here? Were you fighting?”

    Liu Ming, her eyes red and throat sore from using the pepper spray at close range: “… “

    Shi Hongxiao, his glasses knocked off and one eye bruised from being overpowered: “… “

    Lü Liwei, his face covered in pepper spray, clutching his face, enduring the pain, he had been planning to escape: “… “

    Half an hour later…

    Unrelated personnel were gradually evacuated, after clearing the air-raid shelter, only Zeng Huanian, Liu Ming, Shi Hongxiao, and Wu Qiao, the strong man who was used to scare the person who bought all of Cheng Rongrong’s vegetables, remained.

    Lü Liwei, held down like a chicken by Wu Qiao’s large hand, looked at the green stains on his clothes, then at the rope tightly held by Shi Hongxiao, he had given up on escaping, he was just thinking about how to explain himself when Director Shi, who had sneaked out of the hospital, arrived.

    The first to arrive was Jin Youliang, with a few staff members he was close to, they asked about the details while trying to help clean up the air-raid shelter. But Zeng Huanian, specifically instructed by Shi Dingshan and Qin Sichao, stopped them.

    Before Jin Youliang could find more excuses, Shi Dingshan and Qin Sichao arrived, followed by… a police car.

    Jin Youliang’s eyes widened, he no longer dared to think about destroying the evidence in the cameras, he just frantically winked at Lü Liwei, hoping he would be smart. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if they exposed each other.

    Wei Chengli was the last to arrive, the place where the dads were earlier was quite far, he rushed over, worried, and arrived just as they were talking about the two little babies using hair ties to exchange for clues to the treasure chests.

    The dark tunnel, the glowing treasure chest on the high platform in the distance, the indistinguishable slope, the taut tripwire on the ground, the pulling force from the person in the darkness trying to retrieve the rope after being caught, the eye contact, the attempt to escape after being discovered, the spray of water to the face, the little girl’s cry of “I caught the bad guy!”, the person rushing over from the darkness, the glasses knocked off by a punch, the attempt to escape again, the pungent pepper spray…

    Lü Liwei truly didn’t understand what was wrong with Liu Ming and Shi Hongxiao, it was just a three-year-old child who shouted, how could they blindly believe her and attack him so ruthlessly, without any fear of hurting the wrong person! He had planned his escape route perfectly, he could have retreated safely whether he succeeded or failed. But starting from that water gun… plans never went as expected… These people! Were they crazy!

    “I was just an NPC, trying to create some challenges for the little babies.”

    “Just trying to scare them, I wouldn’t actually hurt them.”

    “It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, I wanted to make the show more exciting… I didn’t have any ulterior motives…”

    “I was too greedy, I also wanted to be someone who could create exciting game segments, I wasn’t content with being an ordinary staff member, I overstepped my boundaries, but I truly didn’t intend to hurt them. Look, they’re fine, right?”

    “I didn’t hit Xiao Shi on purpose either, he suddenly rushed over in the darkness, I thought he was a bad guy…”

    “Officer, look, my eyes, my face, I’m the one who was injured.”

    Although he didn’t have much hope, Lü Liwei still tried to clear his name.

    A spur-of-the-moment delusion or a malicious act of collusion, the difference was huge, Lü Liwei naturally wanted to choose the easier path.

    Shi Dingshan, after understanding the situation and rushing over, leaned against a rock by the roadside, he didn’t even want to listen to Lü Liwei’s excuses.

    “I’m telling you, stop with the nonsense, just confess honestly. Honesty is the best policy, you can choose not to say anything, but if we find out later, it won’t be the same as confessing now.” Shi Dingshan said, annoyed, he took the water bottle Qin Sichao handed him and took a sip, then sneered. “People have reasons for doing bad things. What was your reason? Money? Power? Fame? Love? For yourself, or for someone close to you? Whose secret are you being threatened with? Yours? Or someone you care about?”

    “Director Shi, I didn’t, I truly didn’t, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea to show off…” Lü Liwei said, trying to look sincere as he looked at Shi Dingshan.

    “Heh.” Shi Dingshan sneered, he stood up, walked to Lü Liwei’s side, bent down, and whispered in his ear, “How much do you think it’ll cost me to find out? I’m willing to spend my entire fortune, I can even find out who your ancestors were, believe it or not?”

    Although he didn’t believe Shi Dingshan would spend his entire fortune, Lü Liwei still couldn’t help but stiffen upon hearing his words.

    “Don’t underestimate me, young man.” Shi Dingshan said, patting Lü Liwei’s shoulder. “Did you read the news? My son is someone else’s, I have no son now, only this little bit of career left, you’re trying to ruin my career, you’re trying to kill me, I have nowhere else to spend my money, so I’ll just spend it all on you. Just you wait!”

    Lü Liwei’s lips trembled, he forced himself not to look at Jin Youliang, he wanted to be tough and tell the police officer next to him that someone was threatening him. But he… couldn’t say it.

    Shi Dingshan’s words were too real.

    A man, cuckolded, raising someone else’s son, the whole world knew, he was about to go crazy… And he was still trying to ruin his only career… He admitted, Jin Youliang had his secrets. If he didn’t admit it, Shi Dingshan would find out and expose him… Lü Liwei’s back was covered in cold sweat, he felt like he was doomed.

    Shi Dingshan didn’t expect to get him to talk in one go.

    After the police finished questioning him and went inside the air-raid shelter to collect evidence, Shi Dingshan had them take Lü Liwei, the footage from the cameras in the shelter, and the rope. Of course, he didn’t forget to make a backup of the footage.

    The evidence collection and arrest were all done in front of Jin Youliang.

    Jin Youliang, his heart pounding with fear, didn’t dare to say a word, he just stood there obediently, like Zeng Huanian, who was pretending to be remorseful.

    Only after the person and the evidence were taken away, and the police car was gone, did Jin Youliang finally relax a little.

    Shi Dingshan’s words were harsh, it was normal for Lü Liwei to be scared. But compared to the secrets that had already been exposed, even the scariest person, who hadn’t even started looking for his secrets, was still limited. Jin Youliang believed Lü Liwei would understand this simple logic.

    As long as he wasn’t implicated, he still had time, he still had a chance. That anonymous person on the other end of the phone, they were very generous these past two days, Shi Dingshan had money, that person also had money, let them fight.

    Jin Youliang was happily daydreaming when Shi Dingshan’s next sentence fired him.

    “Xiao Jin, you can take a break from now on. You don’t have to worry about the program anymore, you can leave now, no need to stay with us.” Shi Dingshan said calmly, his tone dismissive, anyone could hear it.

    “Director Shi, I don’t understand, this… I’m also responsible for using this location, I didn’t stop Xiao Zeng, I also agreed to use this place. But this Lü Liwei incident… I…” Jin Youliang said, stunned by Shi Dingshan’s sudden dismissal, his words incoherent.

    “It’s my responsibility, I was the one who decided to use this place, I was the one who arranged for these staff members…” Zeng Huanian said, stepping forward, admitting his mistakes with a heartbroken expression.

    “Zeng Huanian, will you shut up!” Shi Dingshan said, glaring at him, exasperated. “It’s your responsibility, you’re blind, deaf, and your brain is filled with water, do you know why you can still continue working? Because finding a new assistant director now is truly troublesome, there are only a few days left, just be a brainless robot and follow my instructions, from now on, I’m your brain, you do what I say, when I’m not speaking, you’re deaf, blind, and mute, consider this my way of thanking you!”

    Zeng Huanian, being treated so harshly by Shi Dingshan for the first time: “… “

    “As for you.” Shi Dingshan said, turning to Jin Youliang again. “Zeng Huanian is a fool, I’m not. I’m giving you some face now, letting you leave. Or should I abandon the show right now, go and investigate, then fire you?”

    Jin Youliang: “… “

    Damn it! Wouldn’t leaving now be admitting guilt! But if he didn’t leave, would Shi Dingshan really give up and start investigating now…

    Jin Youliang, caught in a dilemma, his face pale, froze.

    “Xiao Jin, Director Shi isn’t feeling well. He’s just saying it casually, don’t take it to heart. Just go along with him, the show is almost over anyway, right? Just consider it a vacation, don’t provoke him, if he collapses, it’ll be your fault. Go back and rest, have a good rest.” Qin Sichao said, his tone gentle, he stood between them, mediating.

    His words were meant to smooth things over, but Jin Youliang knew very well that his impression points with Qin Sichao had already hit rock bottom.

    But this was the only lifeline offered, Jin Youliang had to take it, whether he wanted to or not.

    After saying a few polite but meaningless words, Jin Youliang finally ran away, hurriedly seeking his anonymous teammate.

  • The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated 517

    Chapter 517: Melika’s Childhood Friend

    Elven Homeland, outside the tree house.

    When Shien, Lucy, Lasha, Lilith, and Millu emerged from the tree house and descended the vine bridge, someone was already waiting for them.

    “Mr. Shien! Everyone!”

    Melika, as if she had been waiting for a long time, ran towards them with shining eyes.

    “Melika?”

    Shien blinked and smiled.

    “You’re here?”

    Lucy also looked at the elf girl, smiling warmly.

    “Miss Melika.”

    Lasha greeted Melika.

    “Hmm?”

    Lilith tilted her head, either surprised by Melika’s sudden appearance or just remembering her.

    As for Millu, she looked curiously at this unfamiliar elf girl.

    Melika, seemingly not noticing Millu, ran up to them, then apologized, her face full of guilt.

    “I’m… I’m sorry, everyone, for leaving you behind.”

    Melika seemed apologetic for not being with them yesterday.

    They didn’t mind.

    “You haven’t been back for a long time. You must have wanted to catch up with your friends.” Shien looked at Melika, a playful smile on his face. “You look much better than yesterday. You must be in a good mood, right?”

    Shien’s words made Melika blush and lower her head shyly, speechless.

    Indeed, Melika’s complexion had improved considerably.

    Melika didn’t know why, but she felt much better after returning to the Elven Homeland, and even her magic power, which had been increasing, seemed to be growing at a faster rate.

    Perhaps returning home had truly improved her spirits.

    This was a good thing.

    Melika didn’t feel anything was wrong, and her demeanor was less restrained and shy than usual.

    “Where’s Princess Airi?”

    Melika looked around, not seeing Airi, but noticing a strange little girl staring at her curiously, holding Lasha’s hand.

    “Airi is still sleeping in the tree house. You know, that girl loves to sleep.” Shien explained, then patted Millu’s shoulder. “This is a newcomer, sort of related to Airi. There was supposed to be another one, but she didn’t come. I’ll introduce you later.”

    Melika said, seemingly understanding, “Related to Princess Airi…?”.

    Clearly, Melika hadn’t connected her to Airi’s Demon Lord sisters.

    “Millu! My name is Millu!”

    Millu raised her hand and introduced herself energetically to Melika.

    “O-okay! Miss Millu!”

    Melika hurriedly bowed, still polite despite being less shy and reserved.

    Lucy then spoke.

    “Are you alone?” Lucy asked casually, smiling. “I thought you would bring your friends along.”

    This made Melika hesitate.

    “I… I also wanted to introduce my childhood friend to everyone…” Melika glanced at Shien cautiously, then whispered, “But she didn’t want to come after hearing that there are men from other races here…”

    Shien was speechless.

    Another elf with gender discrimination.

    This place was truly unfriendly to men.

    “I-I’ll definitely introduce her to everyone next time!” Melika said hurriedly, “Jenom is a very good person, bolder and more capable than me. Everyone in the village says she’ll be the next genius to join the Elven Corps. She has always taken care of and protected me since we were young. She’s just not very familiar with everyone yet, so she’s a little hesitant. After I persuade her for a few days, she will definitely agree to meet everyone!”

    Melika spoke highly of her childhood friend.

    Just like yesterday when she was speaking up for Shien.

    This showed that Melika valued this elven friend named Jenom.

    Shien became curious.

    “So, your childhood friend should be more outstanding than you, right?” Shien asked, “Then why did you leave the Elven Homeland to travel, while she didn’t?”

    Shien had heard this from Carol.

    It was said that Melika and her childhood friend were very close.

    They had both gone through their reincarnation cycle as fairies and transformed into elves around the same time, returning to the Elven Homeland and joining the Elven Race together.

    Therefore, these two elven girls had been inseparable since childhood, like sisters.

    Carol also mentioned that Melika and her childhood friend had received their magic enlightenment from her together, starting to learn and practice magic at the same time.

    They were the same age and had been best friends for over a hundred years, their relationship much closer than that of ordinary elves.

    However, two years ago, these two childhood friends took different paths.

    Jenom, following in the footsteps of her seniors in the Elven Corps, diligently trained in the Elven Homeland, hoping to join them.

    Melika, however, suddenly decided to leave the village and travel, to broaden her horizons and gain experience.

    But according to Melika, Jenom was much more outgoing than her.

    Under such circumstances, why was it the more timid and shy Melika who went out to travel, while Jenom stayed in the village to train?

    “This…”

    Melika hesitated.

    Seeing this, Lucy nudged Shien’s side with her elbow.

    Shien winced and glanced at Lucy, exasperated.

    He knew that this princess was blaming him for not being able to control his mouth, for not considering whether he had touched upon a sensitive topic and put Melika in a difficult position.

    This lazy princess, for some reason, suddenly seemed to care about Melika.

    Shien could only shrug helplessly.

    “I was just casually asking. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

    Shien said to Melika.

    Melika shook her head.

    “Actually, it’s not something I can’t talk about…” Melika said, a bit hesitant, “The reason I wanted to leave the village and travel was simply because I felt that if I didn’t, I might never be able to compare to Jenom.”

    This wasn’t difficult to understand.

    “Since we transformed into elves, we’ve always been together, doing the same things every day, living the same life, even our magic training was exactly the same, almost no difference at all.”

    Under such circumstances, they did the same things, but achieved different results.

    “Jenom was the first to learn magic.”

    “Jenom was the first to level up.”

    “Jenom was the first to learn intermediate magic.”

    “Even the first one to successfully subjugate the monsters outside the village and be noticed by the Elven Corps was Jenom.”

    Melika gripped her staff, her tone not resentful, but still a bit dejected.

    “We were always doing the same things, but Jenom was always one step ahead of me, making me wonder if I was simply inferior to her.”

    It wasn’t jealousy or unwillingness, just a bit of self-doubt.

    But it was this slight doubt that ultimately made Melika decide to take a different path.

    “If I continued training like Jenom, I would probably never catch up to her.”

    “And once Jenom joined the Elven Corps, she would receive better training and guidance, and I would truly never be able to catch up.”

    “I didn’t want to be left behind by Jenom.”

    “Therefore, I mustered my courage and decided to leave the village, travel, and train hard.”

    Melika murmured unconsciously,

    “I wonder if I’ve caught up to Jenom now.”

    Melika clearly wasn’t confident about this.

    And since they had just reunited yesterday, both of them were too happy to notice this.

    Only now did Melika seem to recall her original intention for leaving the village, feeling a bit nervous and apprehensive.

    Her appearance made people feel a little sympathetic.

    Lucy stepped forward and gently hugged Melika.

    “It’s okay, you’ve definitely caught up to her.”

    Lucy comforted her softly.

    “Th-thank you, Princess Lucy…”

    Melika was a bit shy, either because she had revealed her innermost thoughts, or because of Lucy’s intimate gesture.

    At the same time, Melika secretly glanced at Shien, seemingly caring about his opinion on this matter.

    Shien understood.

    Therefore, he said without hesitation,

    “I also think you’ve caught up to her now, even surpassed her.”

    Shien gave her the highest praise.

    “Surpassed?” Melika didn’t seem to have considered this possibility and said quickly, “No way, Jenom is so talented and outstanding. It’s already good enough if I can catch up to her.”

    It seemed Melika’s evaluation of her childhood friend, Jenom, was much higher than her own.

    “Is she that talented?”

    Shien wondered.

    He didn’t know how capable Jenom was.

    But he didn’t think the current Melika was inferior to her.

    Just Melika’s rapidly increasing magic power over the past few months was something Jenom couldn’t possibly match.

    That was a growth rate that even Airi noticed, and the Elven Queen was surprised by.

    Of course, just having outstanding magic power didn’t mean Melika was stronger than Jenom.

    But both of them were magicians.

    Since they were both magicians, the one with stronger magic power definitely had an advantage.

    Therefore, Shien believed that the current Melika was definitely no less than her childhood friend.

  • Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 129

    Chapter 129: Tigers

    The rice and pickled cucumbers were ready-made, and the fish soup cooked quickly on the stove.

    Bao Yueqiao ate her fish soup with rice and pickled cucumbers, praising Jiang Lingling’s cooking.

    Jiang Lingling, slightly embarrassed by the praise, took a sip of the soup. Good thing you haven’t tasted Mi Hongdou’s cooking.

    After lunch and a brief chat with Bao Yueqiao, Jiang Lingling, figuring that the other team should have finished eating by now, took Bao Yueqiao to visit.

    And then…

    Jiang Lingling watched, heartbroken, as Ji Junxin finished the last of the egg fried rice and then, urged by Mi Hongdou, the last of the bok choy and lard bits soup.

    Ji Junxin, don’t wipe your mouth! Explain yourself! You usually eat so fast, why so slow today! After seeing your lunch, how can I face myself! How can I face Bao Yueqiao!

    In the small courtyard, filled with the aroma of meat, Jiang Lingling’s silent accusation went unnoticed. Bao Yueqiao, however, discreetly gulped.

    The “Rich Lady” fans online were also heartbroken. Where’s the extravagance? Where’s the “I’ll buy this whole place”?… How pitiful…

    “Let’s go find some tasks this afternoon. We’ve been here for a day, and we haven’t even explored the village yet,” Mi Hongdou said, clearing the table, inviting Jiang Lingling and Bao Yueqiao.

    “So far, we’ve mostly done the chicken-feeding task. And Mi Hongdou and I also did the corn kernel task… I don’t think we should do that one again…” Bao Yueqiao’s hands ached just thinking about it.

    “What’s wrong with the corn kernel task?” Ji Junxin hadn’t heard the details, but Bao Yueqiao’s reaction didn’t seem positive.

    “It’s called ‘Helping the lonely old man remove corn kernels’,” Mi Hongdou said, washing the dishes. “You have to remove the kernels from ten dried corn cobs by hand for one coin. But it takes about five minutes per cob, and it gets harder as you go, it took us almost an hour yesterday, it’s a very inefficient task.”

    “Actually, it’s not bad, I’m planning to try it after chopping wood,” Jiang Lingling said seriously.

    Bao Yueqiao: “…”

    Ji Junxin: “…”

    Mi Hongdou flicked the water from her hands. “Okay, I take that back, it’s an inefficient task for normal people.”

    Jiang Lingling nodded, satisfied.

    The live stream viewers, the foodies busy buying meat, vegetables, and eggs, the CP fans busy voting, and the “Rich Lady” fans, glued to their screens, waited for Jiang Lingling to dominate both the wood-chopping and the corn kernel tasks.

    “Is ‘Helping the lonely old man remove corn kernels’… the actual name of the task?” Bao Yueqiao, who had done the task, asked, confused. “Or just a description?”

    “It’s the name, after we talked to the old man, the crew held up a board with the name written on it, probably for editing,” Mi Hongdou replied, drying the dishes.

    “Uh…” Ji Junxin glanced outside hesitantly. “Then the sign I saw earlier, ‘Helping the lonely old woman feed chickens,’ that was also the task name?”

    “The crew isn’t very creative with their task names. Such uninspired names, if it weren’t for the coins, I wouldn’t even bother,” Jiang Lingling complained. “They should learn from other shows.”

    I wholeheartedly agree!

    In a house in the village, with its doors and windows closed, Pan Xiang sneezed repeatedly. I must have caught a cold last night, leaving the window open… as the chief planner of “Reality Online,” I should drink some Banlangen.

    While Mi Hongdou was cleaning up, the four exchanged information.

    They had done four tasks so far.

    One with a daily limit: feeding chickens, twice a day, one coin per feeding, now with the option of trading for vegetables.

    Three with no limits: chopping wood (ten logs for one coin), removing corn kernels (ten cobs for one coin), and washing clothes (four pieces for one coin).

    Besides the chicken-feeding, which was easy, the other tasks, although repeatable, required too much effort for a decent payout. The wood-chopping and corn kernel tasks were basically only doable by Jiang Lingling. And although the laundry task seemed easy, just look at Ji Junxin’s bandaged fingers.

    Compared to Jiang Lingling, who was eager to chop wood and remove corn kernels, the other three needed to find new, more manageable tasks.

    After their discussion, Mi Hongdou finished cleaning up, and they left the house.

    Jiang Lingling pointed at the small bowl of pig skin on the counter. “Aren’t you going to do anything with this? It will spoil without a refrigerator. Or are you not using it? If not, just throw it away, it will attract rats.”

    “I want to use it, but we used up all the ginger and scallions that came with the chicken yesterday. After buying everything today, I realized… we don’t have any coins left for seasonings. I’ll have to earn some more before I can use it…” Mi Hongdou glanced at the pig skin, then at Jiang Lingling. “You got ginger and scallions with your fish, right? Use them sparingly, I think they’re quite expensive on the Supplies Board, and they’re not even edible, I don’t want to waste coins on them…”

    Jiang Lingling shrugged helplessly. “That tiny piece of ginger and those few scallions? I used them all for the fish soup.”

    “But… we still have another fish,” Bao Yueqiao said, pointing at their house across the courtyard.

    “It’s okay. Ginger and scallions, we don’t need to waste coins on them. It’s only a little past one, I know where to get them for free, follow me.” Jiang Lingling checked the time on the cameraman’s watch and strode towards the gate, beckoning the others to follow.

    “Is she going to rob the crew?!” Ji Junxin grabbed Mi Hongdou’s hand and followed excitedly.

    So you missed Jiang Lingling’s extortion of the crew with the tool kit yesterday, you must be regretting it… Mi Hongdou thought, letting Ji Junxin pull her along, as Jiang Lingling led them, like a general leading her troops.

    The three of them left, and although she didn’t quite understand what was going on, Bao Yueqiao naturally followed.

    The cameramen had a bad feeling. This Jiang Lingling, something was about to happen…

    As expected, Jiang Lingling didn’t go towards the village, but towards the four thatched huts at the edge of the village.

    Their premonition intensified.

    The four, led by Jiang Lingling, walked past the huts and headed straight towards the small hill in the distance.

    The cameramen whispered among themselves as they filmed. After a heated discussion and a round of rock-paper-scissors, one of them stopped and took out his phone. Another one, his face pale, hurried to catch up and, trying to stay out of the shot, called out weakly, “Jiang Lingling…”

    Jiang Lingling, focused on her mission, ignored him. The three following her glanced back at the staff member, then, urged by Jiang Lingling, turned and continued walking.

    They knew where to get free ginger, scallions, and garlic. The best response to the staff member’s call was… to ignore him!

    I lost at rock-paper-scissors, how frustrating! The staff member raised his voice, “Jiang Lingling!”

    He shouted with all his might.

    This time… none of them even turned around. They just walked faster.

    It was rare for the four to be in the same frame outside of challenges, and the number of viewers watching their live streams had been increasing since Mi Hongdou started washing dishes. The staff member’s earlier weak call had gone unnoticed, but this desperate shout of “Jiang Lingling” was clearly audible through their microphones.

    “I think I hear someone calling the Rich Lady!”

    “Did she drop something?”

    “No way, that sounded so desperate, like he was being abandoned…”

    “Agreed…”

    “Yes…”

    “Exactly…”

    “Look, she didn’t even turn around, so cold! I love it!”

    “So even a rich lady can be heartless, but she’s so cool, I have to give her props!”

    “So no one cares who’s calling her?”

    “It’s fine, if he can’t cry in her luxurious RV, he can always laugh on someone else’s bicycle~”

    “Bowing down to that comment…”

    “Bowing down +1”

    “Bowing down +2”

    “Bowing down +3”

    …

    “Did we mishear? Or is there a problem with the audio? The other three didn’t react either.”

    “True friends support you even when you’re being a jerk!”

    “Although something seems off, it’s kind of… exciting…”

    “My worldview is broken after reading these comments…”

    “Don’t cry, it’s just the viewers’ imagination, she wouldn’t ignore him.”

    “Right, she’ll turn around and slap him.”

    “…”

    “…”

    “…”

    …

    One of the cameramen was monitoring the comments. Seeing this, he put away his phone. It was probably best if his colleague, who was chasing after Jiang Lingling, didn’t see these comments, hahaha!

    They were now less than a kilometer from the foot of the hill. Jiang Lingling and her companions quickened their pace, hoping to reach it before the staff member caught up.

    Just as the ignored staff member was about to burst into tears, another one, having made a phone call, caught up and pushed him. “Why haven’t you stopped them yet! Are you planning to wait until they come back down?”

    The staff member who had been monitoring the comments glanced at the two. How pitiful, good thing I’m just reading comments, oh ho ho ho~ Urged by his colleague, the staff member who had been ignored twice, smoothed his hair and clothes, took a microphone, and stepped in front of the camera.

    Hearing the heavy footsteps behind her, Jiang Lingling thought, Here it comes. She knew the show wouldn’t let them go so easily. She glanced at the hill, now so close, her fighting spirit ignited!

    “Wait… where are you going? You can’t go there!” The staff member who had been chasing them panted, blocking Jiang Lingling’s path.

    So our earlier guesses were wrong…

    The viewers, having just recovered from the earlier drama, were now eagerly watching.

    “Betting one french fry, this staff member is doomed.”

    “I’ll raise you a bag of sweet chili sauce, he’s definitely doomed, the question is, will she throw him or just roast him verbally?”

    “Although I want to see her throw him, this is a family-friendly show, no flying people allowed…”

    “Whenever it’s Jiang Lingling’s turn, the viewers’ imaginations run wild.”

    “So now, no one cares where they’re going, or why they can’t go there?…”

    “We’re more concerned about this poor man’s fate…”

    “Concerned +N”

    “Counting from N, what should I type? Hmm.”

    “Concerned +N+1”

    “I’m… speechless.”

    The viewers’ attention, always easily diverted, then refocused. Jiang Lingling, blocked by the staff member…

    “Where can’t we go?” she asked cautiously, wanting a complete victory.

    “You can’t go up the mountain!” He pointed at the small hill.

    “Why?” Jiang Lingling asked, her tone challenging.

    “Because…” the staff member hesitated, glancing at the cameramen.

    The other crew members, showing no support, just stared at him with expressionless faces.

    Those bastards! I’ll practice rock-paper-scissors eight hundred times a day when we get back! He turned back to Jiang Lingling, then, seeing her calm demeanor, his own bravado crumbled. “Because… you just can’t.”

    “Because the rules say so?” Jiang Lingling started digging the trap.

    The staff member nodded vigorously.

    Jiang Lingling smiled, watching him fall into the trap.

    “But the rules only said we can’t go past the warning tape on the right side of the village, not that we can’t go to the hill behind the village,” she said innocently, burying him with dirt.

    “This! This is a new rule!” The staff member, his face covered in metaphorical dirt, tried to maintain his composure.

    “You can’t just make up new rules. Important rules have to be announced by the director, right? Are you trying to steal your boss’s job? Are you trying to get famous by appearing on camera! Are you trying to replace the director! Answer me!” Jiang Lingling pressed her advantage.

    The staff member shook his head and stumbled backward. He didn’t know how to retort… it must be the cameras! He quickly retreated behind them.

    Silence.

    The “Rich Lady” fans in the comments were impressed, but also slightly critical. Too many rounds, she should have finished him in one blow!

    With the staff member defeated, Jiang Lingling, not wanting to waste any more time, turned to lead her team on their quest for… ginger, scallions, and garlic.

    The cameramen quickly played rock-paper-scissors and chose a new representative, Male Staff Member #2.

    #2, angrily biting his fist, took the microphone from the defeated #1 and bravely stepped forward, blocking Jiang Lingling again.

    His decisive actions and determined gaze filled everyone, both on and off screen, with anticipation.

    The online bets increased from one french fry to three because of his heroic demeanor.

    “You… you can’t go up there,” he said, looking directly at Jiang Lingling, seemingly unafraid.

    Jiang Lingling raised an eyebrow.

    He clenched his fist and shouted, “There are tigers on the mountain!”

    Silence.

    Not just on set, but also in the live stream comments.

    Then… an eruption of laughter from the crew.

    Followed by more laughter from everyone else.

    Male Staff Member #2’s face turned crimson.

    “Pfft…” Jiang Lingling, who had been planning a similar tactic, couldn’t maintain her serious expression. Whether there were even scallions and ginger on that small hill was questionable, but tigers? How ridiculous!

    Ji Junxin, clinging to Mi Hongdou’s arm, laughed so hard that she almost collapsed against her. Mi Hongdou, also laughing uncontrollably, put her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist to steady her.

    Meanwhile, the live stream comments exploded.

    “There are tigers on that little hill, hahaha!”

    “This staff member is crazy… hilarious!”

    “I just fell off my chair laughing, the most adorable staff member of the year!”

    “Is Jiang Lingling too powerful? They’re resorting to tigers now, hahaha!”

    “Tigers on that little hill? There’s a white dragon under my building…”

    “A white dragon or a white dragon horse?”

    “Whatever! If there can be tigers on that small hill, why not a dragon under my building!”

    “This is going to be my go-to joke for the next year…”

    “Stop laughing, everyone, look! Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin are flirting!”

    “Holy shit! They are!”

    “When did Xiaomi put her arm around Xinxin’s waist?!”

    “Ahhh! A hug! Public display of affection on the second day, are you going to show us your marriage certificate on the twelfth day?!”

    “Show us the certificate!”

    “Show us the certificate +N!”

    “Show us the certificate +N+1!”

    “Show us the certificate +N+2! The ‘N+1’ comment is so last year!”

    “Is this show crazy? I almost died laughing at the tiger thing, and now I’m being bombarded with sugar, I can’t breathe!”

    “Look! The hug just got tighter!”

    “Ahhhh!!! I’m dying…”

    “Are you okay up there? …”

    “Are you okay up there? …”

    “Are you okay up there? … Hang in there, be strong!”

    “Magic potion!”

    “Resurrection!”

    “A withered tree blossoming again!”

    “Thank you for the four-character idioms… I’m alive…”

    “Are they hugging even tighter now? Tell me I’m not seeing things!”

    “So much sugar, I’m also dying!”

    “Dying +10086!”

    …

    This new wave of sugar was because, during the earlier “show us the certificate” frenzy in the comments, Bao Yueqiao, clueless as ever, had said, “Is it dangerous to have tigers so close to the village?”

    Are you serious?!

    The viewers, already amused by the “tiger” incident, were now stunned by Bao Yueqiao’s serious concern.

    Ji Junxin, already weak from laughter, collapsed against Mi Hongdou.

    Mi Hongdou, also amused by the “tiger” and Bao Yueqiao’s reaction, couldn’t help but laugh, as Ji Junxin, losing her balance, leaned against her. Mi Hongdou, afraid she would fall, instinctively tightened her hold.

    And so, the CP fans online, along with Ji Junxin, also collapsed.

    Amidst the new wave of laughter, Bao Yueqiao still looked confused.

    Jiang Lingling, unable to stand it any longer, patted Bao Yueqiao’s shoulder. “It’s… pfft… it’s okay. Tigers… pfft, hahaha… if a tiger comes down the mountain, I’ll… chase it away.” Although she wanted to comfort Bao Yueqiao, she couldn’t help but laugh.

    “Shouldn’t we have more security then? No, security guards aren’t as strong as you. But fighting a tiger with your bare hands… shouldn’t you make a weapon?” Bao Yueqiao asked seriously.

    “Hahahaha…”

    Now Jiang Lingling’s HP was also zero…

  • Malicious Female Lead’s Guide to Causing Trouble [Quick Transmigration] 64p1

    Chapter Sixty-Four p1

    The surroundings were silent. The footsteps in the distance stopped, and a group of people dressed in fine clothes and gray robes stood there, looking over from afar. The leader was clearly the man who had taken Yu Zhao to the imperial city before. His face was full of shock as he looked at Bo Chi, and he involuntarily took two steps back.

    There was no more movement behind her, it was unknown whether it was from fear or lingering fear.

    Bo Chi didn’t look back, but nervously met Yu Zhao’s gaze, opened her mouth, and muttered: “I, I haven’t killed anyone…“

    Her words were weak, because she still remembered what Yu Zhao had said to her before – Those who are not of my kind must have different hearts.

    As expected, Yu Zhao seemed to be awakened by her words, her long and narrow phoenix eyes instantly reddened, she charged towards her with her sword, and shouted angrily: “Get lost!“

    Bo Chi’s heart trembled, her whole body cold, and she stood there numbly, without any resistance.

    Despair arose in her heart, the sharp pain making it difficult for her to breathe. She even gave up on running away, thinking fatalistically… A ghost will die eventually, and it wasn’t bad to die at the hands of her beloved.

    She sadly let Yu Zhao approach, thinking that she would be stabbed through the heart, but Yu Zhao brushed past her, her peach wood sword firmly blocking the black shadow’s silently approaching claws, and she gritted her teeth and said word by word: “She is my wife, I’ll see who dares to hurt her!“

    After speaking, Yu Zhao bit her fingertip, smeared the bright red blood on the peach wood sword, and a blood line immediately lit up on the sword, forcing the black shadow back.

    The black shadow growled, hid in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to strike, and didn’t flee.

    The exorcists not far away then spoke, and said coldly: “Miss Yu, don’t be fooled by the demon. This ghost is a woman, how can a woman and a woman become husband and wife?“

    Yu Zhao stood in front of Bo Chi with her sword, took a deep breath, and said firmly: “Whether she is human or ghost, male or female, she is my destined beloved. If you are willing to be merciful and let us go, Yu Zhao will be eternally grateful, and will repay you in the future.“

    A voice came from among the exorcists: “What if we don’t let her leave alive?“

    Yu Zhao raised her sword horizontally in front of her, the blood line on the sword and the scarlet in her eyes both filled with killing intent: “Then Yu Zhao can only fight to the death with you to protect my wife!“

    The air fell silent again, and the exorcists’ faces showed apprehension, obviously not wanting to fight Yu Zhao.

    But now was a special time. The supreme ruler in the imperial city was greedy for life and afraid of death, and had found them and promised them a great reward, the only requirement being to kill the evil ghost.

    If that person knew that they had clearly seen the ghost, but let it go, then none of them would have a good time.

    The exorcists quickly made a decision, took out their weapons and talismans, and said in a deep voice: “You, as an exorcist, not only abandoned the oath you made when you first entered, but also fell in love with a demon. Today, we will eliminate harm for the people, and expel you from our exorcist lineage!“

    They all attacked, and Yu Zhao fearlessly protected Bo Chi in front of her, without retreating half a step.

    Bo Chi’s mood went through ups and downs. At this time, before she could even rejoice, she fell into worry.

    She raised her hand to help Yu Zhao, and Jin Xi and the others behind her suddenly stepped forward, one by one pushing her behind them, their voices trembling as they said with a look of determination: “Chi Niang, run quickly, we’ll block them for you!“

    “Chi Niang, thank you for the dry food and water that day, this life of Liu Qinger was saved by you, and now, being able to repay your kindness, even death is worth it!“

    “Chi Niang…“

    The repeated calls for her to leave made Bo Chi’s eyes water, and also made the exorcists look sideways, their expressions different, their gazes at Bo Chi somewhat moved.

    Not all exorcists had their entire families killed by ghosts, and not all exorcists hated demons and ghosts so much that they would travel around to kill them. Most of them were born into families, and had the opportunity to become exorcists from birth.

    Therefore, when they found that Bo Chi was actually being protected by so many people, although they were fighting mercilessly on the surface, respecting the emperor’s wishes, they slightly reduced their strength.

    ——An evil spirit that could be protected and loved by humans should be truly kind, right?

    They felt compassion, but Bo Chi and the others didn’t notice. Seeing that the ghost in the dark was looking for an opportunity, and they were blocked by the exorcists in front, Bo Chi thought for a while, and quickly made up her mind – Instead of continuing to stay and attract fire, putting Yu Zhao in a difficult position, it was better to take this opportunity to leave first, and let them fight against the external enemy together, which could be considered as not letting down the others’ good intentions.

    Bo Chi calmed down, and took the time to instruct the system: {Help me keep an eye on Yu Zhao and Jin Xi’s safety. If anything happens to them, use my points first.}

    Before the system could answer, she took two steps back, and said to Jin Xi and the others: “I—“

    Just as she uttered one word, the black shadow in the dark attacked again, accurately grabbing at Bo Chi.

    Its timing was perfect. At this time, Yu Zhao and the exorcists were all focused on each other, and since the target it grabbed was beyond everyone’s expectations, no one could react in time.

    Bo Chi was also startled, and then calmed down.

    She and the black shadow were both ghosts. Unless the other party swallowed her in one bite and slowly digested her, even if it scratched her soul body, she could still gradually recover by absorbing yin energy.

    Besides, even if the other party really swallowed her, she wasn’t afraid – Did she accumulate so many points for nothing?

    Bo Chi wasn’t panicking at all, and even tried to dodge this claw by moving.

    As a result, to her shock… this ghost didn’t fight fair! When it reached her, it suddenly closed its hand, didn’t tear her soul body, but grabbed her waist, carried her, and ran!

    Bo Chi was dumbfounded, Yu Zhao was dumbfounded, and the exorcists were also dumbfounded.

    After a while, a furious voice came, full of anger: “Put her down!!“

    {Yu Zhao is chasing you, she chased you to the street, she bumped into the vendors on the street, and they cursed angrily.} Bo Chi hung on the black shadow’s shoulder, struggling while listening to the system’s real-time monitoring: {Yu Zhao can’t catch up, but she’s not giving up, she’s still chasing.}

    The black shadow itself was a ghost, and unlike humans, it didn’t need to walk with its feet. At this time, it carried Bo Chi all the way, and then, as if passing through some kind of barrier, it came to another world filled with yin energy.

    Bo Chi felt a sense of crisis, stopped struggling, and began to look around vigilantly.

    This place should no longer be the human world. A blood moon hung strangely in the sky, human figures were looming around, and a strong yin energy filled the air, making Bo Chi feel as comfortable as a fish in water.

    The black shadow also seemed to have calmed down a bit, put Bo Chi on the ground, and then ignored her, floating into the group of ghosts on its own.

    In a moment of daze, Bo Chi found that she couldn’t find it anymore, and couldn’t help but say: {What’s going on?! It carried me all the way here, and then just put me down and left???}

    The system said calmly: {This is the ghost realm, a place where only ghosts can stay for a long time. Once humans appear, they will not only be torn apart by hundreds of ghosts, but their physical bodies will also be eroded and damaged by the yin energy. But for weak little ghosts like you, this place is the safest. You can absorb yin energy with peace of mind, and after becoming a powerful being, you can go out – the black shadow brought you here, probably because it later discovered that you are a little ghost who feeds on yin energy. Out of a sense of protection for its own kind, it saved you from the humans and brought you back ‘home’.}

    Bo Chi was speechless, and her mentality was a little broken: {Th, then should I thank it?}

    The system shrugged: {Without points, you definitely can’t find the black shadow among so many ghosts. And just to find someone to ‘thank’, I don’t think you need to waste points. It’s better to seize the time and cultivate hard, and strive to go out and find Yu Zhao early – she lost you, and is now venting her anger in the wilderness.}

    Hearing this, Bo Chi no longer had the mood to cultivate, and shook her head: {No, no, I can’t let her worry for too long, I want to use points to teleport out of this ghost realm!}

    The system said slowly: {It’s not about points, but the rules of this world that restrict you. You are a ghost, and you shouldn’t stay in the human world. You should have come to the ghost realm when you died. It’s fine that you didn’t come in before, but now that you’re back ‘home’, it’s difficult to go out. Before your strength reaches the standard, no matter how many times you teleport, you can only wander around in the ghost realm.}

    {Unless you have enough points.} Although it knew it was nonsense, the system still added: {So many that it reaches thousands or tens of thousands, then I can easily help you change the rules of this world. From now on, there will be no underworld or ghost realm, and souls will coexist with humans in the human world… As for the disadvantages of doing this, you should be able to imagine.}

    Bo Chi wilted, and said with some despair: {So, I can’t do anything now, and can only focus on cultivating?}

    System: {Yes. Of course, you can also place your hope on Yu Zhao. Maybe she can figure out where you are now, and come to save you with her sword.}

    Bo Chi found an empty space and sat down listlessly, absorbing the surrounding yin energy, not having any hope that Yu Zhao would come.

    It wasn’t that she was certain that the other party wouldn’t dare to come, but even she couldn’t find the black shadow among a group of ghosts, how could Yu Zhao, while being attacked by hundreds of ghosts, find her?

    Bo Chi began to cultivate buddhistically.

    Yu Zhao on the other side, as the system said, vented her anger for a while, and finally, when Jin Xi and the others rushed over, she suddenly realized: “If that evil ghost wanted to kill Chi Niang, there was no need to take her away, it could have just swallowed her directly. But it didn’t do that, which means that it doesn’t have any intention of killing its own kind for now, but wants to save Chi Niang from us!“

    The exorcists who arrived late heard this, glanced at her, and said: “So, they can only go to the ghost realm.“

    Jin Xi and the others were confused: “Where is that?“

    “A place of extreme yin, where tens of thousands of ghosts and evil spirits gather.” The exorcist pondered: “In your mortal terms, it’s no different from the underworld.“

    Jin Xi’s eyes widened: “Underworld? Th-Then can Chi Niang still come back? Can she only go reincarnate?“

    “No.” The exorcist shook his head: “There are no legendary figures in the underworld, no judges or Yama, there is only the heavy yin energy that erodes lifespan, and countless muddle-headed evil spirits. But one thing you said is right, that female ghost, after entering, probably can’t come out again. After all, her cultivation is low, and she’s far from reaching the level of breaking through the ghost realm alone.“

    Jin Xi and the others looked at each other, seeing worry in each other’s eyes.

    They turned to look at Yu Zhao, wanting to comfort her, but saw that Yu Zhao had stood up at some point, put away her peach wood sword, and walked away step by step.

    Jin Xi was stunned, and hurriedly said: “Master Yu, where are you going?“

    Yu Zhao didn’t answer, and the exorcist shook his head and said: “She wants to go to the ghost realm to find someone. In other words, she’s seeking death! Sigh, such a talented exorcist, but she’s been blinded by her prey… Nothing in this world can escape the word ‘love’…“

    The exorcists’ faces showed regret, and also a hint of admiration. After sighing, they turned and left.

    Jin Xi and the others stood there in confusion, watching Yu Zhao’s thin figure gradually walking away alone.

    The ghost realm was different from the human world, but it was also connected to the human world.

    It didn’t have a specific entrance. If humans wanted to enter, they only needed to open a passage with a secret method at midnight in a cold place, and they could naturally enter.

    As for whether they could come out or not, that depended on luck.

    Yu Zhao’s luck wasn’t very good, but her strength was strong enough.

    The injuries she sustained when fighting the ghost before had mostly healed. At this time, with only half of her strength, she still chose to enter the ghost realm in the mass grave.

    She entered quickly, and came out quickly.

    The gray robe instantly turned into a blood-stained garment on her body, and the peach wood sword behind her was never unsheathed – because she was afraid that Bo Chi’s mind would be disturbed in the ghost realm, afraid that she wouldn’t notice her presence immediately, and afraid that with one sword strike, she would kill her own wife.

    Yu Zhao had always believed in killing to stop killing, and wasn’t very good at the exorcist’s defensive techniques.

    This accident changed her mind. She began to live in the mass grave, and besides cultivating, she was healing her injuries. When her condition slightly recovered, she entered the ghost realm again to look for someone, regardless of her life.

    Spring went and summer came, two years had passed.

    Yu Zhao’s cultivation improved by leaps and bounds, and her defensive techniques became indestructible, enough to support her walking among hundreds of ghosts, checking their faces one by one.

    But the ghost realm was so vast, and the number of ghosts was constantly increasing. Even if she searched for another ten or eight years, she might not be able to find Bo Chi.

    Yu Zhao was depressed, but her movements were not slow. After searching for a while without any results, just as she was about to leave when the spell dissipated, a surge of yin energy suddenly erupted from the south of the ghost realm, and the strong yin energy blew the surrounding ghosts around.

    Yu Zhao’s eyes lit up, she remembered the general location, and immediately adjusted her breath after leaving the ghost realm.

    She had thought of finding a more powerful ghost and enslaving it to find someone for her in these two years, but the ghost realm was too big, and the ghosts wouldn’t release their aura at ‘home’, so she never found anything, and could only let her own aura spread out, attracting groups of small ghosts, and slowly checking them one by one.

    Now that she had accidentally discovered the trace of a powerful ghost, she immediately entered the ghost realm again after adjusting her breath, concealed her aura, and searched towards the south.

    And Bo Chi, who had finally escaped from the ghost realm after two years of suffering, took a deep breath of the human world’s air, and said excitedly: {System, help me see where Yu Zhao is now!}

    System: {In the ghost realm.}

    Bo Chi said happily: {Good, then I’ll go find— Ghost realm?? Why is she in the ghost realm? Is she dead?!}

    System: {She guessed your location, and has been traveling through the ghost realm these two years, hoping to find you.}

    Bo Chi was stunned, her eyes slightly reddening: {She’s silly, there are so many ghosts in the ghost realm, how long will it take her to find me…}

    No one needed to say this, Yu Zhao herself definitely knew better than anyone.

    But she still came looking for her without hesitation.