The Boss stood at the center of the tent, overseeing the food distribution with effortless command. A blue mask concealed the upper half of her face, hiding the color of her eyes. Her long black hair, tied in a loose ponytail, framed her face with a few stray strands. She was not tall, nor did sh...
2025-02-21 15:17:10 +0000 UTC View PostThe festival was in full swing, and for once, I wasn’t thinking about schemes, cultivation, or impending death. Just three fellows wandering through the night, each enjoying it in their own way.
Fan Shi gnawed on a skewered grasshopper, the kind of street food that looked like it had craw...
2025-02-21 15:15:14 +0000 UTC View Post“I’m glad. I promise it’ll be worth your time. I’ll do my best to impress and make it an enjoyable evening.”
The words had barely left my mouth before I realized how they sounded.
"The night is still young."
Okay. That was worse.
Jia Yun flinched—just slightly,...
2025-02-21 14:32:46 +0000 UTC View PostJia Yun dreamt of soaring palaces.
Of jade spires wreathed in mist, polished floors gleaming under moonlight, and silken halls brimming with laughter. She dreamt of gentle hands brushing through her hair, of murmured words promising that she was special. That she was cherished.
She dr...
2025-02-21 10:39:18 +0000 UTC View PostIt was a mess.
I had not expected it to turn out like this.
Elder Pan Xia did not linger. The instant Jia Yun collapsed, he bolted from his seat—rushing from the VIP section to the arena floor below. His reaction was almost comical in its delay, as if he had only just remembered his...
2025-02-21 10:36:51 +0000 UTC View PostJia Yun was winning.
Not just by a small margin—she was utterly overwhelming Fan Shi.
She was faster. Stronger.
Her three tails lashed through the air, her movements fluid as drifting mist, yet sharp as honed steel. With every flick of her wrist, her fans sent out slicing arcs...
2025-02-21 10:33:59 +0000 UTC View PostFan Shi’s breath came ragged. Her body ached, her limbs burned, and though the gap between her and Jia Yun was only three stars, it felt as though she were striking an iron wall with bare fists.
Each time her chains lashed out, they met only ice—walls rising in an instant, absorbing the...
2025-02-21 10:31:01 +0000 UTC View PostFan Shi moved like a shadow, her sleeves fluttering as chains shot forth in a blur. The metallic links twisted and coiled, an unpredictable barrage seeking to ensnare Jia Yun.
Jia Yun, in contrast, wielded her fans with effortless grace. With a flick of her wrist, a gust of wind howled fort...
2025-02-21 10:26:10 +0000 UTC View PostThe fourth day of the festival had arrived. For me, it was nearly the fifth since I had been cast into this world.
An attendant led me through the sprawling estate of City Governor Ren Jin. His pace was excruciatingly slow—understandable for a mere mortal, but frustrating nonetheless. The...
2025-02-21 10:23:43 +0000 UTC View PostI didn’t resist.
I mean, what else could I do? Punch my way out of an arrest? That sounded like a great way to make things worse. So, I just stood there as the glowing band around my wrists tightened, locking me in some spell-infused restraint.
I didn’t have much experience with t...
2025-02-21 10:19:39 +0000 UTC View PostI crouched and ran my fingers through the scorched earth where my Heavenly Punishment had struck. The once-solid ground had turned to fine, dark ash, exuding a faint scent of cinder and metal. It reminded me of molten iron in a forge. I scooped up a handful, letting it slip between my fingers. Th...
2025-02-21 10:17:13 +0000 UTC View PostWhat kind of skills would a Paladin lack? Movement techniques. I had two or three that enhanced my speed, but none that could let me flicker through the battlefield like a sword cultivator or an assassin. And in this duel, sheer speed was a fool’s gambit—Jiang Zhen’s confidence sugges...
2025-02-21 10:14:43 +0000 UTC View PostJiang Zhen studied me, his dark eyes deep and unreadable beneath the shadow of his brow. The disguise of a simple goldfish vendor was gone, but he still wore the same earth-toned robes of a common peddler. Yet his presence had changed entirely.
Before, he had seemed like just another old ma...
2025-02-21 10:10:44 +0000 UTC View PostJiang Zhen rarely had the chance to slip away from the Sect and enjoy himself.
Most of the time, the Elders would throw a fit—or worse, threaten self-harm.
"Sect Master, if you leave now, I will set myself on fire!"
"Sect Master, if you disappear again, I shall starv...
A walk after lunch.
The further we went, the quieter the city became. While the festival’s main streets still bustled with energy, this forested part of Yellow Dragon City had a more subdued air. Guards patrolled the paths, their armor gleaming in the afternoon sun. Families picnicked ben...
2025-02-21 10:05:12 +0000 UTC View PostWe stepped beyond the archway, leaving the arena behind. The energy of the crowd still lingered—cheers, laughter, and the occasional groan from those who had wagered their entire purse on the wrong contender.
Gu Jie held the fishbowl close, her arms wrapped around it as if cradling a sacr...
2025-02-21 10:02:50 +0000 UTC View PostThe third day of the festival.
For me, barely my fourth day in this world.
Gu Jie walked beside me, cradling Ren Jingyi’s new home as if it were a sacred artifact. The fishbowl—a vessel large enough to fit a human head—was a fine purchase, complete with a wire attachment for car...
2025-02-21 09:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe goldfish stall was quiet today. An old man lounged behind the counter, idly munching on a skewer of candied hawthorn, utterly oblivious to the storm about to descend upon him. The sight of him enjoying his snack, completely unbothered, only fueled my resolve.
I had witnessed something a...
2025-02-21 09:55:32 +0000 UTC View PostFrom what I had gathered, the participants had to be under fifty years old. Not that it mattered to me—I had no way of gauging anyone’s true strength beyond what my eyes could perceive, and even that had its limits.
I sighed, watching as the gambling attendants made their final rounds.<...
2025-02-21 09:52:25 +0000 UTC View PostThe second day of the festival was livelier than the first.
The streets teemed with even more people, and the tournament venue was packed to the brim. A towering archway marked the entrance, with two long queues stretching before it.
Gu Jie stood just ahead of me, arms crossed, survey...
2025-02-21 09:50:23 +0000 UTC View PostKang Shi stood before me, radiating arrogance.
His long, dark hair was tied loosely behind him, and his sharp, greedy eyes sized up the world as if it already belonged to him. His features were chiseled, his posture aggressive—he carried himself like someone who had never known defeat, wh...
2025-02-21 09:49:33 +0000 UTC View PostA meal at an expensive inn should have been a luxury, but instead, it felt dull.
I sat at a finely carved wooden table, absently twirling my chopsticks in a plate of fried noodles. Across from me, Gu Jie signaled a waitress and ordered a dish of greens. The lanterns overhead cast warm, flic...
2025-02-21 09:44:46 +0000 UTC View PostI narrowed my eyes at the fragile paper scoop in my hand. The thin net quivered as I dipped it into the water, aiming for a goldfish drifting lazily in the tank. My movements were precise, calculated. I was a Paladin, damn it. My reflexes were honed beyond mortal limits, my body refined to perfec...
2025-02-21 09:40:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe moment she stepped beyond the Senior’s presence, Gu Jie’s expression changed.
Gone was the hesitation, the fleeting embarrassment—only cold calculation remained. She moved with the easy grace of a predator, shoulders loose, gaze sharp.
The gold coins in her hand were no ordi...
2025-02-21 09:35:25 +0000 UTC View PostWe finished our bowls of noodles, leaving nothing but a slick sheen of broth at the bottom. The meal had been satisfying—rich, savory, and exactly what I needed after a long morning of singing and wandering the city.
Still, I wasn’t quite ready to leave.
I gestured for the server....
2025-02-21 09:33:43 +0000 UTC View PostThe gathering of cultivators quickly lost its appeal. At first, watching them descend from the sky on flying swords, chariots, leaves, and clouds had been impressive, but the novelty faded fast. Their grand entrances earned hushed whispers and admiration, yet beneath all that spectacle, they were...
2025-02-19 06:22:06 +0000 UTC View PostGu Jie dropped to one knee so suddenly that, for a moment, I thought she had collapsed. But no—her posture was deliberate, her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes burned with unwavering resolve.
“Please allow me to follow you!” she declared, voice steady despite its tremor. “I m...
2025-02-19 06:15:37 +0000 UTC View PostWith a flick of my wrist, I retrieved a pair of plush, cushioned chairs from my Item Box, letting them appear as if by magic. Gu Jie’s eyes widened in shock, and I had to admit, her reaction was satisfying.
Who in their right mind would waste storage space on furniture?
Well, I woul...
2025-02-19 03:19:31 +0000 UTC View PostTo an extent, I have an idea what kind of world this was… but again, I am not big on Xianxia.
Morning arrived, casting golden light over the city and washing away the lingering coolness of the night. The air carried the rich aroma of sizzling street food, freshly brewed tea, and the faint...
2025-02-19 03:17:50 +0000 UTC View PostI began with careful experiments.
First, my speed.
The ancient tree stood to my left, the ruined fountain ahead. I focused, tensed my muscles, and moved. The world blurred—stone cracked beneath my step, wind howled past my ears. When I stopped, the tree was behind me.
Too fast...
2025-02-19 03:16:57 +0000 UTC View Post