The empires and republics of the Old World are at a precipice. Centuries of rivalry and warfare have begun to make a marked toll on the stability of these proud nations, all the while the discovery of a new continent brings an unprecedented era of prosperity and abundance for these nations. The New World, however, is vast and unknown. Rumours of unholy men-like beasts plague the ears of colonials. Perhaps, it would have been best if the New World had remained undisturbed.

Luciano is dying. Stroked down by luck and the cunning of his enemies in the Academy he is attacked on the forest while his master is away, but in his dying breath amidst the misty night of the forest he sees a distant Bonfire, and in his last moments he follows the light.

Ever since she entered the Reverie Libretto, Lin Sanjiu retained a certain degree of command over her own actions but for one thing—the environment. She couldn't make the weather warmer, she couldn't turn herself into a titan, and she couldn't even activate her abilities. Posthumans were restricted by their dreams, so that's why most of them regarded this pocket dimension as a "semi-lucid dream".
She couldn't comprehend why Mayor Orlean was an exception.
"You're leaving now?"
Mayor Orlean's voice came sliding into her ears and snapped her out of her thoughts. She raised her head and saw Mayor Orlean's large face pressing against hers. There was a smirk playing on his fleshy lips as he said, "Before you went, can you show me the phrase on your wrist first?"
He had made himself pretty clear: if he found something wrong with her phrase, he wouldn't let her go easily.
Lin Sanjiu heaved out a long sigh and forwent her attempt to alter the environment again.
She had been trying her best to change the environment, yet aside from bringing pain to herself, she couldn't alter anything. The sunlight continued its journey and speared through the window relentlessly, illuminating the dust motes that spiraled through the air.
In contrast, Mayor Orlean was able to change the direction of the town hall with a mere swipe of his hand. 
'Is the black mountain giving him that much power?' Lin Sanjiu wondered
"Hurry up, let me see your phrase," he urged Lin Sanjiu again and pointed at the tattooed man. "Don't waste my time. I still have a lot of questions for him."
'I guess it's the only choice I have…'
Lin Sanjiu exchanged glances with the tattooed man and slowly raised her arm.
Craning his head forward, Mayor Orlean narrowed his eyes and studied her wrist meticulously. When his two fleshy lips parted asunder, her heart somersaulted. Then, she heard him mumble, "Good night?"
He smacked his lips and retracted his neck.
"What does that mean?" He turned to the tattooed man, asking, "Why are all your phrase options so weird? Good night, white gloves… What do they all mean?"
For a moment, Lin Sanjiu was too stunned to speak. She withdrew her hand quickly and hid it behind her back. She looked at the tattooed man, bewilderment written all over her face. 
'Can he give two different phrases to one person?'
"She is a girl, and I thought this kind of mildly-toned phrase better fit the vibe she exuded." The tattooed man stepped two paces back and sat lackadaisical on the window sill. "Haven't you heard about "Good Night"? It's a famous poem, and because of one particular line in the poem, I decided to pick the phrase for her."
"Uh-uh. What was it?"
"'Walk gentle into that good night'," he raised his head and began chanting the poem, "'Look, look at the dying light'… It's written by Dylan Thomas."
Mayor Orlean compressed his mouth, looking unconvinced. After that, he looked at Lin Sanjiu again. 
"I don't care what you think," she took the chance and chimed in, "I'm leaving anyway. I need to go out and search for clues about the storyline in my libretto."
Even though she looked calm on the surface, only she knew how nervous she was deep under. If Mayor Orlean refused to let her go, she didn't know how she was going to escape. However, after a moment of hesitation, he nudged his chin and said, "Alright, then."
It appeared to Lin Sanjiu that he did not want anyone to get into his way either. To prevent him from changing his mind, Lin Sanjiu took one last glance at the tattooed man and then stormed down the staircase. 
The poem felt familiar, yet strange at the same time. Lin Sanjiu was torn between two feelings until the tattooed man mentioned the name of the writer of the poem. 
She had heard the poem before. 
The sunlight cast a halo of light around her the moment she stepped out of the town hall. She realized she was now facing the street she escaped from. Turning her head, the town hall had returned to its original direction. Initially, she thought she would come out of the back of the town hall. Little did she expect that she would run straight into the group of townsfolk and police officers. 
"Act normal. They don't seem to recognize you," Mrs. Manas whispered, "But there are several police officers watching you."
Lin Sanjiu quickly calmed herself down after she heard what Mrs. Manas said. She glanced around the town; she didn't know why, but she felt the town had changed again. The number of police officers had doubled to the point that she thought there was a sea before her eyes. They barricaded all the exits and entrances, and aside from several buildings, the townspeople couldn't go anywhere.
Mrs. Manas was right. None of the police officers could recognize her, and she felt that a long time had passed after she went into the town hall. 
One of the most striking changes was the size of the black mountain. It had become a lot bigger than the last time she saw it. It had moved from the corner of the town to the center, and she could see some remnants of the crushed houses under its base.
Nevertheless, nobody was looking at the black mountain; it was as if they did not care what was going on behind them.
Standing stock-still, she looked at each person that stomped past her, but she didn't see anyone she knew. The air percolated with their heavy breathing. They were all as massive as walruses, and their vibrant shirts had become so thin as if they would burst at any time. Glancing across the street, all the adults and children looked the same and it was hard to tell apart their genders. 
Then, as she surveyed down the town, a pair of massive, swollen feet, which did not go very well with their flip-flops, appeared in Lin Sanjiu's sight. 
"Oh my god, you look just like a stick!"
'Woman?' It was only now that Lin Sanjiu realized the person was a lady. She angled her head towards the direction of the voice and met the lady in her eyes. Lin Sanjiu noticed that years had left some marks on the woman's face, and there were locks of premature grey hairs dangling in front of her forehead. Her eyes, which deeply sunk in her jowly face, were gleaming with suspicion. "Why are your hands empty?"
"I've already finished them," Lin Sanjiu said as she measured the older woman up and down. She did not know why, but she felt as if she had seen the woman before. 
"You've finished all your food? Why didn't you stuff more food in your pockets if you knew you were going to finish it fast? You see, there is still a lot of space here, here, here and here. I don't understand why you are so stupid and careless," the fat lady chided as she licked her lips. "This is Peanut Town, and you are as thin as a rake. Mayor Orlean has prepared so many resources and made our lives blissful, yet here you are, behaving like a poor, malnourished girl with a pathetic body, who is willing to wear more clothes than bring more food. You are such a disappointment. I despise you." 
Lin Sanjiu frowned.
Even though the fat lady criticized her, she kept her voice extremely low. 
"What do you have in mind?" Lin Sanjiu continued to stare at the fat lady's face as she inwardly tried to match her face with the list of people she previously met.
The fat woman licked her lips again. 
The angry light on her face ebbed away like melting ice. She glanced at the police officers and then around her. After she found that nobody was looking at them, she giggled. "I didn't bring much either, but I can't bear to look at your heart-rending body anymore."
Before she finished her sentence, she extended her hand and hurled a hefty bag into Lin Sanjiu's embrace. "Here, take this. If you don't like it, just throw it away." After that, without waiting for Lin Sanjiu to say something, she turned around and deftly squeezed herself into the crowd of people despite her large body size. 
Suddenly, an image clicked in her brain when the fat woman turned her back on her. It was only now that Lin Sanjiu realized that she was the high school girl who reported her.
For Lin Sanjiu, merely a few hours had passed, but for the high school girl, she had spent most of her life.
Feeling that this might be her only chance to know more about this town, Lin Sanjiu took a few quick steps and followed after the girl. When she was within her reach, she stretched out her arm to reach for the high school girl and tapped on her shoulder. "Hey!"
The girl jumped out of shock. She turned her head around, and when she saw Lin Sanjiu, her brows raised up. As the angry look on her face intensified, Lin Sanjiu hastily said, "I know you!"
"So?" The high school girl sneered coldly.
Lin Sanjiu took a glance at the few bags of food in her arms and talked to her in a hushed voice, "If you can talk to me and answer a few questions of mine, I will take all of these."
Perhaps the townspeople of Peanut Town felt it was a burden for them as well to consume such large amounts of food daily. With that thought in mind, she thought her plan was going to work and the girl was definitely going to take up her offer. However, little did she expect that the high school girl's face suddenly went white as she snapped nervously, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Aren't you tired of eating the food?"
"What? Do you hear yourself?" It seemed like the girl had gotten really mad this time. "Isn't it normal to be tired when eating? We just need to take a small break and then we can eat again! Don't think you can speak nonsense just because I showed you some kindness. Mayor Orlean has worked very hard for our town, and I am more than willing to eat as much as I can for him even if it will cost my life!" 
After she finished speaking, she stretched her arm forward and tried to snatch the bag away from Lin Sanjiu. It was at this moment that the police officers finally noticed them. They yelled at them, "Hey! What are you guys doing? Disperse! You can't walk together!" 
As if she was struck by lightning, the high school girl retracted her arm. After giving Lin Sanjiu a menacing glare, she scurried away.
Standing still like a ramrod with a bag of food in her hand, Lin Sanjiu's eyes darted from one person to the next. The smell of the smoked ribs, fried chicken, and spices that lingered in the air assaulted her nostrils. However, instead of working up her appetite, it nauseated her.
The scene when the tattooed man made up the poem once again surfaced in her brain.
'Do not go gentle into that good night,
'Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
'Do not go gentle into that good night,
'Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'
As the correct version flitted across her mind, she raised her wrist and looked. The royal blue tattoo ink reflected the sunlight and emitted a strange light. It seeped into the lines of her skin as if she had been born with it. 
Freedom. 
This was her true phrase.


Lin Sanjiu is a normal woman in modern-day society. Everyone admires her outstandingly handsome, gentle, and rich boyfriend. However, Lin Sanjiu feels vaguely afraid of this "perfect" boyfriend. She's always felt that her boyfriend looks at her like she's a tasty piece of meat...

The transformation happened one night. Sanjiu got into an argument with her boyfriend, and he finally revealed his true colors. As it turns out, he was a being with special abilities from an apocalyptic world who wanted to eat Sanjiu to help him evolve. To his dismay, he ended up being the one killed by Sanjiu with her hidden abilities instead.

However, Sanjiu's troubles don't end with her dead boyfriend. In fact, the world she resides in is starting to go through unusual changes. This world is becoming a scorching hot hellhole...

Arthur soon took the seat across from the woman, Weiss and Winter's mother, though he didn't know her first name he silently joined her in watching the dying willow tree, glancing to the glass of red wine Arthur, slowly raised his hand and picked up the glass by the bowl, the stem resting between his middle and ring finger.

Slowly swirling the wine to let it breath, before bringing it up to his nose, smelling a light apple aroma as well as much subtler vanilla and caramel aromas from the wine. His face remaining calm as he brought the rim of the glass to his lips and took a mouth full of the wine, immediately feeling the rich taste of the fermented grapes whilst also feeling quite refreshing, whilst also leaving the normal burning sensation at the back of his throat that travelled up to his ears, which he always found weird.

His hand along with the glass lowering onto the arm rest of his seat, "How is Weiss?" ms. Schnee asked after several minutes of silence, her voice sorrowful and without motivation.

Arthur looked to her seeing her gaze had not shifted from the tree for even a moment to look him in the eyes when she asked, "About as good as she can be after what happened" Arthur replied, taking another sip from his glass.

"Will she get better?" she asked again after several sips from her glass, lightly coughing, letting Arthur hear the slight wheeze in her breathing

"Given enough time and support, she's having trouble being alone with people she doesn't know or trust" he told her.

Ms. Schnee went quite for a few minutes, "Can I make a request?" she asked, immediately continuing with her request, "Please be there for her. If you can, get her out of this vile household once and for all, this is no place for her", she brought the wine glass up to her lips and threw her head back downing the rest of the wine before placing the glass on the table and refilling it up halfway, placing the bottle on the table if Arthur wanted a refill.

"I was always intending to stay by her side for as long as she needs me" he said, "But getting her out of this household is something only she can choose, I can try to guide her, but in the end I will not force her"

"Thank you" she softly said, taking another sip from her glass. Both of them going silent as they sat in the garden, only the sounds of the leaves rustling.

"I love this tree…" she muttered, "I planted it myself thirty years ago as a lovestruck, naive child, with a man who didn't love me" her voice sad as she raised her glass and looked through the wine to the willow tree.

Arthur silently listening to her, "I was such a stupid child, falling for the first man to serenade me and take me to picnics by the lake" getting more depressed as she spoke and drank more, "I even had it brought here when Jacques had this mansion built"

"Every day I would come out, feed it fresh fertilizer, sat under it's hanging leaves, read a book, stroked that man's hair as we spent our days in leisure, it grew and grew over the years and I kept finding my love for him grew as the years passed"

"I even began to believe that I was connected to this tree, whenever I was tired it's branches seemed to hang a little lower, when I grew sick the leaves began to wilt, when I was angry it would roar like a storm was raging even when there was no wind"

"And now it's wilting away and dying, and here I sit, wallowing in grief in a marriage where only I loved, destroying my own body as I drown myself in alcohol and spirits" she began to to chuckle to herself.

"I even brought an axe and was about to cut her down the night I learnt the truth of our marriage. Yet the moment I raised the axe I saw the first of the wilting leaves fall and turn to dust, I couldn't do it, I dropped the axe and fell to my knees, bawling my eyes out for the rest of the night" she downed her glass, and swirled the bottle seeing only sediment left in the bottle.

Putting the bottle into an empty basket she brought out a new bottle and quickly and skillfully opened it with another 'Pop!' which she poured into the glass. Arthur quickly downed what little remained from his first glass and held it up to her, letting her pour it in, before placing the bottle on the table and returning to looking at the willow.


"The weeping Willow, wallowing away as she neglects her body"

"The weeping Willow, that stood on her toes under the Mistletoe"

"The weeping Willow, wilting away as I sit and watch, wallowing like a willow in rain"

"The weeping Willow, that fell for a man, what a fool that weeping Willow"

"The weeping Willow, standing astray, solemnly awaiting the day she will die" 

"The weeping Willow, tomorrow her first will come"

"The weeping Willow, that wallowed in grief and sorrow at a man she could not follow"

"The weeping Willow, oh how I forget the sorrow when I am with you"

"The weeping Willow, wilting away, what worth has she left to stay?"

"The weeping Willow, wallowing away, maybe tomorrow's her final day"

Arthur was silent as he listened to the poem, a story about a girl's, her life, her love that soon broke away to her wallowing in grief as she realized the truth. Willow's voice getting weaker and trembling as she sang the poem to herself, tears already slowly trickling from her eyes.

"I wrote that years ago, long before Winter, my eldest was born. It was raining and yet I came out to the tree that had grown after the years of care I had given it, I had begun to get a fondness for tragedy, stories of love lost, of love that wasn't true… how ironic, how things just seem to fall into place" she muttered with a weak chuckle.


That was when Arthur realized she wasn't talking to him, she was speaking to herself about her own sorrow's. Arthur sighed, his hatred for Jacques only getting worse as he listened to her, his eyes shutting as he listened to the wind. His vision soon filled with dull green and brown lights from the trees and plants around him, and yet, he could also see a light blue flame buried deep within the willow, his eyes opening to ensure he was actually looking at the willow tree and not Willow herself"

Shutting them when he saw it was indeed the willow tree, as he stared at the flame he found something strange about it, it was dim, dimmer than even the trees and plants around it. Indicative of its soon approaching death, yet that wasn't what caught Arthur's attention.

Instead it was the thin tendril that fell from the bottom of the flame, running down the centre of the the trunk and into the ground, the thin stream of flame digging through the earth as it travelled towards Arthur… no Willow, as his eyes followed the stream he soon saw it split into two streams that entered through the soles of Willow's feet and climbed up her body before converging onto her her own light blue soul-flame, connecting them both together as one.

His eyes shot open in realization, his hair and eyes returning to white as he chuckled to himself as his gaze returned to the weeping willow, 'So you really are connected' he smiled. His head darting to Willow when he heard her begin to wheeze and violently cough into her hands.

Quickly hoping out of his chair he ran to her side, only to be stopped as she raised one hand to stop him, her hand covered in speckles of blood, "You needn't worry about me" she said, pulling out a white handkerchief and cleaning her mouth and and hands of blood, "I'm used to it"

Yet Arthur didn't let her words hold him back as he kneeled in front of her, "Give me that" he said, pulling the handkerchief away from Willow and also gently grabbing her right hand and pulling it down her palm facing up as he gently began to wipe away the blood on her hands, "Does Weiss or Winter know?" he asked her.

"No, only I and my doctor know, they do not need to worry about a dying alcoholic" she answered him, causing a frown to appear on his face at her words.

"What is it?" he asked her, placing the now bloodied handkerchief on the table while still kneeling in front of her.

Willow silently stared at him, letting out a small sigh, "Stage four lung cancer, it started in my right lung and metastasised to my left and liver, my aura's been slowing it movement to my brain and bones" she explained, moving her hand to pick up her wine glass, only to have it flung away as Arthur tore it from her hands and threw it away, shattering it and dying the snow red.

Willow seemed unfazed by this as she looked up into his eyes, "That, was a waste of Atlesian red.9" she said, her expression uncaring as she pulled out another glass only for it to be torn out of her hands once again.

"Do you really want to die so badly?" Arthur's question struck a cord in her, that made her lip tremble.

"Yes, I have nothing except money and a dying tree. My husband cares only for the name not me. My daughters hate this family and are running away further and further just to escape this family. My only son is growing to become just like his father, it's only a matter of time before he breaks a girls heart just for a name" tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I can rarely ever leave this mansion without fearing that some rogue terrorist will kill me and hang me in public. No book I read any more connects with me, no painting I view strikes me, no poem I write is ever real, every drink I drink is never enough"

"My fathers legacy is flourishing in the hands of a man who will bring ruin to everything father built up over decades" her voice falling to whimpers, "And I am trapped here, I can't divorce him, then my fathers legacy goes with him, both our names dragged through dirt and mud, and what's to stop him from sending Nacht to make my death look like a tragedy or a White Fang attack?"

"I'm dying, let me die how I want, sitting here, watching as the days pass, drowning myself in grief" she pulled out yet another glass, and filled it up, Arthur standing back, the other glass cracking as he clenched his hand around it until it shattered.

Arthur stared down at Willow who had downed the entire glass of wine in but a second, red overflowing and running down her cheeks onto her blouse. Opening his hand Arthur threw the shards of glass away and turned around walking away from Willow.

"Thank you" she said and resumed staring at what remained of her tree whilst sipping from her glass, her eyes following Arthur's back as she noticed he wasn't following the path, instead stepping over it and onto the grass and snow walking up to the willow tree, under it's dying branches and wilting leaves.

Stopping an arms length away from the tree, both his hand rising up as he pushed them onto the bark, his eyes shutting as he focused on the dimming soul-flame in the tree's core. His aura flaring up as he pushed it into the trunk, his death aura separating from his life aura and remaining in his body.

As Arthur pushed his aura into the trunk he could see it begin to move like veins across the various minuscule holes that the tree used to transfer nutrients to supply it's growth, creating a white veined outline of the willow and it's various leaves and branches.

From Willow's view she could see that from underneath the bark the tree was beginning to shine, her eyes following it up as the light flowed up the trunk and into the crown, entering the branches and running down it's leaf-less sprays.

Her eyes widening in shock as she saw small buds beginning to sprout at the beginning of the sprays as pure white leaves began to emerge all around the tree, the new leaves sprouting up rapidly as they rand down the hanging sprays until they came to the dull, silvery white, wilting leaves that remained on the sprays.

The moment the light touched them they came lose and turned to dust as new leaves popped up in their place. Yet it didn't end there as even these new leaves began to fall from the tree turning to bright particles of light that drifted in the wind before being replaced by new pure white leaves.

Arthur was watching this entire process with his eyes shut watching as his aura flowed up into the leaves and watched as they broke away and were replaced constantly. His eye returning to the lightblue flame of the tree's soul which was quickly absorbing his aura, it's flame growing more the more Arthur gave the tree, converting the life aura into light blue flames, until it took no more.

At which Arthur heard the leaves of the tree rust as he felt something stroking his back, opening his eyes Arthur turned around and saw that while he was nourishing the willow, it's sprays had begun to move ever closer to him, moving as if defying the wind. Raising his hand Arthur brought his fingers through the soft leaves, that seemed to tremble in happiness and thanks as they pulled away from him, falling through his fingers creating a curtain of it's spray all around him, lighting up the area with the faint light they gave off, "You're welcome" he said getting another rustle of leaves in thanks.

As she looked around the magical sight of the glowing willow tree he saw a hand slowly come through the curtain as Willow opened it and leaned down slightly to enter under it, her eyes wide and her lower lip trembling as she couldn't hold back her tears any more. Her eyes wandering around the crown of sprays that hung above them.

She seemed less tired, even looking as if her wrinkles had begun to fade away, Arthur found this curious so he closed his eyes to see her soul-flame was now as bright as the raging flame in the willow tree, the tether connecting the two having grown more solid and pronounced looking more like a rope than it's previous thin string like stream.

She collapsed onto her knees as she stared up, falling onto a bed of white bluebells that had appeared within the willow's curtain, "They don't hate this family" Arthur said, Willow looked to him, "They hate Jacques, not this family, he is tearing you're family apart with his actions, he forces Weiss and forced Winter into meeting suitors, and when they leave and disobey them he cuts them off from the fortune, strips them of their titles and leaves them on their own"

"They do not hate you, they could never hate their mother, they are not the type of girls to hate without reason, at most, they miss you, the mother that once raised them, read them stories, played with them, cried with them when you watched something sad, that, is what they miss. They don't want to see their mother drinking her life away alone and in agony" Arthur's voice was soft as he gave her a small smile.

"You have so much more than money and a tree, you have two daughters that love you, a legacy that is more than just a company, but a name, a name that has lasted generations, through wars, through sickness, through fires and storms and tested the trials that some names next get passed, and lived to continue on for generations more" Arthur kneeled down slightly, plucking one of the white bluebells from the ground and began to walk up to the crying Willow.

Kneeling next to her Arthur gently wiped the trail of tears on her right cheek away whilst also sweeping her bang back over her hair, "You do not need the SDC Willow, what you need is you're daughters, build something that Jacques can not touch together with them" he said as he pushed the stem of the bluebell into her hair.

"Like this willow tree, you have a second chance, you're daughters have always been nearby for you, you just need to be willing to go to them" Arthur's smile made Willow, blankly stare for a moment before her tears began to stream out even more, both her hands raising to grasp Arthur's hand as she just held it, the weight on her shoulders seeming to have decreased to just a light feather.
____________________________________________________ 

"Goddamnit Arthur" Ashe groaned as she face palmed, "Why do you have to be so kind" she whined as her head soon found itself falling onto a desk she often sat at whilst she watched Arthur, between her legs Siri's head popped up from the black waters of Arthur's soul, "No… not now Siri, we can play later" she sighed as Siri sadly returned to swimming in the ocean of black water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Life is but a starting point (1/5)
* Raise 5 spirit trees
- {Reward: Ability - Origin of life}
********************************************************************
Alternate Chapter names: [A Second Chance] [Willow Schnee]

Words: 3,201
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Polls

Next World (Runs until the end of the RWBY storyline)
https://poll.ly/#/2JkYq5el
.
New Harem Poll as of chapter 121, the previous one is finished.
https://poll.ly/#/Lak17gny
.
If you do not see the character you would like please check out Akashic: the Tome chapter 2, it is linked in the synapsis on both Webnovel and Royalroad.
If the character you would like is not on this list, and the poll, please comment it.
____________________________________________________  
Discord: www.discord.gg/dXvg8F3
Paypal: www.paypal.me/Lasarusofthelibrary
P,atreon: www.p,atreon.com/Lasarus

Death seemed to follow young Arthur around wherever he went. His mother died giving birth to him, His sister a few years later. Then his father three years after. He shut himself from the world until one day he met a girl, someone unfazed by his misfortune. But even she came to the brink of death... Or did she? Follow Arthur on his adventure through the story’s contained within the library, as he traverses the 'Akashic records'
____________________________________________________ 
Sister book to this where I add all the functions of the Tome and where character's profiles will be located. (Feel free to comment ideas on the different chapters)
Akashic: The Tome  
www.webnovel.com/book/14289696506956605/Akashic%3A-The-Tome
____________________________________________________
I make no claim to the ownership of any pre-existing series or characters used within this work, only those of my own design. Please do support the originals.

The thirteen-floored Buddhist pagoda was very tall. Though, it was nothing to Shen Lian.
Within a few breaths, he walked up with Young Ruoxi – he actually went up, step by step.
His breath combined with that of Young Ruoxi, an adult and a child, to a certain extent had become one.
The space at the top of the pagoda was really small, and the windows were all left open. As Shen Lian appeared at the top of the pagoda, he was welcomed by a cold gaze.
The Empress was dressed in dragon robe and wore a crown on her head. She was facing the north, and a scene of endless mountains and rivers was behind of her.
Xiangji Temple was situated at the peak of a tall mountain, and the pagoda of the Xiangji Temple that they were at, it was the peak of the peak. It was a place where one could touch the sky and the clouds.
"Shen Lian, you are Shen Lian." The Empress' voice sounded as though it came from the Mount Buzhou in Chinese mythology; it was cold and harsh, sending its listener into bouts of fear.
Shen Lian was fearless and did not shy away from the Empress' gaze. His gaze was akin to that of an ocean and could contain everything in it. With that, he absolved the coldness in the Empress' gaze.
"Your Majesty, did you think that I'm not Shen Lian, or did you mean to see a different Shen Lian?" He held Young Ruoxi's hand, and a gentle breeze lifted the strand of hair on the side of his ear, and Shen Lian looked like an immortal celestial. As for Ruoxi, with her lips pursed, she was sizing the Empress up – the scary Empress from the legend.
"Are you the Shen Lian from the Shen family of the State of Qing, or the Shen Lian who sought to seek the truth and to attain enlightenment from the celestial schools beyond the seas?" The Empress was emanating a great sense of pressure, and Shen Lian had never seen the overwhelming vibe that she was exerting from any other person.
Some people were not strong because of their impressive mana or their impeccable supernatural powers, but they were strong for the mere fact that they were, and they were born to rule.
Ruoxi felt fear rising up in her. She was very sensitive, and she could feel that the woman in front of her was like a tiger. No, maybe fiercer than a tiger.
She didn't know that it was called the Qi of a King, the Qi of a mighty ruler.
Every move and every word of the might ruler was harsh as thunder and authoritative. It was like the gentle spring wind that turned into rain, nourishing the masses.
Shen Lian was unaffected. "Your Majesty, which one do you wish that I was?" He replied calmly.
The massive pressure emanated by the Empress was imposed unto Shen Lian. "All member of the Shen family of the State of Qing are rebels, and should all be beheaded. However, if you are one of the Celestials beyond the seas, I will be courteous and build you a Daoist temple, and to include your name in the Dao register," she said.
The purpose of her little speech was clear, Shen Lian would either lose his life or his freedom.
If he were to choose the former, he would lose both his life and freedom; if the latter, he would at least have his life.
However, Shen Lian did not have to choose.
"Both of the Shen Lian Your Majesty was talking about were me. There was never two Shen Lians to begin with, there was only one "me"," Shen Lian replied casually. His glance swept past the Empress, and fell onto the group of white clouds.
"Empress, you are very fierce," said Ruoxi out of a sudden.
"Young girl, are you not afraid of death at all? How dare you talk to me like that?" The Empress looked at Ruoxi and laughed slightly.
"Empress, can you live forever? Can you make me live forever?" Ruoxi raised her head and asked.
"Of course I can't live forever, I can't make you live forever too," the Empress replied in shock.
"Since we are all going to die, why should I be afraid of dying?" Ruoxi queried.
"For the fact that you recognized this, you are more worthy of being a Zhao than anyone else in Shendu City. Why is it that they could not understand something that even a little girl could understand?" Said the Empress. She did not want subordinates who sucked up to her. Her ambition was not something that could be understood by those unscrupulous people.
If the Empress knew about Shen Lian's background, she would also know about Ruoxi's background. However, she did not seem to be particularly bothered by Ruoxi's identity.
In fact, all these did not matter to her. Once, she killed a subordinate. However, she had the guts to still use the granddaughter of said subordinate as her lady-in-waiting.
"Children are not afraid of death because they do not know about all the things worth living for in this world. Even though everyone will die sooner or later, but who doesn't want to live for a bit more? To be able to do something that one wants to do, that is human nature," Shen Lian replied.
"Human nature indeed, however, I'm beyond just any human, and I want to achieve deeds beyond normalcy. It would seem that human nature does not apply to me." The Empress stared hard at Shen Lian.
Shen Lian's gaze cleared up, it was as though a green flame was lighted up in each of his eyes.
The pea-sized flame shone without a break.
Despite that the Empress' gaze was similar to that of snow and gust, it could not extinguish this flame.
According to the legends and mythology, when the sky was black and the earth was yellow, the universe was a vast and dark whole, it was said that there were three flames that shone through the past and the future, and they transcended time and space.
One at the Tai Shang Daoist Master's Bajing Palace;
Another at the Yuanshi Tianzun's Yuxu Palace;
There was also one at the Vulture Peak, where the ancient Dipamkara Buddha dwelled.
The light was a physical item, but it was also nothingness.
The Great Adept could light up a flame not only for himself but to show the path to others too.
This thought was the reason why there was an endless stream of cultivators in this world.
Shen Lian's act of sharing his understanding of Dao to his fellow Qing Xuan disciples without bias was in accordance with this thought.
Of course, his flame was not as bright as those three other flames. However, it still managed to bring some light into the long and dark path of cultivation.
The coldness in the Empress' gaze was melted, and the heavenly wind blew in, caressing the ends of her hair. Despite being of considerable age, her skin was still like that of ice and snow, as though she was still a young lady.
""The plum blossoms thrive in the wintery forest, not mingling with the plums and peaches to be reduced to secular." Shen Lian, I know you are good at writing poems, can you leave a poem here today?" She sighed and said.
She did not come to look for trouble with Shen Lian. All she wanted to meet this person. Her true enemy was still hiding her trump card and was ready to fight her to death.
The fight on the great Way was never-ending.
Shen Lian was not on such terms with her yet.
"Why not," Shen Lian replied.
Shen Lian was not particularly poetic, but all literature was made in heaven and fell into the hands of those who happened to chance upon it. He did not know how to write, but he knew how to plagiarise.
"Not knowing the whereabouts of Xiangji Temple, so I went up several miles among the cloudy peaks.
All passages were blocked by gigantic ancient trees, whence did the bell chime come in the deep mountain.
The springs sounded choked by the tall boulders, the setting sun cooled off the dark forest of pines.
In the early evening, the bend of the clear water pool, seemed to be a place to meditate and to restrain oneself from wishful thinking."
The poem, "Passing by Xiangji Temple" was engraved by Shen Lian with the strength of his finger onto the stone wall of the pagoda. Both the penmanship and the poem were remarkable.
Even the Empress could not find fault with it. Shen Lian and Ruoxi descended from the pagoda.
The Empress did not stay the pagoda to appreciate the poem. What was to come will come.
She was waiting for it.


What is a Daoist Master? One that is imageless in ten directions and vanishes in the six paths; unrestrained by the three realms and the five elements.                                                                                                                                           
After a day at the clinic, Dr. Li Feng met with an accident on his way home. When he regained consciousness, Li Feng found himself in the body of a weak teenage boy who was born out of wedlock, Shen Lian. Who was the father? The mother would not tell. A scripture he found among his mother’s remnants was the only thing he knew about his father.                                                                                                    
The mother came from a wealthy and well known family. When Shen Lian was recalled back to the Shen family, he was entitled for part of the grandfather’s inheritance and businesses. Despite the grand value, Shen Lian did not take a cent with him when he decided to leave the family. Why would he leave this comfortable life behind?                                      
His journey with this new identity brought him into this new world as he travelled between realms in search of knowledge to improve his Daoist skills. As he conquered trial after trial, would he become the chosen one? Will he succeed in becoming the Daoist Master? Only time will tell.

" decided what?" 
"Seriously you were walking in such a daze i thought for sure you were thinking on what to do for your eighteenth Birthday not only do you become a legal adult but you also got approval from this small towns City Hall to take over the Orphanage after your Birthday" Viper spun around like a snake circling prey it was how Viper got her nickname cus she tended to slide and slither around people. " That is two things to celebrate no wait thats three one is the day you were born Two is the fact that you will be an adult and three is that you will be in charge of the Orphanage and Morgana will lose everything"
"Viper thats four things" 
Viper paused thinking about it "Oh yeah your right so we gotta do something big" 
They pondered on ideas for awhile then Flame had a brilliant and wonderfully gothtastic idea 
"Why not a party in the woods with me you the kids and..." Flame stopped she was going to say Fang but ahe hasnt seen him the past few days 
"and your lover boy?" Viper winked 
"Stop it he's not my lover." 
"Fine whatever you say but im in for an adventure in the woods should we go to the boring natural park or shall we venture into the forbidden Shadow Forest?" 
"I want to go to Shadow Forest i always liked that place oddly enough" 

Around the corner Fang was listening in he dare not approach her incase Tigers Puppets of Light were watching him he couldn't show any sign of emotion towards his beloved or Tiger would discover who she was and Fang knew if he showed any sign of who she was Tiger would kill her without hesitation. 
He knew what her going to Shadow Forest on her birthday implied and he needed this to happen if she was to awaken without being noticed by Tiger and the Human race she needed to be in her kingdom in her territory in her HOME she would need the help of the Elders to guide her Dragon mind and insticts and she would need him to help her fight to shower her with love as her Dragon mind took over and her memories unlocked 
He knew once she remembered everything she would be depressed but also angry both emotions a Dragons mind cannot handle alone. 

The day of the party.

Flame was decked out in a brand new outfit a Vampire dress with a black leather corset bodice and a skirt that looked like it was shredded of a soft material and new platform boots that has long spikes sticking out from the toes. 
Meeting up with Viper at the back yard of the orphanage she climbed over the fence and together they walked into the woods heading towarda the forbidden forest called Shadow Forest not much was known of this place they said which ever poor soul wondered into tbe forrest was never seen again and that if you stand at the edge you can hear the lost souls crying their was even a poem written about the forest 
after a few hours of hiking they reached the edge where the Shadow Forest started the poem suddenly made perfect sence 
Viper started to recite the poem in a carefree tone

"A creeping mist
A deathly silence
The moonlight slipping through
Branches stretched out
Like boney claws 
The wind whispers 
Through the dying leaves 
The hooting of Owls unseen 
And Howls of Wolves 
Off in the distance 
As their shadows slip past 
Out of sight."

"Well lets go" and with that tbe two girls stepped into the trees and the air seemed to change almost instantly it was easier for Flame to breath the air seemed clean and fresh she walked with sure footing as if she had walked through this forest over a hundred times 
They walked for another hour till they reached a large clearing in the trees it was a valley that Flame was sure during the day it was beautiful but tonight it was gorgeous with thousands of blooming night flowers Flame knew these flowers they were called Casa Blanca Lilies their white petals seemed to glow with the moonlight shining on them amongst the lilies there was a mix of Night blooming Jasmin's and Night Gladiolus's their mixed scent was calming Flame wanted to make a perfume that smelled just like this and for a moment she forgot about the strange dreams and she didnt feel like her body was on fire anymore she took out her camera and started taking pictures of this beautiful valley while Viper found a spot not filled with flowers and layed out the sleeping bags and started a small fire with the branches they collected on their way here as they were planning to spend the whole night here 
Viper seemed like she was waiting for something but Flame never noticed.

A Young girl from the past cast to the future with no memory of who she was or even What she was

It was the time of evening and Pie with her dog went to a nearby open ground for playing. She had held a stick in her hand, at a moment her dog behind her and at another moment she was behind her dog, both ran neck and neck. They ran around a bench and when the dog snatches her clothes she strike him with the stick, kisses him, and again beats him. 
There was a stranger stood at a far distance and watching them, twenty minutes passed and his gaze still on her, a smile on his lips. 
She wore a pink dress and her hair were braided, fast breeze strikes her hair and loosening them such that being flux. Her light brown skin looks beautiful with the complexion of pink colour.
"Leo", he turned to see that his friend was shouting his name. He then gave a last look to the girl, to her dog and leaves.
Leo comes there to enquire something, he worked for the Nation's well being, he was a soldier who's fully dedicated towards his job. 
There's an information that intruders entered in that particular area and they'll try to harm people and will be try to create chaos.
There were a group of soldiers in civil dresses so that they could save people if something happened. 
Leo was one of them. 
They're going to make rounds at the time of night and if something unexpected had to happen then they are ordered that action must taken place on the spot.
Before night engulfes Pie and her dog, they were back home, having dinner and retired for the day, Pie kisses muku and held him in her lap so that she could love him, her lovable dog- "muku." She hugged him for a long time and places a good night kiss on muku's forehead and in return he took snuggles.
Muku was an one month old when her brother, "Newly" and Pie brought muku in home from the fields. Pie is too much attached with muku and he gave his utmost attention to Newly but Pie troubles him and always dying for muku. 
Muku was a decent dog, talented, loveable and handsome. After spending some time then she wrote a poem for him -
  "Oh Stranger, Oh Stranger 
   Where are you? 
   Here, I'm dying for you 
   Oh Stranger...
   You've been so quiet 
   & the reason might not be Pie 
   You supposed to be happy 
   Because I'm belong to you.."

I got -1 point.

When Kang's neck fell off, I heard a groan.

I thought that membership points would be earned according to rankings and achievements, but it wasn't necessarily the case.

But to rank and perform, you need something to compare, and maybe the points you get here do. That means you can get out of here and be rewarded again.

Dong-ha took a firm heart and began to move on.

Whatever the intention of the store, I earned a lot of points once I did not lose.

There was only one lecture in the next street.

Dong-ha handled it lightly and continued walking forward.

Surprisingly, when the passage of the cave felt long.

"Huh?"

Two lectures were waiting this time.

Dong-ha had some tips. Once I approached the poem, I only threw a long wind at one of the phrases and made it fall far.

The intention was to separate the two phrases.

And ran over to the remaining lectures.

Jiangxi has broken his eyes and drew his arms.

Yang Kang-shi's nail, a sharp sword, was shining, but it was useless to the east.

Dong-ha again incapacitated Kang's arms with his left arm and dropped him with his right arm.

It was a blow.

Dongha's arm did not have a hard stick.

I got -1 point.

Again, I heard a groan, but Dong could not afford to hear it.

It was because the poem that had fallen to the floor and jumped up.

But they were no longer a threat. Dong-ha stopped his attack with his left hand and dropped his neck with his right hand.

"It's easier than you think."

It was hard to understand why this should take seven days.

☆ ☆ ☆

The lecture dungeon must have been in the Fibonacci sequence.

The first two lectures were first class. Then it was the third two, and the next three appeared. Up to this point, Dong-gu would like to come out with four wards, but five wards appeared suddenly. From then on, I wanted something strange, but the next eight appeared.

That was the beginning of a nightmare.

The number of lectures grew more and more than 55 later.

"Hey, do you deal with this alone?"

No matter how easy the poem could be,

All I saw in the square was a lecture.

Dong Ha seemed to know why I had to leave this place in seven days.

This was not enough to fight through.

On the contrary, it was a good thing if I was not killed.

Dong had to consume a considerable amount of power to come here.

The last time Dong-ha met 34 lectures.

Dongha's body was hardened by the immortality and the power of the giants, or he would not have died ten more times.

But without fighting, there was no way out.

Think about it.

Nerd did not say to fight Kang Si from the start.

I just told them to find the exit in seven days.

That did not mean that you do not have to fight and exit the dungeon did not matter.

One, however, was the case only when the light industry was exceptional or learned to take ascension.

Dong-ha did not seem to wish to do so.

However, it is no different from the ability of the near future.

It was not possible to spread the light, but did not know the proper swordsmanship. I did not learn fencing once.

It was only an arm like a shield and an arm like a hard stick.

The good news was that the lectures were dumb.

Dong-ha threw a long wind in the square, attracted their eyes and lured into a narrow passage.

If you are surrounded by 55 poems, it will be difficult for you to be safe even if you are in a tight East Hara.

The passage of the cave was about 3 or 4 people wide.

That meant not fighting 55 or so, but three or four.

Dong Ha's strategy continued the same pattern.

I dropped the first and second pitches with a long wind and then prevented them from attacking with my left hand and attacked them with my right hand. Dong-ha was hit by his side and hit the chest near him, but he persisted.

I got -1 point.

I got -1 point.

Whenever the lecturers fell their necks, the groan kept on giving information.

And when the last remaining Kang Si's neck fell to the floor, Dong almost exhausted, making it hard to pinch one finger. My aunt's new clothes became rags, so it was hard to see their shape. I did not know how many times I crossed the line. The battle with Kang Si was so intense that it was considered a miracle to be still alive.

It was then.

Obi ring!

-Registered as the first person to clear all the lectures in the dungeon.

-Impressed by your courage and effort, you will be given the title of lecture. Facilitates member upgrades.

-I earned 1,000 points as a reward.

Dong-ha flashed his eyes even when he was exhausted.

I felt like my ears were flashing at 1,000 points.

Maybe so far more points than killing the lectures.

However, above all, a sigh of relief came out that the end of the dungeon.

If the lectures were waiting for the next time, it would have been 89 in accordance with Fibonacci's formula.

It was hard to fight and hardly beat.

Amidst the power of moving, laughter continued to flow.

It was worthwhile to fight the lectures by crossing the slope several times.

Dong-ha only fought because he did not know the light or the footwork, but he realized that it wasn't the only way to find the exit and exit quickly.

The person who challenged the dungeon will not be one.

All of them could not have cleared the lecture because of the idea of ​​finding and exiting the exit quickly.

Dong Ha realized that his shortcomings could sometimes be good.

☆ ☆ ☆

Dong-ha exited the cave in search of an exit on the seventh day.

I could barely find time. I had been in a dark cave for seven days, but every day passed, the ghost was noticing, so the concept of the date was known.

Dong-ha easily finished the dungeon, but since then it was a series of thorny roads.

There was a labyrinth in the cave itself, so Dong-Da did not know how many times he had gone back.

At the same time, they had to fight with different types of monsters.

The first thing he waited for was a skeleton, followed by a golem. These too followed the Fibonacci sequence.

And the last step was 55 wards.

The East also knocked down all of the skeletons and gained additional rewards, but the Golem did not. It was over three meters tall and huge. He was also shocked at how strong he was, and he was shocked and bounced away.

The East managed to hold up to eight Golems.

However, since the thirteen wards did not fight.

Since then, he dared to fight and ran away.

Had not golems would have escaped the fourth day. Blocked by the golem was a waste of three days.

The only way to get out of the cave was that the golem was strong and big, while the movement was very slow. At this time, it was better to settle in the square without attracting a narrow passage.

Golems intersect each other's movements in order to catch the runaway east. This was only a few days after trial and error, but after all, there was no place where bones were not picked up by the golems.

"I lived."

As Dongha went out to find the exit, intense sunlight shot in and could not open his eyes for a while.

The caves also have spring water and a variety of mushrooms that have managed to last seven days. The sleep was all squatted in a narrow passage, sleeping like a shrimp.

"I will bring some food next time."

For the past seven days it was difficult to eat mushrooms only.

Dong-ha was going to ask about food first when going to all the stores.

"No, do you wash first?"

Now Dongha Moolgol was not this place.

The clothes were only changed to rags with only the toothpaste covered, and the whole body was not washed, and the soup was flowing. Naturally, the head was not detected for seven days, forming a magpie.

But what about anything?

Dong-ha was satisfied that he lived safely without dying.

Obi ring!

-You have successfully completed your mission. We will return to the room and settle your achievements and achievements.

There was no need for an incantation. Magical energy wasn't needed either. In the dark night that would welcome dawn, an otherworldly light shone.

It was cold unlike sunlight. It burnt unlike moonlight. And unlike the starlight, it did not light up the chart of the skies.

It was the light that the dying saw as their last sight. It was the light at the end of the endless tunnel, the hope of another life.
It was the light of Samsara!

A great wheel appeared in the skies! The countless spirits and souls seemed to light up at its appearance, bathing Shu Yidan in endless radiance.

It was a manifestation of the path to afterlife! All the spirits and souls madly rushed towards the great wheels. The sight was seemingly like light being swallowed clear by a black hole.

"Through a field of ten thousand flowers…" Shu Yidan still kept on repeating that requiem. In terms of ability to send off spirits, the elegy was useless – it was a pretty poem at worst, and a self-hypnosis skill if you were to be kind.
Actually, he did have a Samsara based technique, the peerless Asura Path – but it could not save souls, but only shatter them…

In any case, there wasn't much meaning in reciting it, but there wasn't any loss in not reciting it. Thinking this, Shu Yidan kept on with his recital.

Once all the spirits were gone, Shu Yidan felt a sense of calmness fill him. "Lost 25% of my Divine Sense… well, it was worth it."

Preparing to cut off his divine sense, Shu Yidan suddenly realized that the departing spirits had left something behind. A small white crystal and a small black crystal.
"Crystal of Vice and Crystal of Virtue… Forgetting their memories and returning to dust, these spirits leave behind even the memories that they held, that marked their existence. I'll gladly accept them…" Shu Yidan quickly pocketed them.

Picking them up, Shu Yidan felt an energy from the Heavens enter his body. Immediately warding it off, he realized that it was benevolent and not meant to destroy him…

"Merit of Virtue?! I gained Merit of Virtue?" Shu Yidan almost burst out laughing – he was rewarded by the Heavens in his new life, it so ironic!

"Alright… I'll accept it… Not!" Reward or whatever, nothing bestowed by the Heavens would be accepted by him!

The energy immediately left his body… to enter the twin crystals. It was being pragmatic, he wasn't idiotic enough to deny free stuff…

"Good stuff! I can now use these crystals to cast a high rank Divination spell, or give them to Xiaoyi to boost the affection she would receive from the Heavens. Or, I can do both of them…" Saying this, Shu Yidan remembered something. "When the hell can I finally sell off these idiots to the White Lotus Cult?"

The dark night was finally swept away, and the dawn descended. It was another day. With that, the force of the Violet Sun left Shu Yidan's body.

Feeling weakness come over him as the temporary strength left him, Shu Yidan smiled. The brute strength of the fist wasn't meant for him, he cultivated the great path of spells! 

"…I really need to learn some sort of spirit pacification technique soon. In any case, might as well get started with the divination now, it is dawn after all…
Dawn. Bringer of light, enlightening humanity. I ask you, reveal to me what I seek!" Muttering the great spell of divination, Shu Yidan looked with his eyes into the great web of cause and effect.

+++

Unknown place, present time...

A peak Qi Refining guy held a white jade slip.

"A sword cultivation technique from a True Sword Immortal… only bequeathed to his descendent. How can I find a descendent of Mountbatten…" The teen turned to look at the woman beside him.

"This one has no idea." The dry reply caused the teen to shake his head.

"The artifact my ancestor left for me allowed me to dominate the soul of a Peak Nascent Soul… but she is a idiot now. I can't even use her for dual cultivation since I'll die and I can't even whore her out…" The teen shook his head.

The scene disappeared, and the focus came over an old man sitting still in meditation, the air trembling around him. Eyes closed, he seemed to be one with the world.
And then he opened his eyes, as if to look back at Shu Yidan observing him.

But he could never see through Shu Yidan. Because, the moment the man opened his eyes was the moment the divination ended.

Shu Yidan was satisfied – it was better than he had hoped.

"Zhang Dufu is still a rapist, cultivation level peak Qi Refining and has a enthralled female Nascent Soul into submission… More importantly, he is part of a sect, a sect with a half-step Void Refining." Smirking, Shu Yidan set off to return back to the sect.

Such vital information had to reported back… Shu Yidan immediately flew back towards the sect.

(There is R-18 sexual content. A lot of it. All marked in chapter titles. So pay attention to chapter titles!)

"Cultivation resources? System I can handle it, this bro is a time traveller so I know all the mysteries of this world!"
"Seducing girls? System you don't need to interfere, I don't need a fucking walkthrough to chat girls up!"
"Stat boosts and cultivation techniques? System I don't need your help, this bro was a True Immortal in the past timeline!"

"Just give me missions! Nice, detailed missions! Missions that have a clear objective to fulfil! I don't even need any rewards for completion, I just need the ability to clearly know what I need to do... to kill those bastard protagonists that I am fated to oppose!"

+++

Time travelling back to the moment he transmigrated from Modern Earth into this mysterious world of cultivation with a System, Shu Yidan's journey began once again!

In this life, he will steadfastly protect all he lost!
In this life, he will bring his sect to the pinnacle!
In this life, he will accomplish many things, the chief of which being...

Killing the bastard who is this world's protagonist until he is deader than dead!!!

Before he can get his harem of women! Before he can get his sworn brothers! 
Before he can get his OP treasures, his peerless techniques and ancient Masters as his backing!

Because he has a System! 
A System that can scry into the fate of the world and give him missions that pinpoint exactly where this bastard is hiding, what this bastard is scheming and how to perfectly destroy this bastard's schemes!

All protagonists with a cheats and golden fingers, beware! The Master of the Villain System is coming!

+++

Former Story Title: Villainous Sect Master and the Endless Wave of Heroes

Image Artist: Trung Anh 
Royalty-free stock illustration ID: 295037765
Gemini - Zodiac - Illustration
Downloaded from Shutterstock, Stock Image Site

At last, Xu Que and Buttface walked out of that alley. Xu Que didn't care what the strongly built man would do to punish his wife or Lord Wang either.
Very quietly I take my leave, as quietly as I came! Quietly, I wave good-bye and only leave with an invitation! As for the rest, it's none of my business!
"Holy crap! Little brat, how did you discover the hidden meaning in that note just now? You are just awesome!" Buttface, who was following him, said in surprise.
"Humph! Every member of the Exploding Heavens Faction would see through that old trick!" Xu Que snorted proudly as he walked forward.
"I am also a member of the Exploding Heavens Faction! Why didn't I see it? Hey, don't go, little brat! Just tell me the reason!"
They walked away in their usual clamorous wrangling.
As they were walking, Xu Que checked the invitation. He understood that some classy activities would be performed during this banquet held by the Dong Family, such as composing poems and couplets, playing musical instruments and singing, as well as friendly fighting matches and the like. These activities weren't daunting for Xu Que. With the assistance of the System, nothing could baffle him.
The only thing that puzzled him were the words written in the last part of the invitation—the results of all contests and matches don't count!
"This is weird! If the results don't count, what is the meaning of the matches and contests? How could they choose a husband for the heiress?" Xu Que asked with puzzlement.
After reading the invitation, Buttface also was curious. "I guess they will do it according to their feelings! Or according to appearances!"
Xu Que was surprised by that. "If that is the case, I will definitely be the winner, right?"
"Holy crap! I will also attend this banquet!" Buttface said proudly as he touched the hair on his head. The next moment, he put down his paw and shouted angrily, "Damn! Toy poodle is really a psycho! He placed a lot of hair lotion on my head but didn't wash it away with water! Little brat, I need to wash my hair!"
"Nonsense! You can't wash away the hair lotion for it is teeming with life!" Xu Que replied.
"What? Living hair lotion?" Buttface was stunned a bit. Then he said with wild laughter, "Is there really such a miraculous hair lotion in this world? Awesome! I guess it will provide a lot of nourishment for me if I eat it!"
"No...."
Before Xu Que could stop him, Buttface had put his paw into his mouth.
Holy crap!
Xu Que touched his forehead disgustedly for he really couldn't watch it anymore! He turned around and started to ask pedestrians about the address for the Dong Family. He got their address easily; their home was located in the center of the city. Their magnificent and beautifully decorated building was the tallest in the city.
From a distance, the building of the Dong Family was quite stylish and towered into the clouds. When Xu Que and Buttface arrived at the gates of the Dong Family, they were shocked by the magnificent building.
"Holy crap! The iron tower of the R Nation is even lower than this building! Why did they build such a tall building? Aren't they afraid of falling and dying from such great heights?" Buttface exclaimed.
"Nobody is afraid of dying from falling today!" Xu Que said with a faint smile. He stepped forward and handed over the invitation. Then they were ushered in by a waiter courteously.
Before entering the building, they walked through a spacious yard, which was full of beautiful pools, pavilions, and rockeries containing unique rocks. Sculptures of ferocious animals were placed on surrounding walls and rooftops. They were so lifelike that it seemed they could run away at any time.
"Lord Wang, this is the venue of tonight's activities. Please enjoy yourself!"
Xu Que and Buttface had arrived at the entrance to the party. The waiter went back to welcome other guests.
First Realm City was very large, so a lot of young men were attending this banquet. Although the Dong Family had many waiters and waitresses, all of them were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Xu Que found that a lot of people had already arrived. The entrance hall was lavishly decorated with a golden ceiling and colorful stone walls. The floor was covered with embroidered carpets. 
A lot of small tables full of refreshments had been placed in the hall. When the guests arrived, they would sit down at a table and start to chat with others. Xu Que sat down at a table in the front row that didn't draw too much attention. This kind of position was quite suitable for acting tough. If he planned to keep a low profile, this position could be ignored by others easily. If he tried to amaze others, this place could become the focal point of the entire area soon.
Buttface, who was quite honest about his desires, rushed toward the refreshments directly. Then he started to gobble up all different kinds of tasty food!
More and more people were arriving every minute and gathering in the hall. All of them were young talents who were quite powerful and even extraordinary. During this period, Xu Que refreshed his spirit by closing his eyes aloofly. He didn't chat with any of the others. Actually, a lot of acting tough fans like him were in this hall.
One hour later, the hall was almost full of people. A maidservant walked out and shouted in a clear-cut voice, "On behalf of our Heiress, I hereby thank you for coming. Now, the banquet begins officially!"
Then, a beautiful figure walked up from the central area of the hall. However, that place was covered by a gauze curtain, which created a mysterious atmosphere. Through the curtain, they could only see a shadowy figure. A lot of perfume sachets were hanging next to the gauze curtain and they gave off a most refreshing fragrance.
Most people here could see nothing, but the gauze curtain couldn't baffle Xu Que. He focused his True Core Strength and squinted his eyes. Then he could see everything behind the gauze curtain clearly. He was shocked by what he saw. A gorgeous young woman was sitting behind the gauze curtain. Her temperament and beauty could rival those of Liu Jingning. She was quiet, graceful, and seemed a little bit innocent, like Xiao Rou.
Xu Que was more and more anxious to go back to the Four Great Continents. After the revival of Xiao Rou, she was performing cultivation in the Mystery Land of the South Continent. He hadn't seen her yet. Seeing the Dong Family's Heiress, Xu Que couldn't help but miss Xiao Rou.
"I really appreciate your attendance! The purposes of today's banquet are communication and learning about all of you great talents. As the host of tonight's activity, I will have a small poem read out first to get the ball rolling!" The Dong Family's Heiress said as she handed a scroll to the maidservant at this time. The maidservant walked out with the scroll and read the poem on it.
Instantly, the hall was full of applause and compliments. However, Xu Que just sat there aloofly as he shook his head slightly.
"I've heard the Heiress of the Dong Family is of great learning and ability. Today, I was so lucky to see it. I also composed a poem recently. Please comment on it, thanks!" A young man stood up and said politely at this time. Then, he started to read his poem.
The rest of the people listened carefully. When he had finished reading his poem, the hall was full of applause again. Xu Que kept shaking his head as if complaining about how terrible the poem was.
Next, another man stood up to read his poem. This time, the poem was pretty good. A lot of people stood up to applaud and praise it.However, Xu Que was still shaking his head. After that, no matter who read a poem, he would be ridiculed and disdained by Xu Que, who was shaking his head continuously. A lot of people saw his reaction. However, they ignored him completely and nobody blamed him.
Xu Que was totally puzzled.
What do you mean?
Are you really so magnanimous?
My neck is almost broken. I am mocking you! Why don't you blame me? How can I act tough in this way?
This is really humiliating! 
Humph! It seems I have to act tough forcibly! Xu Que snorted coldly to himself and was about to stand up.
At this time, Miss Dong's voice came out from behind the gauze curtain. "All of you are so gifted! I've learned a lot today! Now the poem performance is over!"
Hearing that, Xu Que got annoyed.
Damn! Why did you end it so soon?
I haven't acted tough yet. How could you end it now?
You've ruined my plan!
"Guys!" Miss Dong said again at this time. Her voice was quite melodious. "I guess all of you know I like music very much. I suggest we could have a contest of playing musical instruments. Is that OK for you?"
The people in the hall responded to her proposal immediately.
"OK! Actually, I also like music very much!"
"Hah, hah! It happens that I also have some musical knowledge. I will take this opportunity to show myself!"
"Miss Dong, if I may venture to ask you to play a composition first, so that we could learn from you?"
"Exactly! Miss Dong, I am suffering from a serious illness and couldn't live long in this world. I hope I could enjoy your music, so that I can close my eyes in death."
People started to shout.
When Miss Dong suggested having a music contest, Xu Que started to purchase songs and compositions from the System store.
I've missed the poem performance. I will never miss the music contest!
Since you don't want to give me the chance to act tough, I have to do it myself!
Today, nobody could stop me from acting tough!
I will definitely act tough in the music contest!
.....


I am the best when it comes to taking divergent paths. With just a flip of my hand, I shall take the path less commonly travelled. I search far and wide, only to find myself unbeatable and unrivaled. So now I ask, who else can match my awesomeness? 

Acting tough is second nature to me and I am a lone wolf.
 
The road is long and winding but I shan’t feel lonely as long as I am able to act tough!


Life and death bore me and I do whatever I deem fit.

“Young man, way back when I started acting tough, you were still learning how to put on your underpants!” Xu Que thus decided to take the path of acting tough. He decided to act tough every single god-damned day. If he wasn’t acting tough, he was scheming for the best way to act tough!  

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