The situation had become so chaotic that the Zhang Family Head had no way to explain why he was standing guard here. A large crowd had kept watch all night, without even catching a glimpse of Qi Ao.
The family head, already advanced in years, could no longer hold out.
Upon questioning a servant, they learned that Qi Ao was sound asleep.
At the time, people at the scene had tried to smooth things over, saying, "You can't take a child's words seriously."
But now, the Zhang Family Head narrowed his eyes.
He had sent people to probe several times afterward, all to no avail.
Coincidences don't happen one after another. The seemingly naive child before him was indeed his brother's flesh and blood.
At his age, he never expected to be outmaneuvered by the younger generation.
He admitted he had misjudged the situation.
Judging from Qi Ao's attitude, he likely held little affection for the Zhang family. Tomorrow would be Qi Ao's last day with the Zhangs, and Qi Yuan would come to take him away.
The Hermit Clans stuck together for mutual benefit, and the Zhang family had no shortage of information sources.
Faced with the gradually strengthening monsters, the Zhang family's position was becoming awkward. The Zhang Family Head could sense that times were changing. There was no time for them to slowly nurture the next generation, waiting for a descendant to become a powerful ability user before asserting themselves.
The Hermit Clans' expectations of reclaiming their ancestral glory through the emergence of abilities still showed no signs of being fulfilled.
As the family head, he had no choice but to seek new breakthroughs.
Today, he had also received news of Qi Yuan leading his subordinates to encircle and suppress a high-level monster. The mysterious subordinate who had always kept a low profile finally showed themselves.
The monster's specific level was confidential, but it was certainly S-level or above.
Any subordinate able to participate in such a battle would be no less than A-level.
This meant that while the Zhang family was still observing and considering which S-level or above ability user to cooperate with, Qi Yuan didn't care whether they pledged allegiance or not.
This was probably the source of his confidence in sending the fruit basket.
Thinking of this, the Zhang Family Head turned his gaze to the child in the room.
"Stop pretending. I know you're very clever."
"Hehe."
The child before him feigned incomprehension, his expression of smug satisfaction at being praised was flawless.
This performance... it seemed he had no intention of laying his cards on the table.
But things weren't at their worst yet. At least he was still willing to continue the conversation.
"If the Zhang family wanted to befriend your brother, what should we do?"
Qi Ao scratched the back of his head. What did this have to do with him?
"Go... find my brother?"
The Zhang Family Head sighed. As expected, he wouldn't reveal any specifics. But at least one thing was confirmed: Qi Yuan didn't like underhanded tricks. He preferred obedient subordinates.
It would be difficult for the Zhang family to achieve an equal partnership.
This was why he had hesitated until now.
"What if your brother isn't willing?"
Qi Ao recalled the time when he was caught sneaking snacks outside because it was too noisy, and his brother tattled to their mother. "...Find someone else to be friends with?"
If the argument continued, something terrible might happen.
He also didn't know why his brother seemed to know everything.
Find someone else...
The Zhang Family Head pondered briefly, then suddenly drew a sharp breath. He reassessed the child before him, weighing the pros and cons.
His knuckles tapped on the table. After a long while, he asked, "If the Zhang family befriends your brother first, and he's unwilling to be friends with you afterward, would you mind?"
Qi Ao looked utterly bewildered. Although he couldn't understand why making friends had to follow an order, or why grandpa still wanted to be friends with him, he really wanted to go back and finish his "homework."
"I wouldn't mind."
...
"...This child is very clever, with great wisdom..."
Qi Yuan woke from his dream, sat up, and held his head. Could this predictive dream be inaccurate?
Recently, he had been familiarizing himself with abilities, creating personas, scripts, and stages. Feeling his hairline might be in danger, he had created a predictive dream ability.
He couldn't create an ability to predict the future with 100% accuracy given his current energy levels, and an inaccurate predictive ability would interfere with his thoughts. This ability, however, helped him identify oversights, seek inspiration, and simulate possible future developments based on his existing information.
[Little Bro: Voice message] *N
[Little Bro: What time are you picking me up today?]
[Little Bro tapped you]
Up so early?
Qi Yuan glanced at his lit-up phone screen but didn't rush to reply. Instead, he first went to wash up, and only after finishing breakfast did he leisurely open the voice messages.
Probably realizing he had been completely forgotten, Little Bro started sending his "diary" entries. However, Qi Yuan didn't really want to listen; Gao Changze sent a message every night.
He already knew everything he needed to know.
Listening through the voice messages, aside from Little Bro's artificial embellishments and parts he couldn't remember so he made up, it was pretty much the same as what Gao Changze had sent.
Not only had Little Bro forgotten about him, but he had also been busy familiarizing himself with his avatar's ability settings and personality these past few days, going from awkward to numb, and had similarly forgotten about Little Bro.
When he arrived, he had avoided pleasantries by focusing on work. Now that he was leaving, he couldn't avoid facing it.
After all, unlike his father who hired assassins, he at least had to give Little Bro a choice.
...
"What's going on today? It seems like all the important figures in the clan have returned."
A woman who had sent her child to the martial arts training ground started chatting with other friendly mothers.
Someone chimed in, "Yeah, I saw all the cars have come back."
"You don't know yet?"
They eagerly asked, "Know what?"
"A few days ago, a child came, right?"
"Are you talking about...?"
The mothers exchanged glances, their eyes widening.
Qi Yuan, the subject of their gossip, had finally managed to send away a group of elders with a face full of perfunctory politeness.
The Zhang Family Head was not a blundering fool who couldn't read the room. He briefly touched on unimportant matters and had someone summon Qi Ao and Gao Changze.
"I hope my brother hasn't caused you any trouble."
"Not at all. We're family, what trouble could there be?" The Zhang Family Head praised effusively, completely different from his initial disdain and contempt. "This child is very clever, with great wisdom. I've learned a lot from him..."
Qi Yuan stopped listening carefully to the latter part of the speech, his mind echoing with "This child is very clever."
Are you serious?!
He couldn't possibly associate great wisdom with Little Bro.
He could tell that the Zhang Family Head was sincere.
This was what shocked him. Perhaps the Zhang Family Head had been addled by filial piety, and his mind wasn't quite clear...
Just then, Little Bro walked in wearing his backpack.
Qi Yuan met Little Bro's blank stare, his expression full of wisdom was so unbearable that he had to look away after a single glance.
This guy definitely rushed to finish his homework last night and still hadn't woken up.
When Qi Yuan faced the Zhang Family Head again, he couldn't help but soften his tone.
To see great wisdom in Little Bro, perhaps... maybe... this was the greatness of the bond between grandparent and grandchild?
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
