重生到了1984年，杨宇将会如何开启新的人生？
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Xiao Yu'er shot a curious gaze at Yang Ye as well, and she wanted to know who his master was. After all, the Dao of Talismans was broad and profound, and it was utterly impossible to become a Talisman Master without the guidance of someone. Even though she herself didn't possess a master, she'd still followed by the side of some Talisman Masters and studied it.

Yang Ye was slightly troubled while being looked at by their curious gazes. Not to mention that he didn't know Bao'er's grandfather's name, even whether Bao'er's grandfather would take him as a disciple was still unknown! If he used Bao'er's grandfather's name here and if Bao'er's grandfather found out, then Bao'er's grandfather would definitely not have a good impression of him.

When he thought up to here, Yang Ye said, "Senior, my Master prohibited me from mentioning his name to others. I'm sorry!"

When he heard Yang Ye, Master Zhang nodded lightly, and then he didn't spare another glance at Yang Ye before he pointed at the blank talisman papers on the table. He said, "Which one of you will go first? Nevermind, for the sake of saving time, both of you can start at the same time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he paid no further attention to the two of them, and he walked over to the side before withdrawing some scrolls and looking through them.

Yang Ye and Xiao Yu'er exchanged glances and smiled at each other when they heard this, and then both of them nodded lightly as a form of encouragement to each other.

Yang Ye sat before the stone table, and then he took a deep breath before he picked up his talisman brush and started to craft a talisman.

Yang Ye was extremely pressed for time. Since the moment he found out that this younger sister and mother were in danger, he seemed to be calm on the surface, yet he was burning with impatience in his heart, and he wished for nothing more than to immediately fly back to Southpeace City. However, he didn't act in this way because he understood a principle — if he wanted to completely deal with the threat that the Liu Clan posed, then not only did it require strength, it required status as well!

The Liu Clan could be considered to be a huge clan in Southpeace City, and it was associated with all sorts of powers. Particularly, the Liu Clan even had a slight relationship with the City Governor of Southpeace City. So, if he wanted to deal with the Liu Clan, then merely his identity as an outer court disciple of the Sword Sect was insufficient! Only the identity of a Talisman Master was sufficient! Only the identity of a Talisman Master would allow him to disregard those powers that had a good relationship with the Liu Clan! So, he'd come to take the test to become a Talisman Master upon arriving at Rising Sun City!

At the moment Yang Ye began, Master Zhang that was looking through the scrolls had raised his head to shoot a glance at Yang Ye, and then he shook his head. The crafting of talismans stressed upon calmness and being devoid of any distracting thoughts, but Yang Ye hadn't even concentrated and calmed himself before starting immediately. This was too hasty. So, he even wondered if Yang Ye really possessed a master! And even if Yang Ye did possess a master, it would probably be a lousy master!

Master Zhang lost all interest towards Yang Ye, and his gaze moved towards Xiao Yu'er instead. When he noticed that Xiao Yu'er had sat cross-legged to concentrate, he nodded lightly. Xiao Yu'er's natural talent and every other aspect weren't bad, and her character was practically perfect. He'd wanted to take her as his disciple on many occasions. Unfortunately, when he thought about how she didn't possess Profound Energy of the five elements, he'd abandoned such thoughts.

The accomplishments of Talisman Masters who didn't possess the Profound Energy of the five elements was extremely limited in the Dao of Talismans. Perhaps it was fine at the beginning, but at the later ranks, some talismans couldn't be crafted without five element Profound Energy!

What a pity! Master Zhang shook his head, and then he withdrew his gaze before he gazed at the scrolls once more.

Time gradually flowed by. Yang Ye had already finished drawing the form of a Strength Talisman. He could be said to be extremely experienced in crafting Strength Talismans, so he didn't encounter any difficulty. In next to no time, he started to imbue spirit into the talisman.

If Xiao Yu'er and Master Zhang looked over at Yang Ye right now, they would notice that Yang Ye possessed the legendary Profound Energy of the five elements. However, both of them hadn't looked at Yang Ye. Xiao Yu'er didn't have the mood because she was busy with her own affairs, whereas, Master Zhang had disregarded him. Yes, when he saw Yang Ye hadn't concentrated before beginning to craft the talisman, he'd completely disregarded Yang Ye.

After another two hours passed, Yang Ye had already finished crafting this Strength Talisman. Yang Ye placed the Strength Talisman aside and took another blank talisman paper, and he intended to craft a Transmission Talisman. He intended to become a Grade Two Talisman Master this time!

Yang Ye didn't start in a hurry, and he glanced at Xiao Yu'er instead. When he saw the state Xiao Yu'er was in, Yang Ye's brows knit together slightly. Because Xiao Yu'er was in an extremely bad situation at this moment. Her pretty face was covered in sweat while her ink black brows were knit together, and her hand that held the talisman brush was trembling lightly.

Yang Ye knew that she'd definitely encountered difficulty. He withdrew his gaze and started to craft the transmission talisman. At this moment, he could only hope that Xiao Yu'er was able to overcome the difficulty she faced.

Xiao Yu'er had encountered trouble indeed. She'd crafted Healing Talismans at home on numerous occasions, and her success rate was already extremely high. It was exactly because her success rate was extremely high that she'd dared to come to take the test at the Talisman Master's Association. However, she was slightly nervous this time, yes, she was extremely nervous.

The reason she was nervous was that she was afraid of failure. She'd failed on numerous occasions in the past, but she couldn't fail this time because it was related to the safety of her Xiao Clan!

The Xiao Clan had risen too quickly, and the Xiao Clan's Patriarch, her father, didn't know how to restrain himself. Thus, conflict had arisen between the Xiao Clan and the veteran clans within Rising Sun City. Even though the Xiao Clan had a Spirit Realm expert, it was still insufficient when facing these veteran clans.

Especially this time, the level of conflict between the Xiao Clan and these veteran clans had risen, and it had even caused the Xiao Clan to fall into a hopeless situation. The only way to resolve the danger that the Xiao Clan faced now was for her to become a Talisman Master. Only if she became a Talisman Master would the Xiao Clan possess the qualifications to negotiate with them, and only then would they accept her Xiao Clan's request for peace between them.

Because there wasn't a single clan that was willing to offend a clan that possessed a Talisman Master. After all, a Talisman Master's network of relationships was extremely terrifying, and this was especially so for an accomplished Talisman Master.

So, she couldn't fail today. Once she failed, then those veteran clans wouldn't have any worries, and at that time, it would be the moment of her Xiao Clan's annihilation.

However, she'd never expected that because she was thinking about too many things and was too pressured, it caused her to lose her usual calm. Thus, some mistakes that shouldn't appear during the process of crafting the talisman had appeared.

This won't do. I must calm down. I can't fail! Xiao Yu'er stopped. She took a deep breath and waited for her heart to calm down slightly before she started drawing again.

After another two hours passed, Master Zhan was leaning on the chair with his eyes closed slightly, and he seemed as if he'd already fallen asleep. On the other hand, the young man and young woman in the room were completely concentrated on crafting their respective talismans.

After another two hours passed, Yang Ye withdrew his brush and lightly heaved a sigh of relief before he smiled. As usual, the Strength Talisman and the Transmission Talisman were both high-grade talismans. As for why he always succeeded in crafting high-grade talismans, besides being a genius, Yang Ye was truly unable to think of another reason.

"Alas!" Right at this moment, Xiao Yu'er suddenly sighed while she placed the talisman brush lightly onto the table, and her face was covered in a bitter expression.

When he saw this, Yang Ye placed the two talismans on the table, and then he walked over and said, "Young Miss Xiao, what's wrong?"

Xiao Yu'er laughed bitterly and said, "I failed. I'm too nervous. Brother Yang, did you fail as well? It's fine, you have two more chances. You can try again!"

Yang Ye glanced at the talisman that Xiao Yu'er had failed to craft, and he was just about to say something when his gaze suddenly descended once more onto the talisman paper. As he gazed at it, he picked it up and pointed at the point where she began to draw on the talisman paper before he said, "Young Miss Xiao, you… you started to draw from here?"

Xiao Yu'er was stunned. She didn't know why Yang Ye asked this question, but she still nodded in the end.

Yang Ye smiled bitterly when he heard this and said, "Young Miss Xiao, this method is wrong. I know of a better method. Right, it's like this. You start here, and then…."

As she listened to him, Xiao Yu'er's eyes opened wide. After Yang Ye finished, she said, "Can this method really work?"

Yang Ye nodded and said, "You can try it. But I think that it will!"

Actually, Yang Ye felt slightly embarrassed at this moment. Now, he finally knew why his success rate in crafting talismans and the quality of his talismans were so high. It wasn't entirely because of his own natural talent, and it was mainly because of the 'Five Element Talisman Marking Technique' that Bao'er gave him. Only now did Yang Ye realize how precious it was because that copy of the Five Element Talisman Marking Technique was filled with the experiences and annotations provided by Bao'er's grandfather.

Yang Ye hadn't realized how extraordinary those experiences and annotations were in the past, and he'd only realized now. If he didn't possess all of that, then he would absolutely be unable to craft a Strength Talisman. With the experiences and annotations recorded within that copy of the Five Element Talisman Marking Technique, he'd practically never taken a wrong path because the book had clearly recorded what he could do and what he couldn't!

Should I capture a violet mink for Bao'er in the future? As soon as this thought arose in Yang Ye's heart, the violet mink in Yang Ye's Vortex Dantian shot a pitiable gaze at him.

After he consoled the little fellow for a while, Yang Ye gazed at Xiao Yu'er who was still hesitating, and he said, "Young Miss Xiao, give it a try. I'll be watching from the side!"

When she heard Yang Ye, Xiao Yu'er took a deep breath, and she stopped hesitating and said, "Alright!"

She didn't know why she trusted Yang Ye. Perhaps she trusted Yang Ye because Yang Ye spoke with extreme confidence, or perhaps it was because she had no other choice.

Yang Ye's entire family relied on him to keep them safe, but just when everything seemed to be going well, misfortune struck in droves!

How will he overcome the odds and rise up to protect his loved ones?


This novel tells the tale of Yang Ye, a ruthless yet loving young man who's driven by his desire to protect his loved ones. It's set in a world where most only value strength and gain above all else, yet Yang Ye who's shaped by his experiences during his youth proves to be unlike everyone else.

If killing wasn't for the sake of showing off, then it would be meaningless.

If living wasn't for the sake of showing off, then it would be no different than death.

Kill! 

Kill to the point corpses cover the world!

Show off!

Show off to the point of invincibility!

Old Tie felt his heart trembling as he stood on the ground and watched the Primordial Diabolical Bull charge straight through the skies.
Right now, he was only aware of one thing: the massive Primordial Diabolical Bull's charge. 
Gonggong had smashed his head into the Buzhou Mountain! [1. According to Ancient Chinese Mythology, when the Chinese God of Water Gonggong lost to the Chinese God of Fire, he smashed his head against the Buzhou Mountain, a pillar that held up the sky, thus damaging it and causing the sky and earth to tilt, which resulted in great floods and suffering.] 
Suddenly, Old Tie remembered an ancient story he had heard. The gallop of the Primordial Diabolical Bull contained a boundless power akin to smashing into the Buzhou Mountain.
In comparison to the Primordial Diabolical Bull, Luo Yunyang seemed like a speck of dust…
It was the same technique and the same strike, yet this time the might increased tenfold. If it was not for the attribute regulator, Luo Yunyang would only have one technique to use against the rampaging bull charging straight at him.
He would only have been able to run as far away as he could!
The ferocious bull rushed over in a frenzy. When it was several hundred meters away, Luo Yunyang unleashed the Mighty Sky Dragon's Mark against the bull's body.
The Mighty Sky Dragon was already incomparably powerful on its own. However, now that it had been converged into a mark and combined with the fusion of Luo Yunyang's god-grade essence flames, the instant it struck, it also contained an immensely powerful, immeasurable blaze.
"Based on the power levels of these two, if any of these attacks were to strike Shen'du's walls, the city's defenses would be completely blown away!" Zhuge Yi speculated. He was one of the founding members of Shen'du's defense system, so he knew it like the back of his hand.
A single strike would break down Shen'du's defenses. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Nobody said anything else afterwards. Most people were quietly watching the shaky footage on the screen. They saw how terrifying the exchange between the two strong ultimate powerhouses had gotten.
As a loud crash reverberated, it seemed like the sky was ripping apart. The rampaging bull's body had collided with the Mighty Sky Dragon's Mark. 
Before it was attacked, the Primordial Diabolical Bull had still been thinking of charging forward.
The power contained in its blood was already aroused, so the bull definitely wouldn't retreat.
However, that strike was so powerful that it seemed to turn the world on its head. Even the force of the Primordial Diabolical Bull's Trampling Galaxy was stopped.
BOOM!
The bull's body landed heavily on the earth like a comet crashing down.
The Primordial Diabolical Bull let out a savage cry. Its eyes were already blood-red, and its power appeared to increase.
In an instant, the black bull was a massive blood-red bull. Its eyes were blazing like the sun, while a crystal the size of a fist had appeared between them.
Luo Yunyang was stunned when he saw that crystal. He suddenly recalled an excerpt from the Heaven-Battling Ape-Dragon Chart.
"It's using a Heavenly Source Stone!"
All the cultivation techniques in the Heaven-Battling Ape-Dragon Chart had annotations. One of the most important annotations was that if the search for essence flames and divine waters proved difficult, one could search for a Heavenly Source Stone.
A Heavenly Source Stone could reverse attributes, turn essence flames into divine waters and vice versa.
However, these weren't the main functions of the Heavenly Source Stone. Its most important use was to increase a martialist's vital energy absorption rate and purify blood. The use of a Heavenly Source Stone in combat could raise the power of blood multiple times. 
Right now, the Primordial Diabolical Bull was probably using a Heavenly Source Stone to raise the power within its own blood. 
When he thought about the harm the bull would do to the Heavenly Source Stone, Luo Yunyang was pissed. Such an important object was something that could only be discovered, not sought. The fact that the Primordial Diabolical Bull was wasting it in such a manner was simply unforgivable.
"Put down my Heavenly Source Stone!" 
The Primordial Diabolical Bull froze. It had never expected to hear such a thing while it was using the Heavenly Source Stone it had been saving for so long.
This Heavenly Source Stone was clearly its possession. It was an object that had allowed the bull to ascend from an ordinary dire beast to its current state.
How the hell had it become Luo Yunyang's?
The Primordial Diabolical Bull charged once again without any explanation. This time, blood-red stars appeared around its four giant blood-red hooves.
Meanwhile, a vague blood-red path appeared beneath its legs.
This strange path, which didn't seem to exist, led all the way under Luo Yunyang's feet.
When he saw the bull frantically charging at him, Luo Yunyang didn't hesitate. He moved his palms the same way again and unleashed the Mighty Sky Dragon's Mark.
However, when the Mighty Sky Dragon appeared behind Luo Yunyang, he didn't immediately form a mark. Instead, he adjusted his attribute regulator quickly and converted all his Power Attribute Points into Moon Power.
Suddenly, a giant arm appeared on the formidable Mighty Sky Dragon. It was an incomparably dark arm that seemed to cover the sky.
Meanwhile, the body of the Mighty Sky Dragon changed greatly. Its coarse waist and body were like those of a huge ape.
This was the First Ape-Dragon Variation!
Given Luo Yunyang's current cultivation level and the fact that only his Sun Power had reached god-grade boundaries, he shouldn't have been able to unleash the First Ape-Dragon Variation.
However, thanks to his attribute regulator and the conversion of flame power into frigid ice, Luo Yunyang was able to unleash this simple Ape-Dragon Variation.
The transformation of the Mighty Sky Dragon into the Sky-Ripping Violent Ape allowed the power of the Violent Ape to increase tenfold in an instant. 
This had been Luo Yunyang's most important reason for coming to the Sky Scar Stronghold.
As he had waited for the Primordial Diabolical Bull's impending arrival, Luo Yunyang had used the shadow of the Dragon's Head and Ape's Body to unleash the Ape-Dragon Variation against the Primordial Diabolical Bull.
By the time his palm had gotten close to the Primordial Diabolical Bull, it was about 30 meters wide. However, compared to the massive bull, it was still tiny.
Despite its size, when his palm struck, the Primordial Diabolical Bull was sent flying.
There was no resistance or sluggishness. Luo Yunyang had moved his hand as normally as if he was just swatting away a fly.
The bull fell to the ground once more and stared at Luo Yunyang fearfully, Although that strike hadn't hurt his steel-like body much, it had made it feel extremely terrified.
If it continued to stay there, it would definitely die.
This was the only thought on the bull's mind. Thus, after glaring at Luo Yunyang, it moved its legs and streaked towards the huge dimensional fracture like a black flash of lightning.
The Primordial Diabolical Bull had fled!
Luo Yunyang looked a little anxious as he watched the bull enter the dimensional fracture.
Although he didn't give a damn about the fate of the Primordial Diabolical Bull, he certainly couldn't abandon the stone.
"Give me back my Divine Stone!" As soon as the power of the Ape-Dragon Variation dissipated, Luo Yunyang chased after the Primordial Diabolical Bull.


Violet skies, a world undergoing massive changes, a deficient moon, interlinking voids...
When the world experienced a cataclysmic event,the majority of living things died right away. Although humanity survived by hiding in the last safe zones, humans had to face mutated dire beasts and colossal source beasts that could break through the space barrier and enter the earth at any second.
Luo Yunyang, a young man who grew up in those calamitous times, obtained an attribute regulator and set out to walk the path of supremacy!

The edge of the fountain was constructed pretty high, Angor could not see the water while standing on the ground, so he jumped into the air and watched the fountain from above.
There was not much water in there. It barely covered the base of the fountain. Misty vapor rose from the surface. The "pee" of the statue rushed into the water, bringing up sprays of water and some shifting waves.
Angor did not see anything special on first look. The water seemed… water, and the fountain base was made of clean, white bricks, which was clear to observe. Angor slowly moved around to the other side of the fountain and noticed something.
At the back of the peeing statue, on the pedestal, there was something that looked like a door handle. 
Is there something hidden inside the pedestal?
With that question, Angor moved to the base of the statue and pulled the handle-like object.
As he pulled it out, a cave entrance about one and a half meters high appeared in front of Angor, just beyond the water level. The cave was totally dark. Angor used his flashlight and saw stairs inside.
He widened his eyes when he realized the stairs were leading upward instead of down.
Imagine a moderate-sized statue with stairs under it, which pointed "up". There should be a way up there, but Angor circled around the statue without finding such a way. The space above the statue was empty. The stairs led into an unknown space, a road to heaven and beyond, not bounded to anything.
Angor would have questioned his sanity if he was still the boy who believed in Jon's science education. However, after being nurtured by Sunders' books, Angor began to understand certain mysteries.
"Space manipulation. A tunnel between spaces, maybe?" Angor considered.
He stared at the unknown passage and wondered if he should go inside.
This was the only thing worth exploring now, and of course, Angor itched to check it out. But he was alone, and he did not know if it was the exit toward the wizarding world. If he went in there now, he might miss Sunders.
However, if he stayed here, he had to suppress his curiosity as best as he could. Angor saw many things during the days in the Nightmare Realm. If the channeling method book was beyond this path, he could go for it and record the book using his tablet. Sunders mentioned that the book was something special that one would not be able to memorize. Leaving the Nightmare Realm meant forgetting the content of the book. If Angor could record it now, he did not have to worry about that.
If Sunders came, Angor could no longer use his tablet or record the book. Well, if the book which troubled Sunders for centuries was really behind the stairs in the first place…
Stepping through the door might lead Angor out of the underground maze and caused him to miss Sunders.
This was why Angor was hesitant to go in.
He clenched his teeth. In this cruel wizarding world, he would never grow stronger if he did not take any risk and move forward. In the fierce competitions between wizards, someone had to perish. Only those who were daring enough to walk the raging waves could find their way out.
Thinking about this, Angor got rid of his hesitation and crouched into the entrance under the statue firmly.
The door was low, and Angor thought the path inside was narrow too. Strangely though, once he stepped onto the stairs, it became quite spacious.
Angor could not even see the ceiling of the passage, nor the side walls. There was only endless darkness. The flashlight could not pierce through it. The stair beneath Angor's feet was the only thing that existed.
He walked for about ten minutes without reaching the end. Angor silently counted his steps. If the length of the stairs worked like everything outside, he should already have left the underground maze.
Another two minutes passed, Angor saw light ahead. He squinted his eyes and looked up. There was another small wooden door, which was left open. There was a light shining down through it.
Angor walked to the door but did not enter it. Instead, he peeked behind the door.
He thought this door was the final exit. He was wrong. The stairs did not end here. Using the light from the door, Angor clearly saw the stairs kept whirling upward into the unknown darkness. The wooden door was only a stop in the middle.
Angor lowered his head and looked inside the door.
It was a middle-sized room behind the door. There were some light tubes similar to those found inside the maze, which brightened the room like daytime. Angor saw many objects in the room. 
Beds, desks… Someone must have lived here.
The small door did not allow Angor to see the entire room. Still, he did not see any traces of monsters, so Angor decided to move in. Maybe the channeling method book was right here.
Angor bent down and stepped through the door. He also looked behind to make sure the stairs did not disappear.
It was unnecessary. Nothing changed inside or outside the door. The stairs were still there, and the door remained open.
Angor relaxed and began searching the room.
The room was small and the furniture took up a lot of space. They were simple, hollowed wooden works, so Angor could easily see if anything was hidden in them.
The only thing that could contain stuff was the bedstand. The drawer had a lock on it. Angor was happy that he took younger Sunders' dagger, or he would have a difficult time trying to break the lock.
The dagger did quick work prying the lock off.
When Angor pulled the drawer open, a rotten smell released by something that did not see light in a long time came out. Angor frowned and looked inside. There were clothing and a green booklet in it.
Angor reached for the clothes. It instantly became dust and dispersed in the air.
The booklet had some worm damage on it, but it was not serious. Angor picked it up carefully and put the booklet on the desk.
A line written in an unknown language was on the cover.
Angor flipped it open and saw the same characters inside. He never saw such language before, but from the annotations on several pages, Angor believed the booklet was a diary or something similar.
The pages had a different amount of content on them, but there were identical annotations on their headers. They could be dates.
A diary he could not read… It should not be the special channeling method Sunders said. Angor still recorded the booklet. Maybe he would have a chance to decipher the characters in the future when he got back to the wizarding world.
Who knew? This was the Nightmare Realm, the booklet could contain something interesting.
Once he was done, Angor left through the door without taking the time to put the booklet back.
Not long after he walked away along the stairs, the green booklet on the desk slowly disappeared, and the broken lock on the drawer returned to its original state as well. If someone would come here and open the drawer again, they would notice everything in there went back to its position before Angor came. The clothes did not turn to dust, the booklet rested in the drawer just fine… As if everything in the room was frozen in time.


A young traveler who receives enlightenment from another civilization is on a mission to save his beloved mentor. In his journey to seek the ultimate truth, he travels extensively and along the way, he experiences some unpredictable encounters. Will he be able to save his mentor or will his path be derailed?

"H-how is that possible?!"
The entire hall burst into an uproar as everyone looked on with incredulity at the elated Amy, as well as the stack of untouched paper on the table. 
During this short span of time, Amy hadn't touched her quill even once, and when she finally did pick it up, it was only so she could write down her answer. That was simply incredible to everyone.
Some of the scholars present had researched calculating two-digit multiplication problems using the decimal system. However, they wouldn't be able to solve such a question in half an hour, let alone half a minute.
Fitch was scribbling furiously on the sheet of paper before him when his quill suddenly faltered. He turned back to look at the beaming Amy with a hint of surprise on his face.
Luna's eyes widened as she stared at Amy with disbelief in her eyes. Not only had Amy actually solved the question, she had done so in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Amy was a child who would never lie, and Mag had a propensity of constantly creating miracles. As such, she was almost blindly confident that Amy had calculated the correct answer. After all, no matter how implausible or absurd something seemed, it wouldn't be strange for Mag and Amy to be able to achieve it.
"How could she possibly have solved a two-digit multiplication problem in such a short time?! Besides, she didn't even make any calculations; she must've just blurted out a random answer!" Earlton rose to his feet as he glowered at Mag with a cold expression, and interrogated, "Do you think we're all idiots? This is indeed a contest of speed, but the correct answer has to be reached first!"
Everyone was still reeling from shock when they were enlightened by Earlton's words. Just as he had said, it was completely impossible to solve a two-digit multiplication problem in half an hour, especially when zero calculations had been made during this process.
As such, the only possibility was that Amy was lying, and that she hadn't actually calculated the correct answer. Instead, she had merely blurted out a random number, and was trying to somehow swindle a victory.
The smiles on the faces of the revolutionaries gradually congealed as they turned their eyes toward Amy and Mag. If that was indeed true, then their actions would bring disgrace to all of the revolutionaries present.
"In the decimal system, this is only to be expected. If Amy didn't have to waste time meticulously writing down that answer in the end, she would've been able to calculate the answer in her mind within 10 seconds." Mag's expression remained completely unflustered as he looked back at Earlton, and said, "In any case, Amy has already confirmed her answer. If you have any doubts, you can wait until he's also got an answer, then ask him to convert it into decimal form for comparison."
The entire hall fell silent once again. No one had expected Mag to give such a calm and straightforward response.
Earlton's eyes were flashing with a hint of bewilderment as he looked at Mag. He could tell that Mag didn't seem to be lying, so how could he possibly be so confident?
Byron stood up, and said, "Seeing as one side is expressing doubts regarding the answer, I suggest our two sides each task one more person with the same calculation. That way, we'll have more answers for confirmation."
Earlton was about to issue another retort when Erma raised a hand to stop him, and nodded as he said, "We'll do as you say, Master Byron. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions, Earlton. Fitch, you keep doing what you're doing. Leeroy will be the one calculating the problem from my side, and his answer will be used as the final answer for cross-referencing and comparison."
Earlton sat down with a dark expression before aiming a cold glare at Mag.
"Lister will be responsible for calculation on our side, and his answer will also be our final answer." Byron nodded in response before turning to Lister.
"Yes." Lister nodded before beginning his calculations.
Leeroy had also received a quill and a stack of paper. He hesitated momentarily before exchanging a glance with Erma, and then also set about making his calculations.
"This is indeed becoming rather interesting." A smile appeared on Fitch's face as he turned around to continue his work as well. His quill was scribbling even more furiously over the sheet of paper, even to the extent that the tip of his quill was barely traceable to the naked eye.
"Father, why don't they believe me?" Amy asked as she looked up at Mag with a perplexed look on her little face.
"Because you're so much better than them that they're unable to comprehend it. If you want them to believe, then you have to shatter their outlook on the world and force them to embrace a new world; that's not an easy task," Mag replied in a quiet voice. Even though he had expected this dissent from the conservatives, it was still a little disappointing for him to see them continue to be so stubborn and dogmatic.
"If Father had competed instead of me, they'd be even more shocked." Amy nodded in response.
"That's true." A smile appeared on Mag's face. With his eidetic memory, answers to normal multiplication questions were directly accessible in his mind, so he wouldn't even need to calculate at all.
Thus, Fitch continued to calculate along with Lister and Leeroy, and the atmosphere within the hall became quite tense once again.
The outcome of this contest would determine the result of this debate, and, more importantly, whether the decimal system would receive widespread implementation.
No one would've dreamed that this monumental task would fall on the shoulders of a little four-year-old girl, and this startling turn of events had caught everyone off guard.
Meanwhile, Mag was carrying Amy in his arms as he made a lap around the hall, appreciating the beautiful mosaics on the walls and telling Amy about the history of the Norland Continent.
Alex didn't actually know much about the church's history, but Mag could roughly glean the story through the introductory annotations on the wall mosaics. Even though these annotations had to be taken with a grain of salt due to the fact that they were naturally all praising the church as a glorious entity of righteousness, the story told still reflected a representation of the church that had survived through the dark ages.
Faith was the best remedy for those suffering from despair amid the endless darkness. It was like an undying flame that was present in the heart of every human being, uniting them as one and making them so powerful a race that even the giant dragons had to be wary of them.
The church's power was forcibly reduced before it could abuse that power. At least this way, the church's glorious image remains eternal in everyone's hearts. Mag looked at the wall mosaics with furrowed brows as he thought to himself, It has to be said that Andre really is a wise king. However, he's not even willing to tolerate the church; how can he tolerate his two sons doing so many heinous things behind his back?
"I've got an answer."
Right at this moment, Fitch's words cut off Mag's train of thought, and he turned to face him with Amy in his arms.
Everyone in the hall turned their attention to Fitch in unison with tense, expectant eyes.
However, Fitch only had eyes for Amy as he calmly said, "I took the liberty of converting my answer into decimal form, and it's 896. I've lost."


In Chaos City on the Norland Continent, there is a strange restaurant.

Here, elves and dwarves share tables. Beastmen are prohibited from making a din, and giant dragons can only seat around the tiny square in front of the restaurant. Even demons have to bring their own stools…

But it is such a strange restaurant that has long lines outside every day.

Elves are stuffing kebabs, paying no mind to their manners; giant dragons are sitting around a hot pot, strainers in their hands; demons are eating nice-looking dango…

"There's no other place on this continent where you can find food like that! The boss here is a genius!" a customer provides such a review. Then, he gives a furtive look at the door. "Also, don't you think of kidnapping the boss away or dine-and-dashing, or you will suffer a tragic death."

"Eat, pay, or you will be beaten to death." says a cute little girl in her childish voice as she trots forward. A five-meter tall dragon shivers when it meets her eyes.

ways to configure Transactions – annotations and AOP – each with their own advantages. We're going to discuss the more common annotation-config here.
Further reading:
Configuring Separate Spring DataSource for Tests
A quick, practical tutorial on how to configure a separate data source for testing in a Spring application.
Read more →
Quick Guide on Loading Initial Data with Spring Boot
A quick and practical example of using data.sql and schema.sql files in Spring Boot.
Read more →
Show Hibernate/JPA SQL Statements from Spring Boot
Learn how you can configure logging of the generated SQL statements in your Spring Boot application.
Read more →
2. Configure Transactions
 
Spring 3.1 introduces the @EnableTransactionManagement annotation that we can use in a @Configuration class and enable transactional support:
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@Configuration
@EnableTransactionManagement
public class PersistenceJPAConfig{
 
   @Bean
   public LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean
     entityManagerFactoryBean(){
      //...
   }
 
   @Bean
   public PlatformTransactionManager transactionManager(){
      JpaTransactionManager transactionManager
        = new JpaTransactionManager();
      transactionManager.setEntityManagerFactory(
        entityManagerFactoryBean().getObject() );
      return transactionManager;
   }
}
However, if we're using a Spring Boot project, and have a spring-data-* or spring-tx dependencies on the classpath, then transaction management will be enabled by default.
3. Configure Transactions with XML
 
Before 3.1 or if Java is not an option, here is the XML configuration, using annotation-driven and the namespace support:
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<bean id="txManager" class="org.springframework.orm.jpa.JpaTransactionManager">
   <property name="entityManagerFactory" ref="myEmf" />
</bean>
<tx:annotation-driven transaction-manager="txManager" />
4. The @Transactional Annotation
 
With transactions configured, we can now annotation a bean with @Transactional either at the class or method level:
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@Service
@Transactional
public class FooService {
    //...
}
The annotation supports further configuration as well:
the Propagation Type of the transaction
the Isolation Level of the transaction
a Timeout for the operation wrapped by the transaction
a readOnly flag – a hint for the persistence provider that the transaction should be read only
the Rollback rules for the transaction
Note that – by default, rollback happens for runtime, unchecked exceptions only. The checked exception does not trigger a rollback of the transaction. We can, of course, configure this behavior with the rollbackFor and noRollbackFor annotation parameters.
5. Potential Pitfalls
 
5.1. Transactions and Proxies
 
At a high level, Spring creates proxies for all the classes annotated with @Transactional – either on the class or on any of the methods. The proxy allows the framework to inject transactional logic before and after the running method – mainly for starting and committing the transaction.
What's important to keep in mind is that, if the transactional bean is implementing an interface, by default the proxy will be a Java Dynamic Proxy. This means that only external method calls that come in through the proxy will be intercepted. Any self-invocation calls will not start any transaction, even if the method has the @Transactionalannotation.
Another caveat of using proxies is that only public methods should be annotated with @Transactional. Methods of any other visibilities will simply ignore the annotation silently as these are not proxied.
This article discusses further proxying pitfalls in great detail here.
5.2. Changing the Isolation Level
 
We can also change the transaction isolation level:
1
@Transactional(isolation = Isolation.SERIALIZABLE)
Note that this has actually been introduced in Spring 4.1; if we run the above example before Spring 4.1, it will result in:
org.springframework.transaction.InvalidIsolationLevelException: Standard JPA does not support custom isolation levels – use a special JpaDialect for your JPA implementation
5.3. Read-Only Transactions
 
The readOnly flag usually generates confusion, especially when working with JPA; from the Javadoc:
This just serves as a hint for the actual transaction subsystem; it will not necessarily cause failure of write access attempts. A transaction manager which cannot interpret the read-only hint will not throw an exception when asked for a read-only transaction.
The fact is that we can't be sure that an insert or update will not occur when the readOnly flag is set. This behavior is vendor dependent, whereas JPA is vendor agnostic.
It's also important to understand that the readOnly flag is only relevant inside a transaction. If an operation occurs outside of a transactional context, the flag is simply ignored. A simple example of that would call a method annotated with:
1
@Transactional( propagation = Propagation.SUPPORTS,readOnly = true )
from a non-transactional context – a transaction will not be created and the readOnly flag will be ignored.
5.4. Transaction Logging
 
A helpful method to understand transactional related issues is fine-tuning logging in the transactional packages. The relevant package in Spring is "org.springframework.transaction", which should be configured with a logging level of TRACE.
6. Conclusion
 
We covered the basic configuration of transactional semantics using both Java and XML, how to use @Transactionaland best practices of a Transactional Strategy.
As always, the code presented in this article is available over on Github.
I just announced the new Learn Spring course, focused on the fundamentals of Spring 5 and Spring Boot 2:
>> CHECK OUT THE COURSE


An intro SPRING data, JPA and
Transaction Semantics Details with JPA
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newestoldestmost voted
 
 Guest
Someone
 
 
Great post, just one thing on the following …
"By default, @Transactional will set the propagation to REQUIRED, the readOnly flag to false, and the rollback only for checked exceptions."
Correct me if I´m wrong, but rollback management is set to NON-checked exceptions by default.
0 
8 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Gp
 
 
No rollback is on any kind of exception
0 
7 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Eugen Paraschiv
 
 
Rollback is indeed done by default for unchecked exceptions.
0 
7 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Łukasz Bachman
 
 
Nice one here, my friend. I wanted to dig into transaction management for a long time and this is great post to help me get started Thanks!
-1 
8 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Russell
 
 
Nice one. Very useful. One important question. How to change default transaction isolation level in JPA/Hibernate environment. The "hibernate.connection.isolation" only works if you use DriverManager which is not a option in most JEE container.
0 
7 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Eugen Paraschiv
 
 
Yeah, isolation has always been a bit of a problem with JPA – I've seen solutions that were doing low level hacks in the JDBC Driver but nothing that worked well unfortunately.
0 
6 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Shagar Upadhyay
 
 
I tried the method you suggested on "5. The API layer transaction strategy" and gave my controller 'Propagation.REQUIRES_NEW' and my service and DAO 'propagation = Propagation.MANDATORY'. When I checked if it worked I get an error :
org.springframework.transaction.IllegalTransactionStateException:
No existing transaction found for transaction marked with propagation
'mandatory'
when i try to call a doLogin() method on my controller.
Do I have to do any additional settings to enable this transaction behavior?
0 
7 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Eugen Paraschiv
 
 
The most probable reason for this is that your Controller layer isn't transactional – likely because the controllers themselves are not proxied; one option is to use CGLIB proxies so that the class is proxied; an alternative is to have the controllers implement an interface.
A final note is that I updated the article and simplified it to only focus on plain transactions – Transactional Strategies is an advanced topic that I will cover in a future article.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Eugen.
0 
6 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Suda
 
 
Thank you, could you please share some example links of CGLIB.
0 
6 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Eugen Paraschiv
 
 
There is more than one way to do this – either via XML or annotations; one way is: @EnableTransactionManagement(proxyTargetClass = true) – but I would recommend reading the Spring reference – namely the chapter about proxies and the differences between the available mechanisms.
Hope this helps,
Eugen.
0 
6 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Rahul
 
 
Getting the exception:
javax.persistence.TransactionRequiredException: no transaction is in progress
at org.hibernate.ejb.AbstractEntityManagerImpl.flush(AbstractEntityManagerImpl.java:959) ~[hibernate-entitymanager-3.6.10.Final.jar:3.6.10.Final]
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:1.6.0_21]
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39) ~[na:1.6.0_21]
I have used @Transactional at DAO layer but still getting this error.
-2 
6 years ago
 
 
 
 
 Guest
Eugen Paraschiv
 
 
Hi Rahul,
Sorry for the late reply – if you're seeing problems with the example project on github, please raise an issue over there and I'll take a look at the problem.
Cheers,
Eugen.
0 
6 years ago
 
 
 
 
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After playing chess, Wen Xinya was chased back to her room by Old Mr. Mo to rest. She had no choice but to return to her room reluctantly.
After covering her blanket and lying down for a while, Wen Xinya felt uneasy and flipped a couple of times on the bed. Finally, she removed the blanket, got off the bed, picked up the book titled "Essays from the Pool of Dreams" that she frequently read, and started flipping through it.
As she flipped, Wen Xinya saw that in a few areas that were hard to understand, there were annotations with round, elegant, thick, and neat regular script.
Sharp, yet round and vigorous; bending internally, yet round on the outside; varying strokes, yet uniformly coordinated. The style naturally permeated from the beginning to the end of every single line written, looking like strings of pearls, radiant and energetic. 
It was Si Yiyan's handwriting!
Wen Xinya recalled that she had previously seen him holding and flipping through this book a couple of times. She had not thought much of it but didn't expect him to actually be so thoughtful, making so many annotations for her.
Wen Xinya suddenly remembered that it had been a long time since she last read this book.
In the midst of her thoughts, Mother He came into the room with a bowl of astragalus root donkey-hide gelatin porridge. "Young Mistress, I've prepared porridge for nourishing energy and improving blood circulation for you. Take it while it's warm." 
The thought of the strange smell of donkey-hide gelatin made Wen Xinya scrunch up her nose uncontrollably. "Thanks, Mother He!"
Seeing that she was holding a book, Mother He rushed up and took the book away from her. "Young Mistress, you've hurt your forehead and need to rest up. Just don't strain your brain these few days—concussion forbids mental strain the most. You won't feel it yet since you're still young—when your memory fails you badly as you grow older, you'll know how bad it is."
Wen Xinya pulled a long face as she tugged at Mother He's arm and whined. "Mother He, you're making a big fuss. The doctor said that I've only got a mild concussion and was already completely fine when I was discharged from the hospital. Reading books isn't considered mental strain either, just passing time. Moreover, I only bled a little, no need for such major nourishment!" 
She was actually not doing childbirth confinement and only bumped her head slightly? Why was everyone more uptight than her? She couldn't do this, couldn't think about that.
However, Mother He didn't buy it. "A mild concussion is still a concussion. Young Mistress, your brain is as precious as Old Master's, and is needed for greater knowledge—there can definitely be no mishaps. Moreover, your body constitution is slightly weaker, taking more food for nourishing energy and improving blood circulation is good for you."
Wen Xinya pouted as she bargained. "No donkey-hide gelatin then. I'll have red dates—red dates are also good for improving blood circulation."
Although she didn't like red dates either, they were sweet after all.
Mother He hurriedly smiled and said, "Young Mistress, since you like red dates, I'll add two red dates to the porridge tomorrow. However, donkey-hide gelatin is a must—this was produced in the Old Dong's County, very pure and doesn't smell weird."
Wen Xinya's small face collapsed. She had no choice but to hold the bowl and eat the porridge. The soft, polished round-grained rice emitted a refreshing fragrance—there really wasn't any weird smell.
At this point, the room door was pushed open once again. Mother Jiang walked in with a bowl of slightly bitter soup. "Young Mistress, Old Mr. Du said that you've previously lost blood and have to drink some dang-gui soup for blood nourishment. I've especially followed Old Mr. Du's orders and made some for you—it's not bitter at all, and I've prepared some sweets to overcome the taste."
Under the glances of Mother He and Mother Jiang, Wen Xinya pinched her nose and gulped down the bowl of soup. After that, she felt a wave of strange, bitter taste in her mouth, and hurriedly took a sweet and placed it in her mouth. The fragrant sweet melted in her mouth and dispersed the disgusting feel. 
After Mother Jiang and Mother He left, Wen Xinya pulled a long face and flipped two rounds on the bed before her phone suddenly rang.
It was the phone specially used for Si Yiyan. Wen Xinya hurriedly rolled to the side of the bed, retrieved the phone, and answered it.
"Already discharged? How are you feeling? Does the wound still hurt? What did the doctor say?" Si Yiyan's deep, pleasant voice was melodic, like music from an ancient zither—resounding, elegant, pure, and translucent—very lovely.
Upon hearing Si Yiyan's voice, Wen Xinya's voice instantly softened as she said with a tender nasal voice, "Yup! Just discharged this afternoon. The doctor said everything is fine, but the wound still hurts slightly and even feels itchy sometimes—very uncomfortable."
Si Yiyan pacified her with a deep voice. "That's the wound coagulating. When it itches, you've gotta bear with it—never touch it with your hands. Remember to take your medicine on time every day."
Wen Xinya's heart felt soft and the smile on lips was also soft—very pretty. "Ruo Ruo prescribed some medicine for wound healing and blood circulation for me—it's quite effective. Ruo Ruo said that with consistent application, the wound won't scar."
Si Yiyan's voice softened by yet another few notches. "That's great. However, for this period of time, take note to keep the wound away from water and also watch your diet—stay away from spicy, raw, cold, as well as food with coloring…"
As Wen Xinya listened to his elegant, distant voice reminding her non-stop on these trivial matters, her nose was scrunched up, but her curved lips were outrageously pretty. She had always thought that Si Yiyan's mouth was meant for giving orders and advising on important issues but never expected that one day he would also nag restlessly on such trivial matters.
Wen Xinya's lips curled up into a huge smile. "The doctor has already mentioned all these."
Immediately, it was silent on Si Yiyan's end.
Wen Xinya said with a tender voice, "Si Yiyan, I'm currently having a short stay at Grampy's house. Just now, I played a game of chess with Grampy. He chided me, saying that my character trait of struggling to my very last breath isn't good. He even lectured me."
At the other end of the line, Si Yiyan's lips curled up into a smile.
Wen Xinya changed the topic and started laughing heartily. "Grampy chided me like this, so I've decided to dye the gray hair that he's so proud of to black."
She was just feeling sorry for herself a while ago but was now laughing heartily. He couldn't help but sympathize with Old Mr. Mo—pestered by her to dye his hair, Old Mr. Mo was definitely helpless.
Saying which, Wen Xinya's voice plummeted again. "Do you know that once I was discharged today, Mother He and Mother Jiang boiled weird porridge and bitter medicine for me, and didn't allow me to read or use my brain—can't do this, can't do that…"
As Si Yiyan listened to her joyful complaints, Si Yiyan sneered. "They're also doing it for your own good. Be good, bear with it for a few days and recuperate well."
Wen Xinya continued to complain. "The doctor said my injury isn't serious and will heal after a few days—there's no need to be so uptight like this. I feel that I'm not recuperating my injury, but having childbirth confinement—can't do this, can't do that either…"
Although her small mouth went on and on, her voice obviously revealed warmth. She was beating around the bush to tell him that she was doing well and that he didn't need to worry. "Be good and rest well. When I'm done with this busy period, I'll go back and see you."
Si Yiyan secretly sighed. It seemed like the area of collaboration raised by Country Z's government previously needed his careful and serious reconsideration. Always being away like this was really not good. Although the ancient people had said that the eternal love between a couple should withstand the time apart, he was not convinced. If he liked a person, he would definitely exhaust all means and ways to be by her side.


Originally born from a wealthy family, she ends up leading a vagrant life for fifteen years. However, when she is eventually found by her family, she falls into another devious plot and eventually dies tragically. 

Fifteen years after her rebirth, ravenously raging for revenge, she tears down the hypocritical mask of the foster daughter who had taken her place, and reduces her greedy stepmother and stepsister back to their original sorry states. 

To the jerk's profession of his deep love for her, she only has one thing to say, "Get the hell out of my life. The love you speak of humiliates love!" 

Regardless of the appearances of you monsters, I’ll take in it my stride with my capability, building a business dynasty of my own, sitting in the depths of my riches, bathing in the glistening limelight of the world. 

A certain rich empire's CEO: "Don't mind me. I'm just leaving my mark here to declaring my possession rights; I’ll wait patiently for you to grow up!" The queen's mighty return with commercial warfare fully within her grasp, she navigates the power struggles with skill and verve. When it comes to scheming conspiracies, all she has to say is, "Who are you again? Don’t even bother!"

VOLUME 1
October 3, 1976 - Alana Hales is born
1981 January - Alana's mind stabilises at age 4
1982 November - A month after father's death Alana starts school
1982 December - Alana meets Jake Matthews
1983 January - Alana is given a violin by Mrs Linda
1983 March - Alana starts official karate lessons under Mr Matthews
1983 May - Katherine Hales' condition worsens
October 3, 1983 - Alana's 7th birthday she receives her triskelion
1983 November - Alana has discovered a stalker, crafted her basic Mindscape and Capricorn I created
1984 January - Capricorn II
1984 March - Inventory system Aquarius is created
1984 May - Child services, Capricorn III, Aquarius II
1984 August- Katherine Hales' death
1984 October - Alana meets Vincent de Azrael at age 8
1984 December -Azrael invites Alana to live with him
1985 November - Capricorn IV, Aquarius III, Pisces I created 
1985 December - Knockturn Alley with Azrael
1986 February - Alana meets Roul
1986 November - Alana steals from the Ashworth Summer Estate, Pisces II
1987 January - The Hit on Archie Tryce and the formation of The Nest
1987 March - Hit on Italian Nicholas Borges
1988 April - France, Aquarius IV, Pisces III
1988 May - Germany, Gregorovitch, Capricorn V and Illegimency
1988 July - The Romanians and Azrael's death
1988 August - Destruction of the Wallachia Coven
1989 August - The Italian Otavio Russo arrives in Britain

VOLUME 2
1990 August - John Dawlish, The Ministry of Magic and the introduction of Alana Vincent
1990 September - The train to Hogwarts, the reappearance of Jake Matthews and Ravenclaw sorting. Leoen Volkov and first classes
1990 October - Capricorn V, Aquarius IV, Pisces III. The Potion Book, Fencing Club and Samhain
1990 November - Astronomy Lesson
1990 December - Yule with Otavio, hunting with Raymond
1991 January - Alana explains her 'job'
1991 March/April - Chiara Lobosca and Nymphadora Tonks
1991 June - The salamander incident and the Weasley twins. Capricorn V, Aquarius IV, Pisces IV.
1991 July - The final feast, the Goblin bank and the brawl on wolfsbane
1991 August - Lilith Bathery and the Werewolf pack

With a gift bringing hope, comfort and relief, it was only fitting that Gaia bestow a curse of equal measure. A child to reap what it could not. A child born of death's greed and life's carelessness. Fate was rewritten then with the dignified scrawl of an unknown deity. Screaming and kicking at the divine injustice of it all, a new life was born into the world. Out of the frenzied passions of a drunkard and a drug addict from the shadowed back streets of London came Alana Hales. Out of the tattered folds of deaths cloak came the worn soul of one Alexis Crevan. 

I don't own Harry Potter, The Gamer, the Labyrinth, or any of their characters. If I did, I would be rich.

It was late spring, and the monastery was surrounded by an abundance of beautiful flowers. They were in full bloom now. Although the small rain hampered the atmosphere, there were still many tourists visiting the monastery atop the mountain, as they paid their respects by burning incense. There were many believers present as well, as they lined up to enter the monastery. An old woman linked arms with a young girl, and an older girl followed close behind. It was a lively scene. Pei Zi Yun wanted to enter the monastery as well, but stopped walking suddenly, and turned to the other hall, which had less people in it.
As he walked in, he decided that the atmosphere in this hall wasn’t as exciting as in the main hall. He then turned around to leave, but saw Official Zhao in front of him. He signalled to Pei Zi Yun, and they moved aside to talk. Official Zhao then spoke, "Young Master, the thing you’ve asked me to get. I’ve managed to obtain some information!"
Pei Zi Yun then stepped forward and received the note. When he opened it, he saw an entire list of names, which even had annotations beside each of them. This was a very conscientious effort. Pei Zi Yun folded the note before speaking, "I shall hold onto this first. I have something else I need. I shall tell you more about it later."
The official then replied, "Yes. The Crown Prince mentioned to help Young Master to the best of my abilities. So, just instruct me accordingly, and see it done."
"Good. If there’s anything I will look for you." Pei Zi Yun then turned around. All of sudden, he seemed to recall something and looked at the official once again, "I heard that the Canton Princess isn’t feeling well. Is that true?"
The official then took a moment to recall the rumor before replying, "It’s been said that she’s come down with the flu."
"What?" Pei Zi Yun exhaled silently. "Arrange an ox-cart for me. I will go back to the corner of the Grand Princess’s Mansion."
The official opened his mouth, as if to protest against the idea, but swallowed his thoughts and walked off to arrange for an ox-cart. Pei Zi Yun sat within the ox-cart, where he heard the shout of the driver spurring the ox forward, as the cart started moving into the capital city. When they reached an alley within the capital city, the muddy splashes of the ox’s footsteps were audible. The raindrops would fall upon the ox-cart’s roof with inconsistent splashes, sometimes heavy and other times light. Pei Zi Yun then opened the list once again and started looking through the names.
The first few names on the list were extremely high ranking officials. For these men, only the Crown Prince himself was in position to speak to them and ask them to join his side. However, he could try to get to know them, and maybe use their friendship to borrow their authority. At the end of the day, making friends with them brought no harm.
He continued reading the list as the ox-cart moved on. Chen Ping this official cannot be used, as his rank was too low.
He Meng seems like a suitable candidate, but this person was vigilant and meticulous. Getting to him would be hard, and thus might not be a good idea. Throughout the entire journey he was reading the names and their annotations. When he reached the bottom of the list, he saw a name, Zhou Ji.
Zhou Ji was a sixth ranked official, with an honest and upright character, and shunned evil like the plague. However, Pei Zi Yun had a memory of this person. His rank wasn’t considered high, but in the original owner’s life, he was the only person who opposed King Lu’s ascension to the throne and almost died in the throne hall.
But this person didn’t belong to the Crown Prince, and everything he did was on his own accord. This person could be used.
He then flipped the list over, and looked at the name list of officials working for King Lu. Looking at the name list, Pei Zi Yun smiled, 'Looks like all is not lost for the Crown Prince, now that I have these information and can use it to our advantage.'
He looked at the name list of people being employed by King Lu and didn’t see any Ren Wei, and felt it was somewhat strange. He followed the order of names, and looked through one by one. Could it be that King Lu hasn’t discovered him?
When he turned the list over, he then saw the name he was looking for. Looks like it’s true that Ren Wei truly does have talent, as King Lu kept people who were of use to him. When then would this person make an appearance?
But out of all these people, just mere annotations couldn’t be trusted. He decided that only by meeting them would he gain a clear assessment of their uses.
Xiang Yun Wine Restaurant
It was in the afternoon, and the rows of shops were so close together they were like the scales on a fish. Behind an alley, there was a restaurant which had a huge signboard overhead. Several patrons walked in and out of the shop, and others remained drinking wine within.
The restaurant didn't look too big, but had two levels. There were six tables spread out in the first floor, and the second floor was a place of residence for the owner. Since it was raining, they had to ignite candles. There were seven or eight people drinking and casually talking. 
The storekeeper was tallying the figures of the day, and counting the silver collected thus far. Just then, a man wearing white robes walked in. 
A waiter looked up at him and greeted him, "Old Ren, you seem to be in high spirits today. I wonder what happened? Are you going to have your usual meal today? Or would you like a change?"
This man was Ren Wei. He then laughed and replied, "What a sharp lad. You're right. It seems like I have a chance at the job after all."
He then thought for sometime, with a struggle apparent on his face before he replied slowly, "I would like to order the same. Rice, vegetables and tofu would do."
"Coming right up!" The waiter was about to go when Ren Wei shouted out, "Add a chicken thigh for me today."
When the waiter heard this, he wrote it down before turning to the kitchen. 
Pei Zi Yun had altered his appearances and made himself look much younger. He dressed well and followed Ren Wei to the restaurant. Looking at Ren Wei, Pei Zi Yun thought that he might be difficult to speak to. Hence he sat some distance away and didn't approach him. 
"Guest, what would you like to order? Here at Xiang Yun Wine Restaurant we have several signature dishes. Our steamed chicken, fried chicken, duck soup, red steam fish and sliced beef are favorites. We also have melons. What would you like to eat?"
Just hearing the waiter mention all the food made Pei Zi Yun hungry. He then pondered before answering, "Get me some chicken and a jug of wine. Fry some vegetables for me too."
"Coming right up guest!" The waiter then turned around and came back later with the dishes. He had a small hammer on his hands as well, which he used to crack open the solidified mud wrapped around the chicken as steam rose from it, smelling extremely delicious. 
Just as the waiter was about to leave, Pei Zi Yun held him back and asked, looking at Ren Wei, "That man over there looks like a High Scholar. I've heard that he's a regular at your restaurant. Why do I get a feeling like he's having a bad day? Even just eating the chicken he's so deep in thought."
The waiter who was about to leave, turned to look at old Ren after listening to Pei Zi Yun. "Heh, guest you don’t know him. He isn’t a High Scholar, but only a Elementary Scholar. It’s been said that he’s failed the examinations for several years now. That’s why he had no choice but to apply for a low ranking post with King Lu."
"You’re saying that in such a situation, when he eats plain vegetables and tofu everyday, he can one day succeed in life?"
"Apparently the competition is intense. Old Ren wouldn’t be qualified enough to take up a high position, and hence had to take up a contractual job. He idles his life away, and only knows how to boast to us everyday that he was going to personally run errands for King Lu himself. But we’ve never seen him accomplish anything for him. All the jobs he got were low paying errands for King Lu’s palace, which nobody wanted to take up since they were tough and paid very little."
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun’s heart stirred. Ren Wei’s life seemed very miserable. If Pei Zi Yun played his cards well, this mission would succeed easily. He then continued to ask, "Even the small jobs offered at King Lu’s palace pay well right? Even if he took on a contract job, the rewards should be good. How could you say that his job was low paying and tough?"
"Young Master sounds like he’s not from the capital right?" The waiter looked at Pei Zi Yun and asked. When Pei Zi Yun didn’t reply, he continued speaking, "Young Master, you have to know that living within the capital is very expensive. Food and lodging are all expensive. There are many contract jobs offered at King Lu’s Palace. And this man likes to buy books. Do you know how expensive books are? Besides, this King Lu’s palace isn’t a mountain of gold and silver as well. As for contract jobs there are different tiers, and this man belongs to one of the lowest tiers."
"King Lu runs his palace like a military camp. If you do well, you will be rewarded. Do something wrong and you will be punished. Old Ren is probably the lowest ranked among all the contractual job workers, and so he doesn’t have to work very much. All he does everyday is to flatter his superiors, how can he earn money this way? He earns at most three or four silver taels a month by doing odd jobs for the palace. As of now, he rents a small room upstairs. Every afternoon he will have a free meal in the palace, and at night he will come back to the shop and order some vegetables and tofu."
"Waiter, take my order."
Someone then shouted, and the waiter turned around to do his job. Pei Zi Yun looked at Ren Wei from afar, 'Looks like it’s going to be easy. This person’s days are tough. All I need is to strike a match and it will all fall into place.'
Pei Zi Yun then ate slowly, before standing up and leaving. He then told the ox-cart driver, "To the small lake beside the Grand Princess’s Mansion."
Before long, the ox-cart reached the exact location. This was bigger than a lake, but smaller than a river. There were several willow trees planted next to the lake. He looked at the scenery and took out his flute.
At this point it was already dark, and it was drizzling slightly. The Grand Princess was holding onto a lamp. Looking at her daughter, the Canton Princess, she noticed that her daughter had lost some weight. The serving maid was feeding her some medication, when all of a sudden the sound of a flute playing could be heard. Immediately, her face lit up, as she listened attentively.
The sound of the flute was very mild and subtle, and could be described as shrill yet melodic. At times it was loud, and others it was soft, like lovers whispering to each other. The melody pierced through the night and touched the hearts of everyone listening.
The Canton Princess thought that it was over and asked, "That was very good. Who’s playing the flute?"
"Hm, who’s playing it?" At the same time, the Grand Princess asked the maids. Someone then replied, "It’s not anyone from within the mansion. It’s someone from outside. The rain caused some fog, and also because it’s late, it’s hard to tell. It looks to me like it’s a young man."
Even before the maid completed her sentence, the Grand Princess waved a hand and laughed, "Young men these days are becoming more bold, to think of doing something like this?"
Before anyone of them realized it, the flute started playing once more. This time, the tune was fast paced and exciting, as if it was describing a war scene, where horses were running and their riders were killing people down below. The tune of the flute changed one more, and sounded like someone crying. It sounded like a father crying for his son, and a mother crying for her daughter. The elders crying for their infants. The flute melody seemed to have a special sort of power, to enable people to sympathize with the person playing it, and brought misery and happiness as he deemed fit.
The Canton Princess’s face turned red before turning pale. She wanted to stand up, but her weakness forced her back to a sitting position. She looked as if she wanted to vomit.
The smile on the face of the Grand Princess vanished, seeing her daughter this way. "Hurry, stop him. The melody of the flute is too sad, and might hurt a person’s body. Your Canton Princess cannot take this sadness in such a weak state."
Soon after, the flutes sound emitted sound like the sound of drums, of footsteps, horse’s hooves clattering, of people cheering and of swords clashing against each other. Both sides of the army shouted out, and the rivers turned to waters of blood. At the end, a note lingered for a long time, as if to symbolize regret and sorrow. It then transformed into a high pitched sound, before transforming into a flat note.
A maid who paused in shock snapped back, "Yes, I will chase him right away."
"Don't!" The Grand Princes seemed to have her reservations, "Wait for a little while more."
The sounds of the flute then transformed once more, and seemed to be describing the melting of winter snows, and the budding of life forms, all types of flowers. Upon closer listening, it sounded like the melody was describing farmers ploughing the land, and merchants selling their wares.
Gradually, a new image of a busy city, and farmers were reaping their harvests, merchants were earning profits, and the officials were upright and honests. The monarch was wise and benevolent. The tune was bubbly and happy, and lasted for quite some time.
The melody seemed to describe a time of peace, and the commoners were happy and satisfied. Once again, it brought an indescribable feeling of calmness and exuberrance.
That was the voice of millions of civilians. As they craved for success, prosperity, peace and a time of no worries.
The tune became bland and plain, until it finally faded out. The Canton Princess opened her eyes, her eyelashes was stained wet with tears, as a single tear rolled down her cheeks. She suddenly felt like the veil over her heart was finally lifted, and she could see clearly. She felt light and easy.
"Crown Prince?" At this point an ox-cart was listening nearby. The person within the ox-cart thought for a long time, "What a good flute, and even better tunes. The melody of the flute represented the hearts of the people. To think I actually had doubts about him. It seems like he truly wished for peace and prosperity for the people!"
"Ask what this melody is called?"
"Yes!" This person hurriedly left instructed an official to find out the name of this melody. The official then asked the person playing the flute. He then returned to the ox-cart, "Crown Prince, the tune is called Peace and Prosperity."

Earth Immortals are cultivated from a blessed land,
Heaven Immortals move to and fro from the divine mountains.
I have a stalk of plum blossom, and I shall maraud the Will of the Heavens with it!

As for the Second Senior Sister not looking like an adorable girl as he had imagined, Lu Xun expressed a little regret from the bottom of his heart.
On the contrary, her chilling demeanor had instead given off the feel of a domineering older sister, however, it seemed a bit incompatible with the adorable name 'Gu Xiaoman'. 
Even with these thoughts in mind, he had to accept the possibility that this Senior Sister might be a kick-ass character who killed players to the point that they would cry for their mothers in the late stage of the game.
Lu Xun looked at the 'Qi Devouring Formula' in his hands once more and felt touched on the inside. After all, this greeting gift was certainly useful for a person who had just set foot in the cultivation world, however, sadly for him… it truly wasn't that useful. 
He only needed to accumulate the needed experience value to level up all the way. This book, the 'Qi Devouring Formula', which was filled with annotations, was rather better suited for Ji Li.
However, he had to take in the fact that this book that was given to him was his Second Senior Sister's good intention after all. Lu Xun didn't have the face to go up to her and exchange it for another greeting gift… although he truly wanted to exchange it deep inside.
…But, he had the shamelessness to seek Cat Southnorth for something.
Second Senior Sister had given him something, as a Senior Sister too, shouldn't you also give me something?
Cat Southnorth finally felt unsettled from his obvious staring, she ultimately clenched her teeth and threw him a storage ring.
'Received a storage ring (Yellow-grade), Equip or Not? After equipping, Inventory Space + 30.'
The storage ring that Lu Xun just received could actually be used to save some troubles everyday.
"Here! It's not that Senior Sister is stingy, but it's that your cultivation is still too low. An enchanted armament is more suitable for you. Using a spiritual armament now would be too much of a burden, so just use this first," Cat Southnorth said.
She indeed spoke the truth. Equipment in 'Heavenly Earth' didn't have a level restriction, however, if your level isn't adequate enough, you wouldn't be able to expound its powers even if you equipped it, the item would then be useless in your hands.
Ji Li calmly stood on the side and watched their exchange. To say that she wasn't envious would definitely be a lie, but she could easily say that her happiness outweighed her envy for Lu Xun.
Originally, she was extremely worried that Lu Xun's poor aptitude would cause him to be bullied after they came to the Demon Sect. Now, it seemed like she didn't need to worry about this matter at all.
Second Senior Sister didn't seem to want to chat anymore. She then waved her hand, signaling that everyone could leave.
On the way back, Lu Xun kept on thinking, 'Second Senior Sister really doesn't like to talk.'
Specifically speaking, she didn't say a single word at all—how truly strange…
Could she possibly be a mute?
Upon having received two greeting gifts tonight, he was still very happy and couldn't help but show a smile on his face.
Lu Xun turned to glance at Ji Li, due to the faint light of the fireflies, he discovered that she was smiling more happily than himself.
After seeing her simple-minded look, Lu Xun extended his finger and flicked her head for no reason.
"Why'd you flick me?" Ji Li covered her forehead, her eyes awfully wide open.
"This Little Great Uncle-Master can flick as he pleases. Where do all these 'whys' come from?" Lu Xun said.
He definitely wouldn't have said, "Seeing as you look like a pushover who's easy to pick on, picking on you definitely became a little addicting, that's why I couldn't help but pick on you a little bit more."
As a result of the words he just said, his forehead was also flicked. Cat Southnorth was the one who did it.
"Then, this Senior Sister flicking you shouldn't be any problem, right?" Cat Southnorth cheerfully stuck out for Ji Li, she had the small expression of 'I'm the female boss' written all over her face.
Lu Xun was speechless. He imagined in his mind that sometime in the future, when his cultivation finally dramatically grew, he would then restrain Cat Southnorth on his knees, rub her head and cat ears with his left hand and fiercely slap her small buttocks with his right hand!
However, it was precisely due to this brief interlude that everyone was talking and laughing joyfully on the way back.
The ever-tranquil Rear Mountain had an increase in liveliness, even the surrounding fireflies that were fluttering in the breeze flew more vigorously.
…
…
After walking to the Small Study, Ji Li had a distracted look on her face.
She finally came to realize something at this moment, "Why did I come back here?"
Her mission was to take care of Lu Xun, and now that Lu Xun was awake, her mission was completed.
The Small Study was the place of residence for Sir and the other Great Uncle-Masters and Great Aunt-Masters. Was a guest room supposed to be opened for her?
She certainly still harbored the tiniest bit of the last sliver of evil intentions for Lu Xun, however, she really just didn't have the guts to act upon it at all. If she was given the choice to stay another night at Lu Xun's room, she was definitely willing, but it would really have to depend on whether or not Lu Xun was going to invite her.
Lu Xun looked at her and couldn't help but put a smile on his face. He didn't feel like teasing her at this moment anymore, he then asked Cat Southnorth, "Fourth Senior Sister, this 'Qi Devouring Formula' booklet that Second Senior Sister gave me as a present, can I lend it to Ji Li so she could learn?"
Cat Southnorth indifferently waved her hand and responded, "Second Senior Sister gifted it to you, so it's yours, you can make the arrangements yourself."
With that said, she entered the room first, who knew whether she craved sleep or planned to cultivate.
It was Ji Li instead who was rather distracted after hearing this.
If you thought about it normally, any normal person who received this kind of gift, even if they were willing to lend it to someone else, wouldn't they first learn it themselves? However, Lu Xun thought of her immediately, this made her feel a certain kind of warmth that rose from the bottom of her heart.
Naturally, she didn't know that this booklet was of little value to Lu Xun. If it wasn't Second Senior Sister's gift, he would've probably taken it to the outer sect and auctioned it off…
After all things considered, he still had to pretend along the way, or else, if it was found out that he hadn't even read 'Qi Devouring Formula' once, he wouldn't be able to explain how he learned it. It seemed like he had to force himself to read it.
"Come in," Lu Xun said this to Ji Li as he entered the room.
Ji Li actually followed in simple-mindedly.
It was already late at night, since Ji Li didn't know how to project kinesis flight, having her walk the mountain roads again would be too exhausting.
After entering the room, Lu Xun had her cultivate on her own first while he put on an act of reading 'Qi Devouring Formula' booklet.
Honestly speaking, because this was a game he was previously playing, and now that he had really transmigrated, he was still quite curious about learning cultivation techniques.
According to reason, cultivation techniques should be cryptic and difficult to understand at first glance, but once he read it, it turned out to be smooth-sailing and easy, it was as if he'd already known the contents thoroughly.
This had to be said too, upon looking at Second Senior Sister's handwriting again, apart from being thin, it was truly pretty.
After reading everything, he handed the booklet to Ji Li.
"You're not going to read it over a few more times? There's no need to give it to me in a hurry." Ji Li hastily rejected it.
In her eyes, she knew that Lu Xun's aptitude wasn't so good. This booklet would be an absolute treasure to him, that was why he should take it out from time to time to refer to it while cultivating.
"There's no need," After Lu Xun said this, he didn't forget to add, "Your brain's so stupid, but mine is different. I have an eidetic memory."
Ji Li naturally didn't believe this, which is why Lu Xun continued, "Ask me whatever you want, see for yourself if I truly remember."
In the end, she asked a few questions regarding a few points within the book, which in turn, Lu Xun answered correctly.
She obviously didn't know that the game's system had already recorded all the content within 'Qi Devouring Formula' into the 'list of cultivation techniques', this included Second Senior Sister's annotations. He only needed to tap 'details' to see everything that entailed.
'A… awesome!' Ji Li thought.
And then, Lu Xun stared blankly at the series of numbers that appeared by Ji Li's side, 'Favorability +1… +1… +1…'
He couldn't help but exclaim this inwardly, 'This naive little girl's favorability is way too easy to raise.'
It couldn't be helped at all. He truly looked handsome and was especially dazzling when he showed off.
Now that he read the book, he could actually justifiably level up. He only had to tap 'level up' lightly, and then he would be able to reach the first layer of Qi Devouring Formula.
But before doing this, he actually wanted to try out what cultivating on his own would feel like.
When he previously read online novels, he could recall that after the male protagonists officially set foot in cultivation, each and every one of them would cleanse their veins and cut their bones, completely eliminating all the filth in their bodies. After this process was done, they would then become tall, handsome, strong, and smart—even the cultivation process was described as somewhat especially pleasurable. After cultivating, they were apt to feel quite comfortable from head to toe, and would breathe out impurities.
It seemed to look pretty good.
Then… knock one out?[1]
…
[1] Another dirty joke


Shortly after Lu Xun creates an alternate account in 'Heavenly Earth,' he transmigrates into this Xianxia style game and becomes a glorious NPC. 
He discovers that he has transmigrated to a time three years into the past. He originally plans to accumulate his strength and bide his time while idiotic players appeared in copious numbers. 
Planning to issue quests to them so that they would be of use to him, he never expects that he would encounter difficulties from the get-go. 
Now, the very first problem he has to face is... a 'female devil' who can't be easily described in a few words... 
"There's something wrong with this account!" Lu Xun exclaims.

1984 annotations

梦幻1984

Almighty Sword Domain

Supreme Uprising

Warlock Apprentice

A Stay-at-home Dad's Restaurant In An Alternate World

Webnovel Test1108

Reborn Aristocrat: Return of the Vicious Heiress

Not Dead Yet (Harry Potter)

Plundering the Dao of the Immortal Journey

There's Something Wrong With This Account

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