EVIL RISING AGAIN! - Chapter 4:Embers Beneath the Ashes

Reach the peak of immortal cultivation and become able to run amok without fear!
Use the power of martial arts to rule the world and defeat heroes!

The weather changes at the whim and wave of a palm. He who cultivates both immortal techniques and martial arts, who could possibly defeat him!

Xiao Chen is a shut-in who purchased a ‘Compendium of Cultivation’. Soon after, he crossed over into the Tianwu World, a world ruled by martial arts. He then refined pills, drew talismans, practiced formations, crafted weapons and cultivated the Azure Dragon Martial Soul that had not been seen for thousands of years.

This is a story that tells of an exciting and magnificent legend!

- Description from novelupdates

Sheng Yi can’t believe her high school classmate Jiang Lianzhou would become tremendously popular now;

What’s even more unbelievable is that she, a non-celebrity, would have to record a variety show with this top star;

But the most unbelievable thing is, the CP between her and Jiang Lianzhou had unexpectedly gone viral overnight.

One huge CP fan posted a Weibo to the circle:

“It’s been years since Jiang Lianzhou rose to stardom, yet he has never been involved in any scandal. I thought it was impossible for him to like other people.

But nowadays I discovered that, as it turned out, a top star could also be secretly in love with someone for so many years. He treasures the old notes she wrote, remembers all her preferences, and was overflowing with happiness when reunited with her after long separation.

Please let my CP be together and make his secret love wish come true.”

Sheng Yi stared at this Weibo post, then glanced at the thick variety show script in her hand, then looked towards the TV..

Inside the screen, the top star is currently acting incredibly affectionate, proceeding according to the script,”Have I ever confessed to my secret love? Yes, I have. I confessed through QQ, I told her ‘I want to be together with you’.”

Sheng Yi: “…”

He sure can act out this exceptionally fake script quite naturally, huh.

———

Sheng Yi cooperated with Jiang Lianzhou and meticulously played her role as his crush to boost their CP. Following the variety show that is coming to an end, the CP is on the verge of dissolvement.

That day, Jiang Lianzhou QQ account was suddenly leaked out. Despite his studio’s immediate denial, it still stirred up an uproar.

When a friend came looking for Sheng Yi to seek the truth, she sneered,”You can tell it’s fake with one look, I have his real QQ account during highschool.”

She casually copied the username circulated online into the search bar, only to find that it was actually in her close friends list.

Moreover, the note she added for him is——

FoolishStrangerX

And the chat history stopped at 6.9 on their senior year.

“I want to be together with you.”

- Description from Novelupdates

Mythical Abode Mountain, Cloud’s End Cliff, the most dangerous of Azure Cloud Continent’s four deadly areas. Cloud’s End Cliff’s base is known as the Grim Reaper’s Cemetery.

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.