I'm Holding a Talent Show in the Cultivation World

Coming soon: Where's That Big Brother of Mine?! See below ^^

World-weary Demon Venerable Chi Suihan x adorable lucky star Lou Jinzhao

After the great war between the righteous sects and the demons left both sides badly wounded, the various sects recuperated. To restore the immortal sects to their former glory, every faction began making moves.

While other sects started carefully selecting disciples and testing their cultivation every month, Lou Jinzhao, a lucky star who had been born into the world of cultivation, led her sect in launching a cultivation-world talent show!

*

Preparations for the competition were in full swing when the Demon Venerable, on his way to slaughter a righteous sect, found himself surrounded on all sides.

Chi Suihan irritably eyed the young woman tugging at him, wondering whether he should crush her to death right there.

Then he heard her marveling excitedly: "Fellow Daoist, your bones are remarkably fine, and the red glow between your brows is like the rising Ziwei Star. I made a quick calculation, and you seem to have a talent for 'explosive' performances. How about joining our talent show?"

Chi Suihan: "...?"

*

By a strange twist of fate, Chi Suihan entered the righteous sects' talent show. His peerlessly world-weary face put him in first place by a landslide, but he slacked off at every opportunity.

His rival started mocking Chi Suihan as a "pretty waste," and career-minded Lou Jinzhao panicked.

She secretly sought Chi Suihan out and earnestly urged him to take the competition seriously. Looking at Jinzhao, who was far too anxious on his behalf, Chi Suihan nodded as if he understood.

The next day, Chi Suihan and his rival took turns composing poems.

His rival wrote: "A bird outside the window."

Lou Jinzhao burst out laughing and immediately posted a rebuttal on the forum:

[Scathing review: What kind of literary talent does this contestant have? "A bird outside the window"]

The next second, Chi Suihan replied with a poem: "Reach out and wring its neck."

Lou Jinzhao: ?

She looked down and saw that her post had already drawn more than three hundred mocking replies from the rival's fans.

*

Halfway through the competition, Lou Jinzhao couldn't keep up with all the handsome men she saw every day.

Chi Suihan frowned. "Just how many people do you like?"

Lou Jinzhao answered seriously, "You might find me on the wall of any sect."

Chi Suihan lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

The next day, a scandalous incident rocked the sect: the walls outside every contestant's courtyard had all collapsed overnight!

Lou Jinzhao grabbed Chi Suihan. "Don't tell me this had anything to do with you!"

Chi Suihan secretly brushed the wall dust from his fingertips, his expression perfectly calm. "Huh? What happened? I don't know."

*

Chi Suihan's relationship with Lou Jinzhao, the richest woman in Snow City, was exposed, and there was no keeping his identity as the Demon Venerable secret anymore.

The talent show fans stormed the forum, both thrilled and devastated.

[Once a producer of cultivation shows, forever a victim of cultivation shows.]

[Good heavens! Everyone who called the Demon Venerable a "pretty waste," get down on your knees and thank him for sparing your lives.]

[Question: Lou Jinzhao promoted the Demon Venerable and made money from the righteous sects. Does that count as ill-gotten gains?]

Lou Jinzhao replied directly to this post: "I suggest you delete this. It's not good for me."

[I'm dying. The Demon Venerable came to the righteous sects to get famous, and now he's attached himself to the richest woman. Are the demons so broke they're desperate?]

Chi Suihan replied directly to this post: "Please don't blame the whole clan for an individual's actions. I'm sorry for taking up public resources. From now on, I'll try to take up only Zhaozhao."

Lou Jinzhao: "?"

Talent show fans: "? Where is justice!?"

Shipping fans: "Where is justice!? Where is fairness!? And where are the fans of Suihan and Jinzhao!?"

*

You washed the abyssal dust from me with the light and love of countless eyes.

Only then could I return to the human world.

Reader's guide:

1. The female lead doesn't pull strings for the male lead.

2. Includes on-screen comments.

3. This story is completely unrestrained, with modern jokes and fan-culture lingo. Please don't read if that bothers you!

Where's That Big Brother of Mine?!

Impatient King of the Underworld x a rebellious little junior sister who's a handful

In the fifth year of Zong Yu's reign as King of the Underworld, an Immortal Crossing Manor appeared overnight, ten miles outside Youdu.

Rumor had it that the manor's owner was an elusive woman known as Qing Shiqi. She wore a white veil and helped people cross into their dreams without ever charging them.

Since she hadn't set foot in Youdu, Zong Yu couldn't be bothered to care.

That changed when his underlings, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, came to him in tears. They accused Qing Shiqi of luring away souls who were supposed to enter Youdu, cross the Naihe Bridge, and be reincarnated. She had stolen the business that rightfully belonged to Youdu, and the souls' obsessions hadn't brought in any income for months.

Furious, Zong Yu stormed into Immortal Crossing Manor with his blade and hacked the place to pieces.

In the chaos, Qing Shiqi's veil fell. Zong Yu glimpsed her teary eyes, and then saw tears streaming from her soulful autumn eyes.

"I don't have a home anymore. You're responsible for me."

Zong Yu: ?

He must be hearing things. Someone actually dared to demand that he take responsibility.

*

Rumors spread through Youdu that Qing Shiqi, who had come from the human world, and the King of the Underworld were entangled in a love debt. But the King of the Underworld was famously unmoved by both food and women.

As his most loyal ghost subjects, the little ghosts unanimously decided Qing Shiqi was the problem. So they made a plan to teach her a lesson.

In the dead of night, a crowd of little ghosts gathered at Qing Shiqi's door.

Before they could act, Zong Yu kicked open the door and pinned the little ghosts to the ground in no time, before they could even speak.

Seeing the little ghosts howling on the ground, Qing Shiqi silently put away the dream bell she'd taken out to "send them off to the next life."

The little ghosts wailed, "Your Excellency! We were avenging your love debt!"

Zong Yu paused to catch his breath, sounding more guilty than ever.

"She's the creditor."

"I'm the one who owes her."

*

Forgetting you wasn't my choice, but loving you is instinct.

Theme: Always do what you love, no matter when.