The Cunning Treasure Hunter - Chapter 76: A Clash of Willpower

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

Ji Huan’s parents both died in a traffic accident.
Unexpectedly, his older sister also meets the same fate.
Yet everything starts when he says “goodbye” for the last time.

Hunting monsters? Genetic comparison?
Ji Huan flees with his older sister’s posthumous child to his hometown, Bade Town.
The three Grandpa, grandson, and nephew all live interdependent days.
However, inside the swaddling clothes is not a human baby,
But a monster…

Black egg body, white ring eyes, red mouth.
A child, ah! Doesn’t he have two eyes and a mouth! Resembling an egg, he is Ji Huan’s cute nephew!

Vermilion tiled wall, white lotus pond, convalescent courtyard.
This entirely neatly handsome and elegant young man: Ah Jin.
However, he told Ji Huan about the secrets of the monsters and discreetly taught him.
Bade Town is also slowly being covered in monsters…

Or, the record of a small countryside monster’s growth.

- Description from Novelupdates

Tigers beget tigers, and lions beget lions. But not in this case.Mao Jin, the only son of the Dust Valley Sect Master, became the laughingstock of the sect due to his trashy talent.At eighteen, he was still stuck in the Mortal Rank-1 realm, with no hope of breaking through to the next stage.Even his parents had given up on him as a cultivator, wishing only for him to live a mortal life.However, everything changed when Mao Jin earned his first income. That was when he realized—what he truly needed wasn’t talent, but money.With money comes unparalleled talents.From a nobody to a visionary, watch as Mao Jin transforms the Dust Valley Sect into a thriving business hub while rising to power!

Pei Jiu picked up a girl by the riverside. He settled her on the mountain, and planned to send her back once she recovered. This delicate girl was a useless crybaby, so Pei Jiu had to be a nice person. He cooked her food and washed her clothes. He let the troublesome girl ride on his shoulders so she could pick fruits. During winter, he would warm up the bed for her. One day, she hugged Pei Jiu’s arm with a smile. “Big Brother Pei, you’re really an honest and a good man. I will marry you and give birth to your babies!”

Pei Jiu eyed her critically and scathingly enumerated her shortcomings. She was ignorant and spoiled. She only knew how to pester and flirt with people all day long. Give birth to babies? Go ahead, give birth to caterpillars.

The delicate girl bawled so hard that she passed out. The next day, Pei Jiu returned to his mansion and told his servants to prepare for his wedding ceremony. When he returned to the mountain in the evening, Pei Jiu opened the door as usual, but he found that the cheeky girl had disappeared. He searched the whole mountain for her to no avail. No one would act like a spoiled brat in front of him anymore. What a headache.

Note : 娇 (jiāo) : tender/delicate/pampered/spoiled

- Description from Novelupdates