MTL - After Becoming a Taoist - Chapter 42 Really filial!

What the hell? That menace who bullied me since I was six years old, actually became a pretty girl after three years of living apart? And she even ran to our agreed duel location to confess to me, hoping that I can become her boyfriend?!

This is a plot against me! There’s definitely an enormous conspiracy behind this! I won’t be fooled by you! Even if you tear up and act all pitiful, I will still disregard you and humiliate you, until you’ve have completely paid back all my childhood grievances!

What’cha lookin’at? There are very reasonable grounds for bullying a girl!

- Description from Novelupdates

At just four years old, Ryosuke Hyuga trains relentlessly in the Hyuga clan courtyard, sweat dripping from his brow and determination burning in his eyes. Once a member of the oppressed branch family, Ryosuke was destined for the curse seal and a lifetime of servitude to the main family. But fate had other plans.Reborn into the world of Naruto, Ryosuke awakened the Byakugan at birth — a feat unheard of even among the Hyuga. With his rapidly advancing eye techniques and innate talent, the clan hails him as a once-in-a-generation prodigy.Hyuga Hiashi, the clan head who temporarily adopted him, watches his progress closely. The moment news arrives of his newborn daughter's birth, Hiashi makes a shocking declaration:“From this day forward, you are the future husband of my daughter, Hinata. You will marry into the Hyuga main family.”No cursed seal. No servitude.Ryosuke will rise — not as a pawn, but as the shadow behind the Hyuga's future.

Arthur, an avid gamer, accepts his friend’s dare to beat an infamous eroge game that no one has ever completed. The problem? The game is designed to trap players in endless smut scenes, with every decision leading to the same outcome: more smut scenes, world destruction and game over. After countless failed attempts and growing frustration, Arthur takes to the game’s community forum, venting his anger at the developers. To his shock, he receives a cryptic response from the developer challenging him to find a different ending. Moments later, Arthur is pulled into the game itself, awakening in the body of an unremarkable extra. Arthur finds himself embodying the very lifestyle he once despised—fooling around at every turn and getting swept up in the woman’s seductive temptations. Can Arthur resist the game’s temptations, uncover hidden paths, and finally break free? Or will he become yet another player lost to its endless scenes? or he will do both? Follow Arthur’s journey for a fresh story filled with humor, plot twists, and concepts you won’t find elsewhere.

Isabella was supposed to be sipping champagne at a luxury spa, not waking up in the middle of a forest. Worse, a SYSTEM had attached itself to her like some clingy ex, spouting nonsense about survival, quests, and—oh, hell no—manual labor.“System, I was NOT built for the wilderness! My ideal ‘roughing it’ experience involves a five-star hotel with bad WiFi!”Now, instead of lounging in silk robes, she’s being ordered to farm? To hunt?“A farming quest? You want me—a city girl—to grow food? System, I once killed a cactus by overwatering it. This is NOT my calling!”And don’t even get her started on the hygiene situation.“You want me to bathe in a cold river? Darling, I require warm water, scented oils, and an ambience! What do I look like—some barbarian?!”Unfortunately, the locals—big, muscular beastmen—don’t seem to understand the concept of self-care. The women? Neglecting their skin like it’s a crime to be radiant. The men? Walking hygiene disasters.“Ladies, if your man can smell you before he sees you, we have a problem.”“You see this? This is lotion. It exists so you don’t look like a dried-up leaf. Use it.”“A beard should be majestic, not tragic. Let me fix it.”And the beastmen? They don’t just stare at her like she’s an oddity. No, they hover. They smirk. They lean in too close, fangs flashing with amusement.“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she huffed, crossing her arms.The panther grinned, his tail flicking. “Because you’re fascinating when you’re annoyed.”No, absolutely not. She was not here for this nonsense.“If you have time to stare, you have time to moisturize.”She didn’t ask to be here. She didn’t ask to be their savior. But if she has to suffer through this world, she’s making everyone around her suffer less—through skincare, style, and some serious attitude.“If I hear one more ‘We don’t season our food here,’ I’m launching a war.”“If you have time to gossip, you have time to do squats.”“You want to impress a woman? Start with not smelling like the battlefield.”Survival isn’t just about fighting monsters; it’s about looking good while doing it. So what if the System keeps throwing impossible quests her way?“What do you mean ‘you can’t skip quests’?! Since when?! Where is the skip button?! I demand a skip button!”But somewhere between dodging ridiculous quests and fixing these people’s tragic grooming habits, Isabella found herself in situations. Uncomfortable, heart-racing situations.Like being trapped against a tree by the red python, his red eyes half-lidded as he murmured, “You talk too much, little star. Should I silence you?”Like waking up with the lion lord’s fur-lined cloak draped over her shoulders, his deep voice gruff, “You shiver in your sleep. I’ll fix that.”Like the phoenix watching her every move, his burning gaze searing into her skin as he mused,“You cause chaos wherever you go, but I find that I don’t mind.”Oh, hell. No. She was not about to fall for four beastmen. She was too pretty for this much stress.“If you insult me again, I’ll make sure your soul needs a beauty upgrade.”“I refuse to be disrespected by anyone who dresses like an unwashed tree branch.”And yet, when a rival tribe came to challenge her, when danger lurked too close, those same beastmen stood beside her—smirking, taunting, fighting for her.“A beastman growled at me today. I growled back. He ran. I am the alpha now.”Isabella isn’t just surviving. She’s thriving. And this world better keep up.