Naruto: Manipulation - Chapter 164: Orochimaru Stirs the Chaos!

"In her previous life, she is used by her first love to send her own company into the tiger's den. She becomes bankrupt, gets kicked out of the house by her father, and becomes the target of ridicule by the family. Worst of all, she believes her best friend's lies, thinking that everything was done by her ‘husband’. Under her best friend's ploys, she almost kills him and is ultimately sentenced to prison, where she dies of depression.

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.

A hundred centuries ago, Daoist Jing Yuan died from lightning. A hundred centuries later, he comes back to life, but discovers that the stars have shifted and the world has transformed by leaps and bounds.

Marketplace: Selling herbs for 10 coppers each, alleviates fevers and detoxifies, reduces swelling and relieves pain.

Jing Yuan: Isn’t this the main precious herb used for Foundation Establishment Pills?

Auction house: Advanced level cultivation method starting at 30,000 spirit-stones!

Jing Yuan: Isn’t this the trashiest cultivation method you could find anywhere on the streets?

Art gallery: “The 100 Influential Figures of the Cultivation World”

Jing Yuan: Aren’t these my good friends A, B, C, D and old enemies 1, 2, 3, 4?

Bookstore: “Jing Yuan: A Biography“, “Memoirs of Jing Yuan“, “An Intro to Daoist-Master Jing Yuan’s Legendary Life“, “Honored Master Jing Yuan Teaches You How to Guide Qi into the Body“, “The Seven Habits of Founder Jing Yuan”

Jing Yuan: ?? Isn’t this me? Wait, when did I gain seven habits?

The companions he once journeyed with have long passed away, and not even 1/10 of the formerly glorious cultivation legacies remain. Yet, in this world without him, his legend still exists. This kind of feeling, is a bit embarrassing…

- Description from Novelupdates

The romantic comedy light novel series centers on the gaming lives of various high school students who play video games, including: Keita Amano, a lonely young man who loves video games; Karen Tendō, the beautiful president of the video game club; Chiaki Hoshinomori, who constantly fights with Keita; and Tasuku Uehara, who puts on a facade of being satisfied with his life in the real world, but he in truth loves video games.