“Too much love." ~ Prawn

A middle aged doctor discovers an old coin,  which is a relic from his ancestors. On it, 10 mysterious patterns were inscribed. At first, only the simplest pattern was visible underneath the countless layers of rust. 

The doctor studied the patterns on the coin for 5 years. Dedicating more than 5 hours a day to it, he finally revealed some of the secrets of the coin. 

He applied the energy he received from drawing those patterns to his patients, and he saw them recovering at an exponential pace. 

Yet one day, out of the blue, he was dragged from his bed and thrown into the most secure prison in the world. 

Designed to make people go mad, the prison is responsible for many suicides and has caused an innumerable amount of prisoners to go crazy. 

After being locked up for more than 24 hours, the doctor began to show signs of madness. 

Will he survive the experience? Or will he perish in the damp cells, doomed to never know why he was thrown into this living hell?

Read to find out.

It was too early in the morning. Little Yue was still soaking in the bath. I made myself a tea and opened my Inscription notes for review. As far as I could tell, this was a shortcut to all sorts of arcane powers and even godhood. And it was an even bigger mess than alchemy.

Glory City had three Inscription systems commonly called 'Patterns': Snow Wind, Sacred Flame, War Prime. Each system can be divided into 3 parts: sigils (called 'Foundation Patterns'), application rules (which cover materials, interactions between sigils, inscription methods), and a list of actual inscriptions (sigils weaved into a working pattern). 

I started my research with Sacred Flame pattern. Took all sigils and arranged them by the geometry, which gave me a list of their building blocks. Then wrote effect under each sigil, finding common points within each group, providing insight into the meaning of each block. Then did the same for interaction rules. Lastly tested different blood and scale for each sigil. Then I rearranged information into a number of tables, which gave me a framework to streamline further research. I was sure that big sis would be impressed.

There was so much to do, yet my time was up. Yue'er has finished her cultivation session and began preparing breakfast. I took this chance to clean myself. Both breakfast and bento were bigger and fancier than usual, probably Yue took the dinner as a challenge to her skill. I was perfectly happy about that - the scent of blood (from my tests) got my hungry up. On my way out I asked the girl to study a couple of other common plants.

Today's lesson was the history of Glory City with teacher Rong. Zi Yun was smiling and said that she heard about my invention, Nie Li was sleeping with open eyes. Lessons itself was mostly about dates of demonic beast invasions and heroic feats of previous city lords. It was whitewashed tale where all people were good and all demonic beasts were evil. Maybe I was too cynical, but it sounded too much like a coverup for some huge betrayal.

Once the lesson was over, I rushed to brought my Inscription notes to the big sister's office. Surprisingly she didn't come. After half an hour of waiting, I went to the library and began researching sigils of Snow Wind and War Prime Patterns. I couldn't test them yet, but I could at least begin filling certain tables.

I was noting building blocks found in these two systems when I found Zi Yun sitting across from me. "Snow Wind and War Prime Patterns?" - she asked.
"I'm a scholar, what did you expect?" - Inscriptions and alchemy are the most scholarly subjects around here.
"Don't know - you changed, so I don't know what to expect." - I didn't like where it was going.
"We are adults now, our childhood has ended." - I knew someone would ask.
"Yeah, you are right. I thought adults are people like a father or teacher Shen, turns out I was silly." - she agreed sadly.
"So what did you hear about?" - I asked.
"Cultivation platforms," - she instantly rebound, - "I know teacher Xiu hides your identity, but I was there when she departed towards carpenter guild. So when she arrived to report this invention, I knew it came from you." - she explained proudly.
"Yeah, it was me." - I admitted, then asked, - "Have you seen her today, by chance?"
"I have, I think she's at the guild, making an order on behalf of the Institute." - she explained.
"Didn't expect that, at all." - which earned a raised eyebrow.
"Ohh, it must be a small thing for you. But if you consider long-term ..." - she explained.
"Gains pile-up." - I simply lost perspective, thinking about those drugs that would come out rather soon.
"So what about patterns?" - her eyes were sparkling - "Did you find something new?"
"You can't just come and find something," - Boromir was great, - "It takes time."
"Promise to tell me," - her face was too close. Yes, she bowed over the table, I could look inside her dress (if she wasn't looking at my eyes so intently), and even smell her aroma (which was sweet).
"We can do it together, but it will my secret." - and there was a devious smile on her face.
"Count me in, partner." - Zi Yun sat next to me, curiously looking into my notes.
In spite of distraction, we actually got quite far, even identified a number of potential new sigils in some ancient tomes. She was practically vibrating with desire to run outside and test them herself. At the end of the school day, we agreed to compare our notes tomorrow.

A guy was reincarnated (into Tales of Demons and Gods) as Shen Yue, without a cheat.

So like a thief, Eric Wu stealthily entered the villa. He looked around to discover the presence of people. Seeing only the modern decoration, he proceeded towards the stair, ignoring the elevator next to it. He ascended in a pensive manner unaware that he was already on the second floor. 

"E-Eric?" 

Startled was Eric Wu once the familiar nervous voice called for him. He looked around and saw Bella Lim was reading a book near the sleek, marble fireplace pit in the living room. A purple cushion was used to elevate her hands that were holding the book. On a closer look, it was his latest published book.

"Where's little Ryan?" he casually asked as if earlier he hadn't made a wish not to run into her. Unexpectedly, he walked towards Bella Lim, sat across her and stretched his body. It all seemed natural except the woman who nervously peeked on him while trying not to be so obvious, hiding behind the thick book on her hand.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, trying to get the response that hadn't been given yet. Bella Lim immediately lowered her book and smiled nervously.

"H-He went to take his coloring supply," she explained, pointed to the coloring book lying on the table in front of her. Then, the book in her hand was rose again, a wall that hid the sight of a woman taking a deep breath in. 

Bella Lim peeked at the man across her and for a while there, she was stunned. The loose necktie, plus the unbuttoned first button, made her took another long, deep breath. The silhouette of him under the dim, golden light, exuded a dangerously sexy sensation. Bella Lim was amazed at herself that such a normal after-work look of him actually made her heart race uncontrollably. However, such a feeling wasn't necessarily a good sign to her.

If she couldn't handle this, how was she supposed to stand the unknown time of her staying with him at the villa? Bella Lim bit her lower lip, trying to remind herself not to go overboard with the imagery so that she could still be proud of her sanity by the time she left the house. 

Eric Wu saw the subtle change in her expression and was amused, returned was the man who loved to tease Bella Lim.

"You should thank little Ryan or else I would've punished you tonight,"

Punish?

"You promised not to stutter anymore. I'm thinking of putting you into labor right away,"

Ohh... Bella Lim exhaled a big sigh, a reaction that was properly hidden behind the book she held. Just now, her perverse mind was quick to jump to a conclusion when she heard Eric Wu's first sentence. Thank morality for his quick help in getting her back to her so-called innocent self.

"I-I think i-it will take t-time," she answered with the worst stutter she could manage.

Eric Wu laughed when he heard Bella Lim's reply. He had the urge to yank the book in her hand so that he could see her blushing face. Apparently, his mind was liking the image of her nervous state.

God!

Eric Wu internally gasped. He couldn't believe that his feeling towards Bella Lim had transcended to the level of admiring her reaction towards him. At the same time, he felt his lips were sealed by an unknown force. Right now, he was clueless about what to say. An awkward silence began.

Right at that moment, of course, little pumpkin who went to retrieve his coloring supply save the two adults!

"Big brother Eric!" little pumpkin jumped in front of Eric Wu, trying to surprise him. He was so excited when he saw him from afar sitting in the living room. Since the time he officially became the resident of Hillside Villa, he had hoped to see the hero of his life.

Little pumpkin appearance with a statement startled both Eric Wu and Bella Lim, while at the same time broke the tension away. Eric Wu was glad that little Ryan made his appearance. He rose from the comfortable seat to scoop the little boy off the ground and cradled him gently into his arm.

"My boy!" he was meant to say, savior.

"Where have you been hiding, huh?" and this sentence was supposed to be said as 'thank you for the perfect timing,'

Little pumpkin giggled as he hugged Eric Wu's neck. 

"Little pumpkin went to take those," he said while pointing to the box of coloring pencils that was thrown to the floor so that his surprise was impactful.

"Little pumpkin? Who gave you such a not-so-cute nickname?" Eric Wu laughed as he tried not to say 'lame'. He had heard of Bella Lim calling the little boy with such a name, yet he purposely asked that question to get to her nerve again. 

It seemed that teasing her was the natural course for Eric Wu.

"Big sis does. Is it not cute big brother Eric?" little pumpkin asked with his head cocked to the left. His big eyes were staring curiously at Eric Wu. Personally, he had no issue being called as little pumpkin.

"Not cute at all," Eric Wu shook his head in an exaggerated manner and sneakily glanced at Bella Lim who was engrossed with the book in her hand or probably not. The proximity between the book surface and her face gave an assumption that she either was too into the book or just short-sighted.

"Really?" little pumpkin asked. 

"Yes. The person who gave you this nickname probably wants to make you a pumpkin," a reply was given by Eric Wu with the support of his confident face.

Little pumpkin thought for a while and stared at the direction of his big sister who wasn't paying attention to them at all. 

"But, big sis gives me this nickname," he said in a sad tone. His big eyes fell onto his sister, hoping that she would give him a verbal response to support her decision of giving the name to him. However, the other wasn't saying anything at all.

"Big sis..." little pumpkin was at the brink of tears now. Eric Wu who saw the little boy getting emotional walked towards Bella Lim and kicked her right foot. That elicited a groan from the oblivious woman. 

Bella Lim closed her book with a loud bang and rose from her sitting position. She faced Eric Wu who was holding little pumpkin in his arms and heaved out. Her expression was livid. 

As she listened to their conversation, she could feel her palpitated heart changed to a flare of anger. Patience, she told herself for she knew that man was making fun of her again. Alas, little pumpkin's response made her feel the opposite. One kick and she fell into a fit.

"Little pumpkin, here," she called in a strict manner, arms were wide open. She noticed his hesitation and initiated the movement, taking the little boy into her arms now.

"Eric, don't you dare downgrade my love for him," she lashed out at Eric Wu. The man's gaze narrowed as he mused over the state Bella Lim was in. It seemed that she could talk properly when she was angry.

The hands that encircled little pumpkin's body became tight. Bella Lim looked into his eyes and said, "Don't listen to his nonsense okay?" she persuaded.

"But, big brother Eric said the name is not cute--at all," little pumpkin spoke, rising the tone as he pronounced the last two words. Bella Lim glared at Eric Wu who was looking at her as if she was an entertainment.

"No-no, you're the cutest thing that ever happens to big sis. Your big brother Eric is just joking," Bella Lim patted little pumpkin's head, comforting the moping boy. Then, she glared at Eric Wu while mouthed the phrase, 'fix this!'.

Eric Wu grinned as he walked closer towards the duo. "Sorry little Ryan. Your big sis is right, you're deserving of that name," he said as he squeezed little pumpkin's chubby cheek.

"That's indeed a cute nickname," he added.

Little pumpkin who had his eyes wetted, brightened. He looked at Eric Wu in disbelieved, "But big brother Eric hated the name," he pouted.

"Actually, big brother Eric wanted to see if your big sis would get angry. Imagine her yelling at me while stuttering," Eric Wu revealed his hidden agenda. Laughter skipped his lips afterward as he noticed the bewildered look of Bella Lim.

"Hehehe, so big brother Eric used me to tease big sis? meanieeee~ poor big sis!" little pumpkin cupped his mouth with both hands. Giggle in his eyes. When he saw Eric Wu nodded, he could no longer stop the laughter he tried so hard to suppress. He held out his hands, asking for Eric Wu to take him away. Soon, Bella Lim was left standing alone in the living room. Both Eric Wu and little pumpkin who rested in his arms were heading to the elevator, still laughing.

What just happened? Bella Lim moved her jaw in consternation. 

Did she just get played? She let out a chuckle, followed by another. Her face in total confusion, although she finally realized the stupid reason that brought about the entire scene.

She collapsed into the sofa and looked straight with loose eyes. 

For God's sake, this was only her first day living with Eric Wu!

Bella Lim wanted to cry but seemed like her own tears were teasing her as they refused to make an appearance, leaving the woman looked drained and hopeless.

"Bella,"

That voice shot her up. Bella Lim looked towards the owner of the voice. Eric Wu and little pumpkin were both staring at her.

"Let's go eat," Eric Wu spoke. His lips alongside the angle of his eyes were smiling. A smile that once again sent Bella Lim into disarray.

She walked towards them in a daze.

Hiatus - Read Author's note in the latest chapter for more info.

Bella Lim was just an ordinary girl who had a peculiar hobby of stalking the most handsome, rich, popular man in the whole country.

One day, she found out a secret that could endanger the man's life. She tried to warn him but it was too late, she saw his dire state in front of her very eyes. And she was killed under the hand of the ruthless killer. 

But, due to her 'sin', she was reborn. It was a blessing but at the same time a curse that changed her life forever.

Her life entangled with him and dark past returned!



*I'll update weekly sometimes daily.
* a cliche reincarnation story (with some originality.cough.)
*English is not perfect. Comments/review for improvement is most welcome.

"Be careful, restrain yourself from getting too near to it. The fire around it is demon sunfire. It may look calm and peaceful now, but it is actually very terrifying."
Tu Jiang led Zhong Yue closer to the godly mountain, and the divine weapon Sun Chariot. The war chariot was suffused with the demon god's aura, and the demon fire formed a circle of flames around it, burning extremely calmly, as if they were merely decorations to the picturesque scene.
Zhong Yue looked into the palace on the godly mountain. In the middle of the palace the Sun Chariot was enshrined, while a platform was raised on the side of the palace where many Asura disciples were sitting. They were studying the Sun Chariot from a distance, as they didn't dare to get too close to it.
Those that could have entered the palace were the best of the best among the Asura Saint Clan disciples; they were given the chance to study the Sun Chariot Engravings, and attain the[Heavenly Saint Godly Radiating Art].
Zhong Yue could even sense some of them were Inner Core Qi Qi Practitioners, experts that weren't any weaker than Tian Mo Concubine and the ladies. Even more, there were a few disciples whose cultivation bases were so strong that he couldn't perceive them at all.
Tu Jiang invited him to the palace and walked onto the raised platform, the demon fire surrounding the Sun Chariot was just before them. Tu Jiang then said with a smile, "The Asura Saint Clan's demon sunfire is nothing like the Shen Ya Celestial Race's sunfire, the two sunfires have their own fortes. The demon sunfire's power is more bizarre and harder to practice, even the Asura Saint Clan has only a handful of disciples who have successfully cultivated it."
The Sun Chariot was still a thousand feet away from the raised platform they were on. Zhong Yue looked at it from the distance and saw the marvelous demon sunfire forming a circle of flame around the legendary war chariot, making it harder for the disciples to study the Sun Chariot Engravings. But if one desired to go closer in order to have a better look, he would have to risk getting in touch with the demon sunfire.
As for boarding the Sun Chariot and studying the heavenly demon god's spirit, one would have to venture into the demon sunfire, endure the incineration of the demon sunfire, and face the Sun Chariot and heavenly demon god's godly aura, the dominating air of a heavenly demon god!
However, that being said, Zhong Yue could still vaguely perceive faint silhouettes flitting in the demon sunfire which clearly belonged to strong experts of the Asura Saint Clan, those who were powerful enough to withstand the demon sunfire and study the Sun Chariot at a closer distance.
Zhong Yue was shocked as he meticulously observed the demon sunfire. He had one of the strongest sun spirits, the Great Sun Golden Crow, and due to that, he could immediately sense the abnormalities in the demon sunfire.
The demon sunfire was different from the other sunfires that were strong in bursting force and high in temperature.
A tiny bit of sunfire was sufficient enough to blow up a ten-mile wide crater, and the shock wave could tear all living beings into dust around the blast site!
However, the demon fire around this Sun Chariot was burning at a very low temperature. One wouldn't feel the heat even while standing beside it, it seemed harmless to even the tiniest insect.
"Don't underestimate it, the demon sunfire is a terror to those who know what it is. When burned, the demon sunfire will attach itself to its victim, directly attacking the soul, spirit, and Yuan Shen. As long as one has been touched by it, it will infect them like a parasite, and it cannot be extinguished; not water, sand, arcane energy, nor the soul weapons can put it off. The only way to put it off is the absence of 'fuel'; the complete incineration of the spirit, soul, and Yuan Shen!"
Tu Jiang smiled and said, "After the infected's spirit, soul, and Yuan Shen are burned away, their mortal body will still remain at its peak as if they were still alive, no one will even know he is dead. Not only that, but the demon fire reacts marvelously with soul weapons; please take a look, mister!"
He took out an ordinary soul weapon and cast it over to the Sun Chariot. It flitted past a tiny bit of the demon sunfire and the demon sunfire immediately stuck itself on the soul weapon. It burned right into the soul weapon, incinerating it from the inside out. A few moments later, the soul weapon collapsed onto the ground and although it looked perfectly fine, Zhong Yue could tell that inside of the soul weapon, its totem patterns, arcane energy, powers and marks were all gone; it was now nothing but a clump of scrap metal!
"Incredible…" Zhong Yue exclaimed in shock.
The demon sunfire's appearance was fantastically beautiful, one couldn't even tell it was actually fire and would mistake it for coloring pigments. Every tongue of flame could be differentiated into hundreds of colors, and the flames were incredibly flexible. They could be formed into different shapes, coming together into picturesque art of a world of nature, even coloring the flora and fauna.
"If a demon magnate who is proficient in the arts of demon sunfire places down an array formation, he can turn a piece of land in the desert into a lively city, every single demon and item in the city, even the trees and birds around will look real and authentic, as if they truly exist!"
Tu Jiang was proud as he told them, "Such an array formation can easily kill an expert in a trice! Only a handful of people in the Asura Saint Clan can do it; after all, the Qi Practitioners that have acquired the sun spirit are really rare, and even fewer have achieved a high stage. Although there are some Qi Practitioners that have acquired the sun spirit in the Asura Saint Clan, most of them did not acquire a genuine sun spirit, but the sun spirit of this heavenly demon god."
He then said in good will, "Mister, if you can't attain the demon sunfire, then you can only stay here to study the Sun Chariot Engravings. Only by attaining the demon sunfire can one walk into the circle of demon flames and study a higher-grade heritage. Even so, if mister does not have the Sun Innate Spirit Body, my advice is to not take the risk. Hahaha, but that won't be the same if you have the Sun Innate Spirit Body. If so, don't even mention the demon sunfire, you can even attain the other greatest cultivation technique of my race, the[Great Sun Heavenly Demon Art]. I'm being a fool making jokes again, I'm sorry, my apologies for that…"
Zhong Yue was speechless, and Tu Jiang was also feeling embarrassed. He quickly said, "Mister, I will return for you after half a month's time. Before then, you can stay as long as you desire."
Zhong Yue nodded, and the embarrassed Tu Jiang quickly turned and left.
Sun Innate Spirit Body? Although I'm not one, but maybe even the true Sun Innate Spirit Body might not have a stronger sun spirit than mine! After all, I've walked on the surface of the sun and acquired the sun spirit on the sun itself!
Zhong Yue sat down in the lotus position but he didn't study the Sun Chariot Engravings. Instead, he turned to the billowing demon fire and thought, Studying the Sun Chariot Engravings here, don't even talk about half a month's time, even with a hundred days I won't be able to finish looking at them. In order to fully attain the Engravings, the only way is to walk into the fire and look at them closely … Divine third eye, open!
A narrow slit opened on his forehead, a flash of light flitted across his divine third eye and the demon sunfire's secrets were exposed to his eyes. The mysteries of the demon sunfire were instantly laid bare to him, he could clearly see every single detail of the totem patterns composed in the demon sunfire, and he could easily understand them all.
After an hour's time, Zhong Yue suddenly opened his hand and a ball of fire emerged out of thin air in the middle of his palm. The fireball looked like a little tree swaying in the air, before it changed into a blooming flower with ever-changing colors. Seconds later, the blooming flower then changed into the figure of a little bird, fluttering its wings, trying to fly higher, and as soon as it reached to his eye-level, the flying bird burned in flame and turned back into a ball of demon fire before a miniature man walked out from it.
The fire vanished in the blink of an eye, and the tiny figure disappeared before it reached his eyes.
Zhong Yue then stood up, walked down from the raised platform and strode into the circle of demon sunfire, walking toward the Sun Chariot until he disappeared from the sight of the disciples on the platform.
He had just attained the demon sunfire's fundamental structures, and constructed his own demon sunfire; although there were still more to explore of the demon sunfire, he didn't have the time to linger any longer as he was only given half a month's time. Fifteen days weren't long enough to fully understand the whole of the demon sunfire, let alone the Sun Chariot Engravings.
Hence, he could only take a leap of faith, a bet that risked his life to prove that his newly-acquired demon sunfire could withstand the demon sunfires around the Sun Chariot.
Just as he walked into the circle of flames, the demon sunfires instantly billowed over as they felt this uninvited guest, seeping into his body through the tiny pores on his skin. Zhong Yue was unmoved, he let the demon sunfires infiltrate his body and watched quietly as his Yuan Shen was also infected by the demon sunfire.
As these demon sunfires surged into his body, his body was immediately engulfed by the demon sunfire in a ball of fire; he closed all his pores and stopped more demon sunfires from entering his body.
Even though he could withstand the demon sunfires, there was still a limit to it, and letting more demon sunfire into his body would cause the limit to be exceeded.
Zhong Yue could feel his Yuan Shen slowly eroding away due to the demon sunfire; this was because his attainments on the demon sunfire were still too shallow and couldn't effectively counteract the demon sunfires that were impairing his Yuan Shen now.
However, as the demon sunfires were working, the sharp perceptiveness of his Yuan Shen allowed him to clearly capture every little permutation of the totem patterns that composed the demon sunfire. As such, he was able to strengthen and improve his demon sunfire to better protect his Yuan Shen.
The permutations in the demon sunfire were too numerous. In the few seconds he had entered the circle of flames, there were already hundreds of permutations he couldn't react to in time that inflicted damage to his Yuan Shen. But after a few moments, he had progressively improved his demon sunfire and there were only a few permutations left that could inflict damage to his Yuan Shen.
After another few moments, Zhong Yue heaved a breath of relief as he have now grasped all of the permutations of the demon sunfire that infected his Yuan Shen. His Yuan Shen was now unaffected at all.
However, this was only when the demon sunfire was not triggered; if the demon sunfire around the Sun Chariot was activated, his Yuan Shen would still be incinerated.
This demon sunfire was from that heavenly demon god. He could still endure it if was not triggered, but if the demon sunfire's power was fully unleashed, even gods could be killed.
Furthermore, this was only the demon sunfire on the outer rim, it was of lower grade. The closer the demon sunfire was to the Sun Chariot, the higher grade and the stronger it would be, and there would be more permutations to it. The demon sunfire in the Sun Chariot would most probably be at the level of the heavenly demon gods!
If I can just take a tiny bit of the demon sunfire of the heavenly demon god level, it will be a very precious treasure. However, this demon sunfire can be infuse into nearly everything, it's very hard to contain it because there are no soul weapons that can contain it.
Zhong Yue tried opening his Yuan Shen secret realms and store some of the demon sunfire inside, but he gave up quickly as the demon sunfire flowed right through the secret realms and remained in the common world.
He walked slowly through the flame sea and drew nearer to the Sun Chariot. Along the way, the demon sunfire's power was also getting stronger and the permutations of its totem patterns were getting more complex. Every step he took, he would have to stop for a period of time to attain the permutations. His understandings on the demon sunfire also deepened as he did that.
In the demon sunfire, there were dozens of Asura Saint Clan Qi Practitioners. They all had four arms and looked marvelous, the men handsome and the women beautiful. Even the aged Asuras maintained their attractive air.
As he walked closer to the Sun Chariot, the young Asura Qi Practitioners were left behind, and those around him were now the older generation Asuras. When he reached the Sun Chariot, the Qi Practitioners around it were all incredibly old. Some had even sat unmoving for hundreds of years just so they could study the Sun Chariot all the time!
A few that were around were so strong that even he couldn't perceive their exact powers. These were the old giants of the demon race!
The godly aura and demonic air were thick and heavy, they were even starting to repress his mortal body, Yuan Shen, and thoughts, placing him under great pressure. Thanks to his Immortal Body, he was way stronger than before, and his mortal body avoided collapsing right away.
He strode onto the Sun Chariot and the pressure rose to a new level. It felt like there were dozens of mountains crushing down on his back, his skin started to crack, and his muscles felt like they were tearing themselves apart. His body was on the verge of disintegrating while the demon sunfire around him was at the demon god-level sunfire!
Zhong Yue stopped abruptly, waiting until his attainments and understandings on the demon sunfire had deepened before he took another step further after boarding onto the Sun Chariot.
"Who is he? How is he not afraid of the demon sunfire? Has he attained the heavenly demon god-level demon sunfire?"
Behind Zhong Yue, the few Asura Saint Clan giant cultivators opened their eyes and stared over at Zhong Yue, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"When did our saint clan have such a talented young man?"


Title: Rise of Humanity, 人道至尊
Author:  宅猪 (Zai Zhu)
Status: 1490 Chapters (completed) 
Translator: RisingDawn 
Editor: GemVoo
Chapter Release Rate: 1 chapter a day
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Tags: Legends, Mythology, Demons, Gods, Dragons, Monsters, Clever  Protagonist, Romance 
Synopsis
In the world birthed by Pangu, the Three Sovereigns lit the spark of humanity that the Five Emperors would later fan into a blazing fire, eternally branding humanity as the leaders of the world….
This was a time where twilight had descended on the reign of the Human Sovereign and the Five Emperors had yet to emerge – humanity was merely one of the myriad races wandering about the vast cosmos.
This was a desolate and barren era. The monsters, devils, heavenly gods, and deities of all races stood aloft; with the demons, heavenly souls, and spirits dancing freely around the world.
The humans were still a feeble and burgeoning race at the mercy of the pantheon of races that ruled the world together from within the great wilderness.
This was not the era of the Foreworld, but the barbaric and untamed era of uncivilization!
Let us rewind back to China’s ancient and classical mythology and recount the legendary tale of how a single figure led humanity out of an epoch of darkness and into a new dawn.
“Why do I seem like a monster? It’s not that my heart longs for blood, but the indifferent reality, and the harsh truth ... that drives me to kill.”
— Zhong Yue 
Click for more Notable Quotes!
Here's a picture of the Three-taloned Golden Crow that will appear in the novel:
Click for more Mythical Creatures!
Things You Should Know
Honestly, judging from the title itself, one’s initial impression would be that the story is simply another boring and cliche cultivation novel. Or at least, that was what I thought at first when I was first introduced to this novel by a friend. But to my surprise, and most likely to yours, (if you read it, that is ...) you will soon come to realize that the plot gets very interesting, involving many characters from the ancient and primeval eras of Chinese mythology.
Every story has their own charms, and every character has their own tale to tell. And this, is the tale of a young man fighting not for himself, but for the betterment of humanity. The plot starts to get really good at around chapter 50-ish, and that’s when the roller coaster starts to rise higher and higher to never come down again (literally, it ended in a climax).

Death was such a complicated thing, and it did not get easier with time. Harry knew this, and felt each and every version of his parents dying. No matter how many times it happened, he still ached.

'If only this was possible to prevent,' the child groused inwardly. 

He had actually tried more than one hundred separate times to save them. Each time they still died, and each time Harry felt more helpless. More inhuman. 

'They die over and over, while I live on again and again.' 

His heart hurt, and he didn't particularly feel festive as Halloween approached. Lily was decorating the house with muggle and magical decorations. She had even come up with a plan to make a sort of in-home trick or treating for Harry, since they were all confined to the cottage and it's Fidelius Charm. A trusted adult and guard was scheduled to wait behind each cottage door. When Harry knocked, each closet or room would open to reveal a different Marauder or Order member, each holding a bowl of candy. 

'It's hard to smile when I feel so low,' Harry thought, leaning across a low coffee table set up with a coloring book and large crayons. His chubby cheek was pressed flat against the cool wood, and the frown on his face was partially squashed. The coloring book he was working on was magical in nature, and the unicorn he was currently coloring would rear and prance nervously every twenty seconds; tossing it's magnificent mane, it charged across the page when he attempted to apply some sunset orange to the spiral horn. 

'Death is only the beginning for me,' he admitted to himself, wax crayon poised above plain parchment. 'Pity it isn't the same for them. Always, always the same results.' 

It was probably a fixed point in time, which meant that nothing he did could change it. Unfortunately, there were some cases of this. No matter the interference, the event would progress even without him interacting or encouraging the situation. His parents, Sirius, Cedric, Remus; these were all deaths he had actively fought. Regardless, each lifetime he witnessed, they died the same. 

'I feel like the King in Sleeping Beauty,' Harry sighed. 'No matter how many spindles I burn, the curse still exists and comes to existence. My family is still doomed, and there's nothing a mere human can do.' 

At this point, he had a small understanding of Time, Fate, and Death. All three were Principle Primordial existences. They were endless and ageless; from a time before Time existed. And all three Principles had finite laws and ideals.

If Fate destined something to happen then it was impossible to deny it. If Time agreed with Fate, then it would happen specifically without fail on a specific date or hour. If Death made an arrangement, and Fate and Time could coincide or make stakes, then that arrangement would supersede all others. In other words, if Death decreed his parents to die at 11:52 PM and both Time and Fate agreed, then they would die before the clock could tick over the two to a three. 

Time often decreed that something specific happened to him, so that something would always happen, too. Time had decided that Harry was bitten by the basilisk fang in each reality, and somehow this always happened. 

How this came to be was sometimes strange, such as Harry accidentally hatching a basilisk from a chicken egg beneath a toad. Or worse still, when the ancient fossilized fang of a basilisk on display in a museum had managed to break his fall. Time always got it's destined end. 

Fate was kinder, but just as stubbornly stuck in place. Harry was somehow always the 'One'. No matter who he was, or what lifetime be lived. Even as a koi fish, it was his interventions that saved the world from the Dark. And wasn't that convoluted?! A koi fish saved the day, without credit. This was prejudice, that's what it was.

Toddler Harry snorted. 'A bloody koi fish saved their arses,' He taunted inwardly, picturing the faces Dumbledore had made in his office. Completely dumbfounded, the wizard would likely have lost his sanity. Perhaps that was why he had thrown himself from the astronomy tower later that same evening, all whilst cackling.

Always the same but not; that version of Dumbledore was not killed by Snape or the ring's curse. Instead, he had thrown himself from the tower, much the same as he always fell in death. Head down, eyes upwards, and sprawled out helpless. 

Death cared nothing for dignity, he knew. 

'Tonight they die,' Harry sighed silently. His heart felt heavy, painful, but this was inevitable. Anticipation was his arch nemesis, but like the Principle Entities that controlled his existence.

In a last ditch effort to show his love, Harry did his best not to bother the adults. Behaving was difficult for a toddler, but he just managed. Somehow, he wanted to make today easier for them.

"I am telling you, he's not himself today. What if he's getting sick?" Lily was talking animately in the next room. 

"We'll give him a bit of Pepper-Up at dinner. He's fine, Lils," James was telling his wife, his voice getting nearer as they spoke. No doubt he had moved closer and was now holding his wife. "He's a Potter. He'll survive this, and he'll come out on top and be amazing. At the ripe old age of one hundred and eleven he will pass gently into the next world, asleep in his bed. Loved and content with his choices."

Lily made some muffled noises, before quietly asking, "Do you really think so?" 

James sighed deeply, a sound he made often when he was holding Harry's mother tight and close. A sound reserved for her, almost like he was breathing her in. Nonetheless, it was a sound Harry heard often, at least once daily. 

Harry's heart throbbed painfully, and he tried to put the evening from his mind. Sure enough, the Floo activated, and several Order members reported an attack before most of the adults, save his parents, left. It was a violent call, something about a vicious and explosive attack on Diagon Alley. Voldemort himself was supposed to be in attendance. 

But that wasn't true, Harry knew. It was a set up to distract the Order. In reality, although most of his Death Eaters were destroying the popular shopping district in London, currently Voldemort was heading to the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow. Secret and rat in hand, he was poised to come and fulfil the prophecy by killing the Potter child, having chosen a half-blood like himself.

Harry wanted it to be over already. Tears stinging his eyes, he hugged a blanket to his chest, still morosely laid across the end table. 

'KaBoom!' Came the sound of the wards crumbling, a sound similar to glass breaking immediately following. The wards and intent barrier had fallen. Voldemort was here. They only had seven minutes before they could expect the Dark Lord at their actual door. 

A tear slid down Harry's face, sliding across his nose and tracing a hot, salty trail to his plump cheek pressed against the wood. 

Lily ran in seconds later, face paler than usual. James was hot on her heels, and as soon as he was certain that his son was carefully ensconced in his wife's arms, he hugged them both close. Pressing a kiss to Lily's upturned forehead, he gently ruffled Harry's eternally fluffy hair. Held tight in his mother's arms, Harry mewled helplessly in distress.

"You know what to do," James whispered hoarsely against his wife's soft red curls. Her hair smelled of mint and rosemary.

Lily nodded, her body moving shakily. She was afraid, but there was a fire in her green eyes. A determination to be strong shone through as she lifted her head, tipping her chin up. 

"I take Harry, go upstairs and wait. After twenty minutes, if you haven't joined us, then I floo out. If I can't floo, I apparate; if I can't apparate, I use the emergency portkey in the hallway inside the circle. If at any time it feels like the situation has worsened, I am to immediately evacuate ahead of you." Her eyes blazed as she looked through her lashes at her husband. "You will survive this, so hurry up. Don't be a ridiculous Gryffindor, run if you have to. Your family needs you." 

James' smile was warm and full of love. Soft hazel eyes, wide grin and youthful black curls, he looked very young. Harry was painfully reminded of how very young both his parents were. 

"I finally have the most beautiful flower in all the world. My fire flower, so passionate, so brave. So smart and kind, she puts a saint to shame." His smile looked lopsided at this angle, making the man look charming and devilishly handsome. "My fire Lily has given me a home, a family. A son to carry on, and hopefully one m--" 

Lily frowned and pressed a finger to his lips, shifting her grip on their son. 

"We'll talk about it when you come back to us," she said firmly. "And not a moment before."

James laughed.

The next few minutes were a blur. Lily headed upstairs, holding Harry in her arms. James headed to the front door, waiting to greet their unwelcome visitor. There was loud voices, screaming, spell colors lighting up the night through the windows. The sound of furniture moving, snapping, breaking, shattering, exploding! 

For a while this continued, noise rising steadily like a crescendo of destruction. 

But suddenly, it was quiet. A violent sort of quiet that swallowed up all hope, leaving only fear.

Lily began to weep, shoulders shaking as she placed Harry in his playpen and threw green powder into the fireplace. There was no reaction, and Lily's expression tightened. Quickly rising to her feet, she turned and went to the playpen. Her hand holding Harry's, she waved and flicked her wand-- but instead of a magnificent 'crack!', there was a sort of grinding noise. Apparation and floo were impossible, cut off, in or out. 

Sucking in a breath through her teeth, Lily hefted Harry quickly, putting him on her slender hip as she walked quickly to the door, wand out before them. She turned the knob, pulling the door open slowly as she glanced down the hallway towards the portkey and transmigration circle some distance away. 

However, she immediately screamed and slammed the door closed. The Dark Lord Voldemort was walking slowly through the hallway towards them, resplendent and terrifying in robes of all black. 

Lily ran deeper into the room, whispering the password to the lock on the nursery. Immediately spell chains heavily interwoven locked the room down. Now, even opening a window was impossible. It cut off their own escape, but bought time for the Order to arrive. As soon as the lockdown was activated, Dumbledore would be alerted.

Harry felt his face being pressed tightly against his mother's chest. She kissed him tenderly, keeping her lips against his black curls before more tears slid down her face, running into his hair. 

Placing her son in the wooden crib James had carved with steady transfiguration when he first heard she was pregnant Lily brushed the hair back from his forehead and knelt before him. 

"Mama loves you," she whispered, a tear making its way unhindered down her cheek. "Dada loves you," Lily encouraged, looking solemn and beautiful. A tragic and lovely angel. "You have to be brave now, Harry. You have to be brave."

Harry began to cry, and Lily tried to smile for him but it was watery at best. 

"Ma... ma!" Harry cried, his entire being hurting. "Mama!" 

Lily smiled again, a bit more realistically, but this time there was an explosion, and then the sudden cracking of the wooden door as it flew apart and off the hinges. Voldemort had cracked the lockdown.

Through the rubble and smoke stood a dark and cloaked figure. Elegantly, he stepped through the frame of the door, looking for all the world as though this was just tea. Even the dust settling onto his dark shoulders did not hinder his casual elegance.

Glowing red eyes with serpentine vertically slit pupils locked with the cautious gaze of Lily Potter. 

"Stand aside, girl!" Hissed a high voice. 

"No!" Cried his mother. "I won't. Take me, take me instead! But not Harry, don't touch Harry!" 

"Step aside!" This was the second time life was offered to Lily Potter. 

"Not Harry, take me! Just don't hurt my baby!" 

His mother held firm. 

"Step aside, you foolish girl!" Voldemort hissed his final warning. 

"No! Please, don't take him. Not my son, not Harry. Take me!" Lily begged, eyes fierce and back straight. She was noble in a way Harry could only hope to be. 

"As you wish," Voldemort sneered, and brandished his yew wand, long fingers curled around the handle. Sweeping it back, he lunged forward as though fencing, and said the words to the worst Unforgivable. 

"Avada Kedavra!" 

Green light shot out of his wand. Lily turned quickly, her back to her assailant, not running away but shielding, hunching down protectively above Harry. 

The light hit Lily between her shoulder blades. She screamed, body jerking quickly backwards before falling down and off to the side. 

Harry felt pressure behind his ears, a sudden and high pitched ringing. Buzzing and trilling loudly, the noise took precedence over everything. When it jerkily ended, Harry heard high-pitched laughter. High and cold, it mocked him like waking up from a dream into harsh reality. This nightmare was his reality. 

"I will have no equal, I will rule eternal! I, who have beaten death, shall live forever and reign!" 

Voldemort cackled maniacally and bowed in a mocking farce. Harry couldn't see his face, cast in shadow as it was beneath his hood, but he suspected the other was smiling and jeering at him. 

"My apologies, forgive me as I have already taken so much. On a positive note, you shall never experience the life of an orphan. This is our first and last meeting, so I bid you good bye... Harry Potter..." He pulled back his arm and lunged his wand downwards, crying out, "Avada Kedavra!" 

Green light raced towards Harry, but he only glanced up slowly, expression hollow. He wanted his mother to get up. He wanted James to charge in here, safe and alive. But neither of these things happened.
 
Harry closed his eyes, not wanting to see what was happening. Tired. So tired. He wanted to sleep, he wanted to dream. To dream of his family, laughing that summer. The way they looked. The way they smelled. The way they felt. 

As the death curse rebounded, Harry closed his eyes and slept. He didn't see Voldemort disintegrate. Nor did he see Severus Snape crying over his mother's corpse. He slept through the arrival of Hagrid, and his loading onto Sirius' flying bicycle. 

Tears glittering on his dark lashes, he dreamt of his birthday. 

Lily twirling with James in the kitchen, her soft cream skirt flaring out like flower petals. The way the light hit her hair and turned it into brilliant red and copper. The sound of her laughter. The way she sang along to the radio, or how she always smelled like vanilla and herbs.

James swaying with his wife, hazel brown eyes full of laughter. Honey light sparkled in his eyes, eyes that only looked at his wife. The way the shadows lit up the lines of his lean face and strong jawline, drawing attention to the dimples in both cheeks, framing his wide mouth. Dark and messy curls bounced loosely on his head, a halo of shadows. 

It was a beautiful memory. His parents were truly a beautiful couple. Everyone was happy... 

Harry didn't wake all through the night, even when Dumbledore placed him on the Dursley's doorstep. It was only morning when Harry woke, confused and alarmed, to the shrill screaming of his Aunt. 

'Ahh,' Harry inwardly sighed. 'Durzkaban hell.'

Harry Potter is the Master of Death. Unable to pass on after death, he is instead reincarnated eight hundred and ninety-one times. It turns out, dying is the easier part. Living? That's the hard bit. 

***** 

I generally get out a chapter every weekend, though occasionally sooner. Sometimes I already have a draft started the next day, adding to it throughout the week. 
This will have weekly chapters!

*****
...
..
.
I do not own Harry Potter. This is a work of fanbased fiction, and is not intended to be of anything but amusement with zero monetary value. 
Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers and co.

I stared, wide-eyed and open mouthed, at the two monsters my parents had just summoned in front of me. I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I could feel that these two monsters were much stronger than the Magmoose and Glacielk I had ran into. The shock on my face must've been evident, because I heard my father subtly cough in order to get my attention. I shook my head and refocused on my parents.

"Well honey, this is Magni, my Wombatant", my father said. "And this is Aura the Karatsune. Say hello you two", my mother said. The Wombatant, the bipedal rodent with the huge club, proceeded to lift his free arm in a short wave, while the Karatsune let out a small fox "yip" as a sign for hello. "Hello...", I said sounding nervous and awe-struck by the two monsters in front of me. The Wombatant just stood there, leaning against its club, while the Karatsune proceeded to saunter towards me. I just sat there in shock as the golden fox monster proceeded to sniff at me for a bit, and then jump into my lap and curl up into a little fluffy ball. "D'awww, she likes you", my mother said. 

"Silivia, why don't you summon your monster so they can meet with ours?", my father suggested. "My monster...oh right", I said as I initially reached for the drajule at my neck, stopped for a brief second, and instead grabbed my hunting knife that had Rakka's drajule embedded in the handle. My parents watched with pride and curiosity in their eyes, as I produced the purple drajule that held Rakka. "Told you she would use the knife", I heard my father mumble to my mother. 

Recalling how I summoned Voxea in the tomb earlier, I held the drajule embedded in my knife, focused until the familiar fork of energy formed around the drajule and clanged it with my other hand. An intricate summoning pattern soon formed behind me, filled with scripts and pattern unfamiliar to me. The pattern had red, blueish-white and yellow coloring mixing together and forming distinct scripts of just those solitary colors. A loud grunt that sounded like rolling thunder came from pattern, that was soon followed by a majestic larger than average elk-like monster, my Ragnaceros, walking out of it.

Voxea did not prepare me for what I would be seeing. Rakka, my Ragnaceros, looked much like an elk, but was much larger than average. It's fur was a distinctive white, with strange patterns of red and yellow crisscrossing it like elaborate tattoos. It's antlers were huge and flat like a moose's, but the flat parts looked to be carved with runes similar to the ones that Voxea used for her magic and lightning seemed to jump between the sharp points of the antlers. Rakka had a rather intimidating presence to the say the least.

Rakka proceeded to look around a bit and walk a circle, stopping to face me and Aura, who was still laying in my lap without a care in the world. Rakka lowered his huge head to get a closer look at the small fox creature. When it got closer, Aura then finally perked up and looked at the massive elk directly in the eyes. 

The two monsters stared at each other for a few moments, oblivious to my parents' observing gaze and the discomfort slowly creeping up my legs.Their stare-off finally ending when the Karatsune let out a small "yip" and licked Rakka's nose, while Rakka snorted and nuzzled his face against Aura. Afterwards, Rakka nuzzled against my neck and face. He felt surprisingly warm and fuzzy for 7ft tall elk monster made of lightning, ice and fire.

Magni, the Wombatant, proceeded to march over towards Rakka whilst carrying its great club over its shoulder. The two then stare at each other for a bit, before Rakka laid down on his four legs. Magni and Aura then proceeded to jump onto the Raganceros' back, and the trio went outside. "Ok, that was adorable", I heard Voxea said in my head, and I agreed.

After the trio of monsters left, I turned towards my parents and said, "So...you're binders and there's something you're not telling me"?

Eight centuries ago, a mighty empire once stood over the land. This empire was lead by the maji, wielders of magic who could raise mountains, revive wastelands and freeze oceans. In their hubris, they created living weapons, the dragons: objects and beasts infused with aether, the source of all magic. These creatures were magic incarnate and practically immune to mortal means of harm,they were the maji's perfect living weapons. However, while the maji perfected the means to create dragons, they failed to properly control them. The dragon crystals, the drajules,they made to control the dragons failed them and so on one cruel day, the dragons revolted, shattering the empire and forcing humanity to hide behind walls, wards and mountains. To never forget the maji's sins, people started to call the dragons, majimonsters. For centuries, humanity has become more and more isolated, warlords and cults raged and the monsters claimed the remnants of the Empire, the Wildlands, their home. 

But now, humanity fights back. Zarasul the Renewer, proclaimed himself emperor and brought with him usable drajules, the art of monster binding and an army of binders, himself included. He is slowly reuniting the empire, not through blade and bloodshed, but with knowledge and claws. The Age of Binders have come. A time for treasure, adventure, danger and glory.
 
And so, it is during this time our story begins, with a girl and a ghost.


This webnovel is based upon the actual RPG Majimonsters, which is available on drivethrurpg. It is not my published book, but I do have permission from the creators to do this. Check out the game below.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/187632

There's also a discord channel where I float around.
https://discord.gg/Nkbm2zj (permanent)

The girl uttered a soft moan and slowly covered her ears to block out the weird screaming noise that vibrated through her body. Slowly the girl ran a misshapen hand over her eyes rubbing the mud away so she could at least see what was causing that noise. The murky shapes and colors were slowly blinked away, leaving behind a dazzling array of colors. However, any awe or wonder of her surroundings was quickly eclipsed by the two little creatures standing before her.
 
Shock held the girl spellbound for a moment. "If fire and ice were given form…" was the first thing that came to the girl's mind. The two little beings were no more than 100 cm in height while obviously of the same species were a distinct study in contrasts. One of them was like a living flame while the other conveyed a glacier-like feel with its icy coloring. As different as they were, the scales, claws, and even their cat-like eyes and sweetly pointed ears, indicated that they were of the same species
  
The scales that decorated their body also rendered them androgynous, not only covering where their gender would be, but adorning their legs, back, and arms and neck in a defensive manner. On the sides of their faces, tiny scales graced in gentle curving patterns, not too feminine or masculine, bold enough to make a statement, but not enough give a definitive answer as to which gender they were. As lovely as they were, glimpses of shark-like teeth shoved any possibility that they were anything but predators aside.
 
The little flame on the left had skin the color of charcoal, golden cat-like eyes, and shoulder-length wild red hair. The scales that decorated its body gleamed a bold orange in the setting sun. While the presence of small delicate black claws on its human-like hands and feet created a distinct look between delicacy and possibility for ferocity.
 
On the right, the little ice cube had skin as fair as snow, fathomless black-colored eyes, and a waterfall of waist-length cyan hair. White scales that shimmered softly from the light refracting off them like frost-covered opals. And like the little flame, this one also had delicately clawed human-like hands and feet, only its claws were a pale wintry grey.
 
Beautiful little monsters. 
 
Said monsters were also the ones that were making that strange ear-piercing sound the girl realized. She further pressed her arms against her ears in discomfort, but apparently, that was all the duo needed to start shrieking again. Distractedly the girl noticed the two little monsters' shark-like teeth and idly she wondered that if like, sharks, that they never stopped growing and losing their teeth.
 
It wasn't until the monsters backed away from her and from each other shrieking desperately as if calling for a parent that the girl snapped out of her daze. Predators themselves, these two were likely the offspring of a bigger predator. At this point, the girl started to freak out scooting her broken body back in too much of a hurry to notice how wrong her own body felt.
 
"Focus," she told herself. "Have to find the kids so we can the hell outta' here before mommy or daddy predator find us." However, as Murphy* would have it that's when the girl's day went from bad to the crapper. Now that the girl was alert and not being crushed by a mountain of dirt, for the first time she realized that her body would not move as she wanted it to. Oh, it would move, but it felt… Wrong.
 
The two in front with their shrieks had her ears feeling like they were bleeding. The girl's eyes narrowed at the thought of the kids lost somewhere while she hung up out here with the natives. What about them? Were they okay? What if they were hurt or even worse, what if they were separated as well. It was bad enough that she wasn't there with them, but if they were not with her or each other. There would be colossal fits and tears for her to deal with.
  
The girl opened her mouth and tried yelling for them to see if she could at least get a general location of the brother-sister pair, only to hear a howl come out. The little predators froze, the girl froze, eyes wide the trio stared at each other like petrified statues.
  
 
*Murphy as in Murphy's Law. What can go wrong, will go wrong.

She died with her siblings in an apocalyptic storm.
Reborn into a world filled with wonder.
Refined by magic.
Tasked by the Gods to guard the balance.

Io journeys with her younger siblings in a new world, Thaumatos. Chosen by the Gods to dwell in the shadows between the light and dark, how will Io and her family not only survive but thrive in this new world...

*Please be aware of some dark themes in this novel.
*Parent caution is advised 
*I do not own this image

"Not quite so." Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. "My prior verbal warning was to no avail, obviously, as Mu Sisi was still impudent. She was becoming bolder and bolder due to his brother's position. I shouldn't wait for her to create more serious trouble, it'd be too late for her to regret. She had framed Ruan Dancheng this time, and she might do the same on others next time. When will she stop doing this? She would become bolder and commit more harm if we don't take any action."
"How about Mu Huaisheng?" asked Song Yu.
"I've fulfilled my duty as a friend by letting his sister off so many times. We should stop being passive. If he did blame me because of this, then I may have to reconsider whether he's a worthy friend." Qi Chengzhi pouted slightly.
Song Yu knew that he did not want her to feel wronged after all.
Today she could talk so bluntly towards Mu Huaisheng in front of him because she knew he would not blame her. She also wanted Mu Huaisheng to realize that they would not tolerate invariably.
Song Yu walked towards Qi Chengzi and stopped beside him. He was still sitting at the side of the sofa. She stood beside the sofa and gently touched his arm, her soft and slender fingers caressing it.
Qi Chengzhi looked up at her coolly, his graceful expression decorated with elegance.
"Sorry for troubling you," said Song Yu softly.
"No trouble at all." Qi Chengzhi did not feel he was burdened. Quite the contrary, he felt that she was wronged because of him.
Smiling at him, Song Yu suddenly bent forward and nimbly pecked on his lips. When she straightened her body and looked at him, the elegance he displayed moments ago was gone. He was blushing—even his ears turned red.
He was extremely cute with a startled expression. It was rare to see this kind of expression on him.
Qi Chengzhi's eyes were shining brightly. He stared at her intensely like he was itching to pull her into his arms and make out with her. It was Song Yu 's turn to flush due to his passionate stare. She could not help but touch him one more time before turning around and walked to the kitchen with her head down timidly.
Looking at her back, he could not stop smiling.
…
…
Ruan Danchen sniffed a few times, then she wet a piece of tissue and wiped her eyes.
She was looking into the mirror, her eyes were still reddish, but it was not very apparent. She could not hide in here for too long because Song Yu would be worried about her. She took a deep breath and opened the restroom's door. She stepped outside with her head bowed and her forehead bumped into something.
Ruan Danchen astonishingly raised her head and saw Qi Chenglin was standing right outside the restroom.
He was tall and had a broad chest. He was obstructing the way out, forcing Ruan Danchen to be blocked inside the restroom, but she could not walk back inside.
"Young Master Lin, please excuse me." Ruan Danchen hastily bowed as she dare not let him saw her reddened eyes.
"I want to use the restroom." Qi Chenglin's frosty voice sounded at the top of her head.
"…" Ruan Danchen was speechless—of course she knew that he came to use the restroom. "Shouldn't you let me out first before coming in?"
Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin snorted and answered, "Don't speak like you've never seen me pee."
"…" Ruan Danchen's face turned red, he was implying that she should enter the restroom with him and stood beside him to watch him pee?
Bah!
She already stepped aside to let him in. It was very rude of him to talk like this.
"It's not attractive at all." Ruan Danchen looked down and mumbled.
However, Qi Chenglin was able to listen clearly to what she said. He put his hands into his pockets, raised his eyebrows and asked, "This means that you had seen quite a few? Why don't you tell me whose is the most good-looking?
"I never saw other's before, only saw yours, but it was ugly enough, okay? Are you going to let me through?" said Ruan Danchen furiously as she raised her head. She had lost her patience.
She was blocked by him without any reason and now they were discussing whether his penis was good-looking, was this appropriate?
"Why are your eyes so red? You cried?" Qi Chenglin teased her.
"No!" Ruan Danchen was annoyed. She lifted her arms and tried to push him away.
However, the moment she touched his chest, her wrists were grasped by his roasting hot hands.
His palms were huge because he had long fingers. In contrast, her wrist was so thin and delicate.
He moved into the restroom forcefully, causing Ruan Danchen to retreat into the restroom weakly without much resistance. In a split second, she was flung towards the opposite side. Before she could react, the door was closed with a bang and she was pressed against the restroom's door.
Their bodies were within touching distance. His face seemed enlarged because he was so near to her. He looked much more attractive in close distance and she could taste his rich odor with her trembling lips.
"Qi Chenglin, what are you doing?" Ruan Danchen's wrists were clutched by him and she was unable to free them, she crossly said, "Stop behaving like a hooligan, go and find other women. This is your brother's house, what do you want to do?"
Qi Chenglin stared at her derisively and laughed. Then he questioned her coolly, "Did you asked for Youxuan's birthday just now?"
He looked malicious and stern, Ruan Danchen was frightened by his gaze. Her heart was beating very fast, why did he ask her about this? Did he find out something?
Ruan Danchen appeared to be nervous and not knowing what to do. "Youxuan told me you cried. Why did you cry when you were only asking about his birthday?" Qi Chenglin sneered.
Ruan Danchen's face turned pale and she turned her head away. "Nothing, I was reminded of one of my relative's kids."
Qi Chenglin snorted with disdain and threw her hands away. "You should prepare a draft next time if you want to lie. Youxuan is still a small kid, don't involve him in your plot."
"What do you mean, Qi Chenglin? What could I have plotted on him?" Ruan Danchen was fuming, she could feel the blood surging into her head and her face flushed to the color of scarlet. Her eyes turned red again after being accused by him. "Do you think I had done that because of you? If you thought it was because of you, I can tell you straight, stop flattering yourself. Youxuan said it right, he had to try to complement your undesirable character."
Ruan Danchen used her elbow to push him away. She opened the door and ran out.
…
…
When they were having dinner, Ruan Danchen sat obliquely opposite to Qi Chenglin. She was feeling uneasy as she could see him whenever she looked up.
Furthermore, she could feel that Qi Chengling was looking at her now and then. This caused her to eat with her head down all the time. She only took the dishes in front of her without uttering a word.
Even the others sensed that there was something unusual going on between them, and they exchanged puzzled looks.
"Danchen, why are you so quiet tonight? You're not behaving like your usual self." Song Yu smiled and exchanged the dishes in front of her with the dishes in front of Ruan Danchen. "Don't just pick the dishes in front of you. There's no need to feel embarrassed since there's no outsider here."
Although Ruan Danchen was not as outgoing as the incredibly lively Lu Nanxi, she was not an introvert either. Therefore, Song Yu felt awkward that she was so quiet tonight.
Ruan Danchen replied to her with a smile, but she accidentally caught Qi Chenglin's eyes. She immediately turned her head and pouted in contempt.
After they had their dinner, they sat for a while before taking their leave.
Ruan Danchen knew Song Yu very well, so she started to talk when Song Yu was just about to ask Qi Chenglin to send her back. "Mr. Cheng, Miss Qi, could you give me a lift? Just drop me off at a nearby subway station."
It was obvious to Cheng Dongge there was something unusual going on between Ruan Danchen and Qi Dongge. He took a glance at Qi Chenglin who did not say anything and nodded. "It's my pleasure, it would be inconsiderate to drop you off at the subway station. I'll send you back home."
Ruan Danchen sincerely thanked him and left with Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.
Qi Youxuan was pouting unhappily as he followed Qi Chenglin to the car. He climbed into his child safety seat and let Qi Chenglin fastened his seatbelt.
After Qi Chenglin started the engine, he asked with his lips still pouted, "Dad, did you make Aunt Ruan angry?"
Qi Chenglin glimpsed at him from the rearview mirror and did not answer him.
Qi Youxuan stuck out his fair and chubby little finger and pointed it at Qi Chenglin. He was furious at his passiveness and said, "Oh, Dad, what do you want me to tell you! When will you find a wife with this kind of temper? You're a grown man, yet you still need your son who's going to kindergarten to worry about you. Can you be more reliable?"
"…" Qi Chenglin speechlessly took a glance at him and said, "Since you know that you're still a small kid attending kindergarten, you should do what kindergarten kids do. Don't concern yourself with adults' matters."
"What if this kindergarten kid wanted the latest Gundam model. Would you buy for him?" asked the smart child with his eyes wide open in anticipation after he sensed an opportunity.
Qi Chenglin was at a loss for words. "…"
This naughty brat. Did he purposely trap him?
Is his IQ so high?
"You see, you refused to buy one for me again. I wanted to do what kindergarten kids should be doing, but you didn't give me the chance!" Qi Youxuan distressfully slapped his chubby thigh and gave him a helpless look. "Dad, I'll marry Muran in the future. Nowadays, girls don't like staying with their in-laws. Of course, if you don't marry anyone, then Muran would only have father-in-law, and this would make things more inconvenient. What should I do if you fall for your daughter-in-law? I can't stop worrying!"
"Not only that, my father-in-law surely won't allow Muran to stay with you. At that time, you'll be all alone—such a pity! What I did was for your good, so how could you be so stubborn!"
"…" Qi Chenglin could not bear it anymore, he said with his mouth twitched and his teeth gritted, "Qi Youxuan, enough is enough. Where did you learn all this nonsense?!"
…
…
"New Year's Eve Special Edition"
This was the first time Song Yu celebrated Chinese New Year's Eve with Qi Chengzhi at the Qi family's old manor. Glittering snowflakes were falling outside. The ground, lawn, holly trees, and all the other various plants were covered by a blanket of white, just as how it was described in paintings and fairy tales. The joyous New Year's atmosphere in the Qi family's manor was lively and palpable.
Song Donglin and Yu Qianying went to celebrate New Year with the Song family, so Song Yu was not worried that her parents would feel lonely.
The Qi family also experienced some changes compared to before as Qi Chengyue had followed Cheng Dongge back to Li City for New Year's celebration. This was the first time she was not together with her family on New Year's Eve.
Aunt Liu also returned to her hometown and would be back on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year.
Song Yu, Xia Wenna, and Guan Liya were wrapping dumplings together. Guan Liya smiled and said, "I wasn't used to not having her around on New Year's Eve. She wasn't very helpful in the chores but she loves wrapping dumplings, although her dumplings were not good-looking. The filling was too few and the skin was too thick—just a glance and we could identify which dumplings she had made after cooking."
Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. He was sitting beside Song Yu, fiddling with his phone with his arms around her waist. There was a large cot beside the sofa with an infant was lying inside. The skin of his face was still wrinkled with a tinge of yellow.
Qi Youjin was just one month and a half old. Song Yu had completed her confinement half a month ago and she had not completely slimmed down. There was still some flabby flesh around her waistline.
Qi Chengzhi enjoyed it when he held her flabby tissue in his palm intermittently and pinched it.
He opened the WeChat app and saw a photo sent into the Qi Family's group which showed two hands holding a dumpling each, one of the dumplings was larger than the other.
The dumpling on the smaller hand had visibly much fewer filling and thicker skin whereas the one on the larger hand was well-made.
Needless to say, Qi Chengzhi already knew which dumpling was wrapped by Qi Chengyue. She passed the phone to Guan Liya.
Guan Liya grinned when she saw the photo. "This girl, no improvement at all after wrapping for so many years. Her mother-in-law would surely laugh at her!"
After he said that, Qi Chengzhi's phone received a request for WeChat video call, "Gee!" said Guan Liya. "Chengzhi, quick, a video call from Chengyue."
Qi Chengzhi accepted the video call while finding a perfect angle to fit all of them into the camera.
Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi moved closer to them. All of them were trying to squeeze to fit into the camera.
Qi Chengyue cheerfully called the names of people who were present one after another. Guan Liya asked with a grin, "Hopefully you're not causing inconvenience to your husband's family!"
"Mum, what are you talking about?" Qi Chengyue asked with her face flushed.
"No, absolutely not!" Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui appeared on the screen together. Sun Shaoyun was waving her hand. "Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, and Mrs. Qi, Chengyue was really great. When she came back with Dongge yesterday, all of our neighbors who met her praised her because she was pretty and well-mannered. They envied us a lot!"
"Big Brother, let me see my little nephew!" Qi Chengyue urged.
Qi Chengzhi passed his cellphone to Qi Chenglin and he lifted it. He went to the cot beside the sofa and carried the baby in his arms for Qi Chengyue to see.
"Yahoo, little Youjin, your aunt missed you the most when I'm here!" Qi Chengyue looked like she truly wished she could extend her arm out of the screen to stroke his head.
Her voice had startled Qi Youjin. He blinked her eyes a few times and suddenly burst out crying.
Qi Chengzhi tried to calm him down. "Maybe he peed. I'm changing his diaper now."
After quite a while, Qi Chengzhi carried little Youjin back and confirmed, saying, "Yes, he did pee."
Qi Chengyue had hung up the video call. Qi Chengzhi put the baby back into the cot and lulled her to sleep.
Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan was staring at the dumplings while holding a pair of chopsticks. He was holding some edible red coloring on the other hand. That was given to him by Aunt Liu, and it was used for coloring the eggs when they were cooked after the birth of Youxuan. Qi Youxuan asked for it when he saw there were leftovers.
He seized the opportunity to draw a red dot on one of the dumplings with the chopsticks and the coloring when Xia Wenna and Guanliya were picking up them.
He had skillfully drawn a red dot on five of the dumplings before Grandmother Qi noticed his misdoing. "What are you doing?"
Qi Youxuan looked at her with his grape-like big black eyes and innocently said, "It would become better-looking after drawing the dots. We stamped the steamed buns during New Year, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the same on the dumplings."
"…" Grandmother Qi studied the dumplings suspiciously for a long time and sensed something was wrong in it. Then, she took one of the dumplings and finally discovered the truth. "You're marking the dumplings with money wrapped inside!"
"…" Qi Youxuan twisted his round tummy and said in an embarrassed manner, "People say the coming year would be more prosperous if we ate more dumplings with money wrapped inside them during New Year! I don't believe in luck, so I decided to work for it!"
Previously, Qi Chengxuan was responsible for wrapping the money into the dumplings, thus he could effortlessly identify those dumplings. However, she was not around this year, so he had to find another way.
"…" Grandmother Qi made no reply. Everyone else fell into a mutual silence as well.
Grandmother Qi confiscated the chopsticks and the red colorings from Qi Chengxuan. "Stop fooling around—you already drew 5 dots, and there are only eight in total. You should be satisfied!"
Surprisingly, Qi Youxuan did not disagree. He ran towards Song Yu instead, twisting his buttocks and sticking out his little belly. He beckoned to her with his finger crooked, Song Yu lowered her head and heard him whispered, "Aunt, when you cook the dumplings at night, please cook the other three dumplings with money inside separately, and put them together with the red-dotted ones in my bowl!"
"…" Song Yu looked at this greedy little boy who wanted her to include all eight dumplings with money among the ten dumplings he would get. She nodded with a smile. "Sure."
…
…
After having their reunion dinner, they sat down in front of the television to watch the Chinese New Year Gala. The Chinese New Year Gala was different this year—the channel had collaborated with various platforms to send out digital red packets, and the audience could follow the instructions given to fight for them.
Although the members of the Qi Family were wealthy, and most of the time there were only a few dollars or a few cents in the packets, they still participated in it for fun. It was quite interesting and fun—even Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were holding their cell phones.
Grandmother Qi did not understand how these things work, hence she asked almost everyone she met about it before the New Year. She had asked all the Qi's siblings about it, and they had had a difficult time explaining it until she eventually understood.
Song Yu was tapping for digital red packets on Alipay right after she finished shaking for the red packets on WeChat. She was delighted because she managed to win 17.78 Yuan, and the amount was the most in the family.
Qi Changzhi was smiling while combing her hair using his long and bony fingers. Her hair became less tidy after she bowed her head for so long to tap for the red packets. He did not have the heart to ridicule her when he saw her excitement.
Song Yu's cell phone vibrated. She checked her phone and found out that Qi Chengzhi had just sent her a digital red packet via WeChat.
"Wow, you're so in, even know how to send this!" Song Yu smiled. She thought Qi Chengzhi was just having fun with her.
She created a WeChat group with Wei Ran, Qi Chengyue, Ruan Danchen, Lu Nanxi, Fang Jiaran and Ning Wan before. They would send red packets into the chat group whenever they were free and see who got them first.
Song Yu tapped on the digital packet that was sent by Qi Chengzhi, and she was astonished by the number displayed.
5201314!
"Keep it for fun." Qi Chengzhi was smiling. "This is for tonight. I'll give you another one as the New Year's lucky money[1] tomorrow morning."
"…" Song Yu's face turned red and she beamed at him. She felt that he was very romantic and sneakily kissed him. "Thanks, hubby."
---
Author's note:
Did you see the easter egg? Yes, it was Song Yu's child. In the main text, Song Yu was pregnant for less than three months, but I had let her baby feature in this special edition. Please do not demand a twin, Orange Juice is still young, let them come one by one.
[1] In Chinese tradition, adults give coins or notes wrapped in red paper to children or the younger generation as a lunar new year gift to protect them from evil. Money in red envelopes was believed to bring good luck, as red is China's lucky color.


Song Yu, an up and coming architect was supposed to be the fiancée to the second son of the Qi Family... until her family went bankrupt. The engagement was called off and she finally has the freedom to love whoever she wants to! Years later, a twist of fate made her cross paths with the Qi family again. In order to land a prestigious architect role in an upcoming hotel construction project, she had to impress the director of Qilin. Follow Song Yu as she navigates through life and love!

'He's still glaring at you,' Hae-ra commented.

'Who?' I asked.

'Jungmo.'

I turned back to see Jungmo throwing daggers at me through his eyes. Ever since Mee complained against him to the principal, he had been kept on a leash by the authorities. I do not know what Mee told the teachers but after talking to her for half an hour, they suddenly forbade him from coming near me ever again. Even our class teacher was behaving...nicer? After her meeting with Mee, she suddenly started behaving well with me. Even gave me a star sticker on my homework notebook.

I shrugged and returned to my coloring book. We were at our art class, drawing pictures of something we want.

'What did you draw?' Hae-ra asked curiously. She tried to take a peek of my work but I hid my paper.

'I can't show it to you,' I mumbled.

'Oh come on!' Hae-ra complained. 'Just a peek. Come on.'

I shook my head furiously. 'No,' I said stubbornly.

Hae-ra was disappointed. I did not want to show my picture to anyone. It was embarrassing for me.

The bell rang and it was time to go home. It had been four months since we arrived at Korea but both my mother and I got adjusted to the place. I could even walk back home by myself since the school was not far from our house. Still, Shae noona, my new babysitter picks me up everyday.

'Deen,!' Shae noona called out as soon as I exited the school gate. I blushed a little. Shae noona was in her early twenties and very pretty. Her long, mousy hair reached up to her shoulders. Her half moon shaped smile was heart fluttering. I lit up upon seeing her. 

'Noona,' I swooned. 

'Hey kiddo!' Noona ruffled my hair. My cheeks grew even redder. 'Let's go home?' she suggested.

I happily nodded and we walked home, chattering away. When we reached home, Shae noona heated up some lasagna for dinner while I scribbled my homework.

'So when is your mom coming home?' Noona asked. 

'Dunno,' I replied. 'She said she won't be late. Apparently, Soo-Yon ahjusshi went to Japan and Cheng Ahjusshi has some work at Busan. Since they're not here, she will return earlier than usual.'

'Great!' Noona clapped. 'I was thinking of heading over to uncle's house to drop off some food mom prepared for him. Maybe I'll stop by after your mom comes back.'

'We can head over there now,' I said excitedly. 'I want to visit Mona!'

'You still have your homework left,' Shae noona said sternly.

'I'll finish it there!' I promised. 'Please let me come with you, pleeeeease.'

I pleaded in front of her. Shae noona sighed. 'Fine,' she conceded. 'Get your bag. We'll head over there.'

'Yaiii!' I exclaimed. I gathered my bag and we set off towards the tunnel. Yes, even Shae noona knew about it. It was easier to go to the mansion through the tunnel than go all the way around from our front entrance.

After a while, we reached the front door of the mansion. Shae noona rang the doorbell.

'Who is it?' Taewon ahjusshi's voice came out of the intercom.

'It's me uncle!' Shae noona announced. 

The door flung open. 'Aren't you supposed to be babysitting the kid?' Taewon ahjusshi asked as he came out. Shae noona pointed at me and I grinned, waving at him.

'You brought him?' Taewon ahjusshi asked exasperatedly. 

'He insisted,' Shae noona replied. 'Besides, I brought you this. Mom sent it.'

She handed him the enormous food container and barged into the house. I followed suit. Ahjusshi groaned.

'Where's Mona?' I inquired.

'Jan took her out for a walk,' Taewon ahjusshi replied. 

'I'll wait for her then,' I said.

'Don't you have homework?' he asked suspiciously.

'I brought them here,' I said, pointing at my bag pack. 

'Fine,' Taewon ahjusshi crossed his arms. 'You better stick to your homework and not disturb anyone.'

'Aye aye sir,' I said sarcastically.

'Oh just stop it you two,; Shae noona laughed. 'Uncle, you're being so petty towards a kid!'

'Hmph,' he scoffed. 'Kid? More like the spawn of Satan.'

I stuck out my tongue at him. He gave me a 'do-that-again-and-I'll-throw-you-out' look. Shae noona burst into a giggling fit.

I sighed and took a seat at the dining table. Within minutes I was buried in my notebook, doing my Science homework. Shae noona was lying on the sofa, studying her own textbooks for her government job exams. Taewon ahjusshi retreated to his room.

After a while, I began to feel my eyelids getting heavier. Sleep was enveloping me and I found it hard to concentrate on the homework. I dropped into a light sleep.

'Is he asleep?' Amidst my sleepy state, I heard a deep voice hovering over me.

'Seems like it,' Shae noona replied.

Taewon ahjusshi sighed. He picked up my bag and placed it on the chair next to me.

'Hey uncle,' Shae noona said. 'Something dropped out of the bag.'

I dimly heard Taewon ahjusshi picking up something from the ground, but my head was too muddled with sleep to care.

Unbeknownst to me, the two adults were staring at a piece of paper which had a childish drawing on it.

'Uncle,' Shae noona looked at him. 'Is this...Deen's inner wish?'

Taewon ahjusshi took a deep breath and glanced at my sleeping form. He carefully folded the drawing and kept it back in my bag.

Deen, a seven year old boy, arrives in Korea with his mother Mia. With a strong determination to raise her son properly, Mia ensures Deen lacks no love in his life. In her spare time, Mia is a huge fangirl of the Korean boy group, TNT. 

But in an unexpected twist of fate, the mother-son duo end up being the neighbors of D3, another legendary boy group, which happens to be TNT's biggest rival. D3 consists of the short tempered Taewon, gentle Joon Jae and the goofy Jan. 

On top of that, Mia is hired as the personal designer for TNT, which consists of the charismatic leader Soo-Yon and the playboy maknae Cheng. Despite the rocky start, Mia and her son grow closer to all the members of both the groups. 

With time, the members realize they have fallen in love with the same woman, disrupting each group's dynamics. Furthermore, the origins of the hostility between the two groups resurface, making everyone involved question the decision they made a decade ago. 

As secrets unfold, the members vie for Mia's affections, Deen observes that she has eyes only for one of them. But which one of them will she choose?

Note: Please note that the cover is not my original one. This is simply a random fanart I got on the internet. I'll upload an original cover as soon as its ready! Thank you for understanding.

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