Surprisingly, Damien Park behaved well during the whole meeting and his eyes were mostly on his cell phone if he wasn't sneaking glances at Katherine who was diligently taking down notes, her hand scribbling phrases and technical terms across the pad with her beautiful handwriting.
He would sometimes add some details here and there but his words were brief and concise. However, Katherine was fast in noting everything he said to the T — this was mostly due to her training while she was working for him. Not wanting to miss any important details, she would often find herself passionately lost in scribbling down whatever he said that could be important.
Canceling his nine o'clock meeting was worth it if it meant he could sit next to Katherine, even if the two of them weren't talking. Breathing the same air as her and just watching her try her best in learning what she needed to for her new job made him glad. 
If he had known that she was coming here with Mitchell—the reason for his call last night—he wouldn't have been salty. He wondered when she knew about this meeting and if she intended not to tell him because she was keeping her distance from him — just like how she didn't respond to his goodnight text last night and the good morning text a few hours ago.
Pathetic? He couldn't care less if people thought of him that way. He had never been like this to anyone. Only Katherine. If they were going to call him irresponsible for canceling a meeting he wasn't even interested in the first place, he still didn't care. They could tempt him with a billion-dollar offer and he would still choose to be here without second thoughts. There was no point in being filthy rich if it meant there was no Katherine.
Damien glanced at her again and it was probably longer this time because Katherine noticed it and she looked at him as well. Their eyes met and locked, he wasn't the least bit embarrassed that he was caught staring at her because he flashed her a smile and a wink before shifting his eyes back to his phone screen.
She raised a brow and got curious as to what kept him so busy that he was on his phone for an hour now. Slightly leaning back so she could peer at his screen, she subtly did a sideway glance and suppressed herself from laughing upon seeing what kept him so occupied.
She should have known. Damien was playing online poker.
This was one of his pastimes. However, this wasn't just any online poker game because compared to others, the players in the game use real money to bet and the bets were far higher than the average, ranging from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars. The app could be played through his phone, his tablet, or his computer. Though he didn't play as much as he did years ago, he plays on it when he finds time to spare. He didn't like going to casinos anymore, so the occasional games on the app were enough. 
She questioned him before on how he could spend so much in just a game. Katherine didn't understand the logic of wasting money on online poker until he taught her one time. Eventually, she learned that playing poker wasn't just a game. Playing it to win required skills that not everyone possessed. Because in order to win, one would need an analytical mind, formulate strategies, and understand psychology among other things.
Damien Park was great at those things. Just his billion-dollar empire proved it.
Her eyes shifted a little towards his chest and it was only then that she noticed the tie on his dress shirt. He was wearing one of the kitten ties that she gifted him a few months ago. It was one of two playful ties with large kitten prints. The one he was wearing at the moment was black with several full kitten faces printed in white outline. 
If one would face him, they would be drawn towards the tie. But perhaps Katherine was too busy staring at his handsome face that she only noticed it now. The corners of her mouth curled up as she tried to bring her focus back to the meeting and away from the distraction whose name was Damien.
He definitely noticed her checking him out and it brought a smile on his face too. He just lost a few hundred thousand on the round of poker on his phone but he wasn't the least bit bothered. He made her look at him and he made her smile. Her smile alone was already worth a billion bucks. If he was to say anything, he would definitely proudly admit that he just won.
…
Later...
It was almost eleven in the morning when Damien came back inside the meeting room after taking a phone call.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Price. We'll be waiting for your entry," Caleb shook hands with Michael and the rest of the team who showed their appreciation to him as well.
"Thank you for your time, President Park. We're looking forward to having business with you." Michael shook hands with Damien once again.
"Good luck with your application. We'll see you again after the qualifying round." Damien didn't bother hiding his favor towards them. It wasn't only because of Katherine but he was actually impressed by their technical qualifications.
The smile on Michael's face widened, feeling more confident that they had a big chance of winning the contract.
Before Michael could say anything, Damien had already faced Katherine and told her, "I've booked Central Harbor Restaurant. Ali's going to meet us there for lunch."
She looked at Caleb who only shrugged his shoulders. She remembered agreeing to have lunch with Ali and Caleb but not with King Charming over here. His nickname stuck to her after hearing it from Styles repeatedly. 
Ignoring Damien because she was slightly annoyed, she turned to Michael and said, "Thanks for allowing me to have lunch with my friends. I will see you back at the office later."
"Don't worry about it. See you later." Michael patted her upper arm and smiled at her, nodding to the two gentlemen before he and his team walked out of the meeting room.
When they were gone, Katherine faced Damien, "I don't remember agreeing to have lunch with you, President Park. I was looking forward to eating with Ali, however."
"Tough luck, Ms. Young. I'm paying for lunch whether you like it or not so I will have to be there of course," Damien said dismissively as he grabbed for her coat that was hanging at the back of the chair and placed it over his arm.
Caleb finished packing his things and looked at Damien whose smug smile was only annoying Katherine by the minute. He shook his head and questioned his friend with a knowing smile, "Oh? You changed your necktie?"
The smile on Damien's face slipped and he cleared his throat as he tore his gaze away from Katherine's surprised reaction. "Shut up," he muttered to Caleb as he walked past his friend and strolled out of the meeting room. "Let's go. I'm hungry."
Caleb and Katherine exchanged looks and laughs. It was a rare sight to see Damien getting embarrassed — his reddened ears were adorable. 


"Today, I choose you. And I'll choose you over and over again. Without pause, without a doubt, in a heartbeat, I'll keep choosing you.” -A

What would happen when a top assassin with a tragic background suddenly wakes up losing her memory after a long coma?
 
Five years after living her new identity, Katherine meets many misfortunes. With the help of her friend, she takes on the role of a secretary-slash-assistant for the country’s popular bachelor, Damien Park, Aka the Resort King. But who would have thought that on her first day of work, her boss would end up being her bane of existence?
 
With a smirk on his devilish, handsome face, Damien drags her to his office and presses her against the wall until his face is just inches away… “How dare you show up in front of me five years late?”
 
Surprised by the forceful antics of the man in front of her, Katherine blurted, “Mister Whoever you are, let me go!”
 
“What? Whoever... I am? Kitten, you better not think that you can get away with feigning ignorance. After disappearing that night, I thought you would already be on the other side of the world. Is being my secretary another one of your lies? Laughable.”
 
Katherine’s fate from then on entangled with his as she began to spend more time with him. The more she does, the more her true self is revealed... and this would scare her. 

Will she allow herself to fall in love with him? 
 
***
 
Twirling the knife in her hand skillfully, Katherine stared daggers at the man before her. As she stands from her seat, she stabs the knife on the wooden table in front of her in a bang!

Tied up with his hands behind his back, yet the man before her didn’t seem to feel a bit of fear.
 
She saunters wearing only her lace underwear and a white long cardigan over it, a small sexy smile appeared on her face. Her fingers gently caressing the chin of Damien Park as her sweet voice resounded out in the room. “I never would have thought there would come a day where I would be facing you 
like this... Mr. Park, would you like to see me dance?”
 
Chuckling slightly, Damien finds her provocation very tempting. "Let's see what you've got."
 
Discovering the secrets and unfolding the truth of her past, will she spare Damien's life or will she kill him?

•••

(R18)

Future Plan: Femme Fatale Series

~~~~~~~~~~

Other Works:

•Serendipity - A Chance Encounter (Complete-Ongoing revision)

•The Mafia Prince's Naughty Angel (Ongoing)

~~~~~~~~~~

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*cover is mine.* Please don't use it without permission.

editors:

filledelisle
Swaning
Pantojac0311

After the action packed morning, Arya kept her head on Ryu's chest and held him tight and slept soundly in his arms. Ryu embraced her, and closed his eyes.

It was almost 10 in the morning when Ryu woke up and first thing he saw was Arya cuddled in his arms sleeping peacefully.

'She's even prettier than the sleeping beauty.' He murmured adoringly as Ryu stared lovingly at his wife for a long time. Her lips were curved upward in a smile probably because of a sweet dream that she was having.

"Are you dreaming of me wife?" Ryu whispered and bent down to give her a gentle peck on her lips. He was afraid of losing her, of her not loving him as much as he loved her but now he knows Arya loves him… 

He was still ecstatic; the feeling of being in cloud nine was very visible in his aura.

'How I wished I could accompany you till you woke up…'

He again kissed her and very carefully removed her head from his chest and put a pillow and made her comfortable then he carefully covered her with the comforter and went to wash and get ready for the office.

Before he left, he came to the bed and saw her in deep sleep. Not wanting to disturb her he simply left a note for Arya on the bedside table.

'A note written personally will be sweeter than if I text you my sweetheart.'

He would have loved to cuddle her some more time but he had an important meeting at the office today. Also he needed to drop by at the hospital to discuss some matters with Dean.

"Good morning Chen," Ryu greeted Chen with a wide smile as soon as he saw the latter entered the house. 
 
"Master Ryu, is Madam Arya not going with us?" Chen asked because he was quite surprised on not seeing them together since he knew about the contract.

However, he noticed that something seemed to be different about his Master. He looked more refreshed, inspired and more vibrant. He even smiled and greeted him which was the first time he did ever since he worked for him.

"No, she will stay at home today. She needed to take a rest. Let's go," Ryu instructed still in a good mood.


Inside the car, Chen handed him the tablet and said, "We received a new report Master. And we got him this time."

Ryu looked at the information and frowned while he looked at all the photos. "Damn! All this while, it's this bastard all along!"

Chen sighed and said, "No one knew he was the Vice Chairman and CEO of SL Group except for Elder Master Ken who is also making his own search to that group. Elder Master Ken is continuously moving in the shadows Master. Should we inform him and combine forces because it's kind of awkward I think."

Ryu laughed hard, "That Old Man is so impatient but why can't he just let me handle everything?"

"No, let him do his thing. He probably has his own reasons why he was interfering secretly." Ryu added while he continued to look at the photos. His face darkened at the thought that he fell in the hands of that bastard.

'Did I really lose this battle or gained Arya instead, should I be thankful to him?'

On the contrary, it was because of that bastard instead that Ryu got to meet the love of his life, if not for their scheming he wouldn't have the opportunity to know Arya and be with her.

'That man is absolutely shrewd, to even lurk and play as if it was nothing?' Then he smirked at the thought.

"Let this bastard play more and enjoy his moment while it lasts! I will deal with him later!" He hissed.

"Just continue to monitor all his movements. And make sure to get all the information about SL group's Chairman. I'm pretty sure he is the root to all of this! Dig deeper Chen, find out every minute detail that you can, because this is not just about business rivalry, there's something more to it and I can feel that." Ryu exclaimed with his gloomy face.

"Be certain that you get all the evidences collected. I want to strike once and finish everything in one stroke, just one blast and all down!" Ryu said in a cold tone with a dark and fierce face.

The thoughts of the people working from behind to bring down the Ken family spoiled his good mood then suddenly he thought about Arya and his heart softened on her thoughts.

His mood quickly changed at the thought of Arya. His solemn face turned bright and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Instead of reading more information on the tablet about SL Group, he started searching for romantic and special honeymoon getaway he could prepare for Arya.

He wanted to do something very special, something that Arya woud always keep in her memories and they both could cherish for their lives. 

After a few minutes of searching on the internet he said, "Chen clear my entire schedule for a week. Book me a cruise together with Arya." 

But then he paused as he remembered Arya's period and so pondered on this and he murmured, "Let me find out how long does a woman's period lasts?"

He started to search on the net about this…
 
Chen slightly bewildered with the sudden probe of his Master and blurted out immediately, "I heard it lasts 5 to 7 days at the most Master."

Ryu was stunned when he heard Chen speak on this he thought he was not loud but looks like he was…

"Alright book us on a cruise ship on the high seas after a week's time. Let's first go to the hospital I want to talk to Dean first." Ryu instructed as he continued to search the internet on how he could make their honeymoon memorable for his wife.


=====


Meanwhile at Ryu's house, Arya woke up almost past lunch time. She opened her eyes and saw that she was alone in the bed, Ryu was not there.

She got up and marveled for a while on their steamy morning, a smile slowly crept on her beautiful lips. She blushed when she thought about their love making and intimate moments.

'Mrs. Ken get up now and start your day!'

She got up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom, she felt a little uneasy while walking. Her whole body was sore especially down there but she was still happy about all the pain, it gave her immense happiness rather.

She brushed and while she looked at herself in the mirror she found that all her body had marks given by Ryu even her neck was not spared.

'Mr. Ken how do I hide this neck now?'

She turned deep red as she recalled everything. But the most memorable thing and moment that was marked was the one when they both confessed to each other and said the words I LOVE YOU sincerely.

She moved out of the bathroom and looked around the room. Ryu had cleaned everything before he left as Arya came and sat down on the bed she saw a note in Ryu's handwriting on the bedside table,


[Good Morning sweetheart, missing me? I am missing you already. I know you are too drained so I did not wake you up. Rest well for today, I'm sorry if it is still hurting… there… you know… just rest and sleep more… and wait for me also. Don't skip meals; I have already prepared food for you just heat it up and eat... I LOVE YOU.

PS: Call me whenever you miss me.]


Arya smiled sweetly to herself when she read the note and giggled. She clutched the note carefully close to her heart. She was like a teenager who was feeling giddy while reading a love letter from a lover. 

'Stop it Arya, you're an adult now! It's just a note!' She scolded herself silently. Then she remembered her ring.

She quickly checked her bag and took it out. She often wore this as a pendant in her chain but she removed it when Ryu came to her resort searching for her because she felt embarrassed.

She gleefully put the ring back on her finger.

'"I can finally wear you again without being embarrassed to be seen by Ryu." She said loudly while chuckling.

"Yes! I'm his wife. I'm his wife. I'm his wife. Mrs. Arya Ken!" She kept on humming while she even danced happily on her own tune with repetitive words.

The meanest person to you could sometimes be the one who loved you the most...
---

Arya Tan made a reckless decision because of a desperate situation. She had to disappear from his sight to save her loved ones. In return, she vowed to repay the debt she owed him if they were to meet again.

Ryu Ken gave his heart to only one woman.
But that woman left, broke his heart and hurt him. So, he vowed to find her, despite how long it would take. He would give her the punishment she deserved.

======
Excerpt:

"Leaving already? You seem to be in such a rush to talk to me. Why don't you spill it out now?"

Stunned, Arya wondered if she was hallucinating. The voice was very familiar. Her mind was spinning; she thought he sounded like Ryu. Then it occurred to her that the anger she was feeling might just clouding her judgment.

She abruptly shook her head and declared, "It's okay, I can wait outside. Dress first and let's talk after that. Call the reception once you are ready."

She heard the man chuckle as if amused, a familiar sound that made her turned around. She gasped when she almost bumped into a man's wet chest.

"Um sorry, you sound familiar." She said slightly, bowing her head to hide her flushed face.

She felt the man's arm encircled her waist while she was abruptly pulled towards him.

He then leaned forward and scornfully whispered into her ear, "Aren't you here to negotiate? I was hoping you had a better offer."

Arya frowned and abruptly pushed the man, attempting to get away from him. Instead, she was pushed back until she could feel her back pinned against the wall.

She tilted her head to look up at the rude man and was left with open-mouthed looking at a familiar face.

She was shocked but mumbled, "Ryu?"

Ryu smirked and stared at Arya's slightly opened lips and said, "Did you miss me? How about this?"

Before Arya can utter another word, Ryu captured her lips abruptly and kissed her roughly.

Arya felt the familiar lips that were deeply probing hers. It was the familiar conquering lips that, for six months, she had missed terribly.

The kiss that made her legs weak. They trembled slightly. Butterflies fluttered from her throat down to her stomach, sending a shiver through her core.

This was the kiss she had been longing for her entire life.

[Warning: novel is r-18]
=============
Author's Note:

Hope you enjoy reading this ORIGINAL novel of mine (It's absolutely a happy ending! Author hates sad ending!). 

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With Lots of Love,
EUSTOMA_reyna

P.S. My Other Hate & Love Series (Standalone book):

The CEO Who Hates Me (completed)
The General Who Hates Me (completed)
The Doctor Who LOVES Me (completed)
Loving A Heartless Lawyer (in writing)

contact me at:

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fyi. cover is mine; commissioned art by Shanart

Episode 4
After being tricked once again by Blacky Sheng, Flower Qi made a solemn vow that he would get back at Blacky!
Since he was one year older, Flower Qi brandished his fists at Blacky Sheng in a threatening manner and said, "Say you're a pig and maybe I'll spare you. Hmph!" 
"You're a pig," said Blacky Sheng calmly.
Flower Qi said, "… I meant you!"
"Sure, you're a pig," Blacky Sheng repeated.
"Aah! Not 'you're a pig,' but 'I'm a pig'!" Flower Qi went berserk.
"Alright, I see." Blacky Sheng gave him a knowing nod, then turned to leave, mumbling, "That was a very strange request."
Flower Qi was utterly defeated.
-
Episode 5
Blacky Sheng and Flower Qi went to the same traditional Chinese culture class.
Flower Qi nodded off over his desk, drooling. He was still reciting the text in his dreams. "'The Rules for Students' are the Sage's teachings. First, be good to parents and respect elders; next, be reverent and trustworthy. Love everyone and become close with the kind-hearted…"
"Hey, wake up! The teacher's coming!" Blacky Sheng tugged his sleeve, but Flower Qi replied with a swat from his hand and a loud protest, "Leave me alone!"
Blacky Sheng made no comment.
The teacher was next to them now and said angrily, "Qi Yanxi! You're sleeping in my class again! Sheng Yize can recite 'Tao Te Ching' already, but you can't even remember 'Standards for being a Good Pupil and Child'!"
Flower Qi woke up with a jolt at the bellow.
The bubble at the corner of his mouth burst with a pop.
The white-bearded teacher was all the more exasperated. "Gosh! You're incorrigible! Have you done your homework?"
The homework last week was to write some ancient style prose from memory.
It was an impossible task for Flower Qi. He barely knew how to read, and all of a sudden, he was required to recite some ancient text, which worried him so much that he almost skipped dinner!
Judging by the look on his face, the teacher knew that Qi Yanxi hadn't done his homework. The old man rolled up his sleeves and scolded, "You brat! Go stand in the corridor!"
After all, he was the heir to the Qi family, and there was only so much the teacher dared do to punish him.
Blacky Sheng suddenly spoke. "Sir, he did his homework."
He then handed the teacher an exercise book.
The teacher opened it suspiciously and found some very messy scrawls inside. However, it appeared that Qi Yanxi had indeed finished his homework.
"Hmph! I see you followed my instructions for once! Work on your handwriting!"
After the teacher left, Flower Qi flipped through the exercise book in disbelief. "Did I do this while I was asleep?"
Blacky Sheng smirked. "You're such an idiot. I did that for you."
"That can't be! How come your handwriting looks so ugly?"
"… I wrote it with my left hand."
Flower Qi, whose handwriting was even worse, was utterly defeated.
However, he was still greatly moved. "How nice of you! You did my homework for me. Blacky, I think I'm falling in love with you…"
"Go away!" Blacky Sheng rolled his eyes. "I just… hate it when you cry so loudly."
"I'm a big boy! I don't cry!"
Blacky Sheng smiled at that. "Qiuqiu just told me that she wants to be my wife. She said I could kiss her."
Rumble —
It was like a bolt out of the blue!!
Flower Qi howled. "Blacky Sheng! I'm going to kill you! Sob…"
Blacky Sheng only said cockily after Flower Qi howled his throat raw, "You're so dumb, Flower! I made all that up!"
He was so gullible! Hahaha!
Flower Qi wrapped his hands around Sheng Yize's neck. "Don't trick me ever again!"
"Alright."
"I can give you everything, but not my wife! Stay away from my girl from now on!"
"You dumb Flower. Fine, I will, as long as you don't smear your snot on my clothes."
"Teehee.
"We'll be best buddies forever!" Flower Qi raised his little fist.
"Tch." Despite the indifferent look on his face, Blacky Sheng raised his fist without hesitation and bumped it against Flower Qi's.
"It's a promise! Man to man!"
"Yes."


As an anti-fan of the idol group, Starry Night, An Xiaxia is happy to spend her time online slandering lead singer Sheng Yize. 

But things take an unexpected turn when An Xiaxia starts high school - the Starry Night trio somehow becomes her classmates, and even end up moving into her house. 

Also, the nation’s idol Sheng Yize seems particularly interested in An Xiaxia for some reason...

Sheng Yize: Xiaxia, if I and a chicken wing fall into the water together, which one will you save?

An Xiaxia: Hm… I can't swim, so obviously you're going to save yourself and get my chicken wing out!

Sheng Yize: I thought I was the nation’s idol???

Hao Ren looked down at the blonde girl in his arms. Her body was cold and unresponsive. He shook her gently, and the latter's arm hung down lifelessly. Hao Ren sighed. "...She's not moving."
Even Nolan, who had always maintained a stone face seemed unable to bear with the scene. She went over to him, lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I understand how you feel, but she's dead. We must bury her for This is for both of your sakes. You'll drive yourself crazy if you don't let go."
Hao Ren was in a state of panic, almost tearful. But he could not cry, lest all hell broke loose. He could not tell the others "because my tablet's possessing this girl, I have to hold on to her like I'm a necrophile." In a worst-case scenario, he would have to accept that people thought he had gone insane due to grief. He had no choice but to say, "Stop persuading me. I really can't put her down..."
The MDT was still b*tchy though. "This is what you get for throwing me like a brick. Talk about karma!"
As far as the misunderstanding was concerned, Hao Ren could have done nothing to let them think otherwise. Nolan looked at him sympathetically, her eyes full of compassion. "You... Well, Ulyanov, please bear with it for now. I'll ask the 'doctor' to go over, at least to do something about this... girl."
Hao Ren guessed that they were talking about embalming the corpse. But he found it so strange and decided not to say anything but followed the dejected Ulyanov away. While he was still not far away, he heard another mercenary talking to Nolan. The mercenary did not understand Nolan's decision. "Boss, are you letting him stay among us with a corpse?"
Nolan's voice was listless. "It won't be long. I can tell that he'll leave."
The mercenary still did not give up. "But, Boss, you may not like it but I have to say it: I have never seen anything like that in my life—"
"That's enough," said Nolan, interrupting her subordinate. "You haven't seen such things before, but I have. I've seen far crazier things. He's already come to this state; let him stay in denial for a moment. In times like this, being able to dream is also kind of a blessing."
Hao Ren carried the MDT staggering along and was embarrassed. But he was helpless as to how people saw him-- insane, paranoid, schizophrenic, and a necrophile of a tragic love story.
He could not help but salute Ulyanov. "Sincerely, you are a man."
The act of accepting a dead body lying next door was not for the faint-hearted. The helmet-man had to be incredibly gracious.
But little did Hao Ren expect Ulyanov to nod back at him in admiration. "No. You are. I never thought this world could still have a man like you. You are a real man. She must have been happy when she was alive."
Hao Ren's face began to twist like a stir-fry. He ground his teeth and said to Ulyanov, "Let me tell you a story."
"I'm all ears."
"I have a tablet computer; it's cocky, b*tchy, and annoying like no other. One day it suddenly got its wires crossed and it 'walked-in' a blonde girl whom I've never met. Now I'm running around with this dead girl, being seen as mad, paranoid, schizophrenic, and necrophilous. But, oh, please don't go away!"
It turned out that no amount of explanation could clear the air.
Ulyanov led Hao Ren to the room assigned to him. It was a small, metal-cast room, which was silver-gray. Almost all buildings in the barracks consisted of these prefab "iron boxes"—monotonous and stress-inducing but much better than the makeshift iron-sheet slums in Black Street. The single bed, chair, and table were all foldable into the wall, and a table as well as a chair that were also foldable into the floor. On the table were some personal effects of the previous occupant, and in the corner of the room was a small box. Other than that, there was nothing else.
It seemed that the furniture in the entire room was foldable into the four walls. It was something like a refugee camp or an alien cabin, unlikely designed for ground forces. For ordinary usage, the foldable design seemed unnecessary.
Ulyanov noticed Hao Ren's curiosity. He sighed. "These 'gray boxes' were all dug out from the space base in Old Alto. They should have been launched into Torm to become the first extra-terrestrial colonial city of humankind. But after the war, everything was destroyed, including the space base and the naive scientists. Now, only these gray boxes are left, occupied by those poor guys who'll never get to see the stars again."
Scratching his shiny black visor, Ulyanov waved his hand and said, "Let's get inside. I'll be next door."
After Ulyanov left, and Hao Ren dropped the MDT-turned-girl (the dead version) on the bed. He checked the room to make sure there was nothing suspicious. Khiton, who once lived there, seemed to be a very tidy person. The room was spotless, and everything was neat. It was hard to imagine that an underbred mercenary once stayed there. Hao Ren came to the metal folding table and saw an old diary on it. He picked it up.
Nolan did not seem to be worried that an outsider would steal the secrets of the mercenary forces, or that there would be confidential information in Khiton's room. Either way, she did not send people to clean up his personal effects in advance. Hao Ren could now peek at what the mutinous mercenary left behind.
Unfortunately, the diary was a record of the monotonous life of a mercenary. The ugly handwriting gave the impression that the author did not enjoy writing the journal. Hao Ren could not help thinking of what Ulyanov had said: Khiton grew up in the slums and he did not get much education.
The MDT sensed what Hao Ren was doing through their mental connection, and it was puzzled. "What does a mutinous mercenary like him have that would interest you?"
"I'm just bored." Hao Ren flipped through the diary quickly and came to the first few pages. "I just want to know about this world."
At the beginning of the diary, Nolan had recommended the author to develop the habit of writing a log so that he could leave behind a memory of his existence in the world.
"Khiton seemed to be a loyal man a long time ago," Hao Ren said, frowning. "He started this diary on Nolan's suggestion. He was an unrefined man who had never been to school. He didn't like it, but because of Nolan, he insisted on writing a journal for a year."
"But in the end, he turned," the MDT muttered in his mind. "Carbon-based creatures are fickle."
Hao Ren did not say anything but quickly flipped the diary to the last few pages. He discovered that the author had displayed nonsensical behavior towards the end of his journal. Khiton mentioned crazy dreams, endless pain, and living a lie. He appeared to believe that he was stuck in a massive fraud, and at the center of the scam was Nolan, the leader of the "Gray Fox." These parts of the text were confusing to read, even the grammar was upside down, to the point of being barely legible.
In the last few paragraphs of the diary, Khiton wrote in a lunatic tone.
"...It's all a scam. All fake. The entire world, most of my life, all fake! This world is certainly not this. There is a problem somewhere. I wake myself up like I wake up from the bed, but I want to look for a way... Perhaps Nolan is the key. She seems to know the real situation of the world, so she is key! I don't have much time..."
The journal was the last piece of information Khiton left behind before the mutiny.
Hao Ren was puzzled. He thought of the First Born or brain monster's mental interference in humans, yet Khiton's situation did not seem to be the same. If the guardian had driven Khiton mad and caused him to defect, then he should not have been the only one affected. His partners with him should have met the same fate.
He shook his head and threw the diary aside before he turned to look at the other thing on the table.
He saw a gadget, looking like a personal computer or some other electronic device, which he had no idea how he could make use to search for information.
"MDT, crack it." Hao Ren had wanted to hack into the device. But, he quickly saw the young girl on the bed, and he instantly lost heart. "Dang it! Things always get botched up at the critical moment. I'll do it myself."


As a person who is down-to-earth as well as a good Samaritan, Hao Ren desires to live the rest of his life as a benevolent landlord. Stumbling into a curious yet mysterious lady, he began his journey of “collecting” abnormal and supernatural tenants. 
His life only became more chaotic when he receives a labor contract from “God”. Discover the many races, myths and worlds that lie beyond what humans define as normal! This bizzare fantasy full of fun is sure to bring you on a crazy rollercoaster of emotions!

The nine dragons had already returned to the sea and were swimming over from different directions, in an attempt to devour the blood-colored avatar below the war wagon.
Unfortunately, their bodies were chained together, restraining their every move. Otherwise, the blood-colored avatar would have long been devoured by them.
With the war wagon shielding him, Zhou Wen shuttled through the seaweed and coral bushes on it, dodging the attacks several times. Finally, he arrived at the back of the war wagon. With a flip, he tore towards the top of the war wagon and somersaulted over.
Zhou Wen remembered that the dragon pearl was placed nearer to the front. Seeing that the dragon pearl was now right in front of him—at a distance less than five meters away—he continued forward. The blood-colored avatar ended up being swallowed by a black dragon that rushed over from his side. The game screen immediately turned black.
Zhou Wen took it in his stride. In fact, he was delighted. He was now able to get close to the dragon pearl, proving that he had a chance of obtaining the dragon pearl. As long as he did everything better, he would definitely be able to obtain it.
However, he soon realized that he had counted his chickens. The black dragons were indeed true dragons. Although they were chained, inconveniencing their movement, they were still much faster than he was. Zhou Wen could somersault several times on the roof, but he ultimately failed to get close to the dragon pearl. He was always just short by a few meters.
Zhou Wen originally wanted to use the Demonic Astral Wheel to suck the dragon pearl over, but after a few attempts, all he managed to suck was seawater, seaweed, and coral. The dragon pearl remained motionless.
After some thought, Zhou Wen had no choice but to think of a way to dodge the black dragons' attacks to obtain the dragon pearl. He was already very close to it, but he lacked the final necessary sprint.
Hence, Zhou Wen deliberately observed the movements of the black dragons underwater, as well as their actions and modus operandi, hoping to find a way to break through them.
However, after staring for quite some time, Zhou Wen suddenly realized that the movement techniques of the black dragons were truly marvelous underwater. There was some kind of truth in it, one that Zhou Wen felt he could reference from.
It was naturally impossible for an ordinary person to mimic the black dragons' movement techniques, but Zhou Wen, who had mastered the Dragon Transformation Art, didn't find it that difficult.
After further study, Zhou Wen realized that the nine black dragons looked identical, but in fact, they were slightly different. Their stances were somewhat different as well. Every black dragon had its unique water stances. These stances allowed Zhou Wen, who had mastered the Dragon Transformation Art, to mimic them a little and became more agile in the water. He was like a fish in water.
The more Zhou Wen studied it, the more he felt that the black dragons' stance was marvelous. He listed down each of the nine black dragons' stances and felt that he could combine them into a movement technique.
The more he studied the black dragons' stances, the closer he got to the dragon pearl. There had been a few instances when Zhou Wen was only an arm's length away from it.
Zhou Wen had a feeling that he would soon be able to obtain the dragon pearl.
He was already extremely familiar with the stances of the nine dragons. His movement technique had also taken in all the traits of nine dragons' stances. It could be considered perfect.
However, Zhou Wen still felt that something was lacking. It was as though he hadn't really gotten the essence. Once he figured out the final conundrum, he could use the movement technique he gleaned from the nine dragons' stance to obtain the dragon pearl.
What exactly is the difference? Zhou Wen planned on heading to Wang Mingyuan's place to show him the movement technique he had figured out and get advice on what the movement technique lacked.
The number of times Wang Mingyuan descended into Dragon's Well had increased in recent times, and the time he spent inside grew longer. When Zhou Wen arrived at the laboratory again, he didn't see him. Jiang Yan was the only one there.
"Zhou Wen, do you remember that you still owe me a favor from when we killed the Mutated Fairy?" Jiang Yan said when he saw Zhou Wen walk over.
"I do. What help do you need?" Zhou Wen asked. He rarely saw Jiang Yan now, so he had no idea what he was doing.
"There's something I need your help with. If you have the time, accompany me to Cixiang Kiln," Jiang Yan said.
"Why are we going there? To see the Dragon Gate Twenty Pieces?" Zhou Wen asked in puzzlement.
Nineteen of the Dragon Gate Twenty Pieces were in Ancient Yang Cave. Only one was at Cixiang Kiln. Zhou Wen had previously gone to see it as well, but Jiang Yan was just going to look at the tablet text, there was no need for Zhou Wen to accompany him.
According to what Zhou Wen knew, Cixiang Kiln only had Legendary snake-type dimensional creatures. Although there were many of them, with Jiang Yan's strength, it would not be difficult for him to avoid them.
Jiang Yan said, "It's to see the Dragon Gate Twenty Pieces. I've already been a few times, but every time I looked at it, I was disturbed by those snakes, losing all my mood and feelings. This time, accompany me and help watch over me. Don't let those pesky snakes disturb me."
Zhou Wen looked at Jiang Yan with an odd expression. This fellow actually wanted someone to clear the area while he looked at the tablet text. He even used the favor Zhou Wen owed him. Zhou Wen really couldn't understand what he was thinking.
However, since Jiang Yan had suggested it, Zhou Wen naturally wouldn't reject it and accompanied him to Cixiang Kiln.
Cixiang Kiln had changed thanks to the dimensional zones. It was much bigger, and there were linked caves and stone caverns everywhere. Many snake-type dimensional creatures entered and exited here.
However, they were different from the Overlord Snakes in Snake Cavern. These snakes were poisonous snakes. If one was bitten by them, even Epic experts would be in trouble. Hence, not many people came here.
As there were so many venomous snakes, and they typically hid in stone grooves, it was impossible to kill them all even if one wanted. Jiang Yan ignored the venomous snakes and directly dodged their attacks, heading all the way to Dragon Gate Twenty Piece's tablet text.
"I'll be reading the text here. Help watch me. No matter what, don't let them disturb me," Jiang Yan said to Zhou Wen before standing there and focusing on the tablet text, completely ignoring everything behind him.
The venomous snakes in Cixiang Kiln were called "Dragon-Patterned Snake." However, they did not have any dragon patterns on their bodies. They only had some patterns similar to the tablet's inscriptions. Together with the Dragon Gate Twenty Pieces' tablet text here, this was how the snakes got their name.
The Dragon-Patterned Snake was very poisonous, and there were quite a number of them. Soon, several Dragon-Patterned Snakes swam towards them. Moreover, there were also quite a number of Dragon-Patterned Snakes that stuck their heads out of their nooks and crannies, ready to rush out at any moment.
Since I have nothing better to do, I'll just practice my movement techniques. Zhou Wen didn't use his Companion Beasts. He drew his Bamboo Blade and circled around the Dragon-Patterned Snakes with his movement technique while killing them.
He wasn't afraid of the venom of the Dragon-Patterned Snakes, so it didn't matter even if he was bitten. He himself had a decent Poison stat and with Doctor Darkness's Fight Poison With Poison, the Dragon-Patterned Snakes posed no threat to him.
The speed of the Dragon-Patterned Snakes was very fast, especially when they jumped up for the strike. It was like a wyrm leaving its hole, fast and accurate.
However, compared to Zhou Wen's new movement technique, they were naturally much weaker. It wasn't difficult for Zhou Wen to dodge their attacks, but after watching them attack, he suddenly had a strange feeling. The snake's stances seemed a little similar to his new movement technique.


1 drop of blood = 1-Up
Other people game overnight, I game overnight and bleed.
Ever since the dimensional storms descended upon Earth, numerous dimensional zones have appeared, bringing with them all kinds of dimensional creatures—Immortals, Buddhas, Devils, Angels, Elves, etc.
Yet, all these strange dimensional zones can turn into dungeon instances on my phone. Other people risk their lives adventuring, I spend all my time gaming.
Monsters drop dimensional crystals that boost stats, imbue new skills, and join me as Companion Beasts. These Companion Beasts fight alongside me or alone, augmenting me with their skills and strength. Rare monsters in real life? I'll just restart the game with a drop of blood to grind it.
I really need a blood transfusion.

The following day was the start of Ashley's spring vacation. Immediately, he had decided to skip breakfast and rush quickly to the attic under the pretense of spring cleaning. Heather and Ken, however, both knew better than to stop that reckless kid. He was definitely going to look for the tablet, the Edict of the Yellow Emperor that had lain dormant in their attic for so many years, still a mystery in their minds. Ashley, on the other hand, wouldn't let the failure of his parents and grandparents get in the way of things. 

He wanted to try his luck and see if there was anything he could learn from reading the Edict of the Yellow Emperor. After all, it was harmless. It was just a tablet! Though he took what Ken said seriously, he still had his doubts - could such an ancient block of strange rock really allow a fated person to unlock the power of a tyrannical ruler? 

Reaching the attic, Ashley immediately began to rummage around, moving the stuff he deemed as unnecessary to another side. He found a lot of old photos from the past, but this wasn't the time to reminisce over them. He wasn't even in a lot of them, as the photos were mostly taken from the youth of his parents. 

Eventually, Ashley finally found what he was looking for. Though the tablet itself looked dusty and a bit worn, the text carved into it didn't seem to actually fade or get eroded by the test of time. It was kept in a glass container, which Ashley carefully carried and moved to a clear spot in the attic. 

He decided to stay inside the attic and not take the tablet back down with him, though ultimately it probably wouldn't have made a significant difference where he decided to study the tablet. With anticipation and excitement, Ashley removed the top of the glass container and took out the tablet, gently placing it down on the ground, text facing up where he could read it. 

As it was in the morning, there was some natural light pouring in from outside through a small window. However, there was only that one single window, so it was still not terribly easy to read what was on the tablet. Once again, Ashley remained undeterred. He began to carefully read the Edict of the Yellow Emperor, concentrating and trying to comprehend the words written on the tablet. It was in traditional Chinese, which was something Ashley was not incredibly proficient in - since he was living in Japan, he was much better in speaking Japanese. 

He had received lessons in Chinese from Heather but he was far from fluent in it. He only knew enough to carry on basic conversations and read the news articles online. It definitely wasn't enough to comprehend the archaic messages on this artifact. However, Ashley still tried his best to understand everything written here.

The Five Phases. A Cosmic Cycle which ruled the Geomancy of the World. At the center of it all was "ether." This was the major point Ashley could deduce with his general understanding of Chinese. It was not inconsistent with the theory of the same name commonly found in early schools of Chinese philosophy and thought. As he kept reading, a sudden realization struck Ashley's mind. 

There were several striking phrase which Ashley immediately committed to memory - keep in mind, his body was still taking in natural ether from the environment, even without his own knowledge. 

These phrases read, in common English, as something like - "The might of the August Thearch lay in the center of the cycle. The tempering of energy leading to the harvest. The might of the earthen dragon will reveal itself in time!" Ashley became incredibly interested - the Edict of the Yellow Emperor in this context was not the blueprint for a new technology. It was a prophecy! He knew that it was inconceivable his forefathers could not figure this out - they were much smarter than he was, after all. On the other hand, if this was really a prophecy, what did it mean? What, or who, exactly, possessed the might of the 'earthen dragon'? 

Ashley quickly went back to the passages on the tablet which referred to the Five Phases. Though there was no indication that other Edicts may have mentioned anything about the ether, the Edict of the Yellow Emperor made it painfully clear that ether was the purest form of energy manifested by duality of creation and destruction, perfectly encapsulated by the cycles presented by the Five Phases. 

It was a concept and theory that was very similar to the idea of the Four Quintessential Elements in Western tradition. By that token, Ashley had a feeling the Greek Edict of Zeus would have definitely spoken about the elements in its own classical way too, but the Edict of Zeus did not concern him. He continued to focus on the theory behind the Five Phases.

Wood feeds the Fire. Fire burns all to ashes, creating the Earth. From the Earth, Metal is borne. Metal thus collects Water, which nourishes Wood. This was the cycle representing creation, or the cycle of nurture. 

The Wood parts the Earth, the Earth muddies and absorbs Water, which in turn extinguishes the Fire. Fire melts Metal, while Metal cuts down the Wood. This was the opposing cycle of restraint, representing destruction.

As Ashley continued to attempt to deepen his understanding of the Five Phases and its ideas and concepts, he began to feel his body undergoing changes. He began to comprehend the idea of using the nature around him not only to nurture his body purely with ether, but to extract, absorb and destroy the energies inherent in nature's beauty and terrors. 

Ashley soon came to realize that even man-made activities could be integrated into the cycle. The world could easily be governed by the Five Phases at its very core. At the very bottom of the tablet, there was a crude drawing of a trigram, along with a very striking name written beneath it - Xuanyuan. 

Xuanyuan was the name given to the Yellow Emperor in the first century BCE, and also happened to be the name of the star Regulus in Chinese. Regulus, designated Alpha Leonis, was one of the brightest stars not only in its Leo constellation but even in the night sky. 

Ashley was not entirely sure why this name was etched beneath the trigram carving, but he knew the trigram itself could present some earth-shattering information if he could understand it. He continued to analyze it and the time passed by incredibly fast. It was already heading late into the afternoon and Ashley was immersed into the mysticism behind the tablet. It had gotten to the point where Heather worriedly entered the attic herself and saw Ashley in a near catatonic state, staring deeply and intently into the Edict of the Yellow Emperor.

However, to Heather's immense surprise, she saw the tablet itself beginning to glow with a very faint, golden yellow light. She began to see mists of ether grow thicker and thicker around Ashley. "Ken, get your butt up here!" Heather yelled out in concern. Hurriedly, the father also rushed up. Before Ken could even ask what happened, he saw the sight of Ashley studying the golden glowing tablet, surrounded by a mist of thick yellowish ether. 

Ken stared in a dumbfounded fashion. 

"This... This...!" he was in disbelief. Ken quickly came to a realization.

His son was beginning to unravel the mystery of the Edict of the Yellow Emperor.

Humanity has advanced rapidly over the years due to an alien inheritance seemingly bestowed by the Heavens themselves. Mankind has developed... Mankind has evolved. Even mundanes possess supernatural powers now. In fact, it was more of an abnormality if you did not possess powers.

Ashley Yanase was one such person. In fact, he was the only person without supernatural abilities that he knew. Armed with only his nymph-like, feminine appearance, Ashley struggled to live each day to the fullest... Until he happens upon a dusty tablet in his attic during spring cleaning.

The Edict of the Yellow Emperor. A mighty mandate from ancient times. Empowered with the eldritch powers from bygone civilizations, Ashley discovers a conspiracy that not only threatens his community, but perhaps even all of Earth...

After waiting at the doorway for almost half a day and watching the passersby in this world come and go, this was considered a little joy for Ren Baqian. It was quite a long while before he saw Chen Zisheng hurriedly coming back.
Walking beside him was that same burly man.
Seeing his look of joy, Ren Baqian knew the mission was a success. Knowing that his method had saved a life, he felt joy and a smile appeared on his face.
"Mr. Ren, due to your effort a life was saved," Chen Zisheng said as he grabbed Ren Baqian's hand.
"Brother, thanks, thank you." The big fellow gleefully gave Ren Baqian a bear hug. He heard his bones crackling, almost lost his breath, and realized why it was called a bear hug. It was really like being hugged by a bear, the pressure exerted on his chest made it difficult to breathe.
He managed to extricate himself from the grasp of the big fellow with some help from Chen Zisheng. He was struggling for his breath and yet this guy did not even realize that he almost killed his own benefactor. He really felt like giving him a few kicks.
"I don't have any valuable possessions, my most valuable possession is this knife which I will give you." The big fellow took the knife from his lower back and handed it to him.
"I don't need this, please take it back. I am more than happy to save someone." Ren Baqian quickly rejected the offer.
"How can a man from Dayao do so such an ungrateful deed? You saved my wife, as long I can offer, you just take whatever you like. This knife is my most valuable possession and I'm giving it to you to show my gratitude." The big fellow earnestly looked at Ren Baqian with an expression of sincere happiness.
"Mr. Ren, just accept it. If not, he would feel uneasy." Chen Zisheng said light-heartedly.
"This is for you, I will go back to see my son first." The big fellow finished talking, cheerfully turned around, and left.
"Dayao people are all like this, you will get used to their ways," Chen Zisheng laughed and said as he looked at the receding figure of the burly man.
Ren Baqian looked at the short knife with an animal hide hilt and sheathed in an animal hide scabbard. It was rather heavy and weighed about five or six catties.
He had heard from Caretaker Shi before that the iron weapons from Dayao Nation were very expensive. For a knife like this, an ordinary person could not afford it even after saving up for a few months without eating or drinking.
However, it wasn't of much use to him.
Such items like metal weapons were expensive in Dayao, but they were easily available on Earth.
After seeing the burly man merging into the crowd, Ren Baqian helplessly shook his head, carried the knife, and went indoors with Chen Zisheng.
When Chen Zisheng came back, all the people inside got up and greeted him, "Doctor Chen! Doctor Chen!"
He verified that the people over here had very high regards for him.
Although Dayao people generally disliked foreigners, people like Chen Zisheng were respected wherever they went.
Dayao people hated the greediness of foreign merchants and those snobbish foreigners who came to Dayao and regarded the locals as barbarians.
Arriving at the table used for treating patients, Chen Zisheng pointed at a wooden tablet hanging on the wall with some words written on it. Ren Baqian had seen the tablet before, but he did not know what was written on it.
Seeing Chen Zisheng specifically pointing at the tablet, Ren Baqian asked, "What is written there?"
"It is strictly prohibited to hug a doctor." Chen Zisheng whispered sadly.
Ren Baqian, "…"
It seemed like being loved and respected was also life threatening. From what Ren Baqian knew, only a few Dayao people were literate and it wasn't easy for Dr. Chen to survive up till now.
Both of them entered the inner room and their eyes were fixed on the object Ren Baqian was carrying.
"Do you see anything you want here?" Chen Zisheng simply mentioned.
This thing not only can save lives, it is also very effective.
"The formula and ingredients to make black mud cream," Ren Baqian said.
Chen Zisheng hesitated; the penicillin that was previously mentioned by Ren Baqian was also what he urgently wanted. Furthermore, according to the description of the medicine, it could be used to save many more lives.
But, a number of pregnant women dying of postpartum hemorrhage was also a frequent occurrence. Each encounter would make him feel regretful as he witnessed a young life being taken away.
A big portion of them were just in their teens, which was even more pitiful.
"I only want the formula and ingredients to make black mud cream. As mentioned before, I will teach the method to make penicillin. As to these things, I will give them to you. They will generate more benefits in your hand than mine."
"However, I would like to suggest that you give these things to midwife and teach them how to use it to be ready for any emergency," Ren Baqian said.
Chen Zisheng turned his head towards Ren Baqian, tidied his clothes and bowed respectfully.
"I thank you on their behalf," Chen Zisheng said sincerely.
"It's nothing much. These things are not of much use to me," explained Ren Baqian as he nodded his head. He bought one hundred boxes, which only cost two thousand yuan. Plus, the needles and catheters only added a few hundred yuan more.
This amount of money was couldn't also do as much on Earth. He did not need this little bit of money at this moment, and it could save countless lives over in this world.
"Those things must be put in hot water to be disinfected if you want to reuse them. The rest of the materials can be replaced by other things such as fish maw, animal bladder or their intestines. You all can experiment to determine what is more suitable," Ren Baqian repeatedly advised.
"We know what to do. We will spread the message about this method to those midwives. This is a lifesaving method and deserves to be known by many people," Chen Zisheng nodded and said earnestly.
Ren Baqian laughed. This Chen Zisheng's personality was indeed pretty good.
"Okay, it is getting late, I will teach you how to make the penicillin," Ren Baqian said.
While waiting for Chen Zisheng to bring out the fruit covered with mildew, Ren Baqian taught him how to culture the fluid and then filter it.
Most of the procedures were explained by examples and were not really done.
There would not be enough time if every step was done. Furthermore, some materials were lacking.
Items such as rice and vinegar could be bought. As for seaweed and alkaline water, they needed Chen Zisheng to find a solution.
Chen Zisheng used a pen and paper to record the procedures. From time to time, he asked a few questions as well.
It was night when they finished and Ren Baqian repeatedly advised them, "Remember, some people may be allergic to penicillin. If this happens, it is best to stop the medication."
Chen Zisheng was terribly tired after writing for the whole afternoon and put his pen down. He nodded his head to signal that he understood. The same medicine prescribed for the same sickness might not produce the same result for everyone, which was something that he already knew.
Ren Baqian took a look at the records and could not decipher even one word. But you could see that the handwriting resembled something written with a chicken claw.
"Who says a doctor's handwriting is good?" Ren Baqian suddenly thought.
"Basically these." Ren Baqian passed a few books to Chen Zisheng.
"These three books, one is Typhoid and Diseases and the other two are about anatomy. They are based on a different medical theory that is not about seeing, hearing, asking, and taking pulse. But, you can use it for reference. You will most likely not be able to understand the words. Anyway, we have no time now. I will translate for you when I am free."Chen Zisheng carefully took the books; he knew the value of the books, especially books from another world. Perhaps one of these places might have the solutions to the problems that plagued him. Value is not easy to quantify.
He browsed through twice, but he could not understand the words in Typhoid and Diseases.
The other two books were about the human anatomy and contained many pictures.
Chen Zisheng took a look and asked, "How do they do the research? How is it possible to draw the pictures so lifelike?"
"They probably use a corpse to do research," Ren Baqian replied with uncertainty. He did not understand much about the development of Western medicine. ""No matter how the research is done, knowledge can never be wrong."
"This is true." Chen Zisheng nodded in agreement.
"I will make a move first and come back in a few days." Ren Baqian looked at the skies and thought he should have left earlier. He wondered whether there were any problems with him going back so late and whether the empress had sent people to look for him.


In a world where its inhabitants can destroy a city wall single-handedly, the empress has a kirin as her pet, and the imperial palace of Great Xia has a pool containing a dragon. There is also a Sword Mountain where spirit swords occasionally leave in search of a master .

Bootlicking the empress, Ren Baqian ascended to the apex of life.　　

Naomi called up one of the few jewelry stores still left standing in town. With a little difficulty & a call to Urasaria, the owner verified they were students and arranged to meet with them in his shop fifteen minutes later. He closed up for the day and was standing at the counter with his loupe when they came inside.
"Go ahead." he said, and Naomi handed him the emerald. "You said this was part of an investigation?"
"Yes. We found this on somebody with a Revenant. Would you be able to… track it?"
His eyes lowered to it. "…I may be able to, yes. There's… small particularities with manufacturers. There's not many stores around here, anymore - someone's been buying most of them up, but…" He examined it with his loupe. "…twenty carats. Quite a nice find."
"Isn't that pretty pure?" said Natasha.
"No, but good question. Karats is for purity of metals. Carats is for weight of stones." He frowned. "…it's possible this is mine, actually. There was a recent shipment - a small shipment - I received, that had one item missing. You said you found this on, er, someone with a Revenant?"
"A host, yeah. It's from here?" said Naomi.
"Well, it was meant to be, at least. He must've stolen it before… well. Some point before it arrived here. Most emeralds come from mines over in Colombia or Brazil and are cut before they're shipped here. There used to be a student who helped deliver these things, I remember. She wore an eyepatch. She stopped coming a few years ago. She usually had her - I suppose it must've been her protege with her. Or her girlfriend."
"Did you remember her because of the eyepatch?" said Natasha.
"No, I remember her because of her voice. It was very unpleasant. It sounded like birds being burned alive in a shoebox."
"…uh, back to the jewels." chimed Naomi, relevantly. "You said it's been going on for a while, right?"
"Over the past few shipments, yes. I thought it was just an error on their part - but it kept happening enough that, well, I reported it to the police…"
Naomi nodded, trying to think of Kate. "Um, who did you buy it from?"
"Magdalene Stones. They're an international corporation - I would be very surprised if it were on their account."
"When were you supposed to receive it?"
"Last Monday."
"…right." muttered Naomi. "Mind if we keep it for evidence? We'll come back if we have any more questions."
"If I'm still open by then." he muttered, handing the gem back. "I hope you women can find whoever's responsible for this. It's already hard enough running a business like this - none of you young people buy diamonds or anything like that anymore, and I even read recently most of you can't even afford an engagement *and* a wedding ring. Probably why the divorce rate is so high. There's people coming by every day with offers to buy me out. I'm starting to think of throwing the anchor to them."
"Um, we will." nodded Natasha, comprehending less than none of it, and in the next instant…
- a masked woman crashed through the doors in a rain of glass, rolling up to her feet as she landed thirty feet away; Avalanche formed as Naomi shouted for the owner to run through the door behind the counter, and the two & one started to circle with a circular display of jewelry between them. Naomi stomped down and the spike of concrete missed the woman by an inch, but a concrete hand flew out & slammed her face in to the glass with a sickening smash.
Blood covered the jewels, but the maskwoman wasn't easy. She swept her hardening arms through the glass and raised her aim. Shards of glass ejected out and flew towards Naomi, but a swift wind sent them back to sender; her chest turned to rubber and made them ricochet back and Avalanche's arm took a dozen hits. Naomi ripped out a curse as she peeled off the top layer of her stone arm, pressing Natasha back as the maskwoman vaulted up to the broken case and made a rush towards her.
Glass was sticking to the woman's legs, but Naomi knew something was wrong with how she was gonna body-slam her. The woman leaped off the case, but a puff of pebble dust hit her eyes as Naomi curved left & watched her hit the ground shoulder-first. Naomi smashed her back in with a kick that turned her over twice and her boots would've snapped her neck if she didn't keep rolling, and she snapped up against the wall with spines like a glass hedgehog growing.
Naomi stepped up ten feet away and watched her closely, flesh fingers taking the emerald out of her own left arm. She threw it to the side and the woman grunted, rushing at her. Naomi caught a spiked stinger on the cheek and staggered under a hook that would've ripped her face in half, then bashed her foe with a stone left that slammed her against the wall.
A puff of pebble dust blinded the woman and Naomi rushed her, but she was the fool this time. The woman swept around her with ten fingers on Naomi's waist and if she hadn't kicked out in time the suplex would've broken her neck. Naomi hit her with a smack that threw her through another glass case and she turned just in time to see her pull her face out. Her lips filled with rage as she surged towards Naomi.
Naomi got her feet under her in a hurry. She braced against the wall and kicked out with a leg that folded her foe like a jackknife, and when she screamed Naomi brought her knee up and bent her nose crooked. The woman staggered away, blood dripping down her neck. She eyed the other wall and started rushing towards it.
Naomi thought she was going for Natasha, but the maskwoman hit the wall and bounced back like a loaded spring at her; the next thing she felt was the breath escaping her neck as the maskwoman chokeslammed her to the ground and pinned her to the floor, nails digging in to her neck.
Naomi's left was trapped, but her right was free.
A pebble appeared underneath her right and she flicked it so hard that the bitch's kneecap shattered like a plate; she fell off of Naomi and Naomi slammed her in to the floor with a loud thud. Rings of concrete burst out of the ground, wrapping around the woman's arms, but her body was slipping and she bucked Naomi off; her body slipped out. Naomi clutched her head as her foe leaned back against the wall, and Naomi caught a boot to the stomach that threw her against another glass case whose shards sliced a few hairs off her head when it broke.
She made a gesture to Natasha as the woman rushed towards her, and as her stone fingers snapped, a hole peeled open in the floor. The woman couldn't see what was bubbling before a jet of lava burst out and melted her mask to her face, and an Avalanche smack nearly popped one ear out the other as Naomi slammed her to the floor with her flesh arm. The next thing Natasha saw was Naomi's stone fingers wringing the woman's neck until she went limp and she turned back dripping sweat.
"…good." panted Naomi, wiping her face with a few Flickendecke patches. "Sorry, I - I know you were worried about hurting me, but - good job." She stood up. "Let's ... let's get her Revenant removed and bring her back to the cops, right?"
"Um, can't we just torture this chick?" Natasha winced. She was starting not to like this sudden desensitization, either.
"I - I don't torture." said Naomi. "That's - no. That's not something I'm ever, ever going to do."
"Sorry."
Naomi nodded. "Just - we'll make sure she gets her Revenant removed, okay? That's how we're going to do things. No torture."
Some mentors, like Mia initially, saw their proteges as immature teenagers who needed to be taught control & adulthood. Naomi accepted her job as what was essentially a hired killer, but hoped to bring Natasha over to her way of not prolonging pain. This made her as different from Kate & Serena as molasses & vinegar, who killed as the same type of entertainment that had led lions against gladiators centuries ago. Little wonder was it that they often had the biggest boxes of fanmail.
The morgue was fifteen minutes away walking. Naomi hailed a taxi and the driver didn't make any fuss about the unconscious body in the back seat. Once they pulled up to the morgue, she paid extra for the cleaning as they got out.
Olivia opened the morgue's door before they did.
"Did you get someone too?" said Naomi and Olivia's head shook as the two stepped inside. Viktoria was on the other end standing over the coroner's corpse and a second one was laying on the table. Someone had been rooting around hard in the second's chest.
"I - what the hell happened?" said Natasha.
Viktoria crouched down. Something was written in blood next to the coroner's corpse. "Someone killed him after we dropped the other man off. Olivia thought she forgot something back here."
"I didn't." she muttered, relevantly.
Naomi frowned. "…looks kinda like the host we were fighting, actually. She tried to break my neck too."
"Hand her over, then." said Viktoria, glancing back. "Give me some time alone with her."
"No." said Naomi. "We're getting her Revenant removed and handing her over to the cops."
"What, so they can shine a bright light on her in a dark room to try to make her talk?" Her head shook as she stood up. "Give her over -"
" - I'm not fucking torturing her - and I'm not letting you torture her, either."
"You have a very high opinion of somebody who was trying to kill you."
"No, I just think that doesn't give me - or you - the right to treat her like she's some fucking slab of meat."
"I agree with Naomi." said Olivia and Viktoria sighed.
"I'll never understand why someone will kill but not torture. As far as I know, no one has ever come back from being killed. Plenty of people have come back from being tortured. What's a crueler fate?"
"I'm not fucking budging on this." said Naomi.
"Clearly." said Viktoria. To her, the law gave no reward for morality. She crouched over the corpse, wondering if the next one would convince Naomi better. "Regardless, he left a message as he was dying - conveniently. Likely initials. V.S.."
Naomi stepped over, Avalanche carrying her unconscious cargo like a slab of meat. "…uh, wait. Are we sure that's his handwriting?"
Viktoria frowned. "…a good point. Olivia, find something in his handwriting. Check his desk."
"Phew." muttered Olivia, glad she hadn't had to check the corpses' toe tags. She went over and checked his desk, pulling a sheet out and giving it to Viktoria, whose head shook.
"…correct. It's not in his handwriting. Quite a stark difference."
Behind Viktoria, Natasha saw Naomi give Olivia a knowing glance. "Um, there's still the - the second corpse, too."
"Yeah." said Olivia. "They still left his Revenant, though."
"He was looking for something else, then." said Viktoria. "Natasha, do you have the gemstone?"
Olivia noted she took the word "Natasha" in her mouth with the same tone she usually did and felt a little jealous.
"Um, Naomi does." said Natasha.
"Good. We'll call the police - they can keep it in evidence."
Naomi nodded and called the police before Viktoria could. A few minutes later, she heard sirens outside. "Guess that's them."
"As on time as you can expect." shrugged Viktoria, opening the door for a cop & the detective, only the former wincing at the gore as they stepped inside. A cleanup crew came in as Viktoria relayed it to the detective, and he mused a while.
"You mentioned a name he wrote down?" he said.
"It wasn't in his handwriting - it's a trap, presumably."
"Ah." he muttered. "We'll take it from here, then. See if we can't get something out of your… friend, here."
◆◆���
Mia woke up that night with her head on her frozen desk, yawning as she unfroze her tablet.
"…not again." she muttered, pillow of ice scarabs forming. "…3:28…contracts… mmhm." Her eyes closed. "Jewelry thieves to Tuyuan, and Naomi had…"
Her eyes opened, and she groaned as she checked her tablet.
"…I'm going to fucking kill you."
 

During the Cold War, superpowers in the form of bacterial colonies growing on one's heart begin appearing around the world. A new class of law-enforcing "hosts" is established over the next decades, given legal immunity to deal with violent criminals however they choose.

In modern day, Mia Schultz is a young socially awkward lesbian. She's attacked by an unknown man and given the power to control a swarm of fire scarabs named Worldwide, and as she's forced to begin her new job at Urasaria Academy, she's pulled in to a mystery on Worldwide's true origins.

Each year is 120,000ish words / 400 pages.

Updates M/W/F.

"W... What?" Tsubaki stuttered as she was trying to take in what Kanako had said. "You said... This handwriting is familiar to you?"

"Yup." Kanako peered carefully at the image displayed on Tsubaki's phone screen. After looking at it again, she nodded her head in confidence. "Yes. I'm positive I've seen this kind of handwriting before."

"Then!" Tsubaki had almost pounced on Kanako once the latter finished speaking. Her lips were trembling as she continued to ask, "Then... what about the name? Do you know the person? Could you bring me to her?"

"Uh..." Kanako knitted her brows, she looked conflicted over Tsubaki's anxious face. "About the handwriting, I could confidently say that I've seen this a number of times before but for the name I just have a faint recollection of it."

The light in Tsubaki's eyes dimmed. Her hands that were fisted in her anxiousness slowly flailed at her sides. Kanako noticed the change in Tsubaki's expression. It was the first time for her to see her new friend looking glum like this.

"Why? Do you have important matter with the person?"

Tsubaki bit her lower lip. She sighed inwardly as she hung her head low. Kanako who saw that didn't press Tsubaki to immediately answer. She returned to her seat in front of Tsubaki. Her hand slowly placed Tsubaki's phone on the table.

Tsubaki looked at the photo on the screen. Her hands gripped the hem of her blouse tightly as she didn't know how to describe her feelings.

Kanako unexpectedly said she recognized the name and the handwriting. What did that mean?

"Kanako," Tsubaki call out the name in a quiet voice. She raised her eyes to meet Kanako's confused ones. "If I ask you questions, could you please answer me without me having to explain why?"

Kanako paused to think as she found Tsubaki looked awful. Her eyes were no longer bright as always and there were fear and anxiety evident on her face. Kanako was wondering why did Tsubaki change so much from her cheery personality once she said she was familiar with the handwriting and the name on the screen. But, she knew Tsubaki must have her reasons if she didn't want to disclose the matter.

"Okay." Kanako nodded. "I won't ask you if it's a private matter. What do you want to ask me?"

Tsubaki let out a sigh. The remaining of her ice cream was already melting inside the cup. It took her a while to recompose herself before she opened her lips.

"Earlier, you said that you've seen this handwriting somewhere before but you didn't really remember the name so... does that mean these two are separate matters in your mind?"

Kanako took Tsubaki's phone. She once again peering at the photo. This neat handwriting and this name...

"Yes. I knew I've seen this handwriting somewhere but I couldn't recall it correctly. My memory is quite good so if you want, I could try searching for this one. If I wasn't mistaken..." Kanako squinted her eyes as she tried racking her brain. Her head tilted to one side, her brows furrowed. "I feel like I always see this handwriting on cards... oh ya! Like on an invitation card!"

Kanako snapped her fingers as she remembered it. She looked so delighted when she returned Tsubaki's gaze.

"On invitation cards?" 

Did it mean... Kanako might know this person?

"Yes! Yes! I'd usually read the cards sent to my family home so I think I could find them for you since my Mom never throws these cards away. But, as for the name..." Kanako crossed her arms as her mind was gathering her memory. "I think I've heard the name of Fujioka Masami before but I couldn't remember correctly from where."

"It's okay if you don't." Tsubaki decided to not feel downhearted hearing Kanako's words. It was already better when Kanako said she would help her. "This is an important matter so I really hope you could find the cards for me. You don't have to look for them one by one. I could do it myself. I just needed all the cards first. Please, Kanako?"

"Alright, it's not a big deal," Kanako readily agreed to Tsubaki's request. "Whatever you're searching for, I hope I could be a bit of your help. Once you return back to the city, I'd contact you again. I'm sure my Mom has stored the cards somewhere inside the study."

"Thank you!"

By now, Tsubaki looked a little relieved. She was glad she had accidentally let go of her phone when Kanako was surprising her from behind earlier. If not, she could never guess this young lady could help her.

It was a quarter to 6 when they finally parted their ways. Tsubaki and Kanako exited the parlor, they promised to meet again in a few days. Both of them were waiting for their respective rides outside of the parlor. Kanako's car arrived first. Her Mr. Bodyguard opened the car door of the back seat.

"Don't worry, Tsubaki," Kanako patted the back of Tsubaki's right hand. "I'll find the cards for you and I'd definitely try to remember whose name is it. So, enjoy your short vacation in your hometown, okay?"

Tsubaki let out a small laugh. She nodded her head, agreeing with Kanako. "Okay. Thank you again, Kanako."

Kanako laughed as she bent down and hugged Tsubaki's small frame. Her tall figure was further heightened with her high heels, Tsubaki looked so small inside her embrace. After that, she left while waving happily at Tsubaki.

"Madam."

Tsubaki turned her head toward Kaede's voice. She had already arrived with the car. Tsubaki gave her a tired smile as she got inside the car. Once she fastened her seat belt, Tsubaki leaned her body against the comfy cushion. She closed her eyes, trying to escape from the threatening headache.

Kaede just silently looked at her Madam who appeared so gloomy unlike her usual bright self. She never looked like this. Before she started the car, Kaede took out her phone and sent a text to a number.

The ride to Spring Garden was only filled with the soft music played by Kaede. She would occasionally peer at Tsubaki who was still closing her eyes at the back seat. Kaede deliberately drove the car slower in order to not disturb her Madam and due to a certain someone's order too.

The journey was twice longer than usual.

"Madam, we've arrived," Kaede announced once she parked the car in the box exclusive for President Fuse's home unit.

"En?"

Tsubaki opened her eyes with difficulty, she blankly looked at her left and right before she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She didn't expect she would really fall asleep.

"Thank you, Kaede," Tsubaki muttered out her gratitude once she alighted the car. "You don't have to escort me till upstairs. Go home and rest."

"Thank you, Madam."

Kaede watched her lady's disappearing figure with a worried face. She looked sluggish. Kaede noticed that her Madam and Miss Esumi had a heavy conversation before they returned home but she knew it wasn't her place to meddle with. That was why she felt obligated to send a message to her Master.

Tsubaki didn't know how she came to standing in front of the door. She remembered gotten off the car and entered the elevator but her mind was blank until she reached their unit. Tsubaki shook her head, feeling helpless. She entered the keyword and held the door handle, wanting to push it.

She wanted to be home.

But, he wasn't here.

Ren said he would return early but she doubted it would be somewhere before 8. She had packed their clothes and necessities for tomorrow's trip. They would take the flight heading to the airport near her hometown before taking a car ride for almost one hour.

Tsubaki opened the door wide. She listlessly dragged her feet inside. Her energy had been drained by the outing and the revelations by Kanako. As she turned around to close the door properly, a tall shadow loomed over her.

"Sweetheart?"

Tsubaki's shoulders slightly jolted up when she heard the familiar voice. She quickly spun around, her gaze meeting a pair of dark eyes. Tsubaki froze for a moment as she took in the soft smile on his face. She stared blankly at the man standing before her. Her lips parted slightly.

"Welcome home," Ren added as he walked closer and gently brought her into his embrace.

Only when she was enveloped within the warmth of his body did Tsubaki return from her daze. Her hands immediately encircled his slender waist. Tsubaki looked up, his eyes were as gentle as ever as the light in his eyes softened when he met her gaze.

"I'm home," Tsubaki said, almost choked up with her emotions.

Ren smiled. He leaned his head down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"You're home."

Tsubaki nodded. She closed her eyes tightly as she sought peace from his warmth.

It felt so good to be home.

With him.

"I'll make you fall in love with me again." He gently rubbed her head.

"Whenever you're tired donning the cold mask to the outside world, you could come to me. I'll be here." She smiled as she held his hands.

Five years ago, the long winter of his life melted away once she entered his life. He had grown to live comfortably in her cool spring air with the scent of flowers she loved. But, fate had another story. It dragged him away from his spring, leading him to once again living in winter.

Five years later, he had successfully became the King of Winter. To avoid him from drowning in the freezing air, he began her journey to once again inviting the spring to grace his life.

Because for Ren, Tsubaki would forever be his spring.


A/N: If you want a fluffy love story, try check this one out! There would be some angst but don't worry, no major misunderstanding between our leads ;) 

The raw photo of the cover is from https://www.facebook.com/mandarin1314/photos/pcb.1047531012104032/1047529948770805/?type=3&theater . I used Photoscape to edit it a bit and add the text

handwriting to text tablet

The Exiled Tablet

Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

The CEO Who Hates Me

The Heir is Here: Quiet Down, School Prince!

The Record of Unusual Creatures

Let Me Game in Peace

Edict of the Yellow Emperor

The Empress's Gigolo

Urasaria Academy

Spring Blooms When I'm with You

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