Kai_Ritz

“I didn’t ask for this. I wasn’t born a knight, and I’ve never been anyone’s protector. But now, thanks to a stubborn princess who refuses to let me go, I’ve become her Warden. On the surface, my job sounds simple—keep her safe, stay by her side, and try not to lose my sanity. Her days are filled with royal routines and expectations, but mine? Mine are spent making sure she doesn’t fall into trouble—or drag me into it. But there’s something unsettling about her calm smiles and soft words. I don’t see the strings she’s pulling, but I feel them—subtle, deliberate, tightening around me day by day. She doesn’t just want my protection. She wants me. And while I focus on keeping her safe, I can’t help but wonder if I’m the one who needs protecting. I’m the Princess’s Warden. Her shield, her shadow, her keeper. And somehow, I get the feeling that I’ll never escape her.” patreon.com/KaiRitz

Ren Liang was born weak. Frail in body, cursed by fate, and mocked for his white hair and blue eyes, he was little more than a ghost in the village of Jinxi—a boy bound by his own limits. Unable to cultivate, unable to fight, and abandoned by the world, his only choice was to endure the ridicule of others while dreaming of a strength he could never grasp. Until he stumbled upon the shattered remains of a forgotten artifact. The Shard of the Infinite, an object of power lost to time, merges with Ren’s very soul, granting him the ability to duplicate anything—a stone, a blade, a treasure. Yet power always comes at a price, and each use drains his frail body to its breaking point. Hunted by cultivators, stalked by beasts, and burdened by his own weakness, Ren is forced to flee into a world of ruthless sects, ancient ruins, and untold wonders. But survival is only the beginning. As he discovers the shard’s true potential, Ren begins to carve a path of his own—one paved in shadows, blood, and ambition. Those who mocked him will kneel, those who betrayed him will fall, and those who underestimated him will learn the truth: Beneath his name’s promise of virtue lies something far darker. From the ashes of weakness, a tyrant will rise. From the edge of despair, an empire will be born. And in a world where power is everything, Ren Liang will take his place— Crowned in Shadows.