Chapter 135
Henderson looked down from his balcony, right outside his room, at the city of Veridis. The twilight settled over its winding streets and he felt the corners of his lips lifting up— a hard-won smile.
His mind roamed back over the years, tracing the path from an unremarkable knight to this point. He’d served more lords than he could count, each promising the same lies of reward and honour. Yet each one had discarded him without a second thought when he had asked t...
2024-11-09 16:49:25 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 26
The week flew by in a flurry of scents, simmering broths, physical training and evening reading. His attention was required for one thing after another, or sometimes, two or more things at the same time.
Chen Ren had hoped that this cultivation world might have had its own sense of time—perhaps longer hours or slower days— but it turned out that even here, a day only granted twenty-four hours.
With his noodle stall running each morning, perfume shop drawin...
2024-11-08 19:07:09 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 25
Mei Lian was the thirtieth daughter of an elder of the Soaring Sword Sect, yet that grand title masked a much humbler truth. Her mother had been a commoner, an innkeeper’s daughter who had nursed her father back to health after he was wounded outside the sect’s mountain gates during a mission.
It was a liaison born of fleeting gratitude on his part and hope on hers— a brief affair that had resulted in her birth. But being a daughter of a big shot cultivator was...
2024-11-07 19:11:59 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 134
Once the Sorcerer's Tower plan gained momentum, Kai wasted no time pulling the Mason, Barret, into the thick of it. Kai walked the grounds with him, marking a prime spot in the heart of the city, right where he envisioned the tower soaring skyward— a grand seven-story structure, capped by an enchantment-laden spire and a lift threading up its core.
Barret looked on, eyes wide with reluctant awe, and muttered about timelines and resources. A seven-story tower with ...
2024-11-07 13:08:08 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 24
Tang Yuqiu’s eyes fluttered open, drawn out of sleep by the light caress of dawn's light slipping through the cracks of her window shutters. The warmth of the sun's early rays touched her face, gentle and persistent, coaxing her awake. She blinked, momentarily dazed, as she soaked in the serene morning hues filtering into her room. A nervous thrill raced through her veins, making her heart thud a little faster, a quiet anticipation that prickled beneath her skin.
"T...
2024-11-06 12:53:24 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 133
Kai was more than sure there was going to be another spy among the Mages. Veridia was ambitious and calculating; it was unlikely she'd risk everything on just one hidden agent. So, when each of the Mages—some with a flicker of hesitation— agreed to swear on a mana oath after a brief discussion, Kai couldn’t mask his surprise. A few still looked troubled, glancing at each other with furrowed brows, but their resolve held. They had made their decision.
That was g...
2024-11-05 18:55:08 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 23
The tension in the tea shop was thick, like a brewing storm. Every customer had turned their heads toward the corner where two young women stood, faces flushed and voices raised. Even the server paused mid-pour, eyes darting between the arguing girls, afraid that one wrong move might escalate things further. Chen Ren felt the movement— the shift of all those eyes as he wove through the maze of chairs and tables, making his way toward the commotion.
Now, their eyes ...
2024-11-04 18:39:00 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 22
The perfume business moved faster than expected once Chen Ren and Tang Yuqiu finalised their discussions.
Soon, everything else settled in— Tang Yuqiu was given the task to manage the herb gathering and production while Chen Ren handled the marketing.
To make sure they were on the right side of the local laws, they took a day to read up everything on herb gathering and found a surprising thing— there were no restrictions on how much common herbs could be ga...
2024-11-03 11:12:22 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 132
The banquet turned out to be a rousing success for Veralt and Kai, a night to be remembered by all— except the nobles who found themselves empty-handed. The city thrived with the influx of aristocrats and their entourages, enjoying the spike in business from inns, markets, and artisans.
Commoners cheered in the streets, their voices echoing his name as his new title was conferred without a hitch. The strength he projected that night, backed by the fervent support ...
2024-11-03 10:40:49 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 21
“Have a seat.” Tang Yuqiu motioned him to sit.
Chen Ren settled into the seat across from her, his expression calm, though his mind raced beneath the surface. He studied her quietly, noting the wariness in her eyes as she glanced his way— suspicion and impatience mixed into her gaze.
She was a woman with a strong but steel will, and her presence carried a sense of authority that even experienced merchants would tread carefully around. But Chen Ren knew s...
2024-11-03 06:08:02 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 20
The air seemed to thicken as the rat beast charged, its claws scrabbling across the rocky ground. Chen Ren's muscles tensed, his mind blanked for a split second, time stretching unnaturally. Fear prickled at the edge of his thoughts, locking him in place. He could almost hear the rhythmic pounding of his own heartbeat as he froze, watching the beast bear down on him. But then, a stray thought broke through the haze— move.
Electricity crackled around his fists as he...
2024-11-03 06:06:57 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 19
Chen Ren hunched over a small desk in his room, the only light coming from the flickering flame of a half-melted candle. His brush moved with swift, confident strokes, filling the scroll with characters that came to his mind. He paused, the tip hovering over the paper as he thought of the recent encounter with the old lady at the teahouse. A smile tugged at his lips, just barely there.
The deal with her had been sort of a gamble of its own, but one that turned out be...
2024-11-03 06:06:12 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 18
Qing He’s hand trembled slightly as she brought the teacup to her lips, savouring the warmth that seeped through the delicate porcelain. Her shop, filled with neatly stacked books and the faint scent of aged paper, was brightened by the sunlight pouring through the window.
The gentle steam rising from the tea seemed to swirl in harmony with the rhythm of her thoughts, as if time itself had slowed to match her leisurely pace.
Her gaze drifted to the window, wh...
2024-11-03 06:05:27 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 17
The tea shop was nothing out of the ordinary.
The lanterns, already lit, cast a warm glow that mingled with the lingering scent of brewing tea, creating an inviting atmosphere. Despite the late hour, the place was still full of life, with customers ranging from wandering cultivators to weary travellers, each nursing a steaming cup and engaging in low, murmured conversations.
Chen Ren stepped through the entrance, his eyes scanning the familiar space.
It...
2024-11-03 06:04:40 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 16
Although his plan had been perfectly laid out and set in his mind, and even after speaking with Tang Jihao, there was one glaring problem that clung to his sides: Tang Yuqiu had vanished.
Chen Ren had scoured the Tang Manor, questioned every servant he could find, but all anyone knew was that she had left the manor. "Being outside" was about as useful as saying she was somewhere under the sky. The city was vast, and people disappeared easily into its winding streets, ...
2024-11-03 06:03:53 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 15
Although Chen Ren had long known the Tang Clan head’s intentions when he allowed his body’s former occupant to stay in the family’s courtyard, he had hoped the man had abandoned those thoughts. But as he sat in front of Tang Jihao, hearing his sudden excitement and hopeful tone, Chen Ren knew his recent success had reignited those expectations.
The clan head leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of paternal pride and ambition. "It seems your growth ha...
2024-11-03 05:47:12 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 14
Chen Ren leaned against the wooden frame of his stall, arms crossed, eyes watching the flow of people on Market Street.
It had been a week since Jiang Wu’s little stunt had been decimated by him— trying to sabotage him with rumours about his noodles. And now, like clockwork, every vendor kept their distance from him and no one dared to go against him.
As expected, Jiang Wu's steamed bun stall had seen fewer and fewer customers each day. In a business where...
2024-11-03 05:46:26 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 13
In a matter of seconds, the attention that had been focused on Chen Ren shifted entirely to the woman who had just arrived. Her attire stood out against the modest crowd— an elegant red robe embroidered with delicate white roses at the hem, accompanied by a necklace and rings that spoke of wealth and status. She moved with a grace that naturally commanded attention, her presence turning heads as she approached and stood in front of Chen Ren’s stall.
Anyone with a ...
2024-11-03 05:45:12 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 12
Chen Ren’s thoughts flowed like the river before a storm, the calm before inevitable trouble. Like any plan of his, starting a noodle business was never going to be smooth. It wasn’t just the rice, the vegetables, or the mortar that demanded attention— oh no, where there was meat, the wild animals came.
Trouble, in any form, seemed drawn to him like moths to flame. After all, the path of a cultivator never allowed peace for long.
And now, even this humble...
2024-11-03 05:42:33 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 11
When Chen Ren first found himself in the cultivation world, he’d entertained a few fantasies about what his path might look like. Would he become a sword-wielding prodigy, cleaving through sect rivals gracefully and skillfully? Or perhaps he’d find his calling in the intricate arts of arrays, mastering their complexities to shape the battlefield? And, like any man might in this strange, mystical world, he briefly considered the idea of amassing a harem— after all, that...
2024-11-03 05:41:36 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 10
Chen Ren frowned as he struggled to explain the strange phenomenon that had been happening with him in the last few days. It took a while for him to get everything out as he thought back to how he had been feeling different since he had first started his stall.
“I didn’t notice it at first, but I’ve been feeling something in my dantian these days. It’s faint, like a soft pulse, but it’s there. I can sense qi in the air too, though it’s barely noticeable....
2024-11-03 05:40:52 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 9
Chen Ren paused, eyes narrowing as he wondered if what he was seeing and hearing was a reality or just something his mind was making up. He had memories of witnessing strange things that he would have regarded as breaking every law of physics and biology in his past life, but he never minded them as they should be considered normal in this world.
Now that it happened in front of him, his brain needed a good minute to register it. His eyes stared at the feline perched e...
2024-11-03 05:40:10 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 8
The line of customers moved at a steady pace as they were being given bowls of rice noodles one after another. Chen Ren felt the stall buzzing like a hive with the people who continued to come and go— making his grin grow wider.
Every time someone grabbed a bowl of steaming hot rice noodles, the sound of coins clinking into his hands was a sweet melody— the gratification of his hard work to make those dishes. What made it even sweeter was the sight of Tang Xi...
2024-11-03 05:39:20 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 7
Tang Xiulan wiped her brow as she and Chen Ren finished the day’s work.
The sun had already long set, calming things around the courtyard from the busy state that they’d been in the morning, but she still had some energy left.
She helped Chen Ren carry the stall and bowls back to the guest courtyard. Despite her initial reluctance, she had grown accustomed to their routine, though she still found his behaviour puzzling.
Once they had set everything d...
2024-11-03 05:36:29 +0000 UTC
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Hello everyone! Hope you all are alive and kicking!
After a whole lot of kingdom building, we're bringing the heat with our newest book release, a xianxia novel: Dao of Money!
Imagine a cultivation world where the MC isn’t hunting for martial glory but, well... cold, hard cash.
20k words are already live on Royal road and patreon for you to sink your teeth into! 15 chapters in advance will be posted on patreon and the already paid readers don't have to pay anything for...
2024-11-02 13:52:36 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 6
Chen Ren stood at his humble stall, the scent of freshly made rice noodles wafting through the air. Ever since he’d been making those noodles, he felt like he smelled of rice noodles and broth.
He looked around, taking in the sights and sounds.
Lines and lines of stalls lined in the street, each vendor shouting out their wares with practised fervour. Brightly coloured banners fluttered in the wind, and the mixture of haggling voices melded with the clatter o...
2024-11-02 13:49:01 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 5
“Who are you?”
Chen Ren’s hands paused over the steaming pot of noodles as a shadow fell over him.
He looked up and felt immediate regret when his gaze met the figure before him.
Not because her presence commanded some sort of attention, but because her face resonated in the depths of his memory. The young miss of the Tang Clan— there was no mistaking her. Different memories came rushing into him as he looked at her for a second more.
S...
2024-11-02 13:48:21 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 4
Tang Xiulan walked quietly to the kitchen, her gaze fixed on the distant mountains that were visible from outside the chamber halls, but her thoughts were wandering away, wrapped around the figure of a man who only recently was known as one of the most arrogant and hedonistic men in Cloud Mist City.
Chen Ren— the young master she temporarily served, had been quite the individual whom she had gotten the chance to observe a few too many times to her liking.
He...
2024-11-02 13:47:31 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 3
His first trip to the market narrowed down the scope for what could be his first business, but there were still quite a few worries swimming freely in his mind. One of them was the constant reminder of debtors.
The whole situation was sticky. Sticky enough that it would put him in deep trouble if he didn’t start working on the things he had planned. If only Chen Ren hadn’t been a hedonistic bastard.
Now, he was gone, but the due hangers remained.
F...
2024-11-02 13:46:50 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 131
During the Second Golden Era of Magic, a time when the arcane arts flourished and powerful spells reshaped kingdoms, the Adventurer’s Guild emerged, a counterbalance to the rising dominance of Mages and Enforcers.
Formed by a group of hardened mercenaries, it wasn’t just a loose alliance of fighters— it became a structured organisation that offered a new path to those who didn’t wield magic. The mercenaries, having grown tired of being dismissed and treated a...
2024-10-31 12:40:03 +0000 UTC
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