《Otherworldly Merchant》Chapter 94: There Is Only You
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It was a funeral hall!
The lights from the candles flickered, setting off an atmosphere of sadness.
At this moment, I saw Liu Rushi lying inside a red wooden coffin.
The unrivaled, talented beauty was now just a cold corpse.
Her face was wrinkled and her skin was pale. She didn’t glow anymore. There were two dark circles under her eyes, which made her look like a woman in her thirties. Her bloodied eyes made me feel afraid.
Although my fear had reached the pinnacle, I tried to suppress it. I told myself to stay calm. Otherwise, I could die here.
“Are you… scared?” asked Liu Rushi.
Her lips didn’t move and she didn’t blink. Her hoarse voice came deep from her throat, making me shudder.
“No, I’m not.” I took a deep breath then said, “We’ll live and grow old together until our hair turns white. That was my promise to you, and I’m planning to fulfill it now. Actually, how about we go together? On our way to the afterworld, I can take care of you.”
Her body shook violently. Tears lingered in her eyes. “You… you really won’t leave me?”
“No, I won’t.” I smiled and wiped her tears. “I still want to be with you in our next lives.”
She sighed then burst out crying.
Her appearance changed back. She was now mesmerizingly beautiful. The funeral hall gradually turned into the scene of a brothel.
“You should leave,” she said. “I’m not worthy of your love. It’s enough for me to know your love and thoughts of me.”
Liu Rushi sat on her bed and looked through her window. Faint sorrow clouded her eyes.
“No, you’re really good,” I told her. “Come with me! Leave this place. There’s no love here. Let’s go to a place you truly belong.”
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“Can… can I really?” She cooed. “But where?”
“Give me your hand.” I smiled. “Come with me. I will take you with me.”
She felt very touched and looked at me. She then gave me a slight nod.
I held her hand and walked East as Chuyi had instructed me to.
She followed closely behind me and held onto my hand tightly. Her eyes never left me even for a moment. She was afraid that I would disappear if she blinked.
I didn’t know how long we had walked until I heard the mysterious man’s voice.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying under the quilt. My entire body was freezing cold and my legs were numb.
“It’s okay now,” said Chuyi. He was standing next to me.
The old man immediately pulled me out of the Golden Perianth. He took out a small, white porcelain bottle and dipped a twig into it. Then he sprinkled the water onto my legs. Eventually, my legs resumed their mobility. Then, the old man sprinkled some on the golden quilt before carefully folding it.
I looked at Chuyi and asked, “Has the resentment inside the Golden Perianth been settled?”
The man nodded. “Yeah, but you’d better find the quilt a new owner soon. You should go to Qinhuai River and sell it to a predestined prostitute. That’s how we can close the case without any worry…”
I nodded then squatted. I picked up the Golden Perianth.
I didn’t know if I was hallucinating, but the previously stinky quilt now had the scent of a woman's body. This scent could seep into people's hearts. It was exactly the same as what I had sensed in my recent dream.
Did Liu Rushi come here? Perhaps only she could answer this question.
Chuyi said that he needed to solve some important matters so he needed to leave.
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Before he left, he repeatedly asked the old man to take care of us.
The old man agreed.
After the man left, I asked the old man, “How can I go to Qinhuai River? I won’t take any chances with Nanjing’s highways. If people from the Longquan Villa spot me, I will be in trouble.”
The old man threw a small bottle at me and scoffed. “You’re a bunch of chickens. How could Chuyi befriend people like you guys? Remember this. Before getting on the highway, each of you need to open the bottle and take a sip. Then after every twelve hours, you will need to take another sip.”
“What’s this?” Li Mazi curiously swayed the small china bottle.
“Earth Dragon’s urine. Do you want to drink it or not? If you don’t want it, give it back to me. I’m reluctant to give you such a precious thing.”
Li Mazi asked in puzzlement, “What Earth Dragon?”
“The guy in your hand,” said the old man. He sounded enraged.
Li Mazi couldn’t help but laugh as he held the mouse. “You mean this big mouse? You wanted us to drink a mouse’s piss? How could you come up with this idea?”
Seeing that the old man wanted to take the bottle back, I hurried to stop Li Mazi. I was sure that this item was priceless.
The old man could buy ten cities with his assets, but he seemed reluctant to give this item away.
We bid the old man farewell then departed with the Golden Perianth.
I didn’t know if it was the Earth Dragon urine’s effect, but I was high-spirited along the way. I had been driving for several hours, but I didn’t feel flustered or tired. Nobody had bothered us, either.
Because of the strict control in the scenic area, we could only use the bus to go to the Qinhuai River after we had arrived in Nanjing.
The Golden Perianth’s matter had already spread in the circle.
Every day, people came to see the Golden Perianth in waves. Most of them were antique businessmen. However, they just wanted to see the item. They didn’t have any desire to buy it since they were all men. The Golden Perianth was neither useful nor beneficial to them. Rather, it was harmful.
Eventually, the Golden Perianth was sold to a young pseudo-model for the price of two million renminbi.
She looked tender and full of grace. She wore revealing clothes and drove a Mercedes-Benz. Needless to say, she was a mistress some rich man had provided for…
Since the Golden Perianth could make a woman more attractive, it was a powerful weapon for a mistress.
After closing the deal, I wasn’t excited at all. I wondered if I was going to help or harm the pseudo-model by selling her the Golden Perianth.
Sometimes women are really complicated while other times, they are really simple.
They put in a lot of effort to find a man who would never leave them.
However, what did this world have the most? Unfaithful men! Those silly women had betted and wasted their youth on those men.
I couldn’t help but remember a song.
How many people admired you when you were young? And how many are still willing to love you once you’re old?
How many people in your life have come and gone? However, as long as I can have you, I will always be by your side.
Compared to this woman, Liu Rushi, whom I accompanied to the afterworld, was much happier.
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To Play With Magic
My name is Alexis Everette. I'm the only daughter of Earth's greatest hero. My dad is a normal man, but he's still my greatest hero. While he may be normal, I can bend the elements to my whim and have power over space and time. Of course, that's who I am at the end of the story. There's a lot I have to go through to get there. And even with all the power I gain... The world ends on a Tuesday. ... This is currently a completed story arc, though it's not the end. New updates are starting March 28, 2022. Actively updating. Mostly on Mondays/Thursdays. WARNING: FLAWED MC and not great early writing. Edits are on the list. ... *LitRPG-Isekai start with a return to Earth to stop the System apocalypse goal. Still a first draft, but with a bunch of edits from you guys thrown in. Thanks for that. Guaranteed updates on Monday and Thursday. This story is only available on RoyalRoad and my Patreon. If you find it anywhere else, please reach out to me. Thank you. Old cover provided by Asviloka. She's also does werds!Current cover provided by Fuyudust. Old synopsis "Hi, my name is Alexis," I say into the camera, as I attempt to calm my nerves."And I'm Sab," I hear my best friend add from beside me. It's good to have her there, it's been far too long."I'm trying to focus," I tell Sab as I look into the camera. Will anyone even watch this?"What, just cause I didn't get sent to another world, where magic and dragons are real, I don't get to be a part of this?" she questions me. I can hear the hurt in her voice. I wish she'd been there. Things might have been... different. I can't believe I thought it was a game. If it had been, she'd have been the better choice."I said I was sorry. It's not like I knew I was going to be kidnapped by the system," I lamely apologize. She deserves more, but this is important."Coming soon, to an earth near you," she might be making light, but I can hear the fear in her voice."It's not funny Sab. It really is coming," I can't help but reply to her words, even though I know she didn't mean it."Come on Lexi, it's a little funny." she tries while chuckling nervously."Sigh. Look, can we just get back to telling them?" I ask, pointing at the laptop."Sure, but first you should show them some magic," Sab declares while waving her arms around."I told you. It's not that simple. I only showed you because you could tell it wasn't fake. They'd just think it was special effects," or come after me to try to lock me in a basement."Yeah, well they're not going to believe you anyway. It sounds pretty crazy, even to me. And I've seen what you can do," she proclaims. I didn't think it was that special, but she was super impressed by my magical abilities."Maybe, but I have to try. We don't have much time," I state as I stop the recording, before starting a new one."Hello, my name is Alexis," I pronounce, projecting as much confidence as I can at the little camera."Remember, the world ends on a Tuesday."
8 195How the Stars Turned Red
Announcement as of 05 July 2022: I've been diagnosed with some pretty severe nerve damage in my left arm, rendering me unable to write effectively, and as such this story is on hold until it is healed. I am so sorry, and I promise to get back to writing as soon as possible. In the latter half of the 3rd millennium CE, humanity has spread across the stars, inhabiting close to five-hundred worlds across the Orion Arm. Earth has become irrelevant, a historical has-been. The galactic map is dominated by two mega-factions, both controlling vast amounts of territories either through direct control or through their many allies and treaty signatories. The Kingdom of Aurora is the political and economic hegemon despite consisting of only seven inhabited worlds; their strength lies in the Royal Union, an interstellar commonwealth composing an internal market and a common defence pact. These member worlds are myriad and varied, culturally as well as politically, but they all flock to the same banner. The Independent Systems Alliance, spearheaded by the Republic of Elysium, is the ascendant challenger to Aurora and the Union. A pseudo-federal multi-system polity, the Alliance economy and military is rapidly expanding, but at the cost of effective democratic and meritocratic involvement by its people. However, with two superpowers as this, chafing along a common border, and with a constant clamour of polemics, both sides have become convinced the other is constantly preparing for war and are on the look-out for any perceived weakness in their opponent. The predictable result is a huge arms race and a cold war spreading across the stars, requiring only a spark to set the galaxy aflame. Drawn into this game of high stakes are ordinary men and women, their peaceful lives, hopes, and aspirations swallowed by the vortex of conflict and distrust. This is their story. Cover art by Rhodex Designs (FB). Hope you like long chapters and adjectives. Note: English is not my first language. Another story set in the same universe, written by a good friend
8 95The Ability User of Modern Day
In the modern world where people work and magic and abilities are seen as nothing more than fairytails and fiction which are commonly displayed in Anime and Manga. A normal high school boy has had abilities since he remembers and has used these abilities throughout his life for his own benefit rather than becoming some hero. Rather than displaying these abilities to the world and becoming some sort of hero our main protagonist Kazuki who is seemingly carefree and lazy but behind that a superstrong ability user decides to hide these abilties and train them alone and keeping them a secret from those closest to him. We will see our protagonists life change from having an ordinary high school life to meeting new people, experiencing new things and even reuniting with people from his past.
8 119The Sorcerer's Apprentice
A world where magic must be hidden from mankind is a world where mages have no reason to exist. Zara was one of them--a young woman forced to spend her days in confinement, to lessen the risks of outsiders discovering the truth. She was not human. She was, as they say, a living embodiment of a thousand year old curse upon the Kingdom and humanity as a whole. And the only way to handle a curse is to get rid of it--which is precisely what the Kingdom had been doing for centuries--eliminating any being that contained even an ounce of enchanted blood. Zara has lived most of her life with the threat of death hanging over her head, though it never averted her heightening curiosity about magic, nor the abilities innate within her. And when a powerful, enigmatic Sorcerer comes to her with a proposition, Zara finally sees her chance to embrace the curse she was born with. It was a chance laced with precarity and destruction, but a chance nonetheless...
8 102A Story That You Wouldn't Want To Read +
You have read stories, any kind of stories, The Uncommon and the Common, The Popular and The Unpopular, The Interesting and the Uninteresting, The Good and the Bad. Well If one would have to choose which one to write it will always be the first to be mentioned but what would unfold before you if you decide it - will be the latter! Because is nothing more extraordinary than telling what is ordinary! P.S. That's just the author rambling about something, something to draw some readers to read a Story that you wouldn't even want to read. Regarding the pace of how I pass new chapters. Won't be doing for a while
8 68My Journey as the Fox head clan
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