(Disclaimer:  All characters, organizations, places, cases and incidents in this novel are fictitious.)
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They called this the city of Wai, or Country. The city was divided into 4 parts. E.W.N.S. 

West country has sea, East side has big forest and mountain. Mountain and forest spread east and south of the City. North side linked to other country.

North side has big Gate, and East has smaller gate. South did not have gate and West has port. 
Cemetery located at south east of the city. And Royal Cemetery was located near North West and it was built in the City.

North side was face of country and south side was back of country. Because the main road to another country was on North side.

And they also have 1 big market each made 4 markets. But 2 big markets were more bigger than other two. 

East and West market were bigger. 
West side have ship port, market and Rich people area with palace. 

East side have mix people, most of exchange were take place here, 
Hunter or herb collector coming out from forest were sold their good in here, 
Slave hunter, missionary, assassin, beggar, thief, kind of mix people stay here so, restaurant, gambling house, brothel and black market even hiding inside of it.
Zora hidden base was in south-east side poor area.


...….


They arrived in East market place, too many light were lit as a day. These were like night market in Asia, many small temporary shop were open on the street, and original building shop were open as well.
There were selling many foods, good material, snacks, etc...

New year festival was like 10 days celebrate in here.
Xiao Yu hold the big bag firmly which was tie with her like back pack in front of her chest, the small space bag was inside in it, 

She took out money from small bag inside big bag, she bought most for their needed. She only took out money and pay the price of what she bought.

That what Zora told her to do. How to proper use money. Ye Ling follow her and take everything in her big bag.

At one place, Yu Rou stopped and looked at girl flowery hair clip on a girls accessories shop.

"Yu'er, if you wanted, go and buy it, that not too much and that not wasting money, that was using money."

She smile and went there quickly that like she afraid of someone took it. She hold it and...

"How much…." Before she finished her word.
A hand tried to grab the big bag which was tie with her and run. But Yu Rou's hand was so firm holding it and tied, the thief could not get at first tried.

Yu Rou fall down.
The hand tried to get second time but…
Yu Rou dropped the hair clip and hold the bag with her two hand grab it in her chest, even if she was on ground.

And a hand grab the thief hand before the thief touch again.
Zora knew two guys were following them. 

He wanted Yu Rou got experience so he let them first time. But not second time. 

Enough for a child.

And he did not know these thieves were so stupid and use forcefully take away. That make Yu Rou fell down. Zora thought they would cut the tied string first but now.

Zora so angry, for his own mistake. and he thinks 'This world people are stupid. Stupid world.' He curse.

Zora grab the pickpocket hand with left and..
He use his right hand.
He transformed his right hand palm turn into metal but only his palm could see other parts were hidden under his clothes. 

Even if fire lamp were lit, normal people could not notice about his palm. 

He used the edge of his right palm smash across the face of the thief. He used only half of his strength. 
He used metal form so that it could prevent him from harm.

"Crack" 
The thief face cracked. Nose, eyes and face was deform. 
Blood were spread out.

He let out his anger on the thief.

Just one hit needed to made him fall down. But Zora did not stop. Three time he hit him on the ground. 
The thief face were smash between ground and his edge of Zora palm.

Zora did not use his fist.

He got up and turn around, transform his right leg and kick the incoming another one. Just one kick needed again. This time he reduced to ¼ of his leg strength.
Bang..
Arrrr… 
This one could still shout while first one down with just one without shout.
Bang...
Zora jump and follow that man and kicked again in his abdominal while the thief was lying on the ground.

These two thieves were weak, normal people here were x2 times stronger than earth. But that does not mean all people.
Even on earth there were many people who could not lift 10kg weight and hold for 1 min. Same thing applied here.

When Zora got this body, it was too weak too. He was now 16 years old his muscles were still developing, not too strong like mature someone who already trained.

But he still stronger than many people here, even without using his metal power. 
He showed his power to ward off unnecessary incoming problems. But he still keep some hidden.

All people were move away from fighting places. 
He than looking in the crowed of people, there must be still some more left.

"You all tried to steal from a little girl? Fvck you all."
"Go call your follow dogs and come gang at me. I am waiting."

He lift his foot and stomp down on the lying thief legs to break his both legs. 
Than he went to another, this time he kick the thief the legs to break it again.

Zora is always rustless when in fighting, 
In a fight, if you sympathy to your enemy mean you hate your love one.

If you don't want your love one got hurt never sympathy in fight.

And while he fight Zora did not talk. Or never got time to talk while in fight.
And he stand there for 10 seconds waiting for someone to come out but no one.

He turned toward Yu Rou, who was sitting on the ground. He sat down pick her up, checked her injury,
Small injury, he know it from the started, that why he took care of two thieves first. 

He cleaned the wound on Yu Rou without caring other people around and applied medicine right away.

Everyone around already started going their way, they did not care this much of fight. It happen as daily life.

He picked up hair clip and check. There were nothing happen to it, so
"Yu'er, it is ok now, go buy it."
After she looked at two man on ground and she went back to buy her hair clip.

"How much for this?"
"20 copper little girl."

Yu Rou stopped for a while and think, 20 coppers was expensive. As for a solider who fought in a war would only got 6 silvers for monthly salary.
20 coppers were enough for some people food for 3 or 4 days.

Zora came stand beside Yu Rou and looking at the stand. He found another beautiful hair clip.
"How much for that?"

The shop keeper face disdain while looking at who wearing normal clothes, and telling himself
 'They were just asking and even could not afford to buy.' 

But he could not say out loud, he just saw Zora took care of two thieves.
"that for 30 coppers." The shop owner replied.

Zora notices about shop owner feeling but not worth to bark about that. So….
 "Yu Rou, do you like this one?"

Both were pretty so,
"It is pretty too."Yu Rou answer with shinning bright in her eyes.

But she remember those days after her parents gone. Her father die and mother disappear.
 
Their relative came and took everything they have. 
At that time they could not even afford to buy 1 meal for 1 day.

When their relatives came and took no one help them. There were so call his parents friends were no where to be found.
But before when they parents were prosper they always come.

These days were making her trauma all the time, Zora knew about these in two years this was another reason he wanted her to use money properly to gain back her confident.

"We would take both, Yu Rou gave him 50 coppers."
"One clip is enough for me, Ge Ge."
"Just bought it, a girl should have 2 or 3 at least." Zora told her with smile. 
He remember how the earth girls were.

After they bought the clip, they left that place leaving two thieves.
Zora was excepted someone would come but still NO. And No police too.
They walked quietly for a while and after a bit far from thieves there were a tea house.

So, time for action, 

Zora did not like passive way of handling things. 

So he started his active part.

"Ye Ling and Yu Rou wait me at that tea house.
After that he went into crowded people.
There were five more people there waiting for Zora went away. After that they tried carried two guys and left.

 Zora followed these men who took the two guy. They turn into dark valley to another until they reach another dark valley, there were two people in there wearing police uniform.

One was captain and his lackey.
"Are they dead?" police lackey asked the man who carried body.
"Not yet, Why don't you go arrested him?" 
"Why don't you go out and fight him?" A Police lackey asked them back.

They all stop talking. They knew Zora was dangerous.
"Please, make him as murder and arrested him, Captain Yang."
"We would try but not sure, you all know what area was that."  Captain Yang replied.

Zora was in the dark listening them, no one could see him as his metal form was black and clothes colour were ash colour too.

That area was very dangerous place that why these thieves operate stealing here too.
Many of hunter and killer here. Even if some people die, no one care.

But still many untouchable people here, that could cause all killer did not dear to run around and kill everyone.

All of them afraid of each other, many people here were hidden dragon and crouching tiger.
If someone wrong and provoke wrong person mean dead.

e.g. Thief try to steal from Zora.
And another example was the stupid group who tried to capture Zora before were die here in this zone too. 
Around after 3 months they came into graveyard for looking Zora, and got prize money. After that they drunk here and provoke someone. 

Here is not an earth city bar, that you could drunk and fight with everyone. 

Just one wrong move would kill someone here.
This area remind him of a place where he once live on earth.

If on Earth area were divided with colour for danger there could find Five area,
Green or white area (if you went out at after midnight, with ear phone on you dead percent was lower than 3%)
(e.g….Sort of like, safe big cities)

Blue  (if you went out at after midnight, with ear phone on you dead percent was lower than 20%)

Brown (if you went out at after midnight, with ear phone on, you dead percent was lower than 50%)

Black (if you went out at day time, you dead percent was lower than 25%)

Red (if you went out at day time, you dead percent was lower than 60%)

These were not a War Zone, it was like normal people living area. 

If someone told there is a place like exit on Earth, to the Earth youngster who live in Green Zone, they would never believe it exit.
Because they thought the world was so peaceful, under law and order.

For Zora, this area here in this world was between a Brown and black zone, this area was just a joke for him, he who lived once in a Red Zone.

....


"Go and report to your boss." Captain said that to them. 
"Ok," 
These two group part away, 

Zora followed the Thieves group, Zora wanted to eliminate all of them.

Leaving a lose end would not get peaceful.

They were walking more than 15 mins, Zora thought that their base should not far from the market but he was wrong.

At that time,

Quest,
'Kept Lin Yu Rou safe, defend her from harm tonight.'
Reward: 300 sliver and soft carbon fibre clothes for young girl full set.
Failure: -10000 gold and 100 slashes
Would you accept?  
 YES/NO

It has been a long time, no quest for him, since begging food from bad old man quest.

Zora was already worried about leaving Yu Rou at tea shop, he thought it was not long to reach to thieves hideout but it took him more around 30 mins still haven't reach their base yet.

So, he looked at where these people went and answer the Quest,

YES

He wanted to say 'No'
Because of big penalties were inhuman.
But soft carbon fibre clothes attracted him more, so he said...
He runs rush back toward the tea shop.

...….

Thieves....
They went into big old house with big yard, at very North East edge of the city. 
In the big yard, three house and a rundown temple.
There were around 20 guards guarding this place. 
There were some people on 2nd floor the big open veranda, they were drinking and talking.
...
"So, you guys run back like dog tail between the leg?" The leader told to his subordinates.
"Boss, he was so strong, even Yang Yue Gin could not dare to fight." 
"You mean, even Captain Yang was there?"
"Yes, boss,"
"Ok, you can go now."
"Boss, please revenge for us."
"I said you can go now!!!!"
That guy who reported run off.
"Cao Zhen, what do you think we should do?"
"Boss, we should lay low for a while, Lord Lu told us a big event would happen soon. And he wanted us to lay low."
"So, let him live for a while, next time we would send our people and if we found him, we will end his life and sold off his two woman."
"Don't worry boss, there were no place they could run, this is our area."
"Forget about small matter boss, let don't our happy time like that."
"You right, hay, call the girls now."
...

There were people who try to run before they walk.
.
Who did not know, what is ABCD and trying to write eassy in English.
.
Without foundation, building a Skyscraper.
.
Who did not know, what is Magic and trying to used Nine Sun magical fist.
.
There is one Question,
What is magic?
.
Action start from Vol. 2, 
Skip for action, 
Read Vol.1, history later.

"What kind of distraction do you want?" Noah asked as he signaled for the check.
They had polished off their pancakes and Violet was feeling a bit better already, though she was totally embarrassed at being caught out and about in her pajamas now. It might be best going to a clothes store to pick out a new outfit first.
"Can I get something to wear that isn't pajamas before we figure that out?" she asked nonchalantly to hide her mortification.
"Sure."
Once they made it back to the car Noah drove them straight to a nearby mall. Violet ended up buying the first thing she tried on: a white spaghetti strap romper covered in sunflowers.
The state of her bedhead was still something to worry about so as they walked by an accessory store she saw exactly what she needed. It was a hair clip with a sunflower on it.
Violet excused herself to run to the bathroom and try to smooth her hair out as best she could with water. The end result was a messy braid held together by the clip but at least now she looked boho chic rather than rolled-out-of-bed.
When she came back out, Noah was shaking his head with an amused smile on his face. "No one would ever guess you ran outside in your pajamas this morning."
"That's what I was going for," Violet replied crisply, though she was relieved to hear she looked okay.
She still hadn't decided what kind of distraction would be best when Noah pulled into a parking lot close to Central Park. A small, nostalgic smile appeared on her face. They had spent a lot of time here together when they were younger.
He led her towards the playground and more specifically, towards the swings. Only one was free so he gestured for her to sit on it so he could push her.
Violet laughed. It had been years since she had been on a swing. As soon as she was old enough to stay home alone, her mom didn't drag her to the park when her little brothers went anymore.
"If you're trying to distract me by drowning me in nostalgia it's working," she informed him.
Since Noah was behind her she couldn't see his smile but she could hear it in his voice. "Good. That was definitely my plan. Plus it couldn't hurt exposing you to some sunshine. Vitamin D is important, you know."
She rolled her eyes. Everyone was always on her case about not going out enough. Wasn't the time it took to get from place to place enough exposure to sunlight? She had better things to do inside.
That being said, Violet did like reading in the hammock on the terrace at home. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to read these days. Schoolwork had only gotten more time consuming over time. Even with her speed reading skills she spent hours on it each day.
A lot of the time she ended up bringing her homework with her when she met with Noah so they could work on their separate assignments at the same time. That way she could help him if he needed it but could also get her work done.
Before her workload got heavier, Violet completed everything while still at school and had plenty of time to herself after ballet practice. Life did get crazier the older you got.
Things were so much simpler when she was younger. She didn't have to worry about her image or her twin brother or her future. Back then all that mattered was playing with Noah and Kaleb, her two favorite people in the world.
As much as she looked forward to the future and craved romantic excitement, Violet had always struggled with change. Going to new schools, trying to make new friends, having a new schedule…those things took her a while to adjust every time.
Now she had one more unpleasant change to adjust to: life without her grandpa. He had always been an important part of her life so how was she supposed to get used to a world without him?
"What are you thinking about, Vi?" Noah asked as he pushed her higher.
She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that the occasional feeling of his hands on  her back was the only indication he was still there. 
"Change," Violet said sadly. "It's going to be weird not having Grandpa around anymore. It was already hard enough when he moved into the care center and I didn't see him as much but now I can't see him at all."
"I'm not sure what to tell you," Noah replied a bit hesitantly. "When my grandma died I was sad but I only saw her a few times a year so the difference wasn't as noticeable. It was easier to feel like she was still alive out there like always."
Jennica's mother had passed away about a year ago. The funeral was all the way in Ohio so Violet wasn't able to be there to support her friend even though she wanted to go with them. Her mother told her she couldn't be a burden on the Singletons when they were already grieving.
Reluctantly, she conceded her mother had a point. Jennica shouldn't have to focus on taking care of an extra minor when she was mourning the only parent she really had.
It was obvious that Noah wanted to make her feel better but didn't have the right words. That alone nearly made her feel better. Her friend's care and consideration were better than any sage advice he might have to offer.
The little girl on the swing next to her went running back to the playground so Noah was able to join her on the swings. He sat down and rocked back and forth gently by moving his feet against the ground.
Violet continued using the momentum his pushing had given her to pump her legs and go as high as possible. Maybe if she went high enough she could leave her melancholy completely behind.
"I don't need advice. I was just getting my thoughts out. You did ask, after all," she said simply.
"Right. Sorry," Noah replied. 
"Don't apologize! I really appreciate that you're here with me right now. I don't know what I would have done if I'd been forced to stay home with all of the doom and gloom."
"Cry more?" he asked with a slight smile on his face.
Violet rolled her eyes at him. He wasn't wrong but he didn't need to know that.


Keeley, a simple plain Jane, hits the jackpot.  [No, she did not win the lottery!]  At least that's what she thinks when she marries the most eligible bachelor in New York City: Aaron, a wealthy cold-hearted heartthrob and Tycoon. 

She wants to show the world that she deserves her position and bends over  backward to fit into his world.

One beautiful day, Aaron hands her a document asking her to sign.  A divorce paper...

"She's pregnant, and I need to take responsibility."

That is the last thing that keeps on playing in her mind before she takes her last breath.

Keeley dies, a 'hit and run'. [End of story.  Not!]

For some unexplainable reason, she wakes up as her younger self.  A young high school girl, around the time when she first meets her cheating husband.

Remembering her life with Aaron before she died, she makes a promise to herself that she will do everything in her power to avoid him at all costs.

Will she be able to keep her promise when Aaron has his own plans as well, specifically for her?  Or will she repeat history and fall for him once more...

Why not journey with me and find out the truth behind their story.

While Ren is planning what to do in the barren lands, he remembered the all-purpose hoe he received from the God. So he tried to search for it and found it lying under his bed.

When he grabbed the hoe, a panel appeared in front of him.

[Welcome to the interdimensional market.]

Those words greeted him and he is shocked because he saw a floating panel in front of him.

"D-do you see this?" Asked the shocked Ren.

"Yeah I could see it." Yoruichi said.

[Would you like a beginner's crash course of the market?] The panel asked.

"Yes." He said and a voice spoke through the head of the two.
 
It told them the basics of the trading system. You could put up items for sale or auction. You could buy items in the panel as well, there are also designated sub-panels if you want specific items. 

There are also trade panel where you can trade item for an item. There is even chat box where you can speak with the owner of the item through telepathy. 

The market also doesn't allow scamming because doing so will cost your life and the items you are trying to sell and the item you scammed will be given to the opposite party. (It is like the trading house of Dragon Nest but with trade boxes and chat boxes.)

[What would your community name would be?] It said and another blank panel appeared.

After thinking for a while, he just puts in his name.


[Invalid the name's already taken]

"Err. What do you think I should put in?" Ren asked Yoruichi.

"How should I know? Just put whatever you want." He said.

"Hmmm. Ren101? Uhhh invalid.... Ren001... invalid again... Ren123456... Invalid as well? FarmerRen. Oh. It got accepted." Ren heaved a sigh of relief after the community name got accepted.

After his community name got accepted, he then stared at the massive panel in front of him and there's a blinking notification in the corner of the panel as he clicked on it.

[You have a trade offer. (Accept) (Decline)] 

"Oh, someone sent me a trade offer. Accept."

A panel opened up with two windows. One of then is his and the other one, when Ren looked at who wants to trade to him, it was the overseer.

"You have finally joined the community." The overseer said.

"Its you again. Did you do something to me again? My head's a mess and I can't remember a single damn thing!" Ren sent his thoughts to the overseer.

"It was an accident. I didn't do anything at all." The overseer said.

"Anyway, since you have finally made it to the market, I'm giving this to you. I didn't give it to you earlier because you don't have any storage bags or rings at that time." The overseer said and a book appeared in the overseers trade window. When he put his fingers on that book, another panel appeared as it showed what book it is.

"Farming101? You're a God, right? Why don't you just transfer the knowledge to me?" Ren asked.

"Why should I? I don't gain anything with that trade. You get this book from me for free because it is inappropriate to send you with a book. If you want more you have to give me something of equal value. Its should be a basic rule especially for an alchemist like you." He said.

"Fine. I have already clicked accept. Lock it from your side." Ren said and didn't say anymore because he doesn't know the price of trading with the overseer and he doesn't know the prices of the goods up for sale as well.

The overseer locked and accepted the trade and a panel appeared saying that the trade was successful and before the overseer disconnected, Ren asked him since he knows a lot more than him plus his memory is basically gone because of another accident.

"If I ask a question is there a payment?" Ren asked.

"Of course. A question is 100 points each." He said and Ren disconnected from the overseer.

Ren then claimed the traded item and a book appeared in front of him and he grabbed it. He doesn't want to focus on getting seeds right now because basically, he's a beginner in terms of growing crops.

"Is that the book, that guy gave you?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yep. Looks like I have to read this from now on to at least have some basic knowledge on farming." Ren said as he opened the book.

What he saw inside is a table of content. The book was split into three sections, basics of farming, what you need to know about the land, and lastly, crops.

Ren didn't think twice and immediately flipped through until he reached the second section, about the land. He tried reading it from the start.

"Land pollution refers to all forms of pollution affecting any type of soil: agricultural, forestry, urban, etc. Soil pollution is a disruptive element for many biological resources and ecosystem..." Ren read through the book and finally found his answer.

"To cure land poisoning, you must extract the poison or chemicals from the ground. There are two ways to solve land poisoning, the long way, and the short way. The long way consists of taking a land sample and studying it and trying to find out something that would counteract the poison within the land. Or you could use the short way, just pour a drop of sap of rejuvenation into the land to purify it to the roots." Although Ren had found his answers, he still continued reading it for hours. 

Yoruichi just lied down on his bed, not seemingly bothered about Ren who keeps on reading as he lit a lamp and continued reading the book.

After reading for hours, he felt tired. He didn't feel hungry because he's eating the fruits they gave him while reading.

Ren finally decided to call it a night as he blew on the flickering light of the lamp and laid down as he closed his eyes to sleep.

Meanwhile, after confirming that Ren has slept, Yoruichi on the other hand transformed into a slender and well-endowed woman of average height. She has dark skin, golden irises, and black hair. She took one spare clothes of Ren from the table and their size exactly fit each other. 

She then continued jumping all around mount Myoboku. Yoruichi is currently mapping the entire area out. There are three points of interest for Yoruichi at the moment. A cave entrance, Toad Town, and the elder's house. But Yoruichi's curiosity led her to enter the cave entrance.

She cautiously entered the are and so far she didn't see or feel anything dangerous at the moment. When she reached the end of the cave, she saw a huge toad sitting in a high chair with waterfall in his back.

"What can I do for you little cat?" Asked the Great toad sage.

"Looks like you really can see the future." Said Yoruichi.

"Indeed. Although what I can see is only bits and pieces of it." He said.

"Tell me about this world. What are these things I perceive floating in the air?" Yoruichi asked for information.

"You are indeed not from these world. I don't think you're from Kaguya's clan. The boy isn't either." The great toad sage said in amusement.

The great toad sage then obliged as he told Yoruichi about chakra and shinobis but he didn't tell about chakra's origins and the nature chakra. 

He could tell that Yoruichi is perceiving nature chakra but he didn't tell her because simply absorbing them without any form of training could be deadly to anyone.

"Telling all this information, what's in it for you?" Yoruichi asked.

"The boy that's been with you might bring destruction or save this land from impending doom. I wish for you to guide him through the latter." He said. When he tried to see Ren's future, he saw two dreams, the first one is Ren sitting cross legged on the chakra fruit tree and is waiting for it to ripen while the second dream is blurry he can't see much the only thing he saw is Ren emitting light under such dark sky.

Hearing the great toad sage, Yoruichi can't stop laughing as she laughed hearing the Great Toad Sage's request.

"Ahhh, sorry. Its just that I find it funny. You think a mere prediction of the future can depict the path Ren will walk into? He will walk his own path with or without anyone's guidance. He might be naive at first glance because he lost majority of his memories but his instincts guides him on what he wants to do and what he doesn't." Yoruichi said as she went out of the cave and return to Ren's house.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Somewhere in a dark place.

"So who are you, old man and what can I do for you?" Ren asked the floating old man in front of him.

"Fret not, child. My name is Hagoromo, the founder of ninshu." The old man said as he introduced himself.

"You said you want to be immortal? I can help you with that. I have the elixir of life processed from the sap of Tree of Life." 

"Oh, you also want me to provide some corpse? I can help you with that. You see that tree over there? My killer tree over there has managed to kill so many thieves who were aiming for my garden."

"You want me to provide you with meat for your village? Sure, I've got tons of magic beasts being guarded by my pet."

"Oh, you want to kill me to take everything I have? I have a seed that can take all the nutrients of the land in your village leaving it barren."

"My background? I'm just a farmer. Farming in this land. Don't mind me. Look, i'm just planting seeds over here."

A man transported to another world after dying from bad luck. Instead of showing who's fist is bigger or who's d*ck is longer, he decided to not meddle on everything and built a farm for himself.

If I thought that suddenly people would be convinced by my little clip on the news, I learned fast enough that while some people loved the idea of a little girl tearing a strip off a school principal on the news, fewer people were interested in the background or rights of my friend Marilyn and others who didn't fit as easily into our assumptions as the rest of us.
What was interesting were the number and breadth of the people who were interested. Among them was the editor of New Economy, Phyllis Orville.
"We aren't just about money," Phyllis said. "There is also the economy of identity and relationship that is actually more important than money. I liked what you said in your clip, but I was wondering if you had a little more. I could use a fifteen hundred word article on the subject."
"That shouldn't be a problem," I said, "but I want you to credit Tuni J. Smith for it. I don't want a repeat of my civics class."
"I heard a little about that. I'm sorry that we added to your troubles in any way."
"I'll get the article to you as soon as I can."
"Great, I'll look forward to reading it."
I spent the day working on the article and fielding a few calls. Marilyn called to say ne'd watched the news and thought I did fantastic. 
"Why don't we meet for coffee tomorrow?" I said.
"Is it OK if John Wayne comes?"
"Of course."
The time crawled the next day until four and I could head over to the coffee shop. I took my mostly complete article for Marilyn to read. Just as I stepped out the door, Anita pulled up. 
"Do you have a few minutes?" she said. "I want to bring you up to date on the case."
"I'm just heading over to have coffee with some friends. Why don't you join us?"
"I could stand a cup of coffee." Anita opened the front door for me and then headed along toward the coffee shop.
"My computer genius friend scored big time on Rickard's hard drive. We were able to find a few other pictures that looked like they were taken in the school locker room. They were emailed to Rickard by the same person who used John Wayne's account to email you the porn. There were a few other emails that allowed us to identify the person involved. I believe you know her, one Chastity O'Connor."
"You're kidding," I said. "Chastity as a porn producer! I would have thought she would have been the star."
"That's always possible too," Anita said. "We arrested her today."
"No!" I said, "I wish I had been there to see that!"
"It was quite a show. It just happened that we arrived at the school just before lunch. Another female officer and I entered the locker room. I wanted to see if I could catch her with the camera in the locker room. She was in the shower, but one of the girls tripped over Miss O'Connor's stuff trying to get away from us. It turned out she had a little weed in her pocket. She did us a favor because Chastity's camera fell on the floor and since it was in plain sight I could look at it. One of the girls was even helpful enough to show me how it worked.
"Chastity tried to play it cool that it wasn't hers, but none of them were buying it. One girl said that she should get paid to have her picture posted and Chastity told her off and said that there weren't any of her. So I arrested Chastity. She thought she was being smart by refusing to get dressed. I told her she could either walk out with me dressed or naked. I think she figured I wouldn't dare carry her out naked. She just stuck her hands out at me.  So I put the cuffs on her, wrapped a towel around her and marched her through the halls to the police car. 
"It is really too bad that the bell rang just before we got out of the school..." From Anita's grin, I didn't think she looked too sorry.
We pulled up to the coffee shop and I led Anita to our table.  John Wayne scooted over beside Marilyn so we could sit and they told their version of the story. It was a blast being able to just hang out with them again. I almost missed school.
Anita left after one cup and a promise from each of us that we wouldn't spread wild stories about Chastity's arrest.
"You should come back to school," John Wayne said. "It isn't fair that you're expelled."
"I've been getting lots of work done," I said and handed the article to Marilyn. "Hey, you've shaved the beard," I said. "It looks good."
"The duct tape ruined it anyway, but I think it confused things more than they needed to be." 
"We did our presentation for Civics and got a great mark," John Wayne said. "The class really liked the bumper stickers."
"Cool," I said. "So at least you'll graduate."
"You should talk to the board," Marilyn said.
"That's a good idea," John Wayne said. "You're, like famous now, they'll have to listen to you."
"I'll give it a try."
When I got home I wrote an email to the Board saying that I didn't think I was being treated fairly. I included the emails from New Economy that confirmed that I wrote the article. I argued that I should be allowed to write the exams and finish school like all the rest of the students.
I got an email from the Chair the next day saying he thought I was being very reasonable. I would be allowed to return to school to write my exams and finish the last few courses I needed to graduate.
     


Author:
Alex McGilvery has been reading since before he can remember, and writing almost that long. He has published 18 books and is author and editor at his imprint Celticfrog Publishing. He lives in Kamloops with his dog and the stories clawing their way out of his head.

Petunia Smith is a senior in High School. The good news is that she only has to survive one more year in the battleground of High School relationships. The bad news is that she is short, shapeless and the preferred target of the cheerleader captain. Petunia knows what she needs to do, but when Marilyn walks into their home room all bets are off. The only thing worse than being Marilyn in Punkie's Hounds High School, may be becoming Marilyn's friend, but Petunia doesn't let that stop her.

I woke up the next day in a different world. I was lying on a sofa in a room with log walls. The window at my feet was speckled with raindrops. But the rain had stopped: I could hear trees rustling outside, and the cries of seagulls circling over the shore of the island.

I had been sleeping in my clothes, and they felt hot and clingy. I threw the blanket off myself and over the sofa's backrest and sat up, rubbing my face. There was a low coffee table in front of the sofa. It was decorated with with an overflowing tin ashtray, an empty pack of Rothmans, a booklet of matches that had just one bent match, and a half-full bottle of Kokanee True Ale. My mouth tasted horrible, so I reached for the beer and made it taste even worse.

I got up and went into the open kitchen and drank some water at the kitchen sink. I remembered dimly that Harry had told me to conserve water: it came from a tank that collected the rainwater from the roof. From what I'd seen of the weather so far, there was no danger of a water shortage.

I filled the kettle and put it on the gas stove and got it going. The coffee was in plain view, a square, squashed pack of Maxwell's on the kitchen counter, and so was the sugar. It was kept in an ornate pewter pot with sculpted handles. Tossing the kitchen matchbox up and down, I went to get a fresh packet of cigarettes.

It took me a while to locate my bag in the living room - I had slid it behind the sofa. I wondered why I'd gone to the trouble of moving the sofa and squeezing the bag in against the wall. I pulled it out and pushed the sofa against the wall and it was only when I'd unzipped the bag that I remembered there was a million-dollar stolen painting hidden inside.

After I'd made myself a coffee and emptied the ashtray, I sat down on the sofa with a foot pressed against my precious bag and began the laborious process of getting a bearing on my situation.

The house I was in consisted of a big room with an open kitchen at the back. There was a rudimentary bathroom next to the kitchen: an ancient shower cabin and a chemical toilet. Entering this bathroom involved bending in half to fit under the ladder-like stairs that led to a large bedroom. When we'd arrived at the house the previous afternoon, Harry made it plain that the bedroom was his very own, very private preserve. The Yale lock on the door emphasized the point.

Harry explained this along with several other things to me while we drank half a dozen bottles of Kokanee True Ale and smoked the last of his excellent Lebanese blond hash. Among others, I learned that the girls I had seen him with when we first met at the A&W were no-one special. He'd met them in the warehouse in Gastown, they were American, they'd gone back to Seattle after traveling to Vancouver with a couple of boyfriends who were draft-dodgers seeking shelter in Canada.

I also got a bunch of instructions. While staying at the house, I was to keep a low profile. Fishing off the pier was okay, but no waving to boats passing by and making friendly with their crews. Shitting was best done in the woods, unless it was freezing and I was really pressed. There was small sapper's shovel by the entrance I could use to dig a hole; it was important to cover up the hole well when finished, preferably throwing a dead branch over the spot to mark it as used.

Harry also made it clear that although there was a gas-powered generator, we were to use it as little as possible. The fridge functioned as an airtight cupboard. There were a couple of Coleman lights and an antique kerosene lamp, and I could also light a fire in the fireplace, provided I collected enough firewood first. There was a ton od dead branches lying around in the forest, and the occasional piece of driftwood on the shore. Did I know how to sharpen an ax? The whetting stone and the ax and a bunch of tools were kept in a storage box by the side of the house, next to a chopping block.

It was pretty clear that staying on the island would mean getting a taste of the good old pioneer life. In addition, we would be working pretty hard once the pot harvest started in earnest. All in all, I would be pretty busy. Was I okay with that?

I'd said that yeah, I was okay with that. I told Harry I didn't want to have time on my hands, time to think too much. Then I really opened up to him, and over consecutive beers I told him pretty much everything except for the museum robbery, and Peter Schmidt. I even told him about Tracy and the Montrose. He really enjoyed that.

It made him trust me enough to reveal that there two guns in the house - a .22 varmint rifle with a scope, and an ancient double-barreled shotgun. Both were locked in Harry's room, but if it made me feel better he could leave the shotgun and a box of shells out in the front room. I'd said no thanks, but as I was thinking about that part of our conversation I saw that the shotgun was standing propped up against the wall in the far front corner of the room.

I got up to take a closer look. It was ancient all right: it had been made by Purdey & Sons in London, 1912. There was a yellow cardboard box of shells on the casual table next to the gun. I broke the gun to see whether it was loaded. It wasn't. I put the empty shotgun back where Harry had left it.

I finished my coffee and made myself another one and did a bit of exploring around the house, excluding Harry's room. The kitchen cupboards were full of packaged food, tons of cans and boxes and bags, enough to survive for the entire winter. Harry had told me that fresh food on the island was limited to the weekly haul of groceries brought in from the mainland. Apart from that, there were only berries and mushrooms from the forest and fish caught in the bay, mostly herring and ocean perch.

It looked as if this was going to be a very different experience from staying at Roch's family cottage by the lake. But funnily enough, when Harry had finished giving me the lowdown on everything, he said:
"I'll be splitting soon. Got stuff to do in the city, and tomorrow I'll be at my parents' place. You know, family dinner and shit."

I couldn't help it; I started giggling, maybe also because of the hash. Everyone around was having Sunday dinners with their parents. I seemed to be the sole exception.
"Yeah," I'd said, when I'd finished giggling. "I understand."
"Great. And hey, I'll bringing in groceries for the week on Monday. You'd better tell me right now what you need, like cigarettes or whatever. But hey - no serious booze. We drink nothing but beer here, and not too much of that. You fuck around with fire all the time, you want to stay sober."
"Getting high is all right?"
"Man," Harry had said, grinning, "I'm at my most sober when I'm stoned."
"Yeah," I'd lied, "I'm that way too."
"Great. Great! You know something, when I saw you in that burger joint, I just fucking knew you were a twin soul. I knew it, man."

He must have meant it. He wouldn't have left me a gun plus ammunition otherwise. It was nice to feel so trustworthy, right after killing someone.

After I'd explored everything there was to explore in and around the house, I sat down to examine the newspapers I'd bought the previous day. I spent several hours with those newspapers. I quickly found out there was absolutely no mention of any deaths on the highway, not even a car crash or some other accident. Then I spent several hours reading the retail ads and the classifieds and thinking about what I'd read. I'd developed that habit while being thrown all around Europe with my diplomatic dad. Reading the ads, especially the classifieds, gives a good feel for the place you're in. It basically provides an overview of what's going on.

I had munched on my biscuits and salami while looking through the papers, but by the late afternoon I was ready for a proper meal. I had rice with a can of mixed vegetables: it was tasteless but filling. I spent some time examining the three fishing rods that were on display in a cabinet near the front door. There were books on the shelves near the stairs, and before it got dark I managed to pick out a couple to keep me entertained. I chose Lust for Life by Irving Stone and The Young Lions by Irwin Shaw; I.S., all the way.

I had read Lust for Life earlier: it's about van Gogh's life, more precisely about how life shafted him left, right, and center, causing him to lose his mind and eventually commit suicide. Of course nowadays he's recognized as a genius and his paintings cost the earth. If there's an afterlife, van Gogh probably feels he got a good deal: an unhappy life is a good trade for an eternity of great success. It's a shitty deal though when you aren't around to enjoy that success, and most likely there is no afterlife. Well, you make your choices and you take your chances, as they say.

I hadn't read The Young Lions so I got going on that once I'd lit the kerosene lamp. It turned out to be fucking good and I kept reading it until my eyes lodged a formal protest. The flame in the lamp kept flickering no matter how many and what adjustments I made to the wick.

It was around eleven at night by then, and I smoked a final cigarette congratulating myself on the fact that Canada wasn't involved in a war, and had no conscription. Fighting might be fun for some people but it accounts only for a tiny percentage of time spent in the military. The remaining time, 99% or more, is spent waiting for the fighting while living the military life, and military life is extremely shitty. It's no wonder soldiers are more than ready to kill people, simply being in the military makes you want to kill people because of all the hardships and bullshit you have to endure.

I was in no danger of being forced into that, which was great. On the other hand, I was in great danger of being forced to live in jail, and life in jail was much worse than the shittiest life in the military.

I tossed and turned for a long time before I fell asleep.

NOTICE
This work is available to read online exclusively at Webnovel.com.
https://www.webnovel.com/book/14813966006779805
If you are reading it at a different site, it has been copied and reproduced without the author's consent. The owner of that site is a thief.

On the 10th of August, 1972, almost exactly ten months after my eighteenth birthday, I left my home and cut all ties with my family. This is the story of what happened next: to me, to people I knew, and to the world.

NOTE: All of the characters in this story are fictitious; however, many of the events described really took place. One of these, the  Montreal Museum of Fine Arts robbery in 1972, was the greatest theft of art in Canadian history.
It remains an unsolved mystery to this day, and is the first of many historical events that will involve the hero of this story.
Current update schedule: 2-5 chapters a week

A Senior Apprentice Sister like an insane killer.

That was Lu Sheng's first impression of White Face.

As he followed Song Zi'an forward into the cave, the cave began to slope downwards. Strangely, however, the water between the gaps in the stone still flowed towards the mouth of the cave.

"Don't touch the stream under our feet. It's lethal poison… even we… can't resist it," Song Zi'an reminded ominously.

"Mm." Lu Sheng nodded. Actually, without his reminder, Lu Sheng himself had already noticed the source of the stream.

On the right side in the cave, a giant single-horned black python lay in slumber, its huge mouth unconsciously wide agape. Massive volumes of thick, viscous saliva were dripping out of the corner of its mouth.

As the saliva flowed away from the black python, however, it inexplicably became diluted. What began with the width of an arm was a small river in the distance, multiplying in volume until it filled the gaps between the stones.

"This is the guardian of the Sect—Mi. You can call her Miss Mi," Song Zi'an introduced. "But Miss Mi is deep in sleep most of the time, and flies into rage each time she wakes. Best not to be too near, lest you be eaten."

Lu Sheng nodded, at a loss for words.

They continued forward. After the time it took to brew a pot of tea, they finally caught sight of a glimmer of light ahead. The massive face of a rock wall soon emerged in Lu Sheng's view.

It was a gargantuan and brightly lit stone wall, riddled with caves carved into the face of the wall, packed densely together like a beehive. Each cave was sealed by a stone door and seemed to be inhabitable.

A rugged stone pillar stood before the rock wall, with a massive blood-colored symbol painted on it. In the darkness, the pillar released a gloomy, melancholic, and bloodthirsty glow.

"This is the central zone of our sect. All these caves are inhabitable. You will have to pick one and settle down in it. On top of that, the Sect is now governed by the Grand Elder. Let me lead you to him now," Song Zi'an explained.

Lu Sheng nodded. "I'll trouble you then."

Both of them followed the steps on the stairs to the right of the rock wall all the way up. Lu Sheng clearly sensed an immense power monitoring and scanning every inch of earth in the cave ever since he had entered, much like in White Bell City.

It was an immensely profound force, unfathomably deep. The moment he stepped on the flight of stone stairs, he felt as if he had walked into an extremely viscous sea of sludge; pressure weighed down on him all over his body and even the circulation of inner Qi within him was impeded.

"Oh, right. This place is under the protection and suppression of the sect's Divine Weapon shard. You may feel uncomfortable here, but it'll get better once you get used to it," Song Zi'an explained again.

Lu Sheng did not say a word; he merely nodded to indicate his comprehension.

The two of them continued up the stairs until they reached the topmost row of caves in the stone wall. They came to a halt before the most central cave.

"Dong Dong Dong."

Song Zi'an knocked on the stone door.

"Come in." The clear but deep voice of an elderly man rang out from within.

Slowly, the stone door shifted aside and Song Zi'an led Lu Sheng into the cave.

A warm yellow candle glow lit up the interior of the cave. The insides of the cave were lined with yellow candlesticks. Yellow wooden tables and chairs were scattered around the room. A soft white carpet lay under their feet and several clean white robes were hung on the wall.

An ancient man with a face wrinkled like bark was seated behind the table, slowly reading a paper book.

"I've brought him here, Grand Elder," Song Zi'an said loudly.

"You've worked hard, Zi'an." The old man lifted his head with a smile, his murky eyes landing on Lu Sheng.

"Welcome, young brother Lu. If you've made up your mind to stay, you can take your pick along the caves and settle down in it. Just stay for a night, and we'll take it that you've confirmed your decision."

"I've confirmed my decision to stay," Lu Sheng said placidly.

"Very well then. I'm the Grand Elder of the Prime Devil Sect, Liu Shanzi. Presently, there're a total of three Elders in the sect, two Deacons, and the number of disciples varies. Every morning the bell will sound twice. It indicates the start of my morning lesson. You may choose to either attend my lesson or confine yourself to your cave. Nobody will disturb you. When you go into solitary confinement, remember to hang the sign outside your cave."

Lu Sheng nodded in understanding.

"Should there be anything you need to seek clarification about, you can ask Zi'an. He's always stationed in the cemetery adjacent to the stone wall in the sect," Grand Elder Liu Shanzi explained.

"Alright, if there're no other questions, you can go back and rest. Tomorrow morning we begin lessons." He seemed rather disinterested. Although he was briefing Lu Sheng, the process felt rather mechanical and even the smile on his face felt forced. He felt distant.

Lu Sheng was led away by Song Zi'an.

Watching the stone door to his cave shut slowly, Grand Elder Liu Shanzi sighed by his table.

The sect was going downhill. Ever since their mining district was seized by the Nine Bells Sect, the sect disciples' basic cultivation resources were no longer guaranteed. As a result, many of them have left.

They were finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new disciples in the first place, but now it was like rubbing salt onto wound.

Without resources, nobody would be willing to toil for the sect for nothing in return. The disciples were gone and so nobody was left to even maintain the patrols. The sect could not maintain even its basic vigilance.

And now, this new disciple from Shangyang Family would most probably leave in disappointment before long as well. After all, this was a sect that could not guarantee one even the most basic cultivation resources. What was the point in joining it?

Liu Shanzi sighed at length, walked to the side of his cave and peered out through his wooden window.

His gaze landed on the stone pillar erected beneath, dazed.

***

Outside the caves on the topmost level of the rock wall...

"Junior Apprentice Brother Lu, take your pick. Remember, you must not leave our cave after night falls. Now that there're no patrol teams in the sect, should you meet with danger, you've got to hold it out on your own till dawn... before anyone will come to your aid." Song Zi'an smiled at Lu Sheng.

"I got it." Lu Sheng nodded. "On top of that, I'd like to ask Senior Apprentice Brother: where is the sect's library? I'm personally extremely interested in miscellaneous studies."

"The library's at the back of the rock wall. You'll see it if you walk around it. You may peruse any of the books at will, as long as you don't damage them." After the basic orientation, Song Zi'an slowly descended down the stairs.

The manner in which he walked was bizarre; instead of walking step by step, he seemed to float horizontally, without the ups and downs that accompanied usual walking.

Lu Sheng watched as he left. Only when he disappeared at the edge of the stairs did he turn around to look at the caves before him.

Some of the caves were open, while some were sealed. Those that were open emanated a gloomy, ominous air and looked devoid of life. As for those that were sealed, chilly gusts of air would blow out through their windows, sending chills that pierced to the bones.

"This sect..." Lu Sheng was at a loss for words to describe it. He walked past the caves on the topmost level. Finally, at the extreme left of the stone wall near its end, he picked a cave as his place of dwelling.

The cave was wide open, and furniture like tables, chairs, shelves, and cupboards was complete, albeit all made of stone. A heavy musky odor permeated the air in the cave.

Lu Sheng placed his luggage in the cupboard and found the locking mechanism on the stone door. It was half of a sphere adhered to the door, which required a key to open.

The key, a piece of intricately shaped metal, was placed on the tabletop in the cave.

Lu Sheng picked up the piece of metal and hung it on himself. Without further ado, he left his cave and descended down the stairs.

Before long, he was standing before the stone wall once again, gazing at the hundreds of caves staring at him on the wall. His gaze swept from left to right. On both sides of the wall, he could see paths that led to the back.

Lu Sheng chose the path on the left and slowly walked along it.

In the darkness, the stone wall released a faint white hue which mixed with the red glow from the stone pillar, creating a pale blood color which permeated the cavern and split it into two zones—one black and one red.

The red zone was the area lit up by the glow. The black zone was the area shrouded in pitch black darkness.

Lu Sheng quickly walked to the edge of the red glow and paused for a short moment. Before long, he continued and stepped into the inky blackness.

Even without light, however, he could still discern the objects and lay of the land before him through the extremely faint refracted light with his extremely acute senses.

Lu Sheng sped up along the path until he reached a bridge which spanned a crevice that dropped into thick grey fog, which churned as if alive. Many wooden planks on the tattered and worn bridge were already rotten. A careless misstep, and one would fall straight down into the abyss.

Lu Sheng stood at the head of the bridge and gazed into the opposite end of the bridge.

Across the bridge, a series of black towers rose up from the ground. Apparently, those were the library that Song Zi'an had mentioned.

"Hoo..."

Gusts of bone-piercingly chilly wind blew up from the abyss underneath the bridge. Even Lu Sheng's hair stood on ends.

This sensation seemed to originate more from a coldness which he felt in his heart than in his body.

He regulated his breathing, then took a step forward and planted it firmly on the bridge.

"Boom!"

Without warning, he shot forward like a bolt of lightning, the tip of his toes tapping several times on the metal chains linking both sides of the bridge. In the blink of an eye, he was across the hundred meter long bridge.

"Thud."

Lu Sheng landed lightly on the other side of the crevice and turned around to look at the bridge, which swung from left to right in the wind. He relaxed and let out a breath of air.

"This Prime Devil Sect... no wonder not many are willing to come during their recruitment..." He shook his head and continued forward.

A group of towers faced him, standing cold and aloof. The entire group of buildings was surrounded by a tall black wall. Its entrance was right ahead of Lu Sheng, with a giant signboard hung above it.

'Earth Prime Tower'.

The words on the board were written neatly in ancient Song script with red ink.

Lu Sheng glanced at the ajar door. Through it, he could see that the courtyard was completely empty, without a soul within.

He strode in unceremoniously and was greeted immediately with a thick musky odour.

"Creak..."

Pushing open the doors of a building right in front of him, rows after rows of bookshelves emerged in his view.

Casually, he picked a shelf at random and saw that it was packed with books.

"A Medical History of Song Dynasty", "The Beginnings of Divine Weapons", "Myths and Reality", "On the Heavenly Signs", "Ice and Fire: The Mutual Counteracting of the Elements"...

This myriad of books looked like they had been kept uncared for. Lu Sheng pulled out "The Beginnings of Divine Weapons". A fine layer of mould had grown on its cover, and it felt coarse and cold to the touch.

He scanned from left to right and discovered a wall lamp, which he lit up with his flint stone.

Immediately, a pale yellow glow lit up in the room. Lu Sheng carried the book to a table and sat down on a chair. After lighting up the desk lamp as well, he began flipping the book open and reading it, ignoring the green mold.

The book narrated how the Noble Families had fought the great terrors of the world in the beginning, gradually forming an equilibrium against the demons and ghosts, winning a place for humans in the world.

Casting aside the parts of the book that lauded the Noble Families, the records of several major historical events in the book greatly helped Lu Sheng to better understand the history of the Noble Families in the Song Dynasty. But the supposed "great terrors" in the book were not described in detail. From the vague mentions, they did not seem to belong to the category of demons or ghosts.

He continued reading in his seat. Unbeknownst to him, several hours flew by.

Demons, devils, ghosts and monsters
Plunge the mortals weak in horrors;
Arms of gods and blades of devils,
Shroud the world in untold evils.

Lu Sheng was an ordinary civil servant in the modern world. After waking from a drunken stupor one day, he found himself trapped in a dangerous world where demons, ghosts and supernatural monsters terrorize the land. 

In this world, ordinary mortals live in dark fear and helplessness, without any means to fight against the supernatural. 

As Lu Sheng struggles desperately for survival, he stumbles upon a game mod he had designed for a mobile phone app in his previous life. It unexpectedly becomes his special ability, which enables him to instantly level up any skill he learns, albeit at a cost.

Thus, Lu Sheng begins his journey, striving for power beyond the reach of a mortal as he treads the way of the Devil…  

The Ghost Rider turned around and stared at the steering wheel Fang Zheng was holding in shock. 
He looked like he was spacing out. 
The fire on his body seemed like it was about to be extinguished. 
He felt like he was suffering from a hit that decreased his health points by 10,000.
'What the f*ck is this! 
'When did Fang Zheng take away his steering wheel?'
He did not even know when the man appeared outside his driver's seat to grab the steering wheel.
'Did Fang Zheng grab it while he was distracted by his anger?' 
The atmosphere turned awkwardly quiet.
"Do you want it?" Fang Zheng held out the steering wheel.
"Get out of the car and come get it."
The Ghost Driver stayed in the car.
Fang Zheng said in realisation, "So it's true. I was right. You can't leave the very car that took your life, as it's a Hell Car, and you're the Ghost Driver—you've become one. This is just like how people who die from drowning can only become aquatic spirits, people who die at the sea can only kill with the help of a Ghost Ship, and the spirits in apartment buildings must stay in them; they could not go anywhere else to kill. But this is my first time meeting…a ghost, and I'm not even surprised. Maybe it's because I've been reading too many scary posts lately and I've become desensitized."
Fang Zheng checked out the Ghost Driver and his Hell Car. 
The Ghost Driver's voice was hoarse and deep. Through an angry growl that sounded like he had just escaped hell, he said, "You knew the truth from the beginning. It was all a facade from the beginning! You were playing with me from the beginning!"
The Ghost Driver's hoarse voice turned angrier and his eyes were burning in anger as well. 
His chest heaved rapidly and his gaze was vicious.
Vroom!
Vroom vroom!
The Hell Car roared. It was as if it felt the fiery anger from its driver. It roared like an angry beast before pouncing on its prey; fire was coming out of the engine and exhaust pipe and the Hell Car was up in flames. 
"Who are you? Are you a superhuman as well? One of the Awakened?"
The Ghost Driver was mad and anxious at the same time. 
Fang Zheng was shocked. "Do you think about yourself that way as well?"
'Wait a minute!'
Fang Zheng thought about the Human Torch, Captain America, and Flash that appeared online for a brief moment after the blue blood moon last night…'Could it mean that those superhumans could be real as well? That they were not pranksters?' 
He, too, had unexplainable changes happening to his body; it would not be a surprise if there were other peculiar things happening. 
'Was this the first superhuman he bumped into?
'The only difference was that this guy was out here hunting for blood right after getting superpowers.'
Fang Zheng exhaled deeply as he thought about it. His gaze turned cold. 
He realized that the world was no longer in peace!
Amidst this occurrence, the beasts in some people would be unleashed if their powers were a mismatch with their attitude. 
It was like a civilian having access to guns. Whenever trouble came along, he would think that he was unstoppable; he would not think about dealing with the problem amicably and, instead, he would choose violence. 
Fang Zheng found answers to his other doubts as well at this moment.
"You saw the blue blood moon last night as well, didn't you? You did not lose control of your car last night. You saw the blue blood moon while you were racing in the mountains; that's why you fell off the cliff.
"I'm only curious about one thing, are you a superhuman? Or… a ghost? The news reported that the car fell off the cliff along with you in it and the police had already found your body." Fang Zheng stared at the Ghost Driver curiously. 
The Ghost Driver became frightened. 
"Who are you? How do you know so much about my death?
"Are you not… afraid of me?"
It was obvious that Fang Zheng was right. 
Fang Zheng replied, "Why would I be afraid? You're just a stationary coffin; you're only a scoring experience to me."
Fang Zheng was contemplating how he could kill the Ghost Driver before him. The Hell Car was wrapped in flames—it was like the shell of a turtle he could not find a way into. 
Fang Zheng was never planning on letting the Ghost Driver go.
If it had not been for his swift reaction in the beginning, when he… ahem… took the car apart, he would have been stuck in a passive position even if he had not entered the car. 
He would have turned into prey, and the Ghost Driver hunter. 
It was always a life-or-death situation between him and the Ghost Driver from the very beginning. 
Since he had no way to ensure that the Ghost Driver would not come back for revenge, he had to remove all threats. 
Fang Zheng thought that he was killing monsters and protecting the peace of the universe. 
He was not murdering a person. 
That was why he did not feel too guilty about it.
However!
Fang Zheng overestimated the ego of the Ghost Driver. 
Vroom! With his foot on the pedal, the Ghost Driver tried to escape in fear. 
He was only in his twenties before he died. He was a normal, vain kid. 
He was not a cold-blooded murderer.
Panicking was his nature.
However, the handicapped Hell Car only got a few metres far⁠—trailing sparks⁠—before it went out of control and rammed into five or six lamp posts on the pedestrian walk. It finally stopped on top of a flight of steps that led to a park. 
The Ghost Driver was growling in anger in the driver's seat. 
At that very moment, he saw Fang Zheng dragging a long stick over. It was a lamp post from the pedestrian walk. 
The Ghost Driver felt cold all over his body. He had just been contemplating faking his death, but, now, he was truly terrified.
Fang Zheng grabbed the lamp post and threw it in the direction of the Ghost Driver. 
However, the lamp post started burning just as it got near the Hell Car. 
⁠
Something happened at this moment!
Flames, as vicious as a poisonous snake, started moving toward Fang Zheng along the lamp post! 
Although Fang Zheng had let go of the lamp post after the surprise attack, his hand still caught on fire. 
Fang Zheng was stunned. He tried to extinguish it, but both his hands caught fire instead. 
This was no normal flame.
He could not extinguish it.
"You're not part of the Awakened after all, you're just a little smarter than a normal person." The Ghost Driver was shocked as he watched a frantic Fang Zheng. 
"Hahahahaha! Yes, I can't leave the Hell Car, but so what? I'm a superhuman! I'm one of the Awakened! I don't need to do anything and these flames will swallow you up within a few seconds. Hahaha!
"Weren't you showing off just now? Come, beat me up."
The Ghost Driver laughed hysterically. 
He really thought he was about to be finished here tonight. 
The man before him, who was just full of tricks and acting and uncovering all his secrets, did cause him terror. He had really thought tonight would be his end—he nearly peed in fear. 
However, things had changed within a moment… Phew!
Fang Zheng put out the fire on his hands. 
The Ghost Driver was stunned. His face was filled with surprise and disbelief as he stared at the dying flame on Fang Zheng's hands. He was terrified.
He was panicking. 
'How could this be!
'He was just a normal person!
'He had just tried attacking him despite lacking knowledge to do so!'
Only Fang Zheng knew the truth.
It was the Aura of Sunfire he had retained in his body through his training in the day. It was as if it had realized that its host body was in danger. 
Anything that came from the sun had always been the nemesis of evil. 
"Psst, if I said that I was just joking, would you believe me?" the Ghost Driver inhaled sharply and asked fearfully and awkwardly.
Bam!
The Hell Car felt as if it was rammed into by a train. The side of the car was being punched by Fang Zheng.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Fang Zheng continued throwing punches. There were golden flames dancing around his fists. It was godlike and it left golden shadows on Fang Zheng's body. 
It was as if he was a golden statue of Arhat. 
The golden flames were threatening. The Aura of Sunfire was bright and just!
The Hell Car eventually became a huge discus in the end.
The Ghost Driver's limbs were torn apart and he died amidst horrifying screams. 
At this moment, the human skin scripture Fang Zheng had been carrying with him started going through changes—a strong force of suction came out of it. 
White smoke was emitted from the Ghost Driver before it was swallowed by the scripture. 
Fang Zheng watched in shock as this happened. 
He checked the human skin-made scripture—'Yes, another part of the runes lit up!' 
Fang Zheng got excited for a moment before he fell deep in thought. 
Did the white smoke appear because he had just killed a superhuman?
Or…a ghost?


Missing people... Cars mysteriously falling off the Tongjiang Bridge... The world is going mad and it is up to Fang Zheng to prepare himself for it. What will he get himself into? What horrors will he face? Are YOU ready to join Fang Zheng on his journey to hunt the wicked? Ps. Save this one for a lonely midnight.

(reread previous chap)
Xhemin caught sight of what Darryl wanted her to see and the view brought a wave of bewilderment in her face.
"Is that…." Xhemin was trying to say the words that got stuck at the end of her tongue.
"A solar panel," Darryl continued as they both stared at the rectangular metal positioned outside in the clearing. "The one who lived here knew how to make use of new technology, so I don't think he or she is a from the tribe,"
"But the house looks ancient!" Xhemin gasped still in shock, "Besides everyone in the village said the devil's child is imprisoned here,"
"Well he must have preferred to make an ancient house," Darryl reasoned. "Besides we don't really know the story about that devil child. But there's one thing I'm sure of, a child cannot live on its own so I'm thinking that child must have been dead,"
Darryl had a point. Even when she became a princess, she doesn't know all the details of the devil's child since the no one dared to tell her. She wondered by then whether the story of such a child was ever true.
"So, you mean… someone from the mainland lived here?" Xhemin asked, her two eyes brightened with disbelief as she stared at his husband "That's a bomb…"
"Well there's a big probability," Darryl concluded as he gave Xhemin the single lamp they had "Anyways, I'll go and look outside for the plant while you search here. The moon luckily is bright tonight so I should be able to find my way"
"Alright," Xhemin replied and stared at Darryl's back as he left. Xhemin on the other hand went deeper into the house, looking for some places inside the house where a plant like Acamilla Apparaus might have been planted. There were few pots on the room but all of them were empty.
Soon, Xhemin reached a room that looked like a kitchen. It was rather a small space, dusty but not cluttered. Seeing the cupboards and few wooden utensils made only Darryl's words more convincing. In her stay at few homes in the Manggan villages, she had never seen a single house that had cupboards, except from their house in the Pearl haven and the one she was in right now. That only meant, whoever lived here was probably like her and Darryl, he or she must be from the mainland.
While caught in her thoughts, Xhemin's attention was later drawn to a staircase that she had not notice before. It was just right across the kitchen and it looked like it led to a single room upstairs. Thoroughly attracted to her new discovery, she climbed into the wooden stairs, hoping that the steps were still strong enough to support her weight. Well it was, and Xhemin reached the top and found herself in a room that looked like a private bedchamber. There was a mattress around the corner and a huge study table filled with books on the other side facing a window. The room was well arranged but it was obvious that no one had been there for a long time.
Curious as to what type of books was there, she went to check on them only to find they were not books. At least not the published ones she knew as they were notes tucked in together like the book professor Owen gave her. The notes contained different things and subjects but were all written by hand. There were notes about advanced mathematics and physics and books about geography and language.
Xhemin's shock was beyond reach. She herself knew that the notes she found here weren't ordinary ones. The one who wrote them probably was a very well educated being and a smart one. He or she must be well read and well-travelled. Xhemin scrutinized the notes further and she realized that they weren't written by one person only. The handwritings weren't the same but regardless, it contained subjects and matters that an ordinary person would not be interested at.
Xhemin curiosity surged higher and because of that, she ended up checking for more notes. There were few more notes piled under the study table and she scanned as much as she could. She realized that some of the notes too contained information about the island's geography—the Manggan island. There were also notes about the plants that were growing in the island and descriptions of them as if they had already been studied.
[The version of the novel you are reading might not be the complete and updated version. To check whether you are reading the full chapters, visit the author's site and check whether you are reading it on the correct site https://www.facebook.com/Zijay-Qui-632638733778378]
After few more readings, Xhemin thought that these notes were somehow helpful, so she decided to bring them back to Pearl haven. She pulled the blanket that was carefully folded into the bed and gathered all the notes that was in there. She placed them all in the middle of the blanket and wrapped it altogether. After that, she dragged the whole thing down the stairs. It was a heavy thing and so she was breathless when she reached the kitchen floor again. She'll just leave the whole thing there while she looked for the plant or for her husband who seemed to have forgotten about her.
Xhemin found a door in the kitchen and she went out from there to go and look for Darryl outside. She went to where the solar panel was hoping Darryl was there but there was not sign of him.
"Darryl?" She decided to call him, but he didn't head her call, so she decided to go back inside the house to wait for him. On her way back, her attention was caught by something from a far-off direction.
She halted just right before the kitchen door where she once exited and turned her head to a certain direction she had never cared to check previously. Right then, she caught a glimpse of a big garden just right ahead.
[This novel is currently on going in English version, if you are reading this novel in another language, it means you are reading a stolen outdated version. Please email the author at zijay000@gmail.com or visit her site so she can provide you details and an access to the full and updated version as well as the bonus words for each chapter. Link to original site is https://www.webnovel.com/book/10355083706015805/The-Genius'-First-Love]
The morning sun was almost rising from the east and so the surrounding was becoming clearer as each moment's past. The garden Xhemin saw was filled with plants and vegetables—some died leaving the garden with their brown dead stems while some of it survived and that view tells every onlooker that such garden had not been attended anymore for some time that's why the stronger plants had taken its rule while the weaker ones died.
Xhemin went to the garden as something within her tells that what she had been looking for might probably be in there and at last, whilst she was drown into the midst of the garden, there, right at the middle of such beautiful unattended lush of green and brown, glowed healthy white flowers.
Those were Acamilla Apparaus.
Xhemin was sure of that.


Warning: Amazingly, absurdly and deliriously funny chaps ahead. Read and laugh at your own risk.

--------------------------------------

"You are one of my many dreams, and the only dream I wish I should have chased desperately" 

Darryl Lemmuel was an aspiring engineer. There was only one word to describe him—exceptional.

He was the only male heir of the Lagdameo clan and the future of L Empire. Apart from that, he was rumored to be financially independent at the age of eight, tricked the present president of L empire—his father— into agreeing with his terms and left home at the age of sixteen to live on his own. He broke all the socialite’s rule to have a good taste of adventure! 

Xhemin Lae Dugmoch was a struggling botanist.

Enrolled in an A-list school, she knew nothing but books, experiments and strawberries. As the granddaughter of a retired famous doctor, Xhemin was very keen in keeping her profile low as per her granddad's wishes. Nobody in the elite community knew that she existed and that her grandfather’s corporation— Feather HealthCare had an heir.

One witty heir and one crazy strawberry girl; their predicament started when their life got tangled up against each other in a conference.

HE suddenly became her target prey.

And SHE was a little trouble not worthy of his attention.

The trouble he soon learned to want— so desperately and dearly wanted.

-----------------------
After a long hiatus, daily updates resumes today (Feb 24, 2019 EST)

Chapter release: 14 Chapters a week 
Regular Updates will be release at 4AM and 4PM EST. 
Bonus Chapters will be marked as bonus


Note: The author publishes raw chapters daily. Editors are still backtracking the unedited parts.

Cover picture is from www.pinterest.ph

led clip on reading lamp

Led

clip story 001

A Walkthrough Of A Metal God

Run, Girl (If You Can)

Don't mind me, I'm just farming

Sarcasm is My Superpower

The Homeless Millionaire

Way of the Devil

Here Lies The Wicked

The Genius' First Love

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