Lord Shadow - Chapter 1857: Brothers Side By Side

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

Su Yan adored Xie Yu for many years and finally got what she wanted, but Xie Yu ran away on the wedding day, making her a laughing stock. At that time, Bai Xingfan appeared in front of her. He held a black umbrella in his skeletal hand to shield her from the heavy rain, and the other hand stretched out in front of her with a gentle and determined voice: “Don’t be afraid, still With me.” Su Yan was stunned with tears in her eyes for a long time, and finally, she reached out to Bai Xingfan.

- Description from Novelupdates

Zhao Yelan was born as a criminal s*ave and was rescued by the Third Prince. After years of painstaking efforts to put him on the throne, Zhao Yelan became a sycophantic minister whom everyone detested, but he was actually given a marriage by that person to general Yan Mingting, the lone star of Tiansha.

The general caused the death of his father, his mother, his wife, and his dog. Everyone hoped that the general would kill Zhao Yelan as soon as possible.

On the wedding night, Zhao Yelan, who was dressed in red, took out a dagger, his eyes sharp: “What do you want?”

Yan Mingting held his hand tightly, and borrowed his dagger to carve a large character on the head of the bed – – Early.

“You’re weak and frail, get up early every day and practice horse stance with me!”

“?”

The common people thought this marriage was truly wonderful!

They heard that this big minister was beaten every day. He had to repair the roof tiles when the house leaked and also work in the kitchen. He served his husband and was very obedient, and from then on, he didn’t dare condemn people.

Hey, the general was truly mighty!

Zhao Yelan sat lazily by the bed, playing with the dagger, and raised the ends of his eyes slightly: “Where did these rumors come from?”

“From my dog’s mouth.” Yan Mingting, who was in horse stance, patted his thigh. “Madam, please take the seat of honor. You don’t have to get up early tomorrow.”

- Description from Novelupdates

After two-hundred years of diligent cultivation, Xie Jiuniang successfully achieved Core Formation, yet on that very night, she was killed by her dual-cultivation partner Lin Wangchen.However, Xie Jiuniang was reborn... and she accidentally discovered a great secret.It turned out that in her previous life, she was a child deeply favored by the Heavenly Dao, watched over by some top forces who secretly stole her opportunities time and again, fattening up the esteemed talents of the Cultivation World, with that scum being just one of them.The weak, pitiable, and helpless Xie Jiuniang decided to first become a dark horse, secretly sweeping away all the opportunities.And so...The favored talents were dumbfounded, “Where did my opportunity go?”Her scumbag ex-husband felt wronged, “ ...She didn't like me.”Her cousin with the Heavenly Spiritual Root was shocked, “What happened to the supposedly weak talent, how is her cultivation speed faster than mine?”The big shots behind the scenes also started cursing, where was the great opportunity for the child of the Heavenly Dao to ascend? Something is not right!Opportunities?I've taken them, all of them!His, yours, they are all mine, Xie Jiuniang's!Before she knew it, she had trampled over all the privileged talents, challenged all the big shots, becoming the most formidable name, and rolled up into the number one person in the Cultivation World!