FROST - Chapter 26: Shackles of Ice

Tang Qiu was a substitute bride–forced to take her half-sister’s place and marry the young master of the Jiang family, a deformed cripple with less than 6 months left to live.

“Who would have thought that even a sickly whelp like Jiang Shaocheng would find himself a bride?”

“I hear that he’s practically on his deathbed and he’s only marrying the Fengs’ daughter to improve his lifespan.”

Tang Qiu ignored the whispers around her and focused on her husband-to-be, who coughed violently in his wheelchair. At the altar, after they had said their vows, she lifted her veil and knelt in front of Jiang Shaocheng, pressing a hesitant kiss to his lips.

The marriage contract was signed. No matter his physical deformities, he was now her husband.

She wasn’t afraid of the scars that marked his face, nor was she repulsed by him being confined to a wheelchair. Every morning, she made him breakfast, attended to his needs, and thought of little else beyond her duties as a wife.

“Young Master Jiang is a cripple who can’t get it up,” her best friend argued. “When he dies, you’ll still be untouched. You should set your sights higher.”

“A sickly invalid like Jiang Shaocheng can’t give you happiness,” her ex-boyfriend insisted. “I’ll wait for you.”

But Young Master Jiang only scoffed. “I have plenty of time left to be with her.”

Later in their marriage, Jiang Shaocheng wanted to enjoy his little wife in all ways–the press of her lips against his, the brush of skin on skin; the way a husband and wife were supposed to. But Tang Qiu refused him, blushing. “No, we can’t. The doctor says you can’t exert yourself.”

Jiang Shaocheng’s desire was surging through him, a heat in his core that demanded to be satiated. He cursed, I should have gotten rid of that doctor and the wheelchair long ago.

But he yearned to make love to his little wife, and so he revealed his true identity. In the blink of an eye, the deformed cripple transformed into a powerful businessman–tall, dark, and handsome. He quieted Tang Qiu’s protests, his body positioned over hers, his arms caging her as she lay on the bed. His voice was low when he asked, “What about now?”

In the post-apocalyptic era, amidst the wasteland and chaos, the great path reaches the heavens.Mad Outer Gods, uncontrollable cursed cultivation methods, extraordinary martial artists facing ominous old age... Above the starry sky, deities circle, and below, ghosts roam at night!In this doomsday scenario, Xu Shu carries the “Primordial Scroll” and transmigrates. Through a simulation game, he achieves one exclusive accomplishment after another, seeking a sliver of hope for survival.The ten-day apocalypse, the Dragon King returns, resurrects his lover, and saves the world;With a passionate and generous heart, he fights and conquers while carrying the burden of a grieving father whose child was stillborn...As more and more accomplishments are achieved, he gradually lets himself go within the simulation game.Until...A true disciple of the Female Void Palace is pregnant overnight, announcing an emergency lockdown;The long-extinct master of the White Jade Capital rises from the grave, destroys enemies with a wave and proves his Dao as a Great Emperor;A shepherd boy arrives at the gates of the Holy Temple, claiming to be Ye Su;Moreover, a young man riding a cow attains enlightenment, leaving Hangu Pass and preaching with a scroll:- The human race must strengthen itself. You may admire me, but there's no need to worship me;- Together, we punish those who claim to be gods!...Dreams reflect reality, and more and more people begin to spread his name and words across the land. Only then does Xu Shu realize that the life he simulated has far-reaching effects, like a butterfly flapping its wings!And those rampant Outer Gods finally recall the fear that once dominated them...He dies thousands of times on the path to ascension, and another night passes in the Primordial Scroll.Suddenly looking back, he has shattered both heaven and earth.“I, Xu Shu, am a crude person. My apologies, fairy!”---

By the year 3029 CE, Earth’s technology has developed rapidly, borders no longer exist, and Earth has been unified, marking the beginning of the era of the Federation.

At that time, a huge sword flew from the heavens, piercing the sun and causing a huge sensation on Earth.

Perhaps because the scabbard of the sword was already in tatters, countless shards have broken off from it following the collision with the sun and spread across the universe. Many of these shards have landed on various places across Earth.

With the arrival of the bronze sword and its shards, a new unlimited energy source has suddenly appeared on Earth. This energy source has since been named Spirit Qi.

Spirit Qi is like air, thick in some places and thin in others. As the Federation and other factions gather more shards, they discover more information on cultivation, pill refinement, Spirit Stone refinement, and other techniques. The words on the shards have an ancient feel to them, making it a trend for people to use ancient language.

The appearance of Spirit Qi rapidly makes the original energy sources obsolete and has completely changed people’s lives. Not only has the Spirit Internet been formed, Spirit Qi has also changed the course of Human Civilization, causing the world to enter a civilization of cultivation. This would later come to be known as the Spirit Inception Era.

- Description from Novelupdates

To win a grand prize of five million, Chen Xixi signed up for a variety show called 'Saving Battle'.As the show began, other guests were scrimping and saving by eating the cheapest instant noodles or even starving. But Chen Xixi got a pound of eggs for free during a pharmacy event and even managed to score ten free lunches!The internet exclaimed: This lady really knows how to freeload!While other participants were too thrifty to buy cosmetics, Chen Xixi managed to have makeup without spending a dime.The internet responded: When it comes to saving money by freeloading, Chen Xixi is the master!Other guests obsessed over how to spend their money most effectively, meanwhile Chen Xixi was leisurely enjoying free afternoon tea!The internet complained: Darn it! Chen Xixi's not spending a cent, yet lives better than all of us!To save money, the other guests decided to beg at the train station. In contrast, Chen Xixi became a middleman and made a profit!In the end, all the guests were shocked by Chen Xixi's bank balance: Damn it! Not only does she freeload and pinch pennies, but how on earth is her money multiplying?!...Every time Chen Xixi freeloading, she found herself reluctantly signing up for memberships that not only led to an onslaught of spam messages and calls but also posed a risk of personal information leakage.Then she thought of the spam text that was blocked by the anti-fraud app, why not leave the scammer's number active!...At Zhongjing Group.Zhou Jingyuan was silently suffering from the barrage of spam texts and nuisance calls every day....Later on, Zhou Jingyuan's nephew pointed at the woman on the computer screen, saying: 'Uncle, this is your future niece-in-law.'Zhou Jingyuan replied: 'That's your aunt.'