I Guard The Book That Slays Gods - Chapter 167: No retreat

Wang Jian had wanted to return to his hometown and lay low as a small-town doctor, but there were simply too many temptresses:“Sister-in-law, don't be like this, I came as a doctor...”“Young lady, stop, this isn't right...”“Auntie, what are you doing?”......

Ananya never expected death to bring her into another life.One moment, she was running her parents’ restaurant in the modern world.The next, she opened her eyes in silk robes, surrounded by hostile stares — the Queen Consort of the empire.But this body was cursed in everyone’s eyes.The Emperor loathed her.The mistress laughed at her.And the court whispered behind her back.Only she wasn’t truly alone.> “Finally, someone can see us!”“What kind of Queen Consort are you, so calm even with ghosts in your chamber?”“Shut up, Wei Rong, let her breathe. She looks like she’s about to faint.”Three ghosts — a stoic scholar, a brash general, and a mischievous noble girl — lingered at her side. They were invisible to all but her. And with them, she learned to survive the poisonous palace.When rumors spread that she was cursed, Ananya stood before the empire’s court.Instead of tears, she offered proof. Instead of fear, she offered dignity.> “If Heaven believes I am cursed, let the fire and smoke betray me. I will not hide.”And Heaven sided with her.Outside the palace, crises struck — starving soldiers, missing supplies, merchants growing fat from stolen grain. Inside, Lady Zhen, the Emperor’s favored mistress, grew bolder by the day, flaunting her beauty and mocking Ananya’s quiet grace.> “Sister, do you still dream of winning His Majesty’s heart? Look at you — plain, dull, unworthy.”“If simplicity is a crime, then let it be mine,” Ananya answered, unshaken.The Emperor indulged Lady Zhen openly… but in the silence of night, he tasted Ananya’s food, lingered at her table, and found himself unsettled by her calm.> “This is not palace fare,” he muttered.“It is lighter,” Ananya replied softly. “Easier to sleep after.”Step by step, conspiracy thickened. At a grand banquet, a poisoned cup was placed in Ananya’s hand. But a ghost’s laugh echoed in her ear — and the cup was swapped. A dancer collapsed instead.From that night on, the Emperor’s gaze changed. He began to notice the woman who never begged for favor, never fought for attention, yet always endured.Still, war brewed at the borders. Betrayals reached even the throne. Assassins crept through the palace halls. And the one person who seemed weakest became the calm at the center of the storm.Through whispered secrets, mischievous hauntings, and quiet resilience, Ananya carved her place in the empire.She would not simply survive.She would rise.And the Emperor who once despised her would one day whisper only her name.

“Who the hell is that?” I whispered more to myself than my assistant Zeeb Elijah who stood next to me at the Golden Shifter Pack Annual dinner.“No,” Zeeb seethed Vehemently. “Don't even think about it, Lucian. That is the Rogue Alpha Conri Dolf. He was exiled from the pack and only shows himself during the annual dinner as demanded by the pack elders. It is said he killed his mate and went rogue. I am warning you, Lucian, that is one forbidden territory that you can venture into.”**********************************Billionaire CEO Lucian Freki is a name that generates all kinds of feelings amongst the Golden Shifter Pack of Alaska. Tall, handsome, wealthy bachelor, arrogant, and a bastard playboy who refused to settle down.Until his eyes land on Rogue Alpha Conri Dolf…Lucian is drawn in by Conri’s powerful demeanor and his deep ocean eyes. According to the pack, Conri was exiled after the death of his mate and he went rogue. He lives alone in the deep mountains of Alaska and rumor has it that he is volatile and kills anyone who dares approach him.Just one look made Lucian crave Conri. He begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate his desires and possess Conri. Lucian will stop at nothing to get Conri back in the golden pack, amidst the lurking enemies that want Conri dead and discover the secrets behind his exile.

...[Inside an underground basement]“You are going to die for nothing, hahahaha,” the old man's voice thundered through the room, sending chills down my spine.Step.With a swift and ruthless motion, he lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air and slashing my throat, crimson droplets staining the darkness.“We'll see,” I whispered defiantly, my final words escaping as a mere breath against the impending darkness.Slowly, inexorably, my consciousness slipped away, and I descended into a deep, unfathomable slumber.“Huh!?” My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself seated in a bustling tavern, the air thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses.In front of me stood a captivating lady, her beauty juxtaposed with an angry furrow upon her brow, threatening to shatter the harmony of the jovial scene.“Don't follow me around!” Her words pierced the air like shards of ice, the intensity of her emotions palpable as she cast a resentful glare in my direction, before swiftly departing from the tavern....Am I trapped within the confines of a game? The fragments of my shattered common sense scattered before me, leaving me to question the very fabric of my reality.