MTL - Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty - Chapter 74 meritorious service

In a world where power is dictated by gangs, cities, and families ranked from Tier 1 to Tier 6, only the strongest survive. In the Tier 4 city of Blackridge, fifteen-year-old Elijah struggles to find his place. With his mother working tirelessly and his younger sister depending on him, he has always kept his head down.Determined to rise above the chaos, Elijah and his best friend Kai decide to create their own gang from nothing. But strength in this world isn’t given—it’s taken. The gangs that rule Blackridge won’t tolerate competition, and even the weakest gang has more resources, manpower, and experience than they do. With no money, no reputation, and no clear allies, they must navigate a brutal world of betrayals, violence, and ambition, where every decision could mean life or death.But Elijah is different. He possesses a mysterious system that offers him power—at a cost. As he slowly uncovers its secrets, he realizes that survival is not enough. To protect those he loves, he must become stronger than anyone else. He must climb the ranks, crush the opposition, and seize control of Blackridge’s underworld.But in a world ruled by kings, warlords, and ancient families, the price of power is steep. And when the past comes back to haunt him—when whispers of a forgotten night resurface—Elijah must confront not only his enemies but the truth about himself.In the gang world, the strong rise, the weak perish, and only the ruthless reign supreme.And Elijah? He plans to reign at the very top

Someone once saw me at the end of the world and respectfully called me the serpent that coils around the world—Jörmungandr.Someone once gazed upon my form at the edge of the Underworld and called me an ancient serpent—Satan.I was also feared by the gods and was called the hundred-headed dragon—Typhon.I have had many names—the serpent of creation, the serpent of sacrifice, the serpent of ceremony, the serpent of the world...But I have wandered through the chaos and arrived at the wilderness. There is only one divine name—the Primordial Ancient Serpent, the origin of everything.

“I think we couldn’t do ’that’ just yet, since you’re still recovering…” Hailee answered hesitantly, trying to find a reasonable excuse for her current situation.

“Bulsh * t,” Ramon cursed and got out of their extraordinarily luxurious bed. With impatient steps, the man approached Hailee, like a hunter about to catch his prey. “I’ll prove that I’m okay. Better than the best.” He confirmed his last word with a meaningful smile.

“…” Ugh!

***

Hailee found herself being sold by her adopted sister, Aileen, after the death of their parents in an accident.

However, on the very night she was supposed to serve the bastard who had won the auction, Hailee managed to escape by killing him.

Now, Hailee was in fresh pursuit and must flee the city to escape the accomplices of the man she killed.

While she was fleeing from her pursuers, Hailee accidentally met Ramon who was dying from an accident, to avoid those who were after her, Hailee pretends to be Giana, the lover Ramon had been hiding from the public eye.

Things got more complicated when Ramon woke up and said he couldn’t remember anything.

Hailee of course can take advantage of this and continue pretending to be Giana, but how long? And what about the real Giana?

Just as a gamer found an overpowered skill book called ‘Item Upgrade’ in the hottest virtual reality role-playing game on Earth, something happened to the game’s system, causing his soul to leave his body and go to another dimension. Common sense dictates that he would be born anew then become the greatest overlord of this world by making use of his advanced knowledge. Not in this case! He was already dead. Only some fragments of his soul and that skill book managed to get into that dimension and merge with an ordinary common youngster called Bai Yunfei.

This was the enormous Tianhun continent, where humans could be said to have no limits. There was a group of humans here who could cultivate the power of their own souls then control their bodies, the natural elements and even other people’s souls with that power! These special beings were called — soul cultivators. Come witness how the several fragments of the dead inter-dimensional traveler’s soul and that skill book, which was not governed by the laws of this plane, were going to help Bai Yunfei become a legendary soul cultivator and craftsman!