Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit - Chapter 88: Sea Ban Lifted

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?”

Betrayed. Ridiculed. Killed.That was my past life.I trusted the wrong people, and they buried me for it. But fate wasn’t done with me yet. When I opened my eyes again, it wasn’t in my old body—it was in a world overrun by the undead. And this time, I was one of them.A fucking zombie!But I’m not like the others. I think. I feel. I remember.What’s this voice in my head?[Welcome to the Silent Requiem System!]The system feeds me power, unlocking missions and skill buried within this body. I have one goal: rise in rank, take control, and make sure no one ever tramples me again.The humans I move with have no idea what I really am. To them, I’m just another survivor, clawing my way to the top. But in battle, I use my abilities in secret—manipulating the undead, eliminating threats, and turning every fight in my favor.But rumors are spreading. There’s talk of an undead hiding among them, unseen and unstoppable. If they find out the truth, they’ll hunt me down like a monster.And my past? It’s here too. The people who betrayed me in my last life are standing right beside me, unaware of who I am. But I remember them. They turned on me once—I won’t give them the chance to do it again.Then there’s him. The commander of the city, sharp-eyed and ruthless. He’s watching me too closely, asking too many questions. If he figures out the truth, I’ll have to make a choice: eliminate him, outplay him… or pull him into my trap before he can destroy me.Because in this world, power is the only thing that matters. And this time, I refuse to be at the bottom.***“How did you survive when everyone else died?”I guess death just didn’t want me.“Why do the zombies ignore you?”Maybe I just have a face they don’t like.“You were just a nobody yesterday—how are you suddenly so strong?”Hard work, luck… and a little bit of hex.“Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?”Déjà vu’s a funny thing, isn’t it?“What are you?”Wouldn’t you like to know?

“In a world where power determines everything, the most dangerous weapon isn't a sword... it's knowing what happens tomorrow.”※※※Cast aside by his own noble family, Vaerik Tudor finds himself exiled to the merciless Northern Province—a frozen wasteland where most are sent to die.No magic. No special bloodline. No legendary weapon.Just when death seems certain, something unexpected activates: a mysterious Daily Intelligence System that provides him critical information about the future.[As the sun rises tomorrow, a dead god's massive body will break through the ice-covered lake, with its heart somehow still beating, pulsing with the ancient power of winter itself.][One young wolf, fiercer than all the rest, fought and defeated every other cub in the red valley territory, becoming the new leader of the entire pack.][Nearly forty battle-scarred giant wolves are right now creeping through the valley to the southeast, with muscles ready to spring and teeth ready to bite, planning to take over your land when night falls.][A never-ending wave of walking dead bodies will soon swallow up every country on this land mass, with the human race barely surviving—for every million people alive today, only one will remain.][A runaway princess from the northern tribe has fled to the red valley lands, but weakened by starvation and freezing temperatures, she has collapsed unconscious in the barren wilderness and will be eaten by a giant white bear before sunset today.]While southern nobles drown in their politics and pleasure, Vaerik is building something unprecedented in the frozen north. A domain where slaves become free citizens. Where barren wasteland transforms into fertile fields. Where loyalty is earned, not demanded.But the north holds ancient dangers...Frost dragons shriek dominance above his impenetrable cold-forged bulwark.Frost giants patrol the mines containing precious magical marrow. Barbarian tribes plot revenge against imperial invaders. Religious zealots hunt for heretics. And an unstoppable threat looms on the distant horizon that could consume the entire continent.Winter is coming, and this storm will eventually engulf the entire continent. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.※※※Warning: Contains fortress-building, territory management, strategic battles, hidden talents, and a protagonist who rises from forgotten exile to become the most feared lord in the north. For fans of kingdom-building, strategic progression, and war.

The war of gods left the earth no winners, but a broken world.