The Detective is Already Dead - Chapter 55 - 2.5

Wang Yanqing’s father died in battle. She was adopted as an orphan by the Marquis of Zhenyuan. She loved Fu Tingzhou for ten years and would go through fire and water for him. However, this woman carried a family history full of scars, and ultimately, Fu Tingzhou sought another woman to marry.

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

【This story features a vibrant and outgoing female lead and a gentle and devoted male lead. It is a romance novel filled with pampering moments and post-marriage love.】Mi Jing, 27 years old, unmarried.She comes from an ordinary background, has a warm family, and loving parents.Shen Lingxing, a major shareholder of M Group, a private hospital director, and a second-generation government official.Despite being an eligible bachelor with such a prestigious status, he struggles to find a wife! Instead, he always shows up to blind dates pretending to be an ordinary doctor. After nineteen blind dates, the results are always the same—either the woman rejects him, or he rejects the woman.And Mi Jing has been a witness to all nineteen of these blind dates, ultimately becoming the one to end the streak.She asked, “Still haven’t found anyone suitable?”He responded with a simple “Hmm” and nodded.Then she asked, “What do you think about me?”He answered, “You’re pretty good!”So she suggested, “How about we get married?”Upon hearing this, he wasn’t overly surprised. Instead, he readily agreed, “Sure, let’s go get the marriage certificate later.”【The most heartwarming love story unfolds after twists and turns when she meets him at her most mature and beautiful years.】He was a regular customer at her coffee shop. At first, she didn’t really pay attention to him. But since the girls in the shop often mentioned him, she gradually developed some awareness of him.He liked drinking Blue Mountain coffee and often went on blind dates.In fact, she herself also frequently went on blind dates, although hers were not voluntary but driven by her mother’s pressure.One day, she ran into a particularly troublesome blind date. Coincidentally, he was sitting at the next table. In a moment of desperation, she pulled him over to pretend to be her shield.Another day, at a university classmate’s wedding, she ran into him again, along with her ex-boyfriend and the third party who had come between them back then.When faced with provocations from “the third party,” she held his hand and pretended he was her boyfriend—venting her frustration, though it cost her financially.…They were both at the age to be considered “older youth,” pressured by their families to frequently attend blind dates. With marriage as their ultimate goal, they hit it off instantly and decided to marry on a whim.【Scene 1】One evening, Mi Jing brought Shen Lingxing home for dinner.After dinner, Mi Jing and Shen Lingxing went downstairs together.“You…” Mi Jing was suddenly kissed by Shen Lingxing, leaving her wide-eyed and stunned.“Don’t move. Mom is watching.” Shen Lingxing held Mi Jing tightly and whispered softly in her ear.“My mom? Where is she?”“She’s on the balcony.”Shen Lingxing glanced at a black car not far away. Seeing the twisted expression on Mi Jing’s ex-boyfriend’s face, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.

“Look at him,” someone snickered from a few rows over. “Smells like he sleeps in a dumpster.”“Probably does,” another voice added, louder this time. Nox just stared at his textbook, the words blurring. He had heard it all before.Then, Mark, one of the main reasons his life was a living hell, swaggered past his desk. Mark always had a smirk on his face. “Oops,” he said, not even trying to sound accidental, as a full cup of bright orange juice tipped over, splashing all down the front of Nox's already ruined shirt. The cold liquid soaked through instantly. Laughter erupted around the room. It was loud, clear, and mocking. Nox slowly looked up. His eyes landed on Ms. Joy, who was watching the whole thing. She had seen Mark deliberately pour the juice on him. He raised his hand, a small, tired gesture. “Ms. Joy,” he said, his voice flat. “He just poured juice on me. Are you just going to ignore it? Again?.” Ms. Joy looked at him, then at Mark, who was now theatrically wiping his hands. A small smile played on her lips. Then she chuckled. Just a little airy laugh.“Oh, Nox, don't be so dramatic. Boys will be boys, right Mark?” Mark puffed out his chest. “Yeah, Ms. Joy. He's just sensitive.” The class laughed even harder at that. Ms. Joy joined in, her laughter ringing out with theirs. Hearing them all, hearing her laugh, something in him finally snapped. It wasn't a loud break, more like a quiet, final click. He realized it then, with a cold, hard clarity. No one was coming to save him. No teachers, no police, no parents he never had. No one cared. If he wanted this to stop, he would have to be the one to stop it. He was the only one who could.His face remained blank, but his mind was suddenly very clear. He reached down slowly, his hand going into his worn-out school bag. The laughter died down a little as a few students noticed his deliberate movement, a strange stillness about him. He pulled out a gun.The classroom went silent. Utterly, completely silent. Mark's smirk vanished, replaced by wide, terrified eyes. Even Ms. Joy stopped laughing, her face paling. “What… Nox, what are you doing?” she stammered, her voice suddenly shaky. He didn't answer. He looked around at their faces, one by one. Fear. He saw fear now. Good. He was ready. He was going to make them all pay. He was going to end it, all of it.Just as he was about to raise the gun properly, a bright blue screen appeared right in front of his face. It was translucent, and only he seemed to see it. [Congratulations! You have met the requirements!] [1st Player Chosen!] [You have won the System!]