Against The True Gods - Chapter 11: Trials(II)

Content Warning:This novel contains mature themes, including explicit sexual content, strong language, and adult situations. It is intended for readers 18+ only. Reader discretion is advised.______________________________________________________________________Haruki thought marriage would bring him happiness. He had been in love with Satomi since high school, and after years of struggling together, they finally built a stable life. But stability came with a price.Satomi was always busy. Work became her priority, and Haruki… was left behind. The warmth of their relationship faded, and intimacy became a distant memory. Nights felt colder, the bed emptier—even when she was right beside him.Loneliness gnawed at him.Then everything changed when Satomi’s family invited him to stay at their luxurious home.That was the first time he truly saw her mother.Kyouko.Beautiful. Elegant. Younger-looking than her own daughter. And for the first time in years, Haruki felt something awaken inside him—something dangerous, something forbidden.Living under the same roof, two lonely souls cross paths. And as Haruki struggles with his emotions, one question lingers in his mind:What happens when the one who understands you most… is the one you should never desire?

“Why didn’t you tell me?”“Tell you what, Richard? What would you have done?”“I don’t know. Apologized sooner? Bought you a burger to make up for it?”Her eyes lit up with fire, “You think what you did to me… you think a burger can make up for it?” her eyes twinkled like she was fighting tears. Did I hurt her that badly? I was just a foolish teenager.“Nita, I am sorry. I was young, I was stupid. I wish I could take it all back and tell you how I feel instead of being a constant jerk to gain your attention.”“How did you feel that would justify what you did to me?”I paused for a minute, finding the words. “I had a huge crush on you at the time. And I didn’t know how to express myself. I was full of myself, I was the school’s ladies' man and the one girl I had eyes for didn’t even care if I existed,” “And that justified what you did to me? Richard, you broke me. I can forgive you for ‘accidentally’ spilling your ice cream on me, or throwing my due assignment in the toilet, or the gum in my hair, or the glue in my chair but tell me how can I forgive you for what you did that night? Tell me!”“What night? Nita, what are you talking about?”“Remember when you asked me if I knew who sexually assaulted me?”I nodded, but what does that have to do with anything? The more we spoke, the more confused I became.“You did and I cannot believe that you would stand there and pretend like it didn’t happen!”Nita has spent years trying to forget the torment she endured at the hands of Richard. When her family’s financial ruin forces her into an arranged marriage, she is horrified to find out the groom himself was her bully.Richard, a charming and successful businessman meets the first woman to be repulsed by him. Intrigued, he proposes a deal of a one year marriage of convenience.Navigating life as a couple, old wounds reopen, buried memories surface. As Richard learns more about his wife, he finds that he has enemies that followed him from his past to continuously cloud his wife’s judgement.Will Nita believe the truth and bury old wounds or will the pain of the past prove too strong to heal?

The dead broke small streamer Zong Qi received a random message one day.

Zong Qi: ? tr*sh commercial, deleted

That night, he got pulled onto the set of a horror film and was informed that if he didn’t shoot it… He’ll die.

He was lucky that the actors were all working as hard as they could, and the director only needed to stand around and watch the show.

But because he had been given way too much, Zong Qi didn’t hesitate at all before making his own changes.

Under his false identity was an ‘evil mastermind’ that fought with the actors on everything.

The immoral things he’s done on set include but aren’t limited to–

Personally putting makeup on the ghost, teaching actors how to mess and change the script, switching ‘sides’ at crucial times…

People as arrogant as him usually don’t have good endings when their identities were revealed.

What Zong Qi didn’t expect was that instead of the actors joining up for revenge, an unlucky bastard’s whose plans had been spoilt by him countless times appeared instead.

The man took off his glasses, revealing a pair of closed eyes, his face beautiful and cold.

The brush dipped in paint hooked past the young man’s neck, full of danger.

“You dirtied my brush.”

He smirked, drawling, “As punishment, I’ll dirty you.”

- Description from Novelupdates

While most cultivators were scratching their heads as they pondered how to advance to the next realm, Li Lang was busy systematically studying the mechanics of cultivation.Scientist Langley Seiker has always dreamed about immortality. Reincarnating into a world of cultivation, it is no longer a dream except for the fact that he has no talent. However, through a chance encounter, he gains access to his familiar laboratory that will allow him to study the wonders of cultivation.Not even the heavens will know what fate has in store for Langley as he systematically unravels not only how to cultivate, but also various crafts such as refining pills and inscribing talismans. Preparation is key to surviving in the merciless world of cultivation, especially for those with no talent.Expectations:- Detailed study of each stage of cultivation and crafting- Not technology vs cultivation, scientific method will be used to study cultivation- No harem- Slow burn progression. MC won’t be skipping through cultivation ranks at record speed- Weak to Strong- Sect Building (Much later in the story)