I Have A Martial Dao World - Chapter 16 - . Rice is more expensive than crabs.

Zephany Draven is a shy, clumsy celebrity journalist who is constantly ridiculed for not getting the big scoops. She is soft-spoken and easily intimidated, so she looks weak. However, behind closed doors, she's Eclipse, an altogether tougher, loud-mouthed agent and quite ruthless and efficient.Kendrick Montclair is a gentle, positive artist who loves his family and remains optimistic despite his struggles. His gentle nature makes him easy to take advantage of. But secretly, he's Obscura, a cold, ruthless agent who is efficient and silent.Both work as partners in a secret organization that preserves hidden truths erased by governments, yet they remain completely unaware of each other's true identities.Their goal is to reach the highest level of clearance to access classified information. But just when they're on the verge of success, they fail.Then, a mysterious man appears with an offer—a contract marriage in exchange for the information they desperately seek. Trapped with no alternative, they sign the deal.But neither expected what would happen next.-------------Kendrick and Zephany sat by the glass wall, waiting for their food when a car suddenly crashed through. Kendrick pulled Zephany to safety just in time, but both got small cuts from the broken glass.“Are you okay?” they asked, checking each other.To their astonishment, the cuts healed before their eyes.Their minds raced. “Beside me, the only person I know who has that ability is.”“No! She can't be that loud, short-tempered woman!”“No! He can't be that silent, obnoxious man!”“Did I marry my secret partner in crime?” They both shuddered at the thought.

The journey of a generation’s male empress started because of four words.

“Send a dowry escort.”

During the 19th year of Yuanqing, Qi Yunruo boarded a carriage and entered through a corner door of the second prince’s estate. Then, across the watery corridor, he gazed at the prince from afar.

Notes:

For aristocratic women in imperial China to marry into a family part of the upper nobility, they must be of the legitimate line and must also have an escort/dowry maid that married into that family. That escort would be a “ying” (媵) and could be considered a concubine.

- Description from Novelupdates

DESTINY GAMES. It has been 85 years since Earth-11 became aligned with Yggdrasil and 73 years since Icon became the first demigod from Earth. Icon, as the first demigod, was privileged to weave the thread of fate for everyone. He was supposed to cut off Yggdrasil and free Earth-11 from the grasps of the other Earths and their god kings. That’s why everyone helped him climb the tower of Destiny. But instead of ridding earth of Yggdrasil, he turned the destiny of mankind into seven rings of immortality. The first ring was for the immortality of power. The second was for the immortality of the knowledge. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth were for the immortality of the mind, energy, body, and soul. The last ring, the ring of the paragon, was made to rule them all. Icon kept the ring of the paragon for himself and became a dictator. He ruled with an iron fist for many years. His was a reign of terror. But he was eventually vanquished by the collective effort of the world. It has been 62 years since then. Icon is no more, but the damage he had done still remains. Earth-11 is still connected to Yggdrasil. The deadly games of the Tower of Destiny still remain, and the fight for the seven rings of immortality still continues. Kelvin Thorn has just awakened his ability. It came at a good time too since he is running for his life. The ability he awakened saved him, but it came with a cost. He must climb the tower of destiny under the witness of the whole world and accumulate destiny, or he will die. His situation is not unique. Everyone that awakens, which is mostly everyone, must climb the tower of destiny. It is one of the curses that Icon left behind before he died. But Thorn is different because the seventh ring found him. The tower of destiny is where everyone granted power by destiny, be they humans, non-humans, or otherworlders, must fight in games of might, skill, and knowledge to gather the power of destiny. They will either die or eventually overcome death. Kelvin will be one of the latest in the line of billions of others in this struggle.

Alex Jin was just another overworked nobody until a truck crash sent him into the body of Valerian Nightshade—the cold-blooded villain from a popular fantasy novel. Destined to die early as the stepping stone for the “hero,” Valerian was powerful, rich, and feared… but ultimately doomed.That is, until the Villain Evolution System activated.Now, every villainous act rewards Alex with unimaginable power. Crush a rival? +100 Strength. Manipulate a noble house? Unlock a rare bloodline. Kiss the heroine meant for the hero? Well... let’s just say the rewards aren’t all measured in stats.To survive, Alex must outwit plot armor, bend fate, and ascend to the throne of power in a world that expects him to lose. But the deeper he goes, the more he realizes—being the villain might be the only way to save this twisted world.This time, the villain won’t die early. He’ll rewrite the story, one ruthless step at a time.