Cultivation Through Artifacts - Chapter 27: Stunning

The unprecedented magician who will eat all the magic books of the world has appeared.

A Deadly Secret, also translated as Requiem of Ling Sing and Secret of the Linked Cities, is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first published in the magazine Southeast Asia Weekly (東南亞周刊) and the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao in 1963. Its original Chinese title was Su Xin Jian before Jin Yong changed it to Lian Cheng Jue. The story revolves around the adventures of the protagonist Di Yun, an ordinary young peasant, who is imprisoned after being framed. In his quest for vengeance, he accidentally acquires the Liancheng Swordplay manual (連城劍谱), an ancient artifact not only prized for the skills detailed inside, but also for containing a secret leading to a treasure.

At nineteen, Alex Lane's life revolved around caring for his sister, Iris, after their parents' death. When Iris was diagnosed with Breast cancer, Alex turned to running illegal packages to pay for her treatment. His life spiraled into chaos after running into problems with the most dangerous gang in the city, the BlackWolf Gang.Things turned ugly quickly when Alex and his sister, Iris, were hunted down by the BlackWolf Gang and unfortunately killed.But death wasn't the end.Nemesis, Goddess of Divine Retribution, saw in Alex the perfect instrument of karmic justice. She granted him rebirth as Andre Atlas, son of a reclusive billionaire, and gifted him the Karmic System—a power that grew stronger with each crime he committed, especially those serving as poetic justice against the powerful.Now, as Alex builds his criminal empire from the shadows of high society, with each crime bringing new supernatural abilities he will achieve his one goal.His goal: Destroy those that took everything from him!

This is the story of a modern man who transmigrates to 16th-century India in a parallel world after dying to save his first crush on a date. He regresses as a lowly-ranked soldier in the camp of Hemu, the last northern Hindu king, who is fated to lose and die at the hands of the Mughals.With his modern knowledge and past experiences, the protagonist alters the course of history, forcing the Mughals to surrender and retreat beyond the Ravi River, which is in modern-day Pakistan.As a reward, he is granted trading rights and becomes the emperor’s personal attendant. Using this opportunity, he sets out to reshape the empire. By promoting private enterprise, establishing trading company, and creating opportunities for the lower communities, he begins to shift India’s economy away from the feudal system toward modern capitalism.Despite fierce opposition, these reforms not only unify the majority of Indians but also position the empire as a rising power in global commerce, transforming India into an economic force.His journey is filled with trials, including internal turmoil, political strife, and the looming threat of invasion from the Mughals in the west and the Dutch and Portuguese in the south. As the emperor’s trusted aide, the protagonist not only rescues the crumbling empire but also forges his own path, eventually claiming the title of emperor himself.Join him on this incredible journey of empire's ascension, as he explores how India could have been in the 16th century if history had taken a different course. With just one battle's result, the fate of the entire world is transformed.