Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One - Chapter 22: Laying Traps at darkness

Martin was a succubus who perished at the hands of the Sun God, struck down by a single divine arrow during the epic war between gods and demons. Meanwhile, Martin, a Ph.D. in literature and a seasoned movie enthusiast, lost his life in a car accident in August 2023. By some cosmic twist of fate, the souls of the two Martins converged within the chaotic currents of time and space, merging and eventually settling in the body of an eleven-year-old boy named Martin Myers, living in Los Angeles in 1996.A world without spiritual energy? Fortunately, as a succubus, I don’t need spiritual energy to cultivate; all I need is the essence of desire. Emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and excitement—are all desires. As long as these emotions are directed at me, they can become fuel for my growth. Alright, let’s see what reliable ways exist in this world to stir people’s emotions en masse. Hmm, becoming a writer—sounds promising; and music, that could work too; but wow, Hollywood movies! They have a global reach; this is perfect! What’s that term again? Right—“Idea Recycler.” I’ll start with writing, but the ultimate goal is to become an international movie star. Acting skills, you say? Don’t worry—I’m a succubus, after all!Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to this novel. All characters, settings, and plot elements belong to the original author and copyright holder. This work is shared purely for entertainment purposes, with no intent to infringe on the original creator’s rights.

If an ancient scholar searches through the mists of history, he or she will find such an existence:Pope of the night,Angel of the Creator,The hidden emperor of the empire,…He is also the perfect mentor;Wanmen’s guidance,The original source of pain...No one knows where he came from, only that he was born with knowledge and has been with him for years.Let us chant his honorable name together:Spirit of truth, pure man, master of dreams, supreme beyond all eternity

Bei Ran lay on the operating table, Gu Qingchen was her surgeon. His eyes, deep as the Aegean Sea, gazed at her: “Honey, it's been four years since we got married, and you're still afraid of me?”Honey? Last night he already threw a divorce agreement at her, what right does he have to call her that?In City A, Gu Qingchen is a long-lasting legend. He is a leading figure in the medical field and a major shareholder in a Fortune 500 company, capable of great influence in the business world.He only needed an obedient wife. Bei Ran was so 'obedient' that he never had to worry. The four-year marriage was just a matter of agreement, but who is the one lingering endlessly after the divorce?She accidentally fell into water at a wedding she was hosting, he said: “Beg me, you know I'm always responsive to your demands!”“Gu Qingchen, we're divorced!” Bei Ran couldn't stand it anymore!He laughed coldly: “Bei Ran, we've been married for four years, you have a five-year-old daughter, do you really want to die here?”Bei Ran was shocked, he knew? Would he fight her for her daughter?Gu Qingchen could never have imagined that the chubby little bun in front of him was actually his biological daughter!“Bei Ran, you hid it from me for five years, always flawlessly obedient before me, tell me, how should I punish you?” Gu Qingchen raised a bloodthirsty smile.Could she possibly not tell him there is also a son who looks just like him!Theater Version:The teacher informed Bei Ran that her son had used a scalpel in school to investigate the cause of death of poisoned small animals. Her daughter was causing a stir in school with her stock trading. In her anger, she said, “No one to take you to school today, take the bus yourselves.”The daughter sought help from Gu Qingchen but got no response, so she said: “Yesterday, a pretty aunt stayed in Dad's office for an hour, and her skirt was super short.”The twins truly had a shared understanding; the son said: “The station manager hugged Mom yesterday, even kissed her cheek, and said he would never let go!”Bei Ran and Gu Qingchen spoke in unison: “Trying to sow discord, you're still too naive, go to school yourselves!”The siblings shouldered their backpacks and went to take the bus, while the couple returned to the bedroom, closing the door behind them.She leapt onto him, her fiery temper on full display: “You actually stayed with that woman for an entire hour?”He was overbearingly domineering: “Damn it, which part of you did he kiss, I will seal his mouth with a scalpel!”

Pinning her tall body against the hard wall, he looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, “I have two options for you,” his body came closer to hers as he continued, “Be my girlfriend. Or,” his lips turned into a sly smile as he whispered close to her ear,“Be my boyfriend.” He even dared to wink right before her as his dark orbs glinted amusingly.

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There are plenty of things that break not just a heart but a person as a whole.

Some people get broken by love and some by family. But she was broken by life itself.

She left her clan to discover the world but she forgot something her grandfather once told her, ’The world outside is a scary place. It’s filled with people who would want to befriend you only to devour you alive. People like us are an anomaly. And the world calls us monsters but they forget; they are also the monsters wearing a mask of an angel.’

To grow stronger, she seized as much power as she could by Ruling Europe under the disguise of a man- Lord Alev Knight. But now, she’s forced to come back to China where she buried her memories along with herself over a decade ago.

What will happen when those buried painful memories will come to haunt her again. Will she choose the path to destroy the people who betrayed her or someone will alter her idea of revenge? And what exactly pushed her to live with multiple identities? What made her disguise herself as a man? Will she be able to find the hidden truths of her own existence? Or she’ll be buried herself with those truths?

Xiao Zhiren left China when he was a teenager. Now, he’s back in China to find the answers that were left unknown as he watched his mother being murdered before him.

Will he be able to find the enemies wearing the masks of friends? Or he’ll have to wear a mask himself?

’I can conceive death but betrayal is not allowed.’ She had left those words behind for him. Will he be able to find the person who left him with a promise to come back? Or like every promise, he’ll be forced to believe that promises are only made to break you?