Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities - Chapter 23 - He Was The Devil

Xu Youyou rebirthed to when she was 16 years old and chose a path different from her previous life and met Qiao Mu ten years earlier. The youth who had braved the wind and snow protecting her till death — and who had confessed to her.

And she realized, the Qiao Mu ten years earlier and the Qiao Mu she knew were completely different people. He didn’t have his smile that could radiate sunlight, he didn’t have his courage that could penetrate snowstorms, and he certainly didn’t have his perfect eight pack. He was like a short mushroom, quietly growing in the corner’s shadow.

Xu Youyou: If you dare be like this when you confess to me, you are so dead.

Qiao Mu was a teenage Weiqi genius, he loved Weiqi, but because of his shadow of youth was unable to enter the competition arena. And because of the fear, he was unable to become a professional player and could only return to a typical school life.

Until he met Xu Youyou.

A widely known reckless and fearless girl, who was the complete opposite of him. She was good at everything, except things relating to love. Clearly he wasn’t her type, yet she always provoked him. But the biggest joke was himself, he clearly knew everything, yet could not help but fall into the hands of the enemy.

- Description from Novelupdates

In a world where everyone is a slave, someone is born who cannot be controlled. At the same time, an unstoppable villain rises on a quest for revenge. But the truth is darker than he ever imagined, and now he must face an unbeatable enemy — including himself.***Bruno was a young man born on Earth, the son of an influential modern Emperor. Despite having everything money could buy and receiving the best and most rigorous training to succeed his father, he chose the opposite path, defying his family’s ruthless rule.The price of his innocence? A merciless death and the complete erasure of his existence by the deity controlling his fate. On Earth, the law of the powerful was absolute; a slave could never rebel.But then, he wakes up again.He’s reborn in a world of cultivation, where freedom was promised to those strong enough to claim it. Now, he could soar like a free bird and carve his own destiny... or so he thought.The harsh reality of this new world soon showed him how insignificant he still was. He realized he had only changed masters.The freedom he sought was an illusion. The heavenly laws treated everyone as servants, and their rules were unbreakable. Bruno learned this bitter truth after losing everything that made him happy due to an unjust rule.But who was he to question?Hopeless, Bruno died... and was reborn as Alm, an unstoppable villain. With a soul poisoned by pain and vengeance, he sowed chaos across the universe. Planets were destroyed, countless lives taken, and his name became synonymous with terror.A hero rose to oppose him, wielding a sacred sword of hope. People from all corners of the universe united against Alm, raising their voices and weapons to stop the villain who defied the heavens.But Alm was no longer just fighting for revenge. He was challenging the heavenly laws that sought to control him, fighting fate and all living beings.And against all odds... the sacred sword shattered. The alliance of the entire universe was defeated.The villain won!Now, Alm found himself alone in the empty void of a dead universe, facing his own inner demons. Who could be more ruthless to him than himself?“What have I done?”At that moment, the doors of truth opened to him.Everyone was a puppet of a supreme figure, an entity that manipulated minds and even the heavenly laws.“I will find you, no matter where you are!”Thus, the last emissary of the true Heaven’s Will awakened. Alm, who once only relied on his sheer will and rage, now had a system to guide him. But his opponent was an immortal existence, above even the heavens.The villain who destroyed an entire universe now faced a new beginning. He discovered that the universe he devastated was just a tiny grain of sand in an infinite cosmos, where countless other universes existed.And so begins the legendary tale of the villain’s rise... and the Sacred Round God? A strange Duality of Shadows existed within one person.But this time, he wouldn’t be alone.***To clear up any potential confusion or frustration, here are some key points about the story. I’ll avoid major spoilers, but a few things will be revealed.You might find this concerning at first, but just check the book cover—it shows the main character and his only partner. She first appears at 10 years old, but rest assured, there’s no inappropriate content or early romance.At around 13, SHE starts developing feelings for the protagonist, but he doesn’t respond until she’s an adult. With her determined personality, she tries to seduce him at 17/18, but it doesn’t work. Their relationship only happens much later.The book has nods to other works, with my own spin on them, and focuses on avoiding elements I find problematic in other stories.Lastly, the beautiful book cover was commissioned and created by HDIArt.

This world is sick, and it must be cured with swords and forged with iron and fire.To slay tyranny, to cut down the unrighteous. To overturn heaven and earth, to mold the human world.All shall begin with the sword in hand.======When the Innate Wisdom Bearer An Jing received aid from the ancient Sword Spirit, allowing him to traverse various realms, he knew that his future would inevitably lead him down a path full of hardships and difficulties, hard to be understood by others, yet capable of changing this wretched world.And on this path, he would also crush many deserving scum underfoot.“Heh heh, the Myriad Tribes of this world shall greet the birth of this epoch-making giant like me with fervent wishes. World, I'm coming to save you!”Noble Officials/Demon Sect/Heavenly Demon: “Alas, is reconciliation possible?”Elements: Chaotic times of Martial Arts, cyber cultivation, gates between two worlds

Mu Sheng had researched quantum mechanics and engineered cross-sea bridges in her past life. However, she became a small-time celebrity plagued with a bad image overnight. This sad foolish woman was made to marry a sick man to counteract his bad luck. Even when her kidney and marrow were taken from her, she was glad to help. Memories of how her body’s original owner sacrificed everything for a scum flooded Mu Sheng’s mind, making her eyes roll.

The news exploded in the entertainment industry. Mu Sheng performed a 1440 degree somersault when she skied on an entertainment program and left everyone awestruck. The anti-fans felt she must have edited the image or hired a stunt double. Two weeks later, the International Ski Federation invited her to join them as a lifetime member. In time, government research, hacking, calligraphy and brush painting, and music associations all reached out for her to join their ranks one after another.

So what? She ended up marrying a useless man who was on the brink of death and would become a widow in a matter of time. Things did not quite play out as everyone expected. The useless Mr. Li did not die and ended up healthier than ever. He even shockingly turned out to be a mysterious big shot in the corporate world. Mu Sheng did not wind up a widow and Mr Li. loved her to bits.

Mu Sheng glanced at a man. “Now that you have been healed, can you sign the divorce agreement?”

Li Hanchen smiled. “There’s one more thing you haven’t healed.”

Mu Sheng frowned. “Are you still unwell?”

Li Hanchen said, “I love you to death and there’s no cure for it.”

He had found a ray of hope amid the darkness and her name was Mu Sheng.