MTL - Pirates: Steel Chain Fingers - v2 Chapter 334 man hiding in the shadows

Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.

Hollywood has summed up a lot of formulas… What movie will be successful?

But there are always big box office hits that fit the formula,

Ronald Lee travels back to Hollywood in the 1980s,

Can he discover the secret to the movie’s success?

Because he can dream about movie clips he saw in his previous life…

He is good at making high-box-office movies, and he is also good at getting actors to win awards.

Brought Ronald many friends, enemies, and confidantes…

Please let the author take you to relive the 80s of breakdance, afro, and high shoulder pads

- Description from novelbuddy

(A cruel, merciless, inhuman, Prime Minister gong x (previously) a cute, naive, foolish prince shou)

As an alluring beauty, the Ninth Prince Qi Changyi inherited his mother’s looks, but was unfortunately a bit s*upid. Not only did he live in fear, even within palace walls, but he also merely lived as a substitute in his beloved’s eyes. Then, while being used and tormented, his delicate, pure heart finally burned to ashes.

Pei Zheng was the Prime Minister of the Imperial Court, a man of great status; he gained it all through the most ruthless methods. He was known for his cruel nature, but gradually, he became close to the unfavored ninth prince.

“Your Highness, just now, at court, who were you looking at? Huh?” Pei Zheng squeezed the small man’s delicate little chin.

Qi Changyi’s eyes were misty with tears of pain, “I, I wasn’t.”

“Stop trying to seduce others.” Pei Zheng’s voice was frigid. “Otherwise, I’ll make sure that General Zhao, for whom you pine, dies on the battlefield!”

He thought he had a firm grip on this little fool, but he could’ve never imagined that one day, this little fool would leave his side carrying a broken heart.

“Brother Pei, I’m leaving now, you should be happy.”

With scarlet eyes and a heart burning with obsession, he searched everywhere, but found no trace of him.

“I won’t, without you, I’ll never be happy again. Your Highness, where should I go, how can I bring you home?”

1v1, happy ending! But the path leading up to it is laced with sweetness and cruelty.

- Description from Novelupdates

Ye Anlan traveled through time, from the apocalypse to ancient times, from nearly forty years old to just ten years old, Ye Anlan felt that she had made a fortune.

But the problem is that she doesn’t know how to play piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, poetry and poetry, spinning and weaving, cutting and embroidery….

Women’s virtues, women’s words, women’s looks, women’s skills… what is that?

Obedience to the father before marriage, obedience to the husband when married, obedience to the son after the death of a husband…Ah, if I say that the fist is hardened by myself, do you believe it or not?

***

Before meeting the heroine Ye Anlan, who is good everywhere in his opinion, Li Jing won countless hearts because of the saying of the great Confucianism in the world: “A modest gentleman is as gentle as jade, clear inside and outside, and his heart is like glass”.

After meeting Ye Anlan, a country girl who was worthless in the eyes of others, Li Jing was killed in an instant. When people mentioned him, they would always say the same thing, “I’m afraid that guy has something wrong with his eyes!”

- Description from novelbuddy