MTL - Poisonous Peasant ‘Concubine’ - Chapter 423 Wire stripping (1)

After years of exile, Marcus is coming back home. A powerful mage with few equals, Marcus lives in a world full of monsters and powerful adepts, many of which have bad histories with him. But he has not come back to pursue vengeance or start a fight. All Marcus wants to do is reconnect with old friends, build himself a house, and maybe train a successor or two.Alas, the world didn’t stop just because Marcus went into exile, and not everyone is content to let go of old grievances. Strange things are happening in the world at large, too, hinting at a looming disaster of unknown nature. Still, where there is a will, there is a way.If nothing else, Marcus has a lot of magical power to throw at problems.+++Zenith of Sorcery is set in its own original setting and isn’t related to Mother of Learning… beyond being written by the same person, of course. This is a more classical fantasy story than my previous one, with a lower level of technology and stuff like elves and dwarves, but it has a lot of worldbuilding effort put into it and its own complex magical system. The story has significant xianxia influences, but isn’t meant to be a xianxia story.For those of you not familiar with my previous work, I write relatively slowly. I intend to publish chapters at the rate of one chapter every three or four weeks, subject to further delays as life intervenes.

Caution: This novel contains R18 content.

A 21st-century tech manager, accidentally thrust into the body of Emperor Commodus—yes, the infamous villain played by Joaquin Phoenix—has one goal: not to die like him.Armed with his wits and a hyper-intelligent AI on a solar-powered laptop, he must navigate the treacherous politics of ancient Rome. Everyone, including his own sister, expects the arrogant, decadent tyrant. Instead, they find a calculating reformer. But as he tries to avert the fall of the empire, he discovers that being a “good” emperor might be even more dangerous than being the monster everyone is waiting for.

Humiliated by her ex-boyfriend's mother, Song Qiao was forced to end her first love. Facing the cold sarcasm from her half-sister, on the street in a fit of anger, she randomly grabbed a man, “Sir, do you have a girlfriend? If not, let's get married!”The man squinted at her and nodded, “Sure!”Marrying Lu Jingchen, Song Qiao received the utmost pampering, but just when she was falling for it, she discovered the reason behind everything...Five years later, Song Qiao made a strong return. Just as she stepped into An City's international airport, she was directly apprehended, and she was greeted with the squinting smile of a man, “Mrs. Lu, after traveling for five years, have you missed me and our son?”However, Song Qiao remained unfazed, her red lips slightly parted, “Sorry, Mr. Lu, we are already divorced. Please call me ex-wife!”The man was indifferent, pulling her into his arms, “I haven't signed the divorce agreement, and I haven't gone through the divorce procedures. How could there be an ex-wife to talk about?”