My Unrestrained Lives - Chapter 4: Gray Gate (1)

He is Xi Liang’s legendary emperor: a decisive and ruthless king; a man of supreme wisdom; a cunning strategist.

According to legend, he once conferred the love meant for the three thousand concubines in his harem onto one woman, while the world watched in envy.

According to legend, he once executed a hundred people for her, turning the palace into a purgatory overnight.

According to legend, he ultimately sentenced that same woman to death by execution…

A conspiracy that swept through the country resulted in her tragic end. This lifetime seems to be a repeat of her past life. Can she escape the clutches of fate to attain true love in this life? In both lives, she was the Emperor’s wife, but is that ruthless man really her true love mandated by Heaven?

Did she really die, just like that?

In the end, beyond the veil of lies and mysteries, who exactly was she? Was she a woman that he truly loved, or was she merely a chess piece to be used in his political machinations?

The stories passed onto later generations remain fraught with conflicting opinions.

- Description from Novelupdates

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.

Devastated by the death of her destined mate and her family, Reana refused to choose another mate for three years. But with the council breathing down her neck, she had no other choice but to consider her options: Beta Ryan, the one who was chosen by the pack to become her second chance mate.But to everyone's surprise, she chose a servant, Ryder. The pack members and the council were livid. How could they bow to a servant turned Alpha?It was already enough that their Black Moon Pack was magnanimous to strays – in the past, giving them a home and work to help their living conditions, but now, one of such people would become their Alpha? Impossible! No way! What if Ryder was a spy? An enemy in disguise?Meanwhile, Ryder, the servant, was more than that. He was the feared and revered Alpha Snow of the Southern Islands - the dared-devil who was at war with the moon goddess for three lifetimes, just for Reana. And this lifetime, he was going all out, laying all his cards down.Who cares what he has to become just to claim his woman? Since Reana would not marry an Alpha from other packs, yet, was destined to become a Luna, then joining her pack as a 'pitiful' servant was his best bet.***Reana's heart skipped a beat. There was something about the way Ryder said 'My Luna' that sent a shiver down her spine. The possessive undertone was unmistakable, and for a moment, Reana felt a flutter in her chest. She looked away, trying to compose herself. Perhaps, he didn't mean it that way, after all, he was the first to call her that. It was either 'Luna Reana' or plainly 'Luna.'With this conclusion, she turned back to him, her face cold and indifferent as usual, intending to respond. “You're my cho—” She stopped herself, her gaze drifting to the smudge of blood on his cheek. She didn't like the stain; it marred his handsome face like a drop of red ink on a white ceremonial dress.Without thinking, Reana reached out to clean the blood. As her hand made contact with his warm skin, a jolt of electricity coursed through her. Startled and about to withdraw her hand, Ryder suddenly leaned into her touch.Reana's heart skipped another beat. Ryder's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze burning with intensity. “Does My Luna find me worthy to become her chosen mate?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “I think I have good qualities. I don't have a mate, nor have I ever touched any woman. I'm still a virgin…”***Please, check the review and character profile first, then prologue chapter before you dive into the story. It's very, very important.More tags~#Rebirth#Obsession

He, since childhood, had followed the Foreigner to practice the Defying Heaven Art, entering the most secretive special forces and becoming a fearsome assassin that made others tremble at the mere mention of his name. After a single failure, he took early retirement, but he ended up as the personal bodyguard for a rich heiress, a school beauty. Accidentally provoking some mysterious Cultivators, he gradually unveiled a hidden world of Cultivation beyond the mortal realm...