Myriad Paths of the Dragon Emperor - Chapter 2568 - 2567-pretending to be weak

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.

Du Xiao Li, the legendary person all look up to, yet couldn’t ward off the ridiculousness of fate!

Opening her eyes once again, the steady and calm her was still shocked senseless by her own withered little hands, and the leaking and windy rat infested surroundings before her eyes.

Both parents dead, three meals uncertain, and her only property was this shabby house and a cute little big brother.

What the hell is all this!

Buying a mountain top, planting fruit trees, opening winery, fermenting fruit wine, and developing a supply chain. From then on, profits poured in from all sides, bringing along big brother to lay down a family fortune and become rich!

Making close friends, kidnapping a prince, fighting villains, a peasant daughter can also live calling the wind and rain, laughing in face of the world!

Oh? This little guy looks pretty good, come plant a fruit tree for me then! How about also set a kiddy engagement?

With the roll of his eyes, the small child, who was currently being enslaved to plant trees gave her a cool turn of his back.

One separation, several years later, seeing this tall, rich, and handsome emotionless prince tell her with an ice cold face that she and him were already engaged, and moreover have long sealed the deal with a kiss, letting her take responsibility. He really was that little handsome boy from before?!

Du Xiao Li speechlessly look to the sky: I don’t want to be a princess consort! Can I get a refund?!!

The cold face prince, with a face full of grievance: You said before that once sold, can’t be returned. A few years ago, I’ve already obediently gave myself to you. In these years I’ve always carefully obeyed your teachings, keeping myself pure for you. How can you heartlessly abandon me now?

Du Xiao Li’s jaw was about to drop to the ground: Alright then, seeing that you’re this obedient, you can come home with me!

A certain young master charmingly smiled: This husband shall comply!

- Description from Novelupdates

For the sake of the world, the Protagonist must die.“I... I think I like--”Whether you’re just a girl who fell in love with the wrong person.“N-no...! If I can go back... just one more time...!”A man who regresses to save the world.“Hero... Please, kill yourself.”Or a destined Hero chosen by the Goddess Herself to kill the Demon Lord.No matter what your purpose is, no matter who you are.Even if the whole world and everyone close turns against me...[The target, ‘■■, the Hero’, has been dispatched.][Contract complete.]...The Protagonist cannot be allowed to live.

Eira Kingston, a feared assassin, never imagined that death would lead her to transmigrate into the body of Ephyra Allen, the disgraced first daughter of the once-powerful Allen family. But what shocked her even more was the soft mechanical voice in her mind, addressing her as “master” and informing her that her soul had returned to its original body.Eira dismissed the strange voice, thinking she was having a post-death hallucination. But waking up in a hospital, with memories that weren’t hers flooding back, she was forced to confront the truth.Ephyra’s life had been nothing short of a nightmare. Despite being the legitimate daughter, she was labeled a bastard, shunned by all, and overshadowed by her scheming stepsister, who had stolen the love of her father and her betrothed. To make matters worse, the wealth and status the Allen family enjoyed were all thanks to Ephyra’s late mother, and the only reason she hadn’t been discarded entirely was due to her mother’s inheritance, locked away until she turned eighteen.But Eira wasn’t one to be defeated by circumstances. If she was going to live Ephyra’s life, she would do so on her own terms. She would destroy those who had caused Ephyra pain, claim the inheritance that was rightfully hers, and find out who was behind her own death. Because if there was one thing Eira knew how to do well, it was to survive—and make her enemies pay.However, being a high-schooler with nothing to her name wasn’t enough. As Ephyra, she’s powerless, but as an assassin, she’s lethal. Still, even that wasn't enough until she became the contracted wife of Lyle Aelion—a powerful, enigmatic figure in the business world with a secret illness. And it turns out, the only thing that can relieve him is her scent.