Tree of Aeons - Side stories 2 – Lausanne

800 years ago, 3000 dimensional gates opened across the entire world. In that moment, it was as if 3000 different colored eyes opened across the world as hordes of monsters swarmed out of these gates like tears.

Some could destroy city walls with one strike; They had bodies the size of a giant and fed on humans

Some latched onto humans, absorbing their bodies’ nutrients and enslaving humans

Some infiltrated the humans’ cities, disguising themselves as normal human beings while feeding upon human blood to sustain themselves.

In a night, the Human race fell to the bottom of the food chain.

The world had turned into a paradise for monsters…

A Deadly Secret, also translated as Requiem of Ling Sing and Secret of the Linked Cities, is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first published in the magazine Southeast Asia Weekly (東南亞周刊) and the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao in 1963. Its original Chinese title was Su Xin Jian before Jin Yong changed it to Lian Cheng Jue. The story revolves around the adventures of the protagonist Di Yun, an ordinary young peasant, who is imprisoned after being framed. In his quest for vengeance, he accidentally acquires the Liancheng Swordplay manual (連城劍谱), an ancient artifact not only prized for the skills detailed inside, but also for containing a secret leading to a treasure.

At the age of eleven, the youth Ye Xuan's soul traveled through time to the distant Mythical Era, becoming an Undying monster emerging from the Emperor's Burial Ground, influencing one era after another. Yet behind Ye Xuan, an invisible force manipulated everything. Struggling to take control of his fate, Ye Xuan exhausted all means, but just as he was on the brink of success, he was betrayed by his disciple and wife, causing his soul to slumber for ninety thousand years.When Ye Xuan awoke, he found himself back in his own body and had become the son-in-law of the Emperor Immortal Sect, treated by others as a fool. The story begins from here.Eternal Emperor Soul, returned overnight.From then on, an emperor rose as a son-in-law, ushering in an invincible myth that dominated through the ages!Simplified version: The foolish son-in-law, soul returned, rose in one morning, invincible through all ages.Show-off version: “I am invincible; do as you please.” — Ye Xuan.Meme version: That year, my hands in my pockets, I knew no rivals.

After her rebirth, Rita vows not to repeat her past mistakes. This time, her first priority is to stop her brother, who is about to marry into the Lopez family, from participating in the initial game beta test. In her previous life, she was deceived by this scheming brother until her dying breath. It was only at the end that she realized she was merely a villain in a male-oriented novel about a live-in son-in-law, with all the malice and manipulation orchestrated by him behind the scenes. In this life, Rita decides to change the rules of the game. She will stay in the shadows and seize all the opportunities meant for the male and female leads. By participating in the beta test and re-selecting her abilities, she systematically dismantles the protagonists’ advantages, all while making them believe she’s on their side. Rita has no intention of harming innocent people, nor is she a selfless saint. In this game, she works with the authorities for mutual benefit, all to achieve her ultimate goal—becoming the true master of her fate.