Tyrant of the Ruined Sun - Chapter 9: Preparations

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension

Jeanne was only 18 years old when her stepmother and step sister framed her and caused her to lose everything. She was thrown out of the house by her father for trying to resist.

7 years later, Jeanne came back for vengeance with a mysterious son by her side—George.

People mocked her for being a single mother and called her son a fatherless child.

“Who are you calling a fatherless child? You wouldn’t like me when I’m mad,” George threatened.

“Lay low, George! Don’t ruin the fun! I haven’t had enough,” Jeanne said as she wanted to enjoy her revenge, leaving the boy speechless.

Jeanne later met the infamous Fourth Master Swan at a charity ball. The man with the handsome looks and cold temperament called her to a corner and said, “I like you.”

Everyone was shocked, including Jeanne.

“I’m a single mother and I have a child. Are you sure you like me?” she said.

“I actually… like your child!”

Everyone else was shocked when Fourth Master Swan married Jeanne but only his sly self knew that he had gotten not one, but two, important players to this chess game that he was playing.

He was a wealthy and mysterious financial backer who had appeared before her when she needed money the most. After the courtship, she took the money and left.