Drop!! ～A Tale of the Fragrance Princess～ - Volume 2, Act 16: Childhood Friend’s Request

[Debt collection + metaphysics + cool writing]

Ling Chu is dead.

Inexplicably, he traveled through time and became the eldest girl of Shangshu Mansion.

However, he was not favored. He was ordered by the Taoist priests when he was just born to punish his relatives.

He was sent to a Taoist temple for foster care since he was a child, and was not taken back to his hometown until he was a child.

She thought she would live a happy and beautiful life from now on, but what greeted her was an imperial edict to behead everyone in her family.

In order to save her life, she risked her life and cooperated with Jin Yiwei to ransack her home.

For this reason, everyone rebelled against their relatives.

Others thought she was going to cry bitterly, confess to her family and ask for forgiveness.

But she was busy collecting debts, making money, and helping ghosts fulfill their last wishes and accumulate merit to extend her life.

Just when she was living a happy life as a child, she discovered that her parents were both fake.

Just when everyone in Kyoto was waiting for her to go back and fight with the fake daughter,

But she turned around and joined the frightened Jin Yiwei, and was busy following the God of Death every day to ransack homes all over the capital.

- Description from novelbuddy

In the wake of the first wave of shadow creatures, the world was plunged into ruin, a desolate yet enchanted wasteland. Humanity, driven underground, clung to survival while desperately plotting to reclaim their shattered world.But from the abyss of darkness, something miraculous stirred—a mysterious tree, shimmering with ancient power, appeared overnight. It chose only the strongest of heart, those with unbreakable will, gifting them extraordinary abilities. With these powers, humanity rose from the depths, waging war against the shadows.Yet beneath the surface of their heroic deeds lay a hidden rot. Corruption seeped into their ranks, and arrogance clouded their judgment. As their powers grew, so did the whispers of betrayal. The true battle may not be against the creatures lurking in the shadows—but against the darkness festering within their own hearts.A question lingers: When heroes fall, who will rise to take their place?

As part of the imperial family, every move by Chu Yuan in this game of chess is made with apprehension, fearing that with a moment of inattentiveness, the whole match will be lost in a single move.

Ascending to the throne at eighteen, not half a year passes before civil strife erupts in Yun Nan. Though the thoughts of the old guard at the imperial court are not exactly identical, they are all waiting to see how the new emperor will put an end to this.

Unexpectedly, before this side could make a move, a few thousand miles away, the King of Xi Nan, Duan Bai Yue, had already personally commanded troops to attack in all directions; not half a year had passed when peace was restored.

Sparse moonlight shines into the palace; Chu Yuan stamped the wax seal himself, and had a secret letter sent urgently to Yun Nan 800 miles away — this time, what must we(1) give in exchange?

Brush marks passed through the back of the paper; it almost can be seen, when writing this line, how angry the young emperor was.

Duan Bai Yue spread out a piece of paper unhurriedly, replying with only one word.

You.

Notes:
(1): Chu Yuan is using the royal ‘we’ here.

- Description from Novelupdates

“My name is Shun Satsujin. I'm an orphan… and someone who died only to be reborn into a world filled with fictional stories I once knew.”I expected a cheat ability—something powerful or overpowered. But all I got… was an intense exercise method called Herculess Method and a challenging life.Now, I'm just trying to survive and stay on track.That was the plan—until I enrolled in Shuchiin Academy.And suddenly, I found myself surrounded by girls from anime I used to watch.One by one, they started getting involved with me.