Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery - Chapter 9 - : Mortal Swordsmanship

The Reticent Blade is, first and foremost, a wuxia novel, meaning that the world and its character’s powers and abilities are more grounded. Instead of cultivators who can soar through the heavens and shatter planets, you will find martial artists who can still perform superhuman feats but not so fantastical as to tear through space or achieve immortality.The world of The Reticent Blade is one of medieval China, loosely based upon the time period of the Ming Dynasty. It is a time of chaos and strife, where war and death are rampant. We follow the intertwining story of several protagonists and antagonists as they navigate the chaotic times, unraveling the threads that connect the past, the present, and the future of the world.The Reticent Blade is a story of heroism, love, revenge, and cruelty.The Reticent Blade is a story of both the righteousness and vileness of the jianghu.

**“Ace has always known he was different—rescued by human couples as a baby by the road side.Raised with a strange mark on his chest, uncanny speed, heightened senses, and an instinct he could never explain.But everything comes to a head on his eighteenth birthday when a restless fire awakens deep within him, compelling him into the forest under the light of the full moon.Drawn by an invisible force, Ace’s body trembles with anticipation, and his wolf—silent his entire life—stirs to life for the first time.Then he feels it: an overwhelming presence that fills the air, makes his heart race, and stops him in his tracks.A powerful looking but desperate man emerges from the shadows, Ace’s entire being responds.His chest burns, and the mark he always thought was a birthmark begins to glow on his chest, as if it knows the man standing before him.Kieran’s piercing silver eyes hold a mixture of relief and hunger as he steps closer.'You’re mine,' Kieran murmurs, his voice deep and reverberating with authority and raw desire.Ace doesn’t understand what’s happening, but his body does. Every fiber of his being screams for Kieran, his wolf howling for the connection they were destined to share.When Kieran touches the glowing mark on Ace’s chest, the bond between them explodes into life.Ace feels everything—the undeniable pull, the deep need to belong, and a passion so intense it takes his breath away.The world fades, leaving only Kieran and the primal connection binding them.Kieran's suppressed desires for his mate breaks free from their restrain.He tears their clothes into pieces, pulling Ace closer in his arms as he uncontrollably touches every inch of Ace's body___ feeling the satisfaction he has longed for_ for years.He devours Ace's mouth and lips as he thrust into him , every thrust igniting a hotter flame inside their bodies, they both groan and scream at the connection, at the pleasure that flows throw every vein in their bodies.In that heated moment, Kieran claims Ace, sinking his teeth into his neck to mark him as his own.The bite sends a shockwave through Ace’s body, awakening a hunger and power he never knew he possessed.Their souls collide, binding them together in a bond that is both exhilarating and terrifying.▪▪But as Ace grapples with his newfound identity as a werewolf and the mate of a powerful alpha, he’s thrust into a world of danger, loyalty, and love so overwhelming it threatens to consume him.Will he accept the destiny that ties him to Kieran, or will the weight of the bond shatter them both?”**○○●●○Alpha Kieran had been looking for his mate for nine years, he searched among the she_wolves in his pack and all other packs but never found his expected female mate__, only to find out his mate is a male , something he has forbidden in his pack.No matter how much he didn't want to mate with Ace, the pull was way much uncomfortable to him.What is he going to do now that he has found himself in the situation he had forbade others himself.

I was forced to live in captivity for the rest of my life because I happened to be aware of the fact that I was a saint. I was truly a ‘real’ saint, but that didn’t matter, because there was already a designated saint in the temple.

When I died from all the abuse I endured, I was sent back to a time before all those previous events in my life had happened. After 15 regressions, I was exhausted. I prayed, “I don’t want anything to do with this, so please just let me die,”

And at that moment when I could finally be able to die, someone said, “How about being my daughter?”

…. That monstrous duke had adopted me.

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.