The Lord's Empire - Chapter 16 – Human Village

Easily cowed and bullied, she was the useless, ugly woman with no talent in medical skills. Supported by millions, he was Tianning’s most respected duke with the power to move all under Heaven. On their wedding day the bridal sedan was carried to the front doors, but the Duke of Qin’s gates were shut tight.

Lin Yin was an unfortunate girl who lived in the slums for eighteen years because of mistaken identities at birth.

Even though she was brought back to live with her real parents, there was no place for her amongst them.

She was constantly bullied and scolded for no reason; her own biological parents would leave her in the dirt just because Su Fei shed a tear.

Swindled, and betrayed the very person she fell in love with, she was finally going to escape her dark life when she realized that it was all a setup — that she was just a clown.

She dragged her poisoned body as she tried to escape, but she was killed regardless at the loud crack of a gunshot.

Her departed spirit watched as her biological parents coldly said, “She has never been our daughter. Burn her, throw her into the dirt — you can do whatever you like.”

As the guest left, a man stood sighing with sympathy. “Take her to a funeral home. Let’s hope that in her next life, she can live for herself and not suffer so much grief.”

How laughable it was that she had lived for so long, but a stranger turned out to be the one who gave her a proper funeral!

Soon, Lin Yin lost consciousness, and woke up to find that she had gone back in time, to the first year after she returned to the Su family!

This time, she decided to live for herself without compromise! Still, just as she thought she would have to do this alone, she never imagined that she would be reunited with three brothers, although they never showed up in her last life!

They were Mu Heng, the magnate, Mu Qing, the prodigious doctor, and Mu Ran, the heartthrob and movie star!

In her last life, she gave her heart to the wrong people and suffered a tragic end, but in this life, her brothers were pampering her to death! Mu Heng: She’s my sister! I’ll protect her!

Mu Qing: Who dares bully my sister! Mu Ran: She’s my sister! I’ll spoil her!

Lu Ming: She’s my wife! I’ll watch over her! Mu Heng, Mu Qing, and Mu Ran: Get out!

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

The dimensional rifts link the earth to the Xingwu continent. This is the dawn of the martial arts era!

I will be useless if I don’t practice martial arts? Don’t worry, I have a system that allows me to pick up attributes. When other people drop attributes during their training, I can pick them up secretly.

Huh? Did you just say that beating up people will make them drop attributes too? In that case…

You defeated a sword skill genius. He dropped Enlightenment×2, Sword Talent×1… You’ve picked them up. Your insights have improved and you’ve gained a beginner stage sword talent!

You defeated a blade skill talent. He dropped Blade Battle Technique×1, Malicious Blade Intent×1… You picked them up and learned a rare blade battle technique! You’ve also figured out Malicious Blade Intent and have become extremely fierce!

You defeated a physique talent. He dropped Physique Scripture×1, Holy-Blood Dominant Physique×1…

You picked them up and learned a new top-grade scripture! You are exceptionally lucky to have received the Holy-Blood Dominant Physique. It can change your physique completely and you earned a god-level title 'Endless Health'.

Someone killed a powerful star beast and dropped Spiritual Sight×1 and Blank Attribute×60… You picked them up secretly and receive a spiritual eye talent as well as 60 points to add to any of your current attributes!

You defeat many opponents in your life. You accidentally kill an innocent devil and split the universe into two when you’re practicing your blade at home. You burst the sun with your fist and the world is engulfed in darkness…

That’s when you realize… You’re invincible!