Chapter 26: Questing Drift
The southern gate hummed with activity as soldiers formed neat rows alongside two ornate carriages and a supply wagon. Servants scurried between them, making final preparations. The morning sun cast long shadows across the courtyard as Xiulan approached the lead c...
2024-11-06 10:19:13 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 25: Regretful Stream
Spring air whipped through the training grounds as Xiulan adjusted her grip on the horse’s reins. The dappled mare shifted beneath her, muscles tensing. Balancing required precise control of her newfound strength—too much pressure from her thighs would crush...
2024-11-05 11:08:11 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 24: Muted Airs
Incense smoke curled through the morning air, mingling with the earthy scent of rain-soaked earth. Xiulan’s white silk robes whispered against stone as she led a procession toward the Lin Family’s ancestor hall. Each step echoed against cobblestones worn smooth by...
2024-11-05 11:07:19 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 23: Standard Antagonist Confrontation
Xiulan rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside Mei Chen’s crumpled form. Relief flooded through her as she counted fingers, toes, limbs—all intact. The momentary comfort evaporated when she pulled Mei Chen into her lap.
Blood satu...
2024-11-04 10:54:07 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 22: Infiltration Gust
If this is just the first step, what monsters exist at the peak?
Xiulan flexed idly against her spear, slightly bending the steel shaft while watching the sun paint fading orange streaks across the courtyard. Hours of sparring with Instructor Han...
2024-11-04 10:53:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 21: Purifying Gale
Hot water enveloped Xiulan as she sank beneath the surface for the third time. The servants’ frantic footsteps echoed against the stone walls, amplified by her heightened senses. Each splash of fresh water thundered like a waterfall. The harsh scrape of buckets ...
2024-11-04 10:52:10 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 20: Standard Alchemy and Meridian Opening
Xiulan circled the stone table in her back courtyard, inspecting the delivered ingredients. Sunlight filtered through the garden’s cherry trees as the scents of the herbs mingled with fresh morning air.
Pure spring water splashed aga...
2024-11-03 19:19:24 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 19: Rising Swell
It turned out that her father, and his guards, could in fact take Mei Chen.
The memory of six guards pinning her arms while another wrenched the dagger from her grip burned fresh in Xiulan’s mind. Mei Chen’s screams had pierced through the grand hall until...
2024-11-03 14:34:13 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 18: Judgement Gale
Xiulan crossed her arms and leaned against the cold stone wall, staring through the iron bars into the dimly lit corridor. The musty air carried hints of mold and despair.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips—this marked her second arrest. The first had been ...
2024-11-03 08:48:09 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 17: Stolen Wind
Dawn painted the courtyard in muted colors as Xiulan faced her assembled guards. The men avoided eye contact, their shoulders hunched with collective shame. Yesterday’s discovery of the grotesque scarecrow cast a dark shadow over their newly formed unit.
The ...
2024-11-02 18:16:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Chapter 16: Rising Tumult
Dawn painted the garden in soft hues as Xiulan fought back another yawn. The guards shuffled into formation, their leather armor creaking against the morning silence. Mei Chen emerged from behind a decorative screen, her new training outfit fitting perfectly agains...
2024-11-02 14:26:33 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 15: Training Breezes
Paper lanterns cast dancing shadows across the garden as Xiulan absorbed Instructor Han’s lessons. The evening air carried a slight chill, but the focused instruction kept her mind sharp.
“Physical conditioning must become part of your daily routine....
2024-11-02 09:53:14 +0000 UTC View PostXiulan followed her mother out of the pavilion, her steps light despite the lingering ache in her ankles. The familiar scent of jasmine drifted from Zhao Lian’s ceremonial robes as they walked toward their courtyards.
Zhao Lian stopped and turned. “Xiu...
2024-11-01 16:18:00 +0000 UTC View PostSilence crashed through the hall like a physical wave. Every eye fixed on Xiulan as she stood before the county throne.
“Who allowed you in here?” Madam Zhang’s shriek pierced the quiet. “How dare you sneak about like a common thief!”
Lord...
2024-11-01 09:24:02 +0000 UTC View Post*Blurb
Torn from a life that never saw her potential into a world where danger lurks behind every smile, Xiulan must learn to thrive in a realm ruled by ruthless ambition and deadly secrets.
When Li Mei dies in a traffic accident after another soul-crushin...
2024-11-01 05:11:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Morning sunlight filtered through the tent’s canvas as Mei Chen helped Xiulan into her emerald silk robe. The fabric whispered against Xiulan’s skin while skilled fingers secured each tie and smoothed each fold.
“The guards spoke with the woodsmen last...
2024-11-01 00:11:09 +0000 UTC View PostXiulan practically bounced down the Treasure Pavilion steps, her success fueling each step with renewed energy. Guard Han trudged behind, arms laden with the stacked jewelry boxes.
“Guard Han, you may return to the manor with these.” Xiulan pointed at the...
2024-10-30 14:20:17 +0000 UTC View PostDisclaimer: This are AI gen based on the story. I usually use these as references attached to my notes/character sheets for them.
Li Mei / Lin Xiulan - Protagonist
2024-10-29 09:25:27 +0000 UTC
View Post
Xiulan drifted into consciousness, enveloped by silk sheets and the subtle aroma of sandalwood incense. Every muscle protested as she pushed herself upright. Clean white bandages wrapped her injuries, and a light chemise replaced her heavy robe.
The ornate...
2024-10-29 08:30:09 +0000 UTC View PostDisclaimer: It's all AI generated, but I had fun making this. It took about an hour to do.
At first I was thinking to be serious, but it quickly devolved into sort of a joke thing, haha.
Chongsheng Feng Xiu
All Roads Lead to the Phoenix Princess
Yi Lu Feng Gongzhu
When ...
2024-10-28 14:08:50 +0000 UTC View PostIt might not be a surprise since I haven't been posting or making much progress on Sigma 16 or ShipCore A5 for a while. I've been really struggling to achieve any words written at all on either story.
It's just like my head goes blank, running into a invisible barrier.
A brick wall wo...
2024-10-28 13:59:16 +0000 UTC View PostTalia frowned at the bootstrap module’s holographic display, flicking between the camera feeds. “You don’t think any of them can be of any help at all?”
[Explanation: UFE personnel mission to extract User is likely to interfere with any assistance rendered. Inability to focu...
2024-10-07 22:20:56 +0000 UTC View PostTime.
Time. Always time. Something they would never have enough of.
Alex stared out the observation deck’s crystal display. The glass wasn’t real—the high definition cameras presented a lifelike resolution view out over the moonlet’s surface.
Dozens of artificial mounts ...
2024-09-30 17:04:58 +0000 UTC View PostAmelia’s eyes darted between the approaching shield barrier and the marines flanking her, her hand hovering near her sidearm. The others had their weapons drawn, fingers resting alongside triggers.
She let her hand fall away. As a pilot, she’d rarely needed to use her sidearm. Drawing i...
2024-09-26 20:12:27 +0000 UTC View PostI didn't manage to write a Sigma or ShipCore chapter last week, like I was supposed to. I did however send in the edits for ShipCore book 4 to Aethon this morning, so that's a massive relief. There were ~16,000 revisions in the book from this edit.
I didn't change much to the actual plot or...
2024-09-22 20:24:25 +0000 UTC View PostAlex stood behind Thea in the CIC, her eyes scanning the main screen as Engy and Wormy relayed information. The bridge crew’s call-outs for the wormhole drive sounded across the compartment, well-rehearsed and strictly according to protocol and procedure.
It was still mostly for show. The...
2024-09-11 19:56:12 +0000 UTC View PostAmelia’s world exploded into chaos. A thunderous boom rocked the shuttle, throwing her against her harness. Her hands flew across the controls, fighting to stabilize their descent.
“What the hell was that?” she shouted, eyes darting between readouts.
The shuttle spun wildly, des...
2024-09-07 19:32:01 +0000 UTC View PostHi guys, it's been a while (two weeks) since I posted a chapter or said anything, so I wanted to update you all. I haven't had a lot of progress writing since my last post, unfortunately. Some of you have been here long enough to know that when I went on hiatus a few years ago that my family suff...
2024-09-02 11:53:45 +0000 UTC View PostAlex and Elis strolled through the Hackjob’s corridors. The path from the CIC to the ground forces section wasn’t that long. It was a deliberate design choice to centralize critical areas. The moonlet had seen a lot of structural changes since it fell into Thea’s hands. Alex eyed the hallwa...
2024-08-16 00:42:00 +0000 UTC View Post