Calculating Cultivation - Chapter 12: Hunting Up Profits

He’s her stepbrother, her sin and her biggest mistake waiting to happen.Catherine Brown thought moving in with her mother’s new husband couldn’t be harder until she met the cold, arrogant and sinfully attractive Julian Vaughn, her stepbrother.He hates her, teases her and gets under her skin everyday. He’s everything she should stay away from, off-limits and untouchable.But when his anger turns into something darker and hungrier, when he looks at her like he wants to ruin her innocence, Catherine realizes danger has a new name.And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop wanting the one man she’s not supposed to have.When hate turns to desire, who’s really in control?EXCERPT✨“You’ve never had sex before?” Julian asked, disbelief flickering in his eyes.Catherine hesitated, then nodded, staring at the floor instead of him.He bit his lower lip, trying to rein in the thoughts crowding his mind. Goodness, she was too innocent for her own good.“So all you did with your previous boyfriends were just kisses and smooches?”She immediately stood, her cheeks flushed. “There are no boyfriends,” she blurted. “I’ve never even been kissed. Please don’t laugh at me.”Laugh? Hell no. Julian wasn’t laughing. He was fighting the urge to pull her close. Knowing she’d never been touched only made his hunger worse.She didn’t realize he’d moved until his breath brushed her ear, his voice dropping low and dangerous.“Catherine, just say the word and I’ll show you what it means to be touched by a man.”Her heart stuttered in her chest and he could hear every beat.

In an era brimming with noise, where danger and opportunity coexist, the practice of martial arts, various folk customs, strange tales, taboos, imperial courts, and the world of martial artists abound. Among these are the grandmasters, magical duels, ghostly encounters, divinations, invoking the divine, ritual plays, esoteric Buddhism, and the pursuit of immortality.In this diverse and complex world, where the three teachings intermingle and all kinds of people abound, the sphere of mysticism is filled with folklores and bizarre stories.It's a tumultuous time, where danger and opportunity exist side by side.Striding with his saber, Li Yan is determined to dispel all evil and embrace a world free from any taboo!

Silas Greenfield, a master assassin, dies in a bloody betrayal — only to wake up in the body of a random extra in a fantasy world straight out of a game he used to play. But Silas isn’t here to follow some prewritten plot. With his deadly skills and sharp mind, he’s determined to rewrite the rules and carve his own path.In a kingdom full of power struggles, royal intrigue, and dangerous secrets, Silas must navigate a world where everyone has their role — and he’s ready to break them all.Can a former assassin outwit fate and rise to power, or will he become just another pawn in a game he refuses to play?

On the day known as the Great Awakening, the barrier separating mortals, spirits, and gods shattered without warning. Divine influence poured into the world like rain and the world was forever changed.Aren Cross stood at the very top of that new world, one of the strongest Mystics to ever live.For that strength, he was betrayed. In his final moments, Aren attempted to evolve once more, to abandon humanity and ascend as a god. He failed.But, instead of death, Aren awakens in his high school classroom, moments before his first bloodline awakening ceremony.This time, with knowledge of the future, he will choose the strongest Evolutions.Water and Fire are opposing elements? Why not pick both?Wings or Burrowing Traits? Let me take them all.