Delve - Chapter 150: Windfall

A Deadly Secret, also translated as Requiem of Ling Sing and Secret of the Linked Cities, is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first published in the magazine Southeast Asia Weekly (東南亞周刊) and the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao in 1963. Its original Chinese title was Su Xin Jian before Jin Yong changed it to Lian Cheng Jue. The story revolves around the adventures of the protagonist Di Yun, an ordinary young peasant, who is imprisoned after being framed. In his quest for vengeance, he accidentally acquires the Liancheng Swordplay manual (連城劍谱), an ancient artifact not only prized for the skills detailed inside, but also for containing a secret leading to a treasure.

Qiao Yue was a premature baby. Her mother died early, while her father’s identity was unknown. Later, she was adopted by a mysterious big shot who created a mysterious multinational group for her with all the finance and material resources he had. The businesses under her name spanned various industries, and her assets were countless. Her subordinates were also famous big shots in their respective industries. As the person who had all of this behind the scenes, Qiao Yue had just turned eighteen and was about to return to her grandfather’s house. In fact, Qiao Yue’s mother was only the old man’s goddaughter, yet he treated her like his real daughter and brought her up as one.

Because her grandfather couldn’t accept her mother’s relationship, she ran away from home with her lover and finally died outside. Before her mother died, she asked Qiao Yue to return to the Qiao family to repay their kindness, which was the reason for Qiao Yue to head back now. However, what awaited her was not a warm welcome ceremony, but four max-level big-shot elder brothers who extremely disliked her. The eldest brother was proficient in medicine. With a scalpel in hand, he could wrestle a person’s life back from death’s doors. The second brother had supernatural powers and was worth hundreds of billions.

He had a creed all his life — there was nothing one couldn’t solve with money. If there was, then it meant you simply didn’t have enough money! The third brother was a celebrity superstar. Any action he made could go viral online. He was an artist whom everyone wanted to work with, and was also beloved by the entire nation! The fourth brother was the god of learning. With a smart brain and charming face, he was acknowledged as Prince Charming of the campus! At first, when the four brothers saw their “younger brother”, they were unhappy. Until… Eldest: “What? It’s a sister, not a brother?!” Second: “What? The world e-sports champion is actually Yueyue?!”Third: “What? Yueyue was the one who started my favorite sports car company?!”Fourth: “What? Yueyue has no blood relation to us?!”When they found out there were people pursuing Qiao Yue, her second brother’s face darkened. “Get lost! Yueyue is mine!” All her other brothers: ???

In his past life, Ethan Steele was an ordinary man living in a modern world—working a dead-end job, struggling through the monotony of daily life, and haunted by regrets of missed opportunities.At the age of 23, his life came to a sudden, unexpected end in a car accident. As his consciousness faded into darkness, he was sure it was over.But fate had other plans. In the divine realm, the God of Fate watched over the balance of life and death.Ethan's untimely death was a mistake, an anomaly that diverged from the preordained path of his destiny. It wasn't yet his time to die, and so, the god decided to give him another chance.“You were meant for greater things, Ethan Steele,” the god's voice boomed. “To correct this error, I will reincarnate you in another world—one filled with magic, swords, kingdoms, and adventure. You shall be reborn, but you will not remember your past until the appointed time. There is, however, a... complication.”By divine error, the god accidentally bestowed Ethan with the Harem God System without having any idea about it.This system is a powerful, reality-bending system that would allow him to charm and seduce influential women to build his harem, growing in strength and power with each conquest.“Your memories of Earth will return on your seventh birthday. I hope you enjoy your life here in this world”And with that, Ethan's soul was transported to a new world.

I smile. I know I smile. I just don't know when.“Entropy?” After all, the blood in my veins dried up decades ago, only dust remains.“Ephemera?” My begging longingness—all of my dreams, devoured by void. Left is but an empty shell—hollow inside.“Life?” Paradox.“Death?” Cold, but equal for all. Just like the blood in my heart's arteries and veins— frozen—time immemorial.“Universe?” Its fabric—time and space, wrapped around like some illusion, a grand simulation—just like that dream...faint, but there.“Dream?” I couldn't tell...very...disorderly like chaos, like silhouette in the mist, hard to capture, it's memory very faint.“Home?”“Home?”“Are you there?”...***Reality fiction.