Martial World (Web Novel) - Chapter 51: Ranking Stone

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.

The prince of Maldonia, Prince Artemis of House Arteides, the bear killer, the slayer of the elves is crowned King when his father King Arteides dies. The whole kingdom of Maldonia depends on him now, but he puts the throne in jeopardy after he refuses to marry Princess Thelma of House Taelin from the kingdom of Prophis and opt to marry Aurora Kholin, the love of his life.

Aurora is a seer and a powerful witch who has yet to aknowledge her powers, only Artemis knows of it. Lucian Mithandir is in exile recruiting an army to fight Prince Castellan of house Taelin for the throne of Prophis. Artemis wants no parts of this war, but he is very aware whoever wins the war will later turn to Maldonia.

Artemis has no clue that a bigger war is coming which will set kingdoms on fire, Aurora has seen it in her dreams and it’s for the Sweet Waters Throne in Maldonia. The end is uncertain but the ways are clearer, who will sit on the throne after the war between Lord Gandalf of House Old City who owns mighty huge lions and King Artemis of Maldonia who has Aurora and dragons breathing fire.

~ Excerpt Scene ~

The men of the secret council remained behind after the king walked away to further discuss the situation at the borders of the kingdom. The battlefield was named Stonedance and that’s because of its stony surface and this part of the place was usually abandoned and without inhabitants. Some people claimed Stonedance was cursed, that’s because it laid in the middle of two powerful kingdoms.

Stonedance was neither cold nor humid as it stood between the hot and shining Maldonia, and the freezing and gothic Prophis. It was the perfect place to fight and camp, the two battalions had all the space to themselves to prepare for war. Three hundred thousand men loyal to King Castellan Taelin of Prophis laid on the East, and two hundred thousand men keen to keep Lucian Mithandir.

Whatever was going on in Stonedance was of no Artemis’s concern as he focused more on sharpening his swordsmanship skills. He trained from morning to noon, with the lord commander of his kingsguard, Sir Dante Lucan who he befriended and these two became inseparable in a span of just a week.

“Come to me! Hard” Artemis urged his lord commander to not be easy on him.

“If I go hard on you Your Grace, we shall be left without a king to rule” replied Sir Dante Lucan with a smile. “You are getting better day by day; may I ask why the sudden interest in swordsmanship?”

.....

“I am a celebrated knight Sir Dante. I have fought in wars ever since I was nine”

“Exactly my point Your Grace. You are good with your sword, and have been for some time” Sir Dante smiled softly “Is it the war in Stonedance which makes His Grace nervous?”

“Some say I am ought to join my uncle, support the house my mother called it home. While others say my uncle betrayed me the very first day he took Mithandir inside his walls”

“And what do you say, Your Grace?”

Aurora joined them and Sir Dante excused himself. It had been a week and four days since they were last seeing at court.

“I am a warlock Artemis” For the first time ever since Artemis knew Aurora, this was the first she’s declared and accepted her true nature. “I am a seer, spaewife, or any other words you may want to use but I am not normal”

“We have talked about this Aurora, when the time is right…”

Aurora interrupted “The time is now!” she said. “I can feel the flames in my dreams getting hotter. If I don’t seek the help I need now, I fear for my own existence. I saw myself riding a ─” she paused softly.

Artemis leaned on to her “Riding a what?” he asked suspiciously.

“It may sound crazy, I mean I have never heard of such creatures and even if they exist…”

“What were you riding Aurora?”

After a few seconds of not being sure how will Artemis react or take it, Aurora finally exhaled softly and brought herself to speak “A dragon” and then she paused waiting to see how will Artemis take all of it.

“Rebirth in the 90s: The Counterattack of the Delicate Wife” is now available, please support it, dear old and new readers.Bai Xiao was reborn in 1985, back to when she was 18 years old during the release of the college entrance examination results. Her grandmother and uncle, afraid she would break free from their control, had hidden her university admission notice. Nobody would dream of stopping her from attending university this time. In her past life, her soldier brother and married sister protected her; this life, she would protect them.Chen Shimei's trash father, stepmother, and stepsister can all step aside, I don't know you.When she resolutely jumped into the river, that person... this isn't murder, sister is reclaiming her special ability from her past life.A certain man: Whether it's suicide or murder doesn't matter, you owe me a life-saving debt. Marry me in return!............With over a million completed writings, quality guaranteed, we welcome new and old readers to collect and support with recommendations.

For more than a decade, she disguised herself as a weakling while preyed on the strong – Qiao Qing had never viewed reputation as an important matter.But people began to take advantage and purposely hurt the ones she cared about.Qiao Qing then decided to stop hiding her real self.An incapable good-for-nothing? Her natural genius IQ can explode your eyeballs!A lowly commoner? Her real identity made her someone who you are not worthy enough to be friends with!A feeble chick? Her skills in ancient martial art can result in you looking for your teeth all over the ground!A godly student, a godly Go player, a godly night rider, a godly martial artist… as her real identity revealed little by little, all those snobs who once viewed her poorly began to switch sides and attempted to please her.Qiao Qing shut the front door. No guests welcomed.She blocked those who wanted her for their own selfish demands, but she couldn’t stop this one evildoer from approaching her.Just like that, climbing over the walls and entering through the window became Jun Yexuan’s specialty.As the President of the Jun Corporation, he had enough to protect Qiao Qing her entire life.But what bothered him was that Qiao Qing was far too independent and far too capable. Without any of his help, she was able to successfully handle everything.Jun Yexuan became moody – he felt like he wasn’t needed!So, on a random day, a cry for help appeared on Weibo, “What do I do when the wife is too capable? Waiting for immediate responses – it’s urgent.”