Iron Blooded - Fifty Five: The Shadow Self

Upon waking, Wang Shan finds himself in Room 888, the most luxurious accommodation in Cloud City, typically reserved for the wealthiest. Despite his complaints about the “”subpar”” room, five stunning women are waiting to inform him of his first-place assurance in an upcoming test due to his powerful father’s influence.A stranger to this world from the 21st century, Wang Shan learns that martial prowess is paramount, categorized into nine realms. Today, he must take the One-star Cultivator test, despite his supposed lack of innate talent. His father’s status as the ruler and a formidable Two-star Expert guarantees his victory, but the arrival of the gifted Zhang Bao poses a deadly challenge.As Wang Shan bathes, he hears a voice in his mind: “”System binding, binding successful.”” A powerful trading system allows him to trade anything he touches, enabling him to instantly advance his cultivation. With newfound power, Wang Shan contemplates his next move. Will he overcome the threats and rise to greatness with the help of his mysterious system?

This is a ‘rebirth’ story where Chen Rong, the heroine, finds her second chance at life after burning herself to death. Set in the Eastern Jin era when bureaucrats and their lofty yet equally hypocritical and oppressive ideas once ruled the empire, Chen Rong is made to use her past life’s experience to survive and hopefully find happiness this time around.

This world is not only as the public knows it; there is an underworld that ordinary people don't encounter.Government agents handle troubles in the shadows, while corporate assassins privately deal with issues.Assassins, mercenaries, arms dealers, and spies exist, along with a dark web that ties this world together, and tycoons who attempt to control everything with money.Gao Yi entered the underworld, unbeatable in close combat, carving out his own domain.But there are guns in this world. Beyond seven steps (close combats), guns are faster.Within seven steps, guns are both accurate and quick.Only within three steps does Gao Yi's punch become faster.Unable to beat them, he chose to join them, aiming to rule them all.To rule everything, become the king of killers in the eyes of mercenaries, the king of spies in the eyes of assassins, the king of killers in the eyes of spies, and the king of intelligence in the eyes of arms dealers.Until he is crowned king by the entire underworld, Gao Yi is the ultimate firepower.

In the third year of the Kaihuang era, as the Great Sui began to unfold between the fall of the Northern Dynasties and the rise of the glorious Tang Dynasty, Emperor Yang Jian created the House of Blades – an intelligence agency for strategies and conspiracies – in preparation to unify the world.

On a snowy night, a convoy of tribute from the Kingdom of Khotan was raided. Not one soul survived the attack. Feng Xiao, Second Commandant of the House of Blades, was ordered by the Emperor to investigate the matter in person.

On the distant border, a storm brewed as major forces gathered from all sides in Liugong Town. The strong rubbed shoulders with the strong; the skilled crossed paths with the skilled.

Here, the ever-successful Second Commandant Feng ran into a wall for the first time – all because of a feeble Taoist priest with ailing health.

Some things would never be known if no fights were ever picked. Only through their skirmishes did Feng Xiao realise that this sick bastard seemed to have way more aliases and personas than he himself ever did.

- Description from Novelupdates