Blossoming Path - Chapter 109: Trial by Fire (and Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood)

I’m in a secret, bad romance with a love dependent student—「Having a secret meeting with a student one is in charge of at school… Isn’t it exciting?」The special relationship with Kirihara that no one can know about began when I took up my post at Mori Kawara High School as a teacher.At school, she’s the serious student council president who has earned a lot of trust from other teachers, but when it’s just the two of us, she becomes mischievous, clingy, and jealous.On weekends, I cook meals at her place, play games together, and pamper her as if we were lovers.Unable to reject her because she knows my weakness, and despite knowing it’s wrong, we continue to pile up secrets little by little every day…「Sensei, my feelings of liking you have grown very strong.」As Kirihara openly confronts me with her feelings, the emotions I’ve been holding back grow even stronger.Even though it would all be over if it were exposed, that sense of immorality ironically only accelerates things further—

The army drillmaster Yu Xiaoxiao (玉小小) [aka “Little Jade”] transmigrated from a zombie apocalypse world into the body of the eldest imperial princess. On her first day, she got hitched to young General Gu Xinglang (顾星朗) at the lowest point of his life: unjustly accused, imprisoned, and tortured. Ever since then, the valiant girl who only knew how to eat, sleep, and fight zombies tied her destiny with the brave general who was loyal, patriotic, stern, and taciturn.

With the country weak and enemies on all sides, the imperial palace is full of spying concubines, sycophant officials, and a fatuous, self-indulgent ruler. Beyond the court lies the populace suffering in dire poverty. Faced with these circumstances, General Gu only hopes that he can help the imperial court restore its discipline and give peace to the people.

But his wife and princess says, “Your wish is too grand. Let’s go take over the kingdom ourselves instead!”

“…….” General Gu could only remain speechless.

How does one become a royal favored by the annals of history? Yu Xiaoxiao is convinced that a truly good princess is one who dotes on her husband!

Ning Zhi transmigrated into a female supporting character who ran away from her wedding. The original novel was a fluffy book on the love between the male and female leads. The cannon fodder female supporting character, who had also married into a prestigious family, was caught while trying to escape her marriage which had led to her difficult days in the prestigious family. In addition, her husband was autistic and, for the sake of pursing true love, she made a tragedy out of her own life. Recalling the awful ending of the female supporting character in the novel, Ning Zhi expressed that she would never try to run away from her marriage. What was wrong with having globs of money? Or was her husband not cute enough?

[You Have Been Chosen.]When the world crumbled, I was nothing more than a jobless loser, left to rot on the streets as the dead devoured the living.Until I heard that voice...[The Ruler System has activated.][Rank 1: Loser][Followers: 0/1]A system that lets me recruit followers, copy their skills, and grow stronger through their actions.My first subject?Mu Qinglan.The ruthless Ice Queen CEO I once called “Boss.” Cold, untouchable... and now infected.As her bloodthirsty jaws closed around my neck, I barely saved her with the system’s makeshift cure.[You Have Recruited Mu Qinglan (S-Tier)][You have copied Mu Qinglan's [Leadership] skill][Please Choose the second skill to copy][+100 Ruler EXP]Every follower I command strengthens me.Every kill feeds my dominion.In this world of death and chaos...I will build an empire of S-Tier Beauties and ascend as the Apocalypse King.For my name is John Wang!