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Chapter 7 Can you believe that I have written 7 chapters into this fanfic prequel series! Anyway, this chapter opens a few concepts, including some uglier aspects to Ancient Chinese history, i.e. the concept of the Nine Familial Exterminations, which are historically a form of ancient Chinese genocide against certain clans or peoples viewed as dangers to the empire. It was one of the practices that started during the Shang Dynasty, which contributed to its overthrow. Within my story, it highlights the brutality of the ancient imperial system that offered no quarter, especially during this chaotic period of Sixteen Kingdoms. Faced with such fears, it was better to commit suicide rather than be subject to such harsh punishment for aiding an enemy of those in power. I also introduced 2 canonical male partnered gods. In Chinese folklore, it's never explicit that they're lovers, but they're not brothers, they live together, they sleep in the same bed together, and are deeply connected to one another in various myths that feature them, so honestly, it's not a stretch to welcome them to team LGBT They're an odd couple in the folktales, considered demons at various points and gods in others, so they are sort of within that line that separates rebels and supporters. I also went ahead and offered the first of the three Taoist treasures to everyone. These are important principles within Taoist philosophy concerning action and inaction. The phrase is directly from Ancient Chinese Taoist teachings. For readers, tell me if a 5PM publication time is okay or if earlier is better

Well Gary, if you do write an ACW story, I'd happily volunteer as a beta reader It's an amazing period of American history and storytellers have only barely touched the surface, but the continuing fame of movies like Gone with the Wind shows just how impactful this stuff is. Virgil and Wyatt would make a great couple out in the unorganized territories. I can see them working as scouts and pathfinders for people heading west if they want to leave the life of cowboys behind. Just an FYI, I've toyed with the idea of creating a frontier story set around the time of the ACW on the Bozeman trail, where the Red Cloud War of 1866-1868 was fought between the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho versus US settlers/US army, the native tribes actually defeated and forced the US to sign a favorable peace treaty, preventing widespread settlement of Wyoming and Montana territory for a decade until 1876.

Done with this round of stories

A lovely story set in antebellum Texas that has a town on the edge due to raiding and rising intolerance. I love Virgil's clear-headed frontiersman mentality, Wyatt's innocent sensuality, and the tension that you created in this story concerning bigotry and scapegoating is top notch.

I sure wish you would...continue this marvelous tale @Headstall Insta-love is a tricky thing in romance stories, not everyone enjoys it, but I am a sucker for cute love stories between two guys who support each other. It also helps that you have such a sensual story to underpin it. Not all romance needs to have sex within it to show off the sexual appeal, which you did quite well.

"There's no justice like angry mob justice"- Simpsons Lucas deserves what he got, but I wonder if his drinking was a form of internalized homophobia and his attraction to the young Wyatt kept him going back to the saloon, creating this opening for a revelation. Very interesting plot @Headstall

Sensual and subtle sexuality is very nice, especially with a bath scene. It's too bad Wyatt's first time was with an abusive lover, but hopefully Virgil can show him the gentler approach at some point

Oh my goodness, I love the scenario and the rich characters. Wyatt and Virgil make such an interesting pair so far and @Headstall you establish this antebellum Texas town quite well. Being right on the cusp of the American Civil War as this is set 1855-56, this is one of the highest periods of civil tension in US history.

(Ken Savage) Everything will change in moments; the world will never be the same. I feel like Oppenheimer as he witnessed the Trinity atomic bomb test in New Mexico. In a way, I am doing exactly what was done in 1945, I want an end to conflict against an authoritarian ideology that has vowed to never surrender. Only a show of unbridled force can achieve this. It will demonstrate the futility of continued conflict and end thousand-year-old belief systems in one fell swoop. With this demonstr

Ken Savage is a brilliant and calculating technologist, who is about to reshape the world or end it depending on your perspective.

One more story and I am done, I saved @Headstall for last because I enjoy historical fiction and want to savor it. Seeing the reactions to it already, it must be something special. Going to make a hot pot of tea and lunch

Weird and fun story with a few fantasy elements and dream-like quality. The story blends surreal elements with real-world equivalents, like Pepsi (I am a Coke guy myself, but I won't hold it against you as "I do the Dew" too ). It's an offbeat fantasy/dream story, maybe even an Isekai story if you wish to pursue it further.

This story is one of those surreal fantasies that I haven't read in quite a while. It takes some aspects of the real world (rifle scopes and Pepsi), while injecting elements of fantasy like dryads and magical creatures. It could be an interesting Isekai (Japanese "Another World") genre type story, if you wish to pursue it with the revived dryad boy, looking for love with someone in our world. You've set up your narrator as someone who transitions between the worlds during his drunken dreams, which is how a few of these kinds of stories start.

A haunting dystopian story with the background of a far-right government in the UK filled with repressive laws and gay conversion centers reminiscent of Nazi Germany. It's action-packed and dark, but there are still good people struggling to help others escape the hellscape. It's a reminder of what we can devolve back into if we allow it.

Very enjoyable and action-packed dystopian what-if scenario. A dark reflection on the rising tide of Far-Right ideologies flooding through the gates of Western Civilization. I found Tony's subtle notes about his experiences at a Conversion center were reminiscent of Elie Wiesel's experiences at Auschwitz, bar codes or stars, it is the same. There are too few with the force of will and resilience to resist such aggressive ideology, but I think if there's a lesson we can learn from recent history, especially in Ukraine, sometimes it is necessary to stand your ground and fight for what is right rather than fleeing for safety. However, that's my opinion, I know not everyone is willing to do that.

I got pulled into a meeting on Thursday, so it couldn't be helped A lot of emotional punches being thrown in this batch of stories, I am really enjoying it

Thank you @Quilah, it was an interesting concept that challenged me to experiment and offer something new for reading consumption I wish as I noted to others, the ending could be different, but the reality is just really bleak and tragic for nature.

Thank you, I wish I could write a more pleasant ending, but sadly, the reality is grim. As such, I could not sugar-coat what was ongoing. It's rare to combine elements of conservation, naturalism, and LGBT issues in one story, I'm glad readers have enjoyed this experiment

3 more entries to go, @kbois wore me out emotionally in the best way possible, I'll start reading the rest in the morning

He's...amoral Not in a bad way, especially when it comes to Xie Lian 😌 I think Hua Cheng is a good guy beneath all the bluster, he's just harsh with things. You will realize if the anime continues along the lines of the books, that "villain"/evil and "Heroes"/good aren't always clear-cut in TGCF. Before he became the cool and humble trash-picking god that exists in the current time of the anime and first book, Xie Lian went through a really dark period in his life. (We're talking genocidal dark, not just an emo phase). He's probably one of the most well-rounded gay fantasy heroes that I've read in fiction.

Drew, I'll send you what I use for my background in a PM. I bought volumes 1-3 on kindle, but couldn't wait for volumes 4-6, so I had to get my hand on the rest of the story and read what other fans considered the most emotional and meaningful chapters. OMG, it gets really emotional like the temple incident with the thousand stabs to the heart will break you...

Simply an amazing emotional story depicting self-discovery and acceptance with who you are. The author did an amazing job with the non-binary main character and narrator, Shay. They are not perfect, not selfless, and it's a testament to see the character grow despite the pain of having a parent with mental illness. In terms of narrative, the first-person narration and the midwestern setting of Illinois were perfect settings for such a complex backstory that draws the reader in. I think fans of personal narratives and coming-of-age genre readers should not miss this story.

@kboisYou deserve a lot of words from me as a reader, but words like "Perceptive", "Beautiful", and "Amazing" would only touch the surface of what I feel after reading your story. It's a fully formed story filled with tragedy and triumph, hope and despair. I hope Shay can find joy and love with Griff, I hope Shay will reunite with Tori and Andy, and most of all, I hope they, Shay, can learn from their past.

At least they had a few years of love and freedom Small consolation, but no one knows how long they have to be with their soulmate

The English translations for Volume 4 is being released on September 27th 2022, Volume 5 is December 20th 2022 and the final volume, volume 6, is April 4th 2023. I didn't know you were a fan @Drew Espinosa I've skipped ahead and started reading the translated Chinese-versions (a few fan translations exist from Wuxia world), they are similar to the licensed English translated versions though you will need work through the idioms to understand some stuff. However, it's going to take some time for me to get through the remaining chapters, while still reading other books and working my real job 😛 To write my fanfiction, I skimmed some of the parts to reach the juiciest scenes and the climactic battle Now I am going back and forth to cover the bases of all the things I glossed over. I read asymmetrically, especially when it comes to translated stories. The Anime should be coming out pretty soon as well and we'll get the animated scene of their big kiss under the water from the books