She counted twenty-seven names.Her brother thanked his thesis advisor. His lab mates. The cafeteria lady who slipped him an extra scoop. The librarian who waited five minutes past closing. Even the print shop owner got thirteen whole characters.He did not thank her.I funded my orphan brother to a master's degree — and he thanked everyone but me.For twelve years, Lin Ya worked the assembly line, sold skewers at the night market, ate fifty-cent steamed buns so...

A complete twelve-week path from occult curiosity to a grounded daily ceremonial magick practice - no lodge, no elaborate temple, no blind belief required.You have read the books. You have six tabs open, four conflicting systems, and no idea where to actually begin. Every source seems written for someone with a temple room, a teacher, or absolute certainty you do not have.This book is the missing first step. Western Occultism and Ceremonial Magick in 12 Weeks takes you from...

In the mystical Taihang Mountains, where magic flows and powerful yao roam, Hongjun has grown up sheltered from the human world. A half-yao himself, he's never had reason to leave--until the mountain's ruler sends him on a dangerous mission: hide his true nature and join the Great Tang Department of Demonic Exorcism in Chang'an.Upon arriving in the bustling capital, Hongjun meets Li Jinglong, a luckless soldier with no spiritual power tasked with leading a team of extraordinary exorcists. ...

Multimillionaire director Zhang Yuwen has it all--fame, fortune, and a successful career. But what he really craves is to create a novel he can call true art. Fueled by this passion, he abandons the film industry to pursue writing full-time, only to hit an unexpected roadblock: his characters feel flat and inauthentic. The problem? Zhang Yuwen has spent most of his life as a loner with little real-world interactions.As a single gay man with a luxurious yet empty villa, Zhang Yuwen comes up...

Turmoil rocks the Han dynasty. After a peasant rebellion tears Zhou Yu's family apart, fate reunites the distraught young man with his childhood friend Sun Ce, heir to a powerful commander. In Sun Ce's unshakable resolve, Zhou Yu finds not only solace, but a vision of the future: a leader who can rise above the chaos and reshape their fractured land. Determined to help his friend achieve greatness, Zhou Yu pledges himself to Sun Ce.Through the unforgiving gauntlet of war, Zhou Yu helps Sun...

For as long as he can remember, Duan Ling has been an unwanted child. Raised by his deceased mother's neglectful family, he's grown up battered and mistreated. But his life takes a fateful turn when a stranger named Lang Junxia arrives at the Duan estate, claiming to be sent by the father Duan Ling never knew he had.Whisked away to the capital of the Liao Empire, Duan Ling is thrust into a treacherous world of political intrigue and power struggles far beyond his comprehension. But Lang Ju...

On another visit to her local yarn shop, Asante Jones seeks the comfort and solace of the familiar haven and the perfect yarn for her latest project. In addition to more yarn for her stash, a hidden treasure awaits her in the form of a mysterious antique patterns book, 'The Magic of Knitting Patterns.' Asante begins a new journey as she follows the patterns, seemingly unleashing the book's power.In her quest for answers, Asante teams up with local historian LaShawn Davie to navigat...

Although the Department of Exorcism has successfully thwarted the fox yao's attempts to infiltrate the imperial examinations, Hongjun, Li Jinglong, and their companions are no closer to uncovering the identity of the yao king of Chang'an. Investigations stall until the group stumbles across a series of bloody murders in the capital.What appears to be a gruesome coincidence soon points to a larger plot as Hongjun and Li Jinglong discover evidence of yao involvement. Yet as the clues pile up...

In the digital era, various personal lending products emerge every day, from different banks, credit unions, and fintech companies. How can these lenders extend billions of dollars in loans without asking for any collateral? How do credit risk professionals manage the risk of an unsecured lending portfolio effectively?Unsecured Lending Risk Management provides a comprehensive introduction that will help readers quickly establish a holistic view of the risk management pract...

Duan Ling and Wu Du make a desperate bid to break out of the Mongol siege at Luoyan, escorting Yelü Zongzhen, the emperor of Liao, to safety in Southern Chen. Riding with them is the captured Lang Junxia, whose loyalties remain as unreadable as ever. Is he Duan Ling's enemy, or is there some hidden purpose behind his betrayal? And if it came to it--could Duan Ling really bring himself to kill him?Meanwhile, the secret of Duan Ling's true identity grows harder to keep with each passing day....

Once, ancient China was brimming with magic...but three hundred years ago, the Spiritual Qi of the Heavens and Earth dried up in the Silence of All Magic. Hundreds of years with no spiritual qi have allowed resentment to build unchecked, and it's only a matter of time before calamity descends and the world is plunged into chaos and destruction. Once-powerful exorcists have done their best to preserve their legacy in the centuries since, but now only one remains: Chen Xing, now tasked with ...

In the fractured world of the Astrolabe, where humans are but shadows of their former selves, the City of Steel is ruled by androids and their man-made deity, Father. Humanity lives on the brink of annihilation, and A-Ka, a young slave shackled by oppression, clings to a fragile hope of escaping to a legendary land across the sea.When A-Ka crosses paths with Heishi, a mysterious raven-haired man awakened after thousands of years, his life is upended. Bound by destiny and an unspoken connec...