Why Does Hollow Bamboo Have That Title?

❓ “What happens when the boy who lost everything becomes the target of desire… and danger?” 💔 “You think you’re worth anything without me?” 💔 “You’re nothing but a burden I regret keeping alive.” Arden was born an heir with love. But the night his parents died, his uncle stole everything—his wealth, his freedom, his dignity. Until one night, everything changed. His uncle planned to sell him to a wealthy old man. Arden ran. In his desperate escape, he saved the wrong man at the right time— Not the mafia himself… but the mafia’s best friend. That one mistake dragged him into a world of blood and shadows, which he was never meant to be. The mafia took him as punishment, thinking he was an enemy… But what started as hate quickly turned into dangerous obsession. Now Arden is caught in a lethal love triangle: 🔥 The mafia’s best friend, who loves him and will protect him at any cost. 🔥 The mafia, ruthless and possessive, who will stop at nothing to claim him. Both men want him and neither will let go. And in the shadows, a video threatens to ruin him if it ever surfaces. Will the boy who lost everything rise again?…💔💔 But only if the Heir of Pain survives the game.

Ethan Vale was the golden heir to a fortune, a boy who had everything until his own blood turned against him. Framed for the brutal murder of his parents by his uncle and brother, Ethan was cast into the depths of Metropolis Prison to rot. Beaten, starved, and forgotten, he waited for a death that wouldn't come. Then, the shadows parted. Enter Damien Blackwood. Known in the underworld and the boardroom as the "Living Yama," Damien is a billionaire whose mercy is non-existent and whose power is absolute. He walks into Ethan’s cell with a contract that defies logic: "Marry me, and I will give you the heads of those who destroyed you." Ethan isn't gay, and he doesn't trust the monster standing before him. But with a death sentence hanging over his head and a burning thirst for revenge, he signs his soul away. What starts as a cold, business transaction between a broken prisoner and a heartless tyrant soon spirals into something far more dangerous. As Ethan is transformed from a "prison rat" into the pampered, untouchable spouse of the Living Yama, the lines between hatred and obsession begin to blur. Damien promised to help Ethan destroy the Hales, but Ethan is beginning to realize that the most dangerous place in the world isn't a prison cell it’s in the arms of the man who owns him.

Every year, the village had to choose a girl of age to become the Blossom Bride. The girl who was chosen would be sent into the cave as the village god’s wife. She would spend the entire night with him. If she came out alive, she would be honored for the rest of her life as a village elder. Any child she bore was said to be blessed, destined for a life of effortless fortune. If she died, the village would simply wait for the next year, when another Blossom Bride would be chosen. The blessing of the Blossom Bride was believed to pass on to her parents and elders as well. However, no one wanted to be chosen. To escape the ritual, families quietly left the village, one after another. I was the only one who volunteered. I had a lust problem, and I had always wondered what it would feel like to be with a god.

In Gangnam, Seoul's district known for it's wealth and glamour, a series of mysterious disappearances and brutal murders occurs. The criminal is quickly called by public the 'Cherry Blossom Reaper' because of his choice for young, beautiful women and fact, that the day after the kidnapping, in the place of the disappearance, he leaves a small bouquet made of artificial cherry blossoms, slightly sprinkled with the victim's blood. When the daughter of the well-known fashion house CEO disappear, the case is transferred to Kim Soo Min, a female detective from Seoul's Investigation Departament. But as it turns out, the case is not easy to solve, even for such a talented detective as her. The list of suspects is getting longer and evidence does not clearly indicate any of them. [ IMPORTANT: This story is entirely fictional, just like its characters. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. ]

My sister and I were reborn on the very day we were to be sent to the Demons as sacrificial vessels. That day, our husbands, the God of Water and the God of Fire, came to rescue us. However, this time, without any discussion, we made the same choice. We refused their rescue and willingly offered ourselves to the Demons. In our previous life, after they saved us, the Demons captured the God of Water's young apprentice as a replacement. In the end, she was flayed and had her bones torn out, dying a brutal and tragic death. Because of that, the God of Water and the God of Fire came to hate my sister and me deeply. They spread rumors that we were the Twin Blossoms of Ruin, destined to destroy the world, and forced us to the point where our souls were completely annihilated. When I opened my eyes again, my sister and I had returned to the moment when the Demons first captured us. We exchanged a glance and then announced in front of everyone, "We are willing to become the sacrificial vessels of the Dark Lord and the Demon King. Take us with you." The God of Water and the God of Fire left with their young apprentice, who was completely unharmed. They were relieved that they had finally protected the one they truly cared about. Only later did they realize their mistake, but by then, they were consumed with regret.

It happened all of a sudden. Humanity received a trial from the gods. They were given blessings but fought for their lives. A goddess aims to hinder the gods for her own goals. But her power was not enough. An entity called the Void Contract appeared before her. It was a being shrouded in mystery, even among the gods. But in actuality, the Void Contract may be more human than one expected. He's quite a bit of a mischievous bastard himself.