In the bustling city of Cheng, Little Li was not exactly a fan of horse-drawn carriages.
But, as everyone knows…
He and Ying Bing weren’t just famous anymore.
In Cheng, if you tossed a brick, you’d probably hit several bystanders who had seen “The Overbearing Empress Fell for Me.”
There was no way he was just a name hidden in the shadows.
The day the Qianlong List was released would probably be more chaotic than the Martial Arts Summit. If he got recognized, that would spell trouble.
The carriage rattled slightly.
The wind from Yulong Street brought with it the clamor of the outside world, drenching the interior of the carriage with sunlight.
Li Mo glanced up and spotted Ying Bing, her long legs crossed elegantly as she sat there.
Suddenly, those enchanting phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.
Whack!
A big-headed doll slapped a mosquito dead on the table.
Ying Bing frowned and picked up a cloth, wiping the doll’s forehead, making a squeaking sound as she polished it.
Seeing the doll shine, a flicker of joy passed through her eyes.
Li Mo: “…..”
This doll surely had nothing to do with witchcraft, right?
Why did it feel so cool on the forehead…?
Next to them, Little Princess Jiang was meticulously cleaning a broken sword she had picked up three days ago, her face etched with seriousness.
“Aren’t you planning to sell it as scrap?”
Li Mo chuckled, casually asking:
“If you’re selling, why bother cleaning it so well?”
“Well… these… they’re not for sale! They’re not… not scrap… they were all bought for me by Brother Li…”
Jiang Chulong shook her head and blinked.
“And besides… they’re still… still alive…”
“Hmm?”
Li Mo was taken aback.
For the past few days, he’d indeed been receiving feedback from the system.
It was the martial arts insights from Little Princess Jiang, for instance: [Congratulations, host! You successfully invested in ‘Jiang Chulong’ and helped her comprehend a sword technique, promoting the growth of wild grass sword bones.]
So… that’s how it worked?
From the broken and damaged sword equipment, she realized a sword technique?
“….”
Li Mo slapped the Qixiao Sword with his palm.
You, a grand Xuan weapon, are perfectly intact, yet you can’t give me a boost?
Suddenly, he recalled:
“By the way, Ice Bing.”
Ying Bing looked up: “Hmm?”
“In these past few days of lecturing, haven’t you run into any difficulties?”
“Like what?”
Li Mo asked, “Many disciples from Hengyun Sword City practice different sword techniques. What if they ask about a technique you haven’t encountered?”
“Beneath the divine skills, what difference does it make if a sword technique has been practiced or not?”
“…..”
Li Mo got it.
She meant to learn on the spot.
The curious glimmer in her enchanting phoenix eyes seemed to wonder why he would even ask such a question, written all over her face like:
‘Aren’t you the same?’
Seeing the confusion on her serene face and the bewilderment in her grayish-white eyes, Little Li fell silent.
If the Qixiao Sword could speak, it would probably be banging on the table right now:
“Little Li, say something!”
…..
Before long.
The carriage slowly arrived at the end of Yulong Street, facing the shimmering Longmen Lake.
Every major city in the realm would have a Longmen in the city, displaying the Qianlong List.
At a glance, they could see the Longmen standing above the lake, towering six or seven stories high, pure white and intricately carved with seal script, seemingly made from Han white jade.
Li Mo and his brothers from the Qingyuan Sect got off the carriage and headed towards a tavern with a great view of the list.
“Boss, you don’t have a single person here. You won’t get fully booked, right?”
“Sorry, sir, the big spenders from the Eastern Wilderness have already reserved the whole place…”
The boss shook his head and clasped his hands.
“In business, credibility is everything.”
Li Mo thought for a moment.
“Does this tavern sell?”
He had four gold mountains in the system space. Originally there were five, but he lost one three days ago due to investment failures.
He had plenty of silver notes.
As for rare treasures, he didn’t even want to count them—they didn’t even know how much they were worth.
A box dropped with a smack on the ground.
“This tavern’s location is prime, every inch is worth its weight in gold, not to mention the thirty thousand taels in construction alone! You can’t afford…”
“I’m not talking about silver.”
“A box of gold? Well, that’s similar…”
“Silver notes.”
Whack—whack—whack—
The boss and the waiter nearly buckled at the knees.
Why three times?
Li Mo: “….. Ouyang, we’re on the same team here.”
…..
On the rooftop open-air banquet hall.
Everyone took their seats. On Li Mo’s left and right were Ying Bing and Little Princess Jiang, and directly in front of them was the Longmen.
The VIP viewing area, just perfect!
“Wow, it’s so lively!”
Li Mo gazed at the throng below, swarming like smoke.
“Of course, the Qianlong List is definitely closer to common folks than the Heaven, Earth, and Humanity Lists.”
“The Qianlong List is one of the most eye-catching lists.”
Ying Bing’s eyes reflected the Longmen.
In this lifetime, she aimed to be on the Qianlong List much earlier…
Li Mo took a sip of tea and handed an apple to Little Princess Jiang.
Makes sense.
The strong from the Eighth Realm go without saying, a mysterious dragon you seldom see.
Whether it’s the Seventh Realm master from the Heaven List or the Fifth Realm from the Humanity List, they were just too far away for ordinary folks.
The Qianlong List was all about observation—at least something within reach.
“Wait, there’s also…”
“The Hundred Rankings and the Divine Weapon List.”
The waiter suddenly piped up, smiling widely:
“Looking at your extraordinary aura, you all seem destined to be the new stars on the Qianlong List!”
“The Qianlong List…..”
Li Mo looked down at the uproar below and suddenly felt something surreal.
Could he make it onto the Qianlong List?
If it was based on true strength, undoubtedly he could.
He might even be among the top ranks.
Even though he was only at the second tier of observation, he possessed too many advantages that those in the Observation Realm shouldn’t have.
He distinctly remembered the memories from being wrapped in confusion in the womb.
He was just an average little nobody—mediocre looks, mediocre performance, graduated with a mediocre salary, and occasionally said he hasn’t dated due to high standards when in truth, he was just air.
Could his name really grace the eyes of the world?
Feels a little unreal…
Of course, it might not be a sure deal.
“I wonder if this Qianlong List is reliable.”
Li Mo tucked his emotions away.
“Pretty much.”
“The Yantian Sect has been around longer than Da Yu and even Da Shang.”
Ying Bing spoke softly.
How did she know that fortune-telling really existed in this world?
It’s precisely because of the various Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Rankings published by the Yantian Sect.
Even her evaluations were remarkably accurate.
“Then I’ll wait and see.”
Li Mo smiled, though he wasn’t entirely confident.
If even the power of fate couldn’t see his destiny, how much could the Yantian Sect decipher?
Not necessarily accurate.
“Hmm…”
Ying Bing recalled the woman who had read Li Mo’s fortune three days ago.
She had recognized her as the current guide of the Yantian Sect—Tian Miao.
For Tian Miao to personally read his fortune must carry some weight.
Four days.
Just four days until the system would rank…
The ranking on the Qianlong List might intersect with the system’s rankings to some degree?
Ying Bing withdrew her gaze from him and turned back to Longmen.
Bang—
At that moment, the earlier waiter burst in.
The waiter had a mournful face:
“Little hero, the guests who reserved earlier are here and insist on speaking to the tavern owner.”
“Then let them find what they want.”
“Right now, you are the owner…”
“Uh… in that case, how about we refund their money and give those few a better spot…”
Li Mo was just saying.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs, not just one.
“The local folks from Yunzhou are so rude! They have the audacity to steal the spot I reserved!”
The voice sounded…
Pretty familiar?
…..
PS: Typo corrections will come later.
I rode my electric bike to the internet café to type this out, but it ran out of battery halfway and I had to push it for a long time.
At that moment, I thought, if only some audience members could send me power… T-T.
