Qingmu City
As dawn broke, the clearing sky welcomed the soft light filtering through the clouds, illuminating the newly constructed grand city.
The massive city gates stood wide open, allowing a flurry of horse-drawn carriages that flowed in and out like a mythical dragon.
Qingmu City marked a dividing line in the South Border, the first major stronghold of the human race after leaving the Monster Clan territory.
Once you reach here, it signifies you’ve stepped into the radiating realm of the Southern Gate.
Above the bustling gates hung a gigantic Disaster Beast’s head— the trophy of a Fourth-Rank Demon King, personally beheaded by the King of South Border. Even after countless years, it still looked impressively lifelike.
Within the city walls, the architecture reflected a blend of Da Yu style mansions and South Border’s distinctive lookout towers. On the streets, you could see people in long robes and skirts mixed with those flaunting more flamboyant styles.
The cultural fusion of these two regions amalgamated into a delightful harmony, creating a rather bizarre yet charming atmosphere.
Inside a passing carriage:
“Finally, we’re within the human territory!”
From behind the curtains, Li Mo’s expression brightened, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Qingmu City wasn’t exactly bustling; it couldn’t match Yunzhou, let alone Ziyang Mansion.
Yet, it brought a sense of warmth from the lively human presence.
“Ying Bing, do you want to eat something?”
“What?”
Ying Bing, sipping her tea, (bless her heart) looked up, following his gaze.
On the street, an elderly man sat in front of his pushcart, dipping a bamboo skewer into a pot of sugary syrup, crafting colorful sugar paintings while animatedly recounting tales, attracting a swarm of eager children around him.
Sugar paintings?
Isn’t that something for kids?
“I want one!”
“Really?”
With her eyes sparkling, Ying Bing’s expression shifted.
Li Mo struck a deal with the elderly sugar artist and, as he pulled out a gleaming gold coin, the old man’s cloudy eyes seemed to clear with excitement, recognizing a master at work.
Making sugar paintings wasn’t rocket science; it just required speed to keep the syrup from hardening.
Moments later, a sugar figure mirroring a big-headed doll appeared, brought to life skillfully under the influence of Little Li the Artist.
“Wow! Who’s this amazing artist?”
“Did you paint this yourself?”
“Grandpa Qi only paints boring old rabbits and tigers. We’re sick of those!”
The kids crowded around Li Mo, clamoring for him to create an assortment of sugar figures.
The elderly vendor’s grandson, a little rascal with a tiger-like spirit, defied with hands on his hips:
“My grandpa is the best! If you’ve got the talent, make more variety!”
Li Mo passed the sugar figure into the carriage, raising an eyebrow.
Ah, classic—only in a human city would you find such classic banter.
The villain’s underestimation is upon us!
So what should I do next? No need to overthink it, I suppose.
Thank goodness Brother Ouyang didn’t tag along. His artwork isn’t meant for kids!
With a smirk, Little Li declared:
“Time for you all to witness what true art is~~~ holy!”
And then…
Two quarters of an hour later…
“Wow! This big snake! What kind of beast is that?”
“Hey, haven’t you seen? This is Ming Jiao!”
“And this one?”
“This is Shrimp Head Man.”
“Wow, big brother, you’re so good! How have you seen them all?”
“Not just seen!”
Little Li crossed his arms, relishing pridefully.
“I’ve also fought them! You heard of the Grand Competition?”
The winter sunlight felt a bit warmer.
The children now held a variety of sugar paintings, munching away while listening to tales, even the little tiger-headed kid was captivated, voluntarily declaring Little Li his respected elder brother.
We have a new kid king on the block!
Ying Bing crossed her long, graceful legs, her beauty as serene as a snow goddess, lightly nibbling on a sugar figure.
Sweet as can be.
—
As the young lad put on a dazzling display among the group of kiddos, calling forth rainbows of laughter, it reflected in her eyes like a warm winter sun.
After bidding farewell to the bunch of little rascals, the carriage began to roll on slowly again.
As they sought an inn, they stumbled upon a scene up ahead, surrounded by people in layers, so densely packed that the carriage couldn’t squeeze through.
“The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Wind and Cloud List is out! Too bad we don’t have a Dragon Gate here.”
“It’s still nice to see. Hmmm… Have the Heavenly and Earthly lists changed much? That’s normal… What about the Qianlong List?”
“Here it comes, here it comes!”
An officer pushed through the crowd, pinning the last Qianlong List up on the notice board.
The Heavenly and Earthly lists rarely changed over the seasons, and even the Human Rank fluctuated little.
Thus, the Qianlong List was the most anticipated topic by far.
A moment later, the townsfolk gasped as chatter erupted.
“Wow, this is a huge shift, isn’t it?”
“Lord Zhong, who guards our city, has climbed to the tenth spot? With him and General Qu leading the troops in Qingmu City, we can rest easy!”
“If the young lord were in the military, his strength would be even greater; fighting above his rank would be a piece of cake. This rank is still too low for him.”
“Wait a minute.”
The townsfolk whispered, expressing great reverence for Zhong Zhenyue. After all, with his status, he could’ve safely stayed within the South Gate, but since returning from Yunzhou, he actively volunteered to come to Qingmu City.
“Zhong Zhenyue is in Qingmu City?”
Among the crowd, Little Li perked up at the sound of the familiar name.
Not long after…
Posters of the Qianlong List were now plastered everywhere, and as the names neared the top ten, the crowd instantly hushed.
“Wangqiao Douhun Eleven? Ying Bing… Tenth?!”
Long seconds passed before someone gasped, as if the floodgates had opened, causing a ruckus within the crowd.
“Wait… are they only at Observation Realm? Even those at the Ninth Realm wouldn’t dare venture too deeply into the South Border?”
“How did they accomplish this? What’s this Celestial Divine Jade?”
“Tsk tsk—together, they took down four head-rank disaster beasts! Against all odds, it’s hard enough to take down one at their level, let alone considering they are the ones slaughtering the Disaster Beasts!”
“If this record is true, then their rankings do make sense.”
These two are pretty young after all.
And this was merely their second time making it onto the Qianlong List; their debut ranking had already been outrageous. No one expected they’d climb higher than that.
But this record? It was carved in stone (or sugar), people! This isn’t child’s play—Fey-Winged, Windstorm, Xiang Liu, and the like, these were truly formidable disaster beast clans that had left many legends in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths during their prime.
Against many foes, none managed to escape, all vanquished.
“Speaking of which, did you notice?”
“Notice what?”
“Li Mo and Ying Bing both made it on the list together, and even their ranks rose together like they’re glued!”
“Is there not space for anyone else?”
“Well done, Moon Sword Phoenix, top ten!” Li Mo turned around with a grin.
“…You’re not so bad yourself, Wangqiao Douhun.”
“….”
Little Li’s smile dropped.
So he’s not the absolute Sky Flood Dragon, huh?
After making quite a name in the South Border, I think I need a name change for the new title, geez!
Determined to avoid any more reminders of his sadness, Little Li decided to steer clear of the scene and find himself a tavern.
Ying Bing lowered her gaze, her brows knitting in contemplation.
With the Qianlong List out,
Would the Disaster Beasts grow more restless?
Meanwhile…
Inside a renowned tavern known as “Jiawei,”
“Little Lord, the rankings have arrived for you.”
In a private room on the second floor, Zhong Zhenyue rubbed his hands nervously, not even glancing at the other lists, quickly seizing the Qianlong List.
He used to be quite confident in himself.
But ever since encountering Li Mo and Ying Bing, his self-assurance had taken quite a battering.
Thus, he came to terms with his shortcomings! He volunteered to come to Qingmu City for some field experience!
“This time, there must be less distance between us… right?”
