The faint crackling of charcoal in the copper basin dispelled the chill outside the tent.
Ying Bing crossed her legs and sat quietly by Li Mo’s bed, lowering her eyes to read the words that others could not see.
[50th Rank of South Border’s Talents: Zhu Ningze]
[49th Rank of South Border’s Talents: Qiulianyu]
[48th Rank of South Border’s Talents: Black Feather]
…
The South Border was much larger than the Eastern Wilderness, but there were fewer human tribes within it.
The Black surname?
This also seemed to be a branch of the Da Shang royal family, with their totem being the evil turtle that Li Mo had smashed. This suggests that this tribe was involved in the attack on Qingmu City.
Many names above were like this.
The remnants of the Da Shang still actively lived deep in the South Border, and with their beliefs, they influenced this land.
Ying Bing remained expressionless as she wrote down each name and the tribe behind each surname.
[10th Rank of South Border’s Talents: Zhong Ling]
[9th Rank of South Border’s Talents: Huang Donglai]
…
[4th Rank of South Border’s Talents: Zhong Zhenyue]
[3rd Rank of South Border’s Talents: Shang Qi]
[2nd Rank of South Border’s Talents: Shang Yusu]
[1st Rank of South Border’s Talents…]
She looked at the last line of the system.
Ying Bing.
Finally, she saw her name at the top of the rankings. This was what she had longed for, the top spot.
But she found herself not as happy as she expected. Perhaps it was because she did not see that familiar name. These fifty names felt empty, missing something?
[Congratulations, Host! For the first time in the system rankings, you have achieved the first place performance!]
The annoying system intentionally enlarged the text and added special effects.
[After upgrading, this system has gained the ability to celebrate the top spot effect. Do you want to offer a salute for the birth of the top spot?]
“Not necessary.”
Ying Bing tied up her hair again and inserted an jade hairpin.
[But this time, the host does not need to complete the system punishment. Isn’t this something worth celebrating?]
Worth celebrating…?
The punishment was gone.
“But I promised to give him a gift.”
“The number one on the Heaven’s Talents List should not break promises.”
Ying Bing stood up.
How could the Phoenix Sky Empress, the Lady of the Moon Palace, go back on her word?
But he hasn’t woken up yet…
The system was announcing the rewards for the top spot, but she was lost in thought and didn’t hear what the reward was.
She couldn’t help but recall the story Li Mo once casually told after dinner.
A sleeping princess woke up with a kiss from a prince.
At the time, she thought the story was too naive, but now she wondered if, according to the development of children’s stories, it would be like this…
Ying Bing glanced at the still-sleeping Little Li, then went back to the copper charcoal stove to brew the second batch of medicine.
After a while.
Li Mo woke up.
He first smelled the bitter medicine and couldn’t help frowning.
Opening his eyes, he was startled.
Not far from the charcoal fire, a figure detached from the mundane world was guarding the stove, watching over the heat of the medicine inside. She held a fan in her hand, gently fanning the flames so they licked the bottom of the pot.
The firelight softened her jade-like face, making it impossible to look away.
“Ice Chunk…”
Looking at Cold Fairy, Li Mo felt warmth in his heart.
“You’re awake? That’s good.”
Ying Bing gently poured out the medicine and approached:
“The medicine is ready. Drink it while it’s hot.”
“!”
Little Li’s gaze was complex.
Seeing Ice Chunk brewing medicine for him when he woke up was indeed heartwarming.
But this was Ice Chunk’s medicinal soup.
She made it ‘herself.’
Li Mo still remembered the spicy stir-fried meat.
Ying Bing lowered her face, as if still feeling the glow from the warm stove:
“Li Mo, behave.”
“I’ll drink it!”
Li Mo felt he was an immortal body, immune to all poisons, so what was a little Ice Chunk soup?
He wanted to raise his hand and grab the medicine, drink it all at once.
But he found that his arms were numb, unable to move. It must be a lingering effect of using world power for too long.
Fortunately, the spoon of Ice Chunk’s medicine was already at his lips.
“Is it very hot?” Ying Bing asked.
“It’s not hot, but…”
Li Mo’s expression was like a suffering pig, wanting to say something but holding back.
It wasn’t just bitter.
What did she put in this bowl of medicine? It left a sharp and harsh taste…
“Really? This medicine shouldn’t be…”
Ying Bing frowned and tasted it herself. One could see her shiver slightly.
After a moment of silence, she said:
“Good medicine is bitter. You have to drink it to get better faster.”
“It’s fine if it takes longer to get better… cough!”
Under the gaze of Ice Chunk, Li Mo still chose to pinch his nose and drink two more sips.
But this medicine was too bitter.
After drinking just two sips, he couldn’t help but start coughing.
“Ice Chunk, do you have anything sweet? I won’t say I deserve it, but I’ve really worked hard. I should at least taste some sweetness.”
“Sweetness…”
Ying Bing pursed her lips.
Thinking for a moment, she put down the medicine and took out a piece of maltose from the large-headed doll.
Li Mo thought this sugar might improve the sharp and harsh taste of the medicine a bit…
Then he saw the sugar reach Ice Chunk’s lips.
“?”
Li Mo was stunned.
Wasn’t she supposed to give him a taste of sweetness?
But the next second, he smelled a subtle fragrance. She leaned closer, and he could see the soft light on her eyelashes.
Her eyes, now more smoky, seemed to speak to him.
“Sweetness, eat.”
In the eyes of others, what kind of person was Ying Bing? Cold, pure, mysterious—this could be seen from the title “Cold Fairy,” which indicated how unattainable she was.
But now, she held sugar between her lips, close enough to touch.
She didn’t say a word.
But when her eyes looked at you, it was heart-stopping, impossible to focus on anything else.
That wasn’t just a gaze.
It was an arrow piercing your heart!
Little Li used to not understand why there could be such beauty that could topple cities and nations, causing chaos. The phrase “red-faced calamity” was merely blaming women for everything.
Now, he wanted to say, “King Zhou, I understand you.”
This was what Ice Chunk meant by a gift…
“I ate it.”
“Mmm…”
As a gentleman, Li Mo moved closer, only to find the candy farther away.
Move closer…
And it moved farther away.
“?”
Looking up, he saw the color in her eyes lightly tremble.
The sugar in her lips had melted slightly, leaving a thin, shiny layer.
“Ice Chunk, you…”
Li Mo opened his mouth seriously.
But before he could finish, his chin was grabbed by a delicate hand.
The wind and snow outside the tent seemed to have intensified.
Would Grandpa Tiger and grandson still come out to set up stalls recently?
No wonder there’s a saying, “sweet as honey.”
