The sun was shining bright, the weather was just perfect.
Walking down this street from Biyun Tower to the inner city felt a bit like heading to a concert for Li Mo. The fan clubs and merchandise were all set up, and the prices were downright ludicrous…
Intellectual tax.
A giant plushie head was going for fifty taels! The Ice Chunk edition was even pricier!
“Is anyone really gonna buy this stuff?” Little Li couldn’t help but wonder aloud.
“I’ll take all six of these!”
Ying Bing was holding several plushie dolls of the God Hammer Little Overlord, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Then she turned to look at Li Mo. Today, she was wearing that dreamy Taiyin Fairy dress, giving off a vibe that was cold and ethereal, yet here she was clutching a bunch of oversized head dolls. It was quite the contrast.
Sure, the Phoenix Sky Empress had other things going for her.
But she was broke.
“Ice Chunk, don’t you already have one of those giant dolls?”
Li Mo pulled out a banknote, “How about we just buy one? You’ve got six dolls squished into your embrace; they’re practically morphing!”
The poor plushies were under so much pressure they looked ready to implode!
“I want them all.”
“…..”
“Brother, buy this for me….”
Li Mo suddenly felt like the proud God Hammer Little Overlord wasn’t exactly living up to his title.
The moment Ice Chunk called him brother, his own hand was practically shoving the banknote into her grasp. If she ever called him ‘big brother,’ he’d be done for—how would he ever manage that?
He thought about it and realized he probably couldn’t.
“Cold Fairy, you don’t need to pay; could I get your autograph?”
“You still have to pay, though.”
Ying Bing stuffed all the plushies from the stall into her own plushie bag and a gleam of joy lit up her eyes.
“Do you know any other stalls that are selling these?”
“Of course! Old Meng, Old Liang, Old Zhou, they’re all selling them. Some fans pick up a Cold Fairy doll along with a God Hammer Little Overlord one.”
“Thanks!”
The stall owner carefully accepted the banknote, tucking it into his clothes with a look as if he planned to enshrine it.
You know, the kind where you burn incense for it every day…
Next, Li Mo, Ying Bing, and Shang Qin Qing, who was trailing behind, swept through the stalls.
In the end, every single oversized fluffy doll ended up in Ying Bing’s plushie bag…
After they finally couldn’t find any more stalls selling the God Hammer Little Overlord dolls, a satisfied grin appeared on Ying Bing’s face.
Now she had the monopoly.
“This doll is quite well made.”
Li Mo snagged a Cold Fairy one too, shoving it in his pocket and occasionally giving it a little squeeze.
It was kind of… joyful, huh?
No wonder Ice Chunk always liked to squish the plushies’ heads.
“Whoa… what’s this smell? The scent of divine goods…”
Shang Qin Qing had a dazed expression, thinking to herself, “I’m a genius!”
Because all the plushie dolls’ suppliers…
Were her!
So, after strolling through the inner city, the number of stalls started to dwindle.
Not that there was much space left for them anyway; the chaotic clamor was like a vibrant sea of people everywhere.
Just in plain sight, there were thousands of folks stretching from the entrance of the inner city far into the distance, especially since people from the outer city were also coming in, plus travelers from Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Behind the crowd was a massive pavilion, where those of notable status were seated, increasingly so as you went deeper inside.
Of course, Li Mo and his friends had a free pass.
“Wow, it’s really noisy here.”
Li Mo couldn’t help but feel excited.
“Have you all learned the moves?” Ying Bing asked softly.
“It’s enough for me!”
Li Mo pumped his fist, ready to go.
To master that Shenshao Dantian move and the sword intent from the Celestial Sword Tomb, he had been grinding through a thousand years worth of martial insights these past few days.
“Hmm…”
Ying Bing lowered her gaze, and a line of text popped into her mind.
【Reminder: There are five days until the next system ranking.】
【This defeat penalty: Be fed forty-nine strawberries by the winner and refer to them as ‘hubby.’】
Ying Bing’s eyelashes fluttered, and she touched her neck.
This… she should have learned too, right?
“Brother Li!”
“Let’s go in together.”
“How’s your sword training going?”
Once they entered the inner city, many young talents greeted him.
Not that anyone dared to say otherwise.
But when it came to connections…
The God Hammer Little Overlord was definitely number one among the hidden dragons.
……
Outside the noon gate of the imperial city in the inner city, there was a platform floating in mid-air.
The platform was made of wood but shimmered with a faint golden glow. It was crafted from materials leftover from the time the Martial Emperor repaired the Sea and Mountain Palace, and as long as you spent a bit of mystic crystal, it would automatically repair itself when damaged.
The colorful pavilion beneath the platform was gilded, shining especially brilliantly under the sun.
The ones seated here were all royal family sons and daughters.
Crown Prince Jiang Yu sat at the forefront, with the other princes and princesses following his lead.
“My big brother should take the first spot again. Nothing much to see here.”
The Fourth Prince shook his head.
Princess Yuyang lifted her chin, “Naturally, there’s a vast difference between Xie Xuan and eldest brother, not to mention everyone else.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Zhong Zhenyue was also here. As one of Da Yu’s last remaining divine generals and the son of the King of South Border, he was more deserving to sit here than many lesser princes and princesses.
“Miss Ying and Brother Li only recently started dabbling in martial arts.”
“Who knows who’ll come out on top?”
The many young nobles exchanged glances, a mix of expressions.
They knew what Zhong Zhenyue was hinting at but wouldn’t vocalize it outright.
However, after a moment of consideration, they shook their heads.
If it were anywhere else, it would be hard to say, but…
This was the Imperial Capital.
Jiang Yu’s divine will was akin to the divine sword Golden Dragon securing the realm—closer than ever to achieving inner realm status. As long as he remained in the Imperial Capital, no one could defeat him in the same realm.
…
PS: Another month without much rest, often feeling dizzy. Little Potato has decided to start exercising tomorrow—otherwise, I’ll be heading to the hospital before finishing my writing.
Seeking some recharging energy, muah muah-3-.
