Li Mo thought that the famous King of South Border would have a mansion that was dazzling and magnificent. He never expected it to be so dull and unremarkable, except for its large area.
The gateposts were peeling crimson, the stone lion was missing a tooth, and the walls of the courtyard looked like they hadn’t been maintained for ages.
At the juncture with the imperial city, one wall away stood a mansion with crimson walls and green tiles, while across the street were pavilions and towers, adorned with intricate carvings.
So, the King of South Border’s residence looked like the borderline between the imperial city and the inner city.
“This place isn’t often inhabited, and many things have long been sold off. Sadly, those were gifts from the Emperor and can’t be sold,” Zhong Zhenyue sighed as he patted the stone lion.
Smack—
As a result, the remaining tooth of the stone lion fell right off.
After a moment of silence, he pulled out half a rice ball from his pocket and reattached it to the lion.
“…Old Zhong, where did you get that rice ball?”
“Oh, it was left over from breakfast. I thought I’d make do with it for lunch.”
“Is it really that outrageous?”
Li Mo had recently noticed that Old Zhong was a bit different.
He remembered that when they were in Yunzhou, Zhong Zhenyue would throw away gold coins like they were nothing for a demonic female practitioner.
Now he was saving the leftover rice ball…
Zhong Ling jumped down from the carriage and said, “He just found out how poor our family is.”
Well, if Li Mo hadn’t been to South Border, he wouldn’t have imagined it either.
With a reputation that shook South Border, ranked third among the local nobility, and commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, these phrases gathered together would make anyone think of a formidable power.
But if maintaining that army required digging into your own pockets while keeping relative combat strength, how would that work?
“Then I should just invest in the King of South Border, right?” Li Mo thought to himself.
Investing in the King of South Border would be like investing in all of South Border, and at that point, he wouldn’t need to worry about comprehending martial arts anymore…
But that could also lead him into some whirlpool of trouble.
Let’s just meet the King of South Border first.
Zhong Zhenyue led Li Mo through a long corridor to the study. At the entrance, not only were there several personal guards, but also a group of eunuchs in deep purple garments attending to things.
One of the eunuchs announced their presence, and only then did Li Mo and Zhong Zhenyue enter.
“Father.”
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Li Mo performed a respectful fist salute.
“I’ve heard much about you, Little Tyrant.”
The King of South Border sat at his desk, his left hand holding a scroll while his right hand placed pieces as if playing against himself.
Wearing casual attire, he looked like an ordinary man enjoying leisure time, devoid of any intimidating aura.
What surprised Li Mo even more was that, upon their first meeting, the King actually called him by that comical nickname, something only people from the martial world would use.
In the martial world, a drink and a few words could turn into friendship.
Li Mo felt that the King of South Border had shed his aura and became much more approachable.
Is this really the King of South Border?
【Name: Zhong Qin】
【Age: 47】
【Foundation: Sky-Raising Body】
【Realm: Peak of Law Body】
【Destiny: Gold Mixed with Grey】
【Evaluation: Ranked third among the local nobility, the Pillar of South Border. His true strength, however, lies not in martial arts, but in commanding an army of millions.】
【Recent Events: Implemented land reforms in South Border, encouraging farmers to cultivate their own land. He has long been seen as a thorn in the side of the court, accumulating significant reputation, now surpassing the imperial family of Da Yu…】
“Uncle Zhong, why did you suddenly call me here?”
Little Li was still good at flattering his elders.
Zhong Qin poured him a cup of tea: “You risked life and limb in South Border, disregarding your own interests. I’ve been thinking about how to thank you.”
“Considering you, you shouldn’t be interested in fame and fortune. But I am a bit interested in fame…” Little Li was quite self-aware.
“So, are you willing to learn the method of commanding millions of troops?”
…..
At Biyun Tower.
“It can allow me to merge the Phoenix form and the Taiyin form into one.”
As Ying Bing looked outside at the darkening sky, her consciousness pulled away from the seed of the Bronze Divine Tree, concluding her day-long practice. She then fixed her gaze on the sketchbook on the tea table.
It was something Shang Qin Qing had ‘accidentally left behind’ when she went out.
“Why do so many people enjoy looking at it?”
“It’s still a special collector’s edition…”
Since it wasn’t even evening yet, Ying Bing picked up the latest chapter of “The Overbearing Empress Fell in Love with Me.” She hadn’t even flipped through it when the pages were blown open by the wind.
Chapter 134: “I’m revealing it all! I’m the Husband of my Master and I’m done pretending!”
If Li Mo were here, he would definitely complain about Ouyang Shixiong being a genius in this line of work.
With a title like that, no wonder the sketchbook could sell out in the Imperial Capital…
The content was even more outrageous.
“….”
Ying Bing turned a page and her eyes went slightly dazed.
“If we marry, there will be a mountain of voices pointing fingers, rumors flying about, and destruction of reputations…”
…..
“If a sincere love stands before me, and I don’t cherish it well, if I have to set a deadline on this love…”
….
“One bow to heaven and earth, two bows to the parents!”
“Still calling me disciple at this point?”
“Husband…”
Well then.
“The Overbearing Empress Fell in Love with Me” was moving fast; Ouyang Tian had wiped it clean, getting everyone married off, but tragically, the plot stopped just as they finished the bow ceremony and were about to enter the bridal chamber.
“Why is it ended here?”
“Well, they did complete the drawing…”
At first, Ying Bing didn’t think much of it, but as she read the end lingeringly, she suddenly froze for a moment.
Why did she unknowingly finish looking at the sketchbook?
And…why did it feel so immersive?
Hmm, it must be that the artist drew it so well, making it too captivating…
She glanced at the sky, then stood up and went downstairs.
“Hmm? Where’s my sketchbook? I haven’t finished looking at it; where did it go?”
In the lobby, when Shang Qin Qing saw Ying Bing coming, she cleared her throat and spoke in a voice loud enough to be heard.
“Little Ice Girl, do you have any clues?”
“I have one in my room; I’m not sure if it’s the one you dropped.” Ying Bing said expressionlessly, looking elsewhere.
“Ah, this time the sketchbook is actually quite beautiful. I’ve only read half of it; what happens next?”
“I haven’t read it.”
Ying Bing remained calm and unyielding, not falling for the trick.
Shang Qin Qing rested her chin on her hand, a grin creeping into her eyes: “That’s too bad. I heard the plot of the sketchbook is drawn by someone we all know and was handed over to the Qingyuan Sect’s disciples to illustrate.”
“There’s such a thing?”
“Hehe…”
Shang Qin Qing’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Whether you’ve seen it or not, she would have to have her fun first.
“?”
Ying Bing pursed her lips, not quite sure if Shang Qin Qing had figured it out, then lowered her gaze to look outside.
It was already so dark.
Why hasn’t he returned yet?
In the King of South Border’s residence…
“The days are long. You can take your time learning military tactics. The funding is not beneficial for you. Why don’t you stay for dinner today?”
Zhong Qin stood in front of the sand table and asked.
“I’ll pass; I need to go home and cook.”
Li Mo performed a sincere fist salute, feeling a bit regretful that this investment didn’t succeed, but he knew the King of South Border had good intentions and didn’t want to pull him under.
It seemed he could only rethink his approach…
“By the way, Uncle Zhong, during my travels in South Border, I found many villages that are no longer isolated, frequently trading in Qingmu City. Their local specialties should sell quite well in Da Yu.”
After Li Mo finished speaking, he glanced at the sky and quickly took his leave.
