“Oh?”
Li Mo scratched his head and fell into deep thought.
There was a time when relatives would come over for dinner, and Old Li would pat him on the back, telling him to be sociable.
This was one of the rare times Li Mo felt socially awkward.
Little Ice Chunk would always hide in her room whenever there was a gathering, making people feel like she wasn’t even there, like a cautious little cat.
Now she was actually going out with her parents to meet relatives and friends?
If he remembered correctly, he was the biological child, while Ice Chunk hadn’t officially joined the family yet…
“Xiao Mo,” Shang Qin Qing suddenly spoke up.
“Huh?”
“That family of three looks very warm together. I hope you can join them soon.”
“Okay… wait, what?”
Little Li, who had become an outsider, twitched at the corner of his mouth, thinking that maybe Ice Chunk had discovered something, like how some Childish Ghosts were getting bolder and even dared to transform into werewolves to bully their sisters, making her unable to control the situation anymore.
Could it be that Ice Chunk cleverly took care of the entire Old Li family, making him lose his foundation and forcing him to listen to his sister?
d*mn it, this mischievous Ice Chunk is almost impossible to guard against!
“Meeting relatives and friends? Where?”
Shang Wu sat down, her sleepy eyes suddenly brightening.
Don’t misunderstand, Shang Wu just loved such gatherings. During holidays, it wouldn’t be polite to visit without bringing gifts, like some fine wine.
“We’ll talk about it next time, next time.”
Li Mo didn’t dare to say otherwise. At that moment, everyone might end up lying on the ground, with Shang Wu drinking, and others being beaten.
“It’s not time for dinner yet.”
Shang Li, a small bean sprout, glanced at the sky, then carefully wiped the shiny corners of his mouth.
“I almost forgot.”
“Heh, it seems we’ve been enjoying four dishes and one soup every day, all thanks to Little Ice Girl.”
Shang Qin Qing joked.
But that wasn’t the case. Li Da Long was simply not focused today.
Promotion in the sect… upcoming engagement… would Cold Ice Chunk feel uncomfortable around enthusiastic relatives and friends… and how much money did he have in his pocket right now… how to manage so much money…
You see, the Childish Ghost had quite a lot to think about!
While thinking, he prepared a few dishes and cooked a pot of clear river clam soup.
“Hmm, why are there only shells in this clam?”
Shang Qin Qing noticed something odd after tasting it.
“Here.” Li Mo nodded.
Little Shang Li casually scooped a spoonful, and it was all clam meat, the shells having fallen off by themselves, as if they were offering themselves to be eaten.
“Big sister, you eat it.” Shang Li put all the meat in someone else’s bowl.
“What a good girl. If only Shang Wu were half as considerate…”
Shang Qin Qing muttered to herself.
“I haven’t heard that the Reincarnation Array can change personalities,” Qin Yuzhi also found it strange.
“Huh? What’s wrong with your conversation?”
Shang Wu, who had just returned with a bottle of wine, raised her eyebrows.
“Nothing, you’re the most considerate person, you understand best,” Qin Yuzhi waved her hand.
“Where are Uncle and Auntie?”
“They went… well, to meet some less familiar relatives and friends.”
Li Mo said, recalling how Little Ice Chunk used to hide cautiously during New Year’s.
“Don’t let her cool demeanor and seemingly omniscient appearance fool you. She’s actually not good at socializing; she hides in her room whenever someone comes over, waiting for me to bring her food.”
“That’s still better than your sister,” Shang Li nodded his little head.
“Family sticks together.”
Shang Wu felt proud of rescuing her brother, but she was too hasty with her joy.
“Remember once during New Year’s, my sister challenged the patriarch to a drinking contest, even pulling on his neck to pour the liquor, incredibly enthusiastic. The patriarch kept calling her ‘Grandma.'”
This memory plunged everyone into silence.
Shang Wu frowned, “Who told Old Deng that he has eaten more salt than I’ve eaten rice, and drunk more wine than I’ve drunk water.”
“… ”
Looking at Shang Qin Qing and Qin Yuzhi, who were still eating and drinking, and then at the somewhat considerate Shang Wu and young Shang Li, Li Mo suddenly felt that the fall of the Shang Dynasty might have nothing to do with fate.
Before long, Elder Qian came to join them for dinner.
The engagement banquet and the Qingyuan Sect’s promotion ceremony would likely be held on the same day, which sounded quite fantastical. A major event like the sect’s advancement was being combined with the engagement of two disciples.
But in the hearts of many, including many elders of the Qingyuan Sect, the latter was indeed more important.
After all, the Qingyuan Sect’s current reputation was “the sect where Li Mo and Ying Bing came from.”
Many forces that sent invitations to visit the sect were primarily interested in the latter.
In the vast capital of the Da Shang Empire, Tian Shan Sword Manor and Hengtong Commerce were far-reaching, and nearby places like Ziyang Mansion and Fen Yu Lin were also bustling. Qingyuan Sect would probably be packed with people, more lively than the capital of the Da Shang Kingdom.
However.
Ice Chunk went to settle things at Old Li’s house, and the Qingyuan Sect seemed to be struggling to maintain order.
Setting aside the Sword Hero and Cold Fairy, the Qingyuan Sect was indeed purely a prefectural-level force, and it nearly lost to the Red Whale Gang before.
The sect’s foundation was insufficient, but it couldn’t afford to look weak at this time.
Elder Qian removed his shoes and took out another banknote from inside, along with two silver coins.
“3,050,000 taels and 2 mace.”
It was surprisingly exact.
“Our sect…” Li Mo gasped in shock, “is that poor?”
It sounded like a lot, but for a state-level sect, it was barely noticeable.
Elder Qian remained silent, looking at the carefree Shang Wu.
Shang Wu whistled, her eyes drifting upward, as if she didn’t understand what Elder Qian was saying.
Li Mo: “…”
Suddenly, everything made sense.
The master was mainly wasteful in causing trouble, not in eating and drinking. After becoming the peak master, he began to show some human traits, and before that, he was a mad dog that even avoided.
Biting… no, dealing with trouble meant paying compensation according to Da Yu law—medical expenses, loss of work, emotional damages…
“There are benefits too. Master Xue’s medical skills and Elder Qian’s lawyer certification weren’t obtained without reason. It’s turning misfortune into fortune.”
Shang Wu rarely spoke with conviction.
“I’ll make up for the shortfall,” Li Mo sighed slightly.
“It’s not appropriate…”
“Since you’ve helped me solve my troubles, and it’s my own affair after all.”
“Yes, let’s plan carefully. It shouldn’t cost too much.”
As evening approached.
Qiushui Pavilion had barely settled down when Gu Xueqin and Li Dalong arrived, along with the Ice Chunk they had shown off all day.
Ying Bing saw him practicing martial arts and slightly raised her chin, as if the Phoenix Sky Empress had reclaimed her palace.
She seemed to possess an aura that could suppress even a mere Childish Ghost with a slight effort.
