At the entrance of Qiushui Pavilion, several carriages pulled by magical beast horses came to a halt. Some of the peak’s true disciples had already gathered there.
In fact, warriors from the Observation Realm could travel faster than carriages.
But with the wind blowing and the sun shining all the way, it was hard not to look a bit rugged.
At events like the Martial Arts Summit, everyone sought to maintain their dignity…
“Ouyang, do you really need to carry all that stuff with you?” Li Mo said, casually sauntering out of Qiushui Pavilion.
Among the senior brothers and sisters present, he was most familiar with Ouyang.
If any true disciples from the Rare Beast Peak were around, he’d have one more familiar face to chat with.
“Do you think I can afford all this stuff from the Xumi Realm?” Ouyang sighed dramatically.
“Cough, did you spend everything you earned recently?”
“You know, my little business didn’t make much.”
“Ever thought about finding a bookstore to print in bulk? With your artwork, you should be able to cash in big time.”
“I’ve got no issues, but I’m worried the laws of Da Yu won’t agree…”
“It doesn’t have to be that… cough, kind of book.”
“Oh? Do you have any good ideas, Li?”
As they bantered, they climbed onto the carriage.
Ouyang’s thirst for knowledge was off the charts.
Little Li was more than happy to share his advanced storytelling experience.
After all, the money Ouyang made was just an investment in their friendship!
Nearby, others were exchanging pleasantries too.
“Shen Yunfei, you gained a spot at Hengyun Sword City last time; this time, you must be feeling pretty confident, right?”
“How could I? It’s Xu Zhiqing, the junior sister, who has been in seclusion for years, undoubtedly honing her sword intent.”
“Alas, I hear a few top tiers from the Qianlong List will also come to test their swords against the world; just witnessing their prowess would make this trip worth it.”
Suddenly, everyone went quiet.
Because a girl with a sword came striding in.
All the true disciples inexplicably fell silent.
There was an undeniable tension in the air, as if facing Ying Bing was even more nerve-wracking than facing their own sect leader.
After all, the sect leader may have a higher cultivation level, but he wasn’t their peer.
They had just been chatting about the top tiers on the Qianlong List.
Now, her mere presence made them feel that the Qianlong List might not be as impressive after all…
…
Once Ying Bing arrived, the carriage started to move slowly.
On the way, Li Mo strayed from the group to check out a hot pot restaurant.
Learning that she could travel with Brother Li, Jiang Chulong was beyond thrilled, her mind completely blank.
She immediately strapped on her little backpack without even changing her clothes.
Just as the two were about to exit the hot pot restaurant, Li Mo noticed that Little Jiang had tightly gripped the hem of his clothes.
What’s up with that?
He rubbed the back of his head, only to realize that Mei Yun was frowning, sternly eyeing the two of them.
Her face practically screamed, “Do I not exist?”
“How’s business at the hot pot restaurant?” Li Mo asked awkwardly.
“It’s fine; I made twenty taels of profit this month.”
Mei Yun still frowned.
Li Mo glanced at the bustling restaurant, a bit puzzled. He never kept track of the accounts when he was running the hot pot shop. Was profit really that low?
“According to your recipe, the ingredients have to be the best, plus all the various taxes from the government.”
Mei Yun shook her head, not getting hung up on that. She sighed and added:
“Honestly, I don’t want Chu Long to follow you to Yunzhou.”
Recently, Chu Long had made significant progress in her swordsmanship, even more so than Mei Yun had expected.
Back when she was the prodigy of the Tianzong Sect, she didn’t come close to Chu Long’s talent.
Once Chu Long entered Hengyun Sword City, it would be hard for her to avoid stealing the spotlight.
“Once you’re in the martial world, many people become unwilling participants.”
“Wherever there are people, there’s a martial world.”
Li Mo instinctively chimed in.
Mei Yun chewed on that for a moment, squinting slightly.
Jiang Chulong pursed her lips, her grayish-white eyes pleading even through the fabric of her outfit:
“Aunt Mei…”
After a brief silence, Mei Yun seemed to realize something, sighed, and said:
“Fine, go ahead, but you have to promise me a few things.”
She gave her lengthy instructions before finally letting Chu Long go.
…
Night fell.
The carriage rolled down the wide official road.
The low-key luxury of the carriage muffled any noise from outside, making the interior even quieter.
Li Mo set down his teacup, only to be met with the perfect visage of Ying Bing, and curled up nearby was Jiang Chulong, afraid of dirtying anything.
Emmmm…
Ouyang, who had started sketching, was unwittingly overlooked.
“Ice Chunk, can we discuss something?” Li Mo suddenly spoke up.
“Go ahead,” Ying Bing replied, raising an eyebrow.
Jiang Chulong tilted her head in confusion, realizing that Brother Li and this cold older sister hadn’t spoken a word since they got on the carriage.
With a sigh, Li Mo said, “Can we skip the ‘do not cross the line’ part when we practice swordplay from now on?”
In an instant, Ying Bing’s fingers curled reflexively.
That tingling sensation at her tailbone seemed to resurface.
“I… I’ve forgotten… how could I blame you?”
Li Mo: “….”
You saying that means my backside has some serious objections.
Forgotten, but holding a grudge, huh?
“By the way, Junior Li,” Ouyang suddenly chimed in.
“Hmm?” Li Mo turned around, almost forgetting there was someone else in the carriage.
Ouyang, holding his sketchpad, lamented, “You know, Junior Li, I’m only good at painting. I really struggle with storytelling.”
Li Mo had suggested he make a picture book.
With a literacy rate this low in the Da Yu Empire, there’s a barrier to spreading stories.
If they had a picture book, even common folks would understand—talk about a game-changer!
“Stories…”
Li Mo pondered for a moment, glanced at Ying Bing, and said, “How about I write for you?”
Ice Chunk seemed to enjoy listening to stories quite a bit.
Perfect timing, since Ouyang needed some material.
It was a win-win situation!
“Huh?” Ouyang was taken aback.
Li Mo laughed, “Well, I once wrote a piece that readers loved.”
“What piece?”
“The Return of the Empress!”
Jiang Chulong blinked, intrigued.
The story Brother Li was about to share seemed a bit different from the teacher’s.
Ying Bing: “….”
She realized she actually remembered the plot.
Career and love, both flourishing…
Ouyang: “!”
Just hearing the title sounded promising!
“However, the story I’m going to tell today is not that one.”
Little Li’s performance persona kicked in, transforming him into a story-teller in a second.
He had already decided what to share.
Sure, it seemed like a cliché at the time, but given the current context, it would stun everyone!
“What is it?” Ouyang hurriedly passed over tea.
Li Mo cleared his throat:
“This story is titled… ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me’!”
Ying Bing: “!”
Crash—
The teacup in her hand slipped from her fingers, falling to the ground in shock.
…
PS: Time for some serious plot developments! Little Pu Jie is taking a short break; only two chapters today to adjust my mindset, organize the plot, and catch some z’s. Mwah!
