In a little town thirty miles from the infamous Lan Ke Mountain.
Inside a dimly lit room.
Several shadowy figures were sitting at a table, seemingly deep in thought, the atmosphere was eerily silent yet tinged with seriousness.
After a while, one of the shadows, which was clearly female, spoke up:
“Why don’t we light a lamp?”
“What we’re doing can’t see the light of day.”
This was a serious male voice.
“Besides, it adds to the atmosphere of scheming and plotting.”
“?”
Are you a bit touched in the head? You surprisingly have some professionalism.
The woman fell silent for a few seconds, not dwelling on the issue any longer, and instead asked:
“So, how’s that thing I asked you to handle going?”
“You can rest assured, I’ve already hired a few storytellers from under the bridges; they’re detailing the clash between Li Mo and Ying Bing, and the Crown Prince. As long as the local forces gather here, they’ll know they’ve offended the Prince.”
Another shadow raised its head.
“So… you mean to say that the Crown Prince’s sword attendant, Chi Hong, got his b*tt kicked, turned into a fool, and even had a little accident in his pants while telling the story? That’s your doing?”
The woman seemed to take a deep breath, her anger barely restrained.
There was a moment of silence.
The atmosphere became ten times more awkward.
Finally, the male voice cleared his throat and said, “Don’t be impatient; this is all according to your request.”
“When did I ever say I wanted to be made out to be another fool with little accidents in his pants?”
“Think about it: the worse you look, the more it proves that Li Mo and Ying Bing have seriously offended the Crown Prince, right? The deeper they’re in, the harder it is for them to find a spot to stand?”
“In the end, those strong enough to be loyal to the Prince would be more willing to intervene and help him clear away these heartaches!”
That’s right, the woman in the dark was Chi Hong.
She snorted lightly, realizing the other side had a point, she decided to let that matter go and asked:
“What if nobody takes action?”
“Not to worry, I’ve already hired an assassin from Misty Rain Tower; he was ranked in the top five among the Earthly Fiends back in the day. Later, he defected from Misty Rain Tower and joined Huanmo Sect. They say he’s merciless, not leaving behind even a trace.”
“Is he reliable?” Chi Hong squinted her eyes.
“He’s a professional; no need to worry.”
The shadowy man chuckled lightly, “Let alone being in the Observation Realm, he can even stab his way through the outer domain of Fifth Stage. Once he’s in Lan Ke Mountain, he’s got a nine-tenths chance of burying those two.”
Chi Hong finally relaxed a bit, pulling out a box filled with deposit money.
The shadow took the cash and vanished into thin air.
Not long after.
Under a bridge along the road, figures were scattered about, and three shouts rang out.
A storyteller reappeared under the bridge, eyeing the passersby with his beady eyes, then donned a long robe and slapped the table dramatically.
“Speaking of the Cold Fairy, she is truly breathtakingly beautiful and peerless. She’s the first to rank higher on the Hundred Rankings than on the Qianlong List.”
“She single-handedly battled two from the Internal Realm! Even the Crown Prince’s sword attendant pales in comparison, like a wild chicken against a phoenix!”
“That battle was absolutely thrilling, dear audience, let me tell you all about it in detail.”
Ding Ling, thwack!
Various coins rained down onto the stage.
In a passing carriage nearby.
“Did news travel this fast to Lan Ke Mountain?”
“Don’t say, the storytelling was pretty on point…”
Li Mo was a bit surprised, but then nodded, thinking it was to be expected.
The Cold Fairy was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, he could attest to that.
After all, the soft jade and fragrant warmth of her hand was in his grasp—cool to the touch, but not cold at all.
“What’s caught your eye, Ice Chunk?”
“An anomaly.”
Ying Bing gazed toward Lan Ke Mountain.
This anomaly bore a striking resemblance to the Heavenly Phoenix Domain she had taken at the Imperial Capital earlier.
So, the Heavenly Phoenix Domain should indeed be at the Imperial Capital.
That floating city, which existed because of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain, had served as a container of sacred objects for the Internal Realm, and had lingered in the Imperial Capital for many years, allowing numerous talented individuals to experience its divine will.
For instance, one could see a shadow of it in Jiang Yu’s divine will.
But what was this in Lan Ke Mountain?
What about the Heavenly Phoenix Domain she had obtained earlier?
Li Mo followed her line of sight and saw in the sky what looked like a mirage, a city full of strange phenomena.
Its structure was remarkably peculiar, completely unlike any product of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Not long after.
The anomaly gradually dissipated, transforming into an extraordinary bird, vanishing into the void of heaven and earth.
Out of the carriage, a chorus of gasps erupted.
“The spectacle has vanished! The spiritual energy from Lan Ke Mountain has finally returned to the world?”
“Does this mean we can enter?”
“I heard from a Feng Shui master that this tomb is filled with great danger and terror; going down might not be as easy as it sounds.”
“Fortune favors the bold, while the timid go hungry!”
In no time, a sword beam shot up into the sky, with people galloping off urgently.
But that scene of the fading anomaly felt familiar to Li Mo.
“Ice Chunk, does this have anything to do with the Jade Phoenix Divine or bl**d phoenix essence?”
“Mm.”
Ying Bing nodded seriously.
“Alright, we must get it!”
Little Li’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
What could possibly be better than the aroma of Ice Chunk? (Referring to investment returns)
“I’m still not sure…”
“Then we should go confirm it together!”
Li Mo grabbed her hand, stood up, stored the carriage into his storage, and took her into the clouds, soaring upward.
The sound of rushing wind swept past their ears.
Ying Bing held her hair, which was flying wildly in the wind, while staring at his side profile, momentarily lost in thought.
The boy wore an eager expression, filled with energy, as if in a dream, he wanted to take her outside to play like they did as kids.
But…
The things involved had nothing to do with him.
It was all about her quest for clarity…
“Ice Chunk, why are you sneakily observing me?”
“I’m not.”
The two flew into the clouds hand in hand, heading toward Lan Ke Mountain.
This figure was soon recognized by many, as Ice Chunk’s appearance was as striking as the bright cold moon in the night sky—impossible to ignore.
Amidst the gasps, under the bridge, that storyteller with the beady eyes squinted and removed his long robe.
…….
P.S. Jiang Yu won’t have a redemption arc; just wait for the follow-up on the Little Stray character setting. It’s already here, just not fully revealed yet.
This month, I’ve delivered updates daily without a break. Little Stray is feeling a bit worn out.
Seeking some motivation, hey~~
