The infiltration plan was a complete disaster, and the leaders of the Yin Yang Hall and bl**d Refining Hall were at a loss for better solutions.
Never did they expect to trip over a pile of vegetables in the middle of such a grand scheme!
Returning from their mission, they were stuck on how to report back. All they could do was put on a brave face and go back, their nervousness stemming from the sect’s acute focus on the bl**d God’s revival.
Yu Wen Cuojin, the deputy leader, had already set off for the Imperial Capital yesterday.
They entered a mahjong hall and slipped through a secret door to the underground room.
“How did the operation go?”
Yu Wen Cuojin was slurping on instant noodles when he saw the two walk in and wiped his mouth solemnly.
“Failed.”
“Hmm? A failure in your mission? You two better explain yourselves.”
Yu Wen Cuojin took another sip of the noodle soup, his gaze turning colder by the second.
“The food at Wanchun Courtyard is like this. You should try it.”
The Deer Hall Master pulled out some Cold Fairy cuisine that had been packed and laid it on the table.
“What kind of pathetic excuse is that? Hmph, we are people of the demon sect….”
With a cool demeanor, Yu Wen Cuojin intended to set an example to let his subordinates learn what it meant to be ruthless.
But upon seeing the colorful and dubious-looking dishes made from fatty intestines and spicy fish scales, he fell into deep thought.
His hand holding the chopsticks shook slightly.
“Deputy leader, why’s your hand shaking?”
“Oh, is the weather getting cold?”
The seventh realm leader Yu Wen Cuojin swallowed hard, clearing his throat:
“Cold Fairy’s moves are indeed terrifying. However, I’ve already had dinner. Eating more would be wasting food, and we all know how shameful it is to waste food.”
“Having been able to infiltrate Wanchun Courtyard, now that the Hundred Flowers Festival is drawing near, what should we do?”
The Deer Hall Master wore a troubled expression.
Li Mo had taken charge of organizing the festival, leaving them unable to deploy manpower.
Now that Ying Bing had intervened slightly, they couldn’t even manage to sneak into Wanchun Courtyard. Their plans had seemed flawless, yet here they were facing such an unexpected hiccup.
“In my opinion, we have only two options left.”
Yu Wen Cuojin’s expression hardened as he spoke slowly:
“First, let’s send another batch of Yin Yang Hall disciples. They must hold their ground on the day of the festival; they need to be determined and fearless. Is anyone willing to sign up?”
His voice echoed in the empty hall.
However, looking at the questionable dishes on the table, a bunch of demonic sect members exchanged glances, and none had the confidence to volunteer.
“The second option is that we burn our boats! We go all in, abandoning stealth, and launch a frontal assault on the day of the festival!”
“Alright, let’s fight those dogs of the court!”
“I’m transforming the Huanmo Sect; today is the day!”
“Count me in!”
A group of demons enthusiastically stepped up, rallying behind the plan.
…..
Meanwhile…
Ying Bing seemed intent on making a late-night snack, silently grabbing pots and pans while Chef Li felt a chill run down his spine and quickly grabbed her hand.
“Let’s fry some potato chips and watch some anime later.”
Li Mo looked very serious.
“Potato chips? I don’t know how to….”
“Don’t worry, sis, I’ll guide you step by step.”
With that, Li Mo hugged her from behind, holding her gentle hand and began slicing potatoes with the skin on.
Little Li was quite serious.
With his arm wrapped around her cool, soft body, his left hand rested on her waist, and his chin grazed against her hair, inhaling the fragrant scent of blooming orchids.
The night was deep, and the kitchen was quiet, save for the sounds of chopping potatoes and the sizzling oil.
Ying Bing’s fingertips curled ever so slightly at the tickling sensation of his breath, making her feel a bit shy all over.
“Is this how it works…?” she tried to divert her attention with the potato chips.
“Yeah, actually, you don’t need to do complex cooking right away. You can start with something simple. Do you have any anime you want to watch tonight?”
“How about ‘Castle in the Sky’?”
Despite being someone who took things seriously, she couldn’t focus on her task at all.
However, from her relaxed posture, it was clear that Ice Chunk was enjoying the current tranquility.
“Hmm? Why does the salt I sprinkled seem a bit off…?”
“Ke Mo, that looks like sugar.”
“Ugh….”
Chef Ke Mo took a deep breath of Ying Bing’s fragrance.
From his experience, there was no need to taste to distinguish between sugar and salt, so how did he mix them up?
This dark culinary specialty of Ice Chunk was too terrifying; even he couldn’t help her one-on-one?
“Sweet isn’t bad to eat….”
“Is frying potato chips really that simple?”
“Yeah, but next time, we can start with instant noodles.”
After retrieving the potato chips, Ke Mo held Ying Bing’s hand and led her to the room, where they entered a small world.
The sky above had a curtain of clouds, and the anime began playing.
As Ying Bing stood up to call out to Ke Mo, she turned around and froze upon seeing a particularly striking figure.
“It looks pretty good.”
Ke Mo assessed himself, realizing he’d no longer had any concerns about how he looked.
Setting everything else aside, first and foremost, the cloak suited him just fine. After absorbing the power of many, it glimmered with a rainbow aura, radiating brightly.
After checking himself out, he noticed Ying Bing had stopped watching the anime and was secretly staring at him, her cold eyes looking a bit dazed.
“How do I look? Is it suitable?”
“What’s suitable and what’s not?”
Ying Bing’s expression shrank as if she’d seen nothing just moments before.
Shying away but not completely, her shining eyes reflected the cloud curtain’s images, appearing dazzling and dreamlike.
“This suit not only looks good, but it’s also powerful.”
Ke Mo smiled, slowly channeling some of the gathered energy into the cloak from the Kongming Multicolor Tower.
Relying solely on his own mental power, he couldn’t activate the cloak’s abilities, so he had to use the gathered energy.
Suddenly, beneath his feet, clouds began to rise.
What was once an ordinary somersault cloud transformed into auspicious clouds, growing even more profound and inscrutable under the enhancement.
Standing atop the rising fog, Ke Mo felt as if he could now teleport himself and others in an instant.
Then a strange wave of energy rippled from the phoenix wings of the crown, almost like a field spreading out peacefully.
The golden chainmail shimmered as Ke Mo once again harnessed the powers of heaven and earth, his body towering five times taller, with a surge of formidable strength flowing around him.
“Wow, strong! And this is just the complete version; I’m still missing the last piece.”
Ke Mo slowly raised his head, an intense fire seemingly igniting in his eyes, filling him with a feeling of soaring to the heavens.
In an instant, he felt like a deity.
But he didn’t attempt to pull the Ruyi Jingu Bang; he probably couldn’t and it also wasn’t the right moment.
“Now, do you see it?” Ke Mo raised an eyebrow and flashed a beaming smile at Ying Bing.
“I see it now.”
Ying Bing’s expression was cool, but her gaze softened.
“Looks good, right?”
“I like it.”
Ice Chunk dropped the pretense, gazing openly at him, not taking her eyes off the scene as if she wanted to etch this moment into her memory.
