Descending the stairs, Li Mo reached the entrance.
The hotpot restaurant had reopened for business.
Everything seemed unchanged.
Zuo Qiuyang was still in the kitchen, but behind the counter, the owner had been replaced by Mei Yun, while a group of young helpers bustled about the shop.
Jiang Chulong, her frail frame draped in an oversized linen robe, weaved through the dining area with a tray in hand. Despite the cloth covering her eyes, she moved with effortless grace.
The robe was one Li Mo had worn when he was the owner. She had washed it clean but couldn’t bear to throw it away.
Without even turning around, Jiang Chulong knew who had come downstairs. She timidly scurried over, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Big Brother Li..."
"You seem happy working here?" Li Mo couldn’t help but chuckle at her demeanor.
Who in the world would find joy in labor?
But for someone like the little Princess Jiang, it somehow made sense.
"Mmm... yes... very happy," Jiang Chulong nodded earnestly.
"Useless things... are just... just trash."
"Now... I can help Big Brother Li..."
Li Mo: "..."
What kind of corporate-level understanding was this?
"Do things that make you happy."
"But... helping Big Brother Li... makes me happy..." Jiang Chulong tilted her head.
Li Mo sighed. "Then I’ll leave this shop in your care."
Jiang Chulong stiffened abruptly, the smile vanishing from her delicate face.
"Big Brother Li... are you going back?"
"Yeah."
Li Mo nodded, exhaling with a hint of nostalgia.
"You have the hotpot shop now—no worries about food or shelter."
"With Aunt Mei by your side, you won’t have to fear bad people either."
"I’d say my work here is done."
He had once considered taking Jiang Chulong back to the Qingyuan Sect.
But given her identity, staying in the city was the wiser choice.
Besides, there was still Mei Yun—this little aunt was still being hunted by the Sky Patrol Guards.
Strangely, though, the manhunt seemed more bark than bite.
After much deliberation, Li Mo had decided to entrust the hotpot shop to them.
This was probably the best arrangement.
Just as Li Mo was feeling a sense of accomplishment—
Jiang Chulong’s face paled, her voice trembling.
"Big Brother Li... are you abandoning me?"
"Huh?" Li Mo froze.
"From now on... will Big Brother Li... never come to see me again?"
Jiang Chulong seemed to lose her soul, the cloth over her eyes darkening with dampness.
Little Princess Jiang, your whole vibe just changed!
"What??" Li Mo was utterly bewildered.
She had a place to live, a secure future.
Shouldn’t she be overjoyed?
Why was she crying now?
A princess reduced to running a hotpot shop as a kitchen helper—sure, it was a fall from grace.
But it was still better than before, wasn’t it?
The logic of Little Princess Jiang’s mind was as unfathomable as Ying Bing’s mood swings.
Li Mo decided women were harder to understand than swords.
"Big Brother Li... please don’t abandon me... I..."
Jiang Chulong was trying hard to hold back, but her tears flowed like a broken faucet.
Li Mo: "..."
He hadn’t done anything wrong.
So why did he feel like guilt was drowning him?
The surrounding diners were already shooting him looks that screamed "you monster." If he didn’t calm her down soon, someone might actually step up to "deliver justice."
Regular customers all assumed Jiang Chulong was the previous owner’s daughter.
"You’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I meant."
"R-really?"
"My hotpot recipe is a family heirloom. I’ve entrusted something so precious to you. I’ll be back periodically to check on the business, okay?"
"Thank you... Big Brother Li... you’re the best."
Jiang Chulong’s tears turned to a smile.
"Also, keep training. When you reach the Inner Breath realm, I’ll give you a gift."
Li Mo helplessly patted her head.
"Mmm!" Jiang Chulong nodded eagerly. "I... I’ve opened twelve meridians... I’ll work hard."
"It’s just... the martial arts I’ll practice next... I haven’t decided yet."
She had been practicing a self-created martial art.
As her temporary "Heavenly Venerable" teacher, Li Mo had given it a provisional name: Wild Grass Sword Scripture.
By continuously assimilating other sword techniques and refining them, she could grow stronger indefinitely.
Once I’m back in the mountains, I’ll need to gather more sword manuals to feed her progress.
Li Mo mused silently before adding softly,
"Don’t rush. Haste makes waste."
"Mmm, mmm!"
"Go on now."
Li Mo ruffled her hair again, and only then did Jiang Chulong reluctantly return to the kitchen.
The promise of a gift had lightened her steps considerably.
Mei Yun, watching from the counter, sighed quietly.
If Chulong can live an ordinary life from now on, that would be the best outcome...
Wasn’t that what His Majesty had schemed for all along?
---
With Little Princess Jiang pacified, Li Mo pondered on the carriage ride back.
What sword manual should I get for her?
With my current contribution points, I can access the sixth floor of the library a few times.
"Speaking of which, why hasn’t Ice Block shown up yet?"
Thinking of recent events, Li Mo rubbed his temples.
Ying Bing was his biggest patron.
Why did it feel like their relationship had reset overnight?
Glancing beside him, he saw Shang Wu sprawled out in deep sleep, limbs splayed gracelessly.
At least Master is easy to understand.
His beautiful master only needed wine and naps to stay happy. But Ying Bing’s thoughts? Far more complicated...
Before long, Ying Bing boarded the carriage as well.
The vehicle began moving, heading toward the Qingyuan Sect.
Silence filled the journey.
Ying Bing kept her eyes downcast.
Li Mo had no idea what to say.
I stay quiet, and you don’t talk much either~
---
By evening, they arrived at Autumn Water Pavilion.
Li Mo ducked into the kitchen.
There’s truth in the saying—no place is better than home, even if it’s a humble one.
Back in familiar surroundings, Ying Bing felt an inexplicable serenity settle over her.
Especially with the sounds of cooking drifting from the kitchen and that figure bustling about.
Her mind, so prone to replaying the morning’s incident, finally quieted.
That outfit...
And just a door between us...
Only when her emotions had stabilized did she finally check the system’s notification.
What’s the next punishment for the defeated?
The penalty had been decided earlier—she just hadn’t looked.
[Punishment for the Defeated: Confirmed]
[Condition]: "Bathe with the one who defeated you."
[Requirement]: "Wear the lingerie set provided by the system."
Ying Bing: "..."
Each punishment is worse than the last.
And those so-called "rating rewards"—how are they rewards at all?
If the disciples of her past life, the ones who revered her as the Celestial Phoenix Empress—the woman who demanded severance of all earthly ties—learned she was sharing a bath with a man...
They’d probably stab themselves on the spot, convinced it was a nightmare.
This is going to be the death of me.
An image involuntarily surfaced in Ying Bing's mind.
The bathtub in the Autumn Water Pavilion wasn't particularly large—if two people were in it, they'd undoubtedly be pressed against each other...
"Little Bing, your tea."
Shang Wu raised an eyebrow.
There was something off about Little Bing today.
"Hmm?"
Ying Bing looked down to find the tea had already overflowed, soaking the table.
"Are you alright?"
"Just lost in thought."
Ying Bing shook her head, banishing the mental image.
As long as she didn't lose,
the punishment might as well not exist.
Then... there was no need to dwell on it.
...
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
