Art originates from life, enemy attack

"The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me?!"

To be honest.

When Ouyang heard this book title, his heart trembled slightly, and he was already eager to know its contents.

"Why would it have such a name?"

Princess Little Jiang hugged her knees and asked curiously.

She had never heard of any empress ruling over the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

Could it be that Big Brother Li's story, like their teacher's, was set in an era long, long ago?

"Why would you choose a title like this?"

Ying Bing narrowed her phoenix-like eyes.

She picked up another teacup, poured some tea, and took a sip.

"This involves professional expertise."

Li Mo felt parched.

When someone is showing off, their brain tends to run dry.

Without thinking, he grabbed Ying Bing's cup and took a sip.

Ying Bing parted her lips slightly but didn’t speak.

Then Li Mo continued:

"Question—what is the most important thing for a best-selling work?"

"A... a good story?" Jiang Chulong whispered, then shrank back timidly when she noticed Li Mo looking at her.

"Not entirely correct." Li Mo chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Definitely something spicy... I mean, rich and colorful content!"

Ouyang felt quite authoritative on this matter.

Which junior disciple in the sect didn’t love a good illustrated book?

If not for the laws of Great Yu, he would have already expanded his business!

"Content only determines whether the audience will like the book after reading it," Li Mo shook his head.

"But if no one is drawn to it in the first place, no matter how good the content is, it’ll never be seen."

"So the most crucial thing for a best-selling work is... grabbing attention!"

"A captivating title that hooks the audience instantly!"

Ouyang: "!"

His mind was struck by lightning.

No wonder Junior Brother Li chose such a bizarre title.

Regardless of how strange it sounded, he was undeniably intrigued!

"Listening to your words is worth ten years of drawing!"

"Too kind, too kind."

"Junior Brother Li, hurry up and tell us the story. If I don’t hear it, I won’t be able to sleep tonight."

"Got it."

Thud—

Li Mo couldn’t find a storytelling block.

So he casually grabbed the big-headed doll next to the "ice block" (Ying Bing) and slammed it onto the table.

Ying Bing: "?"

Her delicate brows furrowed, but seeing Li Mo’s enthusiasm, she held her tongue.

"Across the Four Seas and Eight Wastes, the forces of righteousness and evil clashed, the winds of change surged, and the world was caught in a turbulent tide."

"Yet, amidst this treacherous jianghu, one power stood aloof—the..."

Li Mo, the naming-challenged, paused briefly.

Glancing at the "ice block," he continued:

"Snow Moon Palace!"

"The Snow Moon Palace had an empress—cold as the moon, ethereal as an exiled immortal, peerless in all the land."

"But what truly allowed the Snow Moon Palace to stand at the pinnacle of the world, untouchable, was her godlike, demonic strength."

"Her name... was Liu Wuyan!"

Jiang Chulong clapped excitedly, then instinctively glanced at the girl beside her.

Somehow, Sister Bing and this female lead seemed... eerily similar?

More than just similar...

Ying Bing felt an odd sensation in her heart.

Aside from the name, wasn’t this just her past life?

Ouyang’s interest grew stronger. "Junior Brother Li, how did you come up with such a fascinating character?"

Li Mo took another sip of tea.

"Art comes from life."

"Life..."

Ouyang glanced at Ying Bing.

...Yeah.

That made sense.

"It is said that Liu Wuyan, long secluded in the Snow Moon Palace, stood at the peak of the world, lonely and cold. Her only pastime was admiring the snow in the uninhabited back mountains."

"One day, as usual, she changed into plain clothes and went there alone."

"But this time, she found an unexpected visitor."

"His name was Jiang Chen—an ordinary disciple of the Snow Moon Palace, gentle and kind-hearted..."

"Someone had tricked him into delivering a letter to the woman who lived there."

Li Mo spun the tale masterfully, making the plot vivid and gripping.

At the start, someone schemed to kill the male lead by sending him to deliver a letter.

But the letter’s contents? A love confession!

As everyone knew, Liu Wuyan despised romance above all else!

And Jiang Chen, having never met the empress who dwelled beyond the clouds, had no idea he was handing a love letter to her!

"Gasp!"

Ouyang’s scalp tingled.

Just this opening had him hooked, itching to know what happened next.

Addictive. Absolutely addictive!

His old illustrated books had pictures but no plot.

If he combined his art with a story like this... who would even read the current novels?

Jiang Chulong’s eyes sparkled behind her blindfold, clearly engrossed.

Ying Bing was lost in thought.

A... love letter?

If she, as the ruler of the Osmanthus Palace, had received one, the messenger would’ve been beheaded after just two lines. How could the story even...

Would the male lead die in the first arc?

She looked up and saw the young man, gentle as jade, smiling as he spoke.

Unconsciously, she began to superimpose him onto the male lead.

Maybe... just maybe... she would have listened to an explanation... right?

"After the first letter, Liu Wuyan didn’t kill him."

"The schemer, seeing the plan fail, made the letters increasingly bold and passionate."

"And through these deliveries, Liu Wuyan realized someone was manipulating things."

"So one day, to turn the tables... she pinned Jiang Chen against the wall and accepted his confession!"

"Wow..." Jiang Chulong touched her flushed cheeks.

Ouyang: "!"

This plot was impossible to resist.

He wasn’t even thinking about drawing anymore—he just wanted to keep listening.

If it ended here, he’d suffer withdrawal symptoms.

"Accepted... his confession?!"

Ying Bing looked away, pretending she hadn’t heard.

But her fingers, clutching her skirt, betrayed her inner turmoil.

The unshakable Phoenix Heaven Empress wasn’t as calm as she seemed.

Listening closely, eh, Ice Block?

Just as the story reached its climax—

Screech—

The carriage jolted to a sudden halt.

"Ambush!"

Xu Zhiqing’s voice rang out from outside.

The atmosphere inside the carriage froze.

"Looks like we’ll have to stop here for today."

Li Mo smiled helplessly, then frowned.

He hadn’t meant to cut it off at the best part.

Who would dare attack a Qingyuan Sect convoy?

Of all the luck...

Ouyang’s face darkened as he rolled up his sleeves and stormed out.

"Which bastard is responsible for this?!"