"Massage techniques..."
"Massage chair?"
Ying Bing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her phoenix-like eyes narrowing. Visibly, the faint smile on her jade-like face vanished, seamlessly replaced by an icy, transcendent demeanor.
Li Mo: "!"
He sensed ripples in the ice block's usually serene heart-lake, as calm as polished jade.
What the hell happened?
He hadn't said anything wrong. It was just a massage... Speaking of which, Li Mo couldn't help but recall the Flower-Picking Finger technique.
Ahem. Some of those techniques were indeed blush-inducing.
Like Delicate Needle Threading... Orchid Brushing Jade... Twin Dragons Snatching the Pearl...
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, her faint voice drifted to his ears:
"It's not broken... yet."
She was referring to the second layer of Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh.
Mental communication couldn't reveal each other's exact thoughts—at least not at their current stage—only vague emotional fluctuations. But that vagueness was enough.
"..."
The girl's gaze seemed to say, I'm waiting for your excuse.
It gave Li Mo a sudden sense of "It's all coming back to me now."
"I mean, it's a technique... Look, even Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh is a dual cultivation method, so..."
Bang—
The wooden door slammed shut.
"I have to give a lecture at Sword City tomorrow. I need rest."
"You should sleep early too."
The ice block's voice came through the door.
"Alright."
Li Mo sighed helplessly.
He'd have to be more careful when using the second layer of Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh from now on.
Though he was a gentleman, he was still a man. Sometimes his thoughts would wander into... unseemly territory.
But that was normal. Everyone had all sorts of emotions and stray thoughts—even the ice block had moments when her heart-lake rippled.
Thinking about it costs nothing, but if others find out, the consequences are immeasurable...
Ahem! He was getting too carried away.
Li Mo returned to his room. He still had to tutor Princess Jiang Chulong, and afterward, he needed to conserve his energy.
Copying the mystical stone was an extremely taxing task.
As he pushed open his door, a thought struck him:
"Come to think of it, the ice block actually seems more normal when she's cold..."
---
The next day.
Autumn always arrived earlier in Yunzhou.
During spring and autumn, the land was often shrouded in misty rain and drifting clouds, adding an ethereal, mysterious charm to the region.
"No wonder it was once a haven for swordsmen."
As Li Mo stepped outside, he saw Senior Brother Ouyang sitting slumped, clutching his head as if questioning his existence.
The stench of alcohol clung to him.
"How much did he drink?"
"He got his heart broken," Shen Yunfei whispered.
"Huh? What happened?"
Li Mo was taken aback.
Since when was Ouyang in a relationship? Wasn't he an artist? As everyone knew, artists usually had tumultuous love lives.
Shen Yunfei explained, "Yesterday at Baohuan Tower, a beautiful woman recognized Ouyang and praised his paintings. They hit it off."
"That sounds great." Li Mo glanced at Ouyang.
Shen Yunfei continued, "Then things took a turn."
"They talked more and felt like kindred spirits. The woman admired his skill and learned he was the illustrator for The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me. She asked him to paint her portrait."
"But in the end, someone stole her away!"
"Stole her?!"
Li Mo's expression turned serious.
Sure, Ouyang was a bit greedy, had too much spicy imagination, and was weak in martial arts—but overall, he was a good guy.
Besides, whoever messed with Ouyang should know he was under Qingyuan Sect's protection!
"The problem is, the person who stole her is someone Ouyang can't do anything about."
Shen Yunfei looked conflicted.
Li Mo waved a hand firmly.
"Even if our elders aren’t here, I still have some influence in Hengyun Sword City!"
He walked over and patted Ouyang’s shoulder.
"Senior Brother, chin up. We won’t let this slide. Tell me who it is—don’t hold back."
Ouyang lifted his head.
Seeing Li Mo’s earnest face, his expression twisted further in agony.
He raised a finger...
"Huh?"
Li Mo realized Ouyang was pointing at him.
Was he still drunk?
Li Mo sidestepped left.
Ouyang’s finger followed.
Li Mo sidestepped right.
Ouyang’s finger tracked him again.
Li Mo: "?"
Why was he locked on?
"Junior Brother Li..."
Shen Yunfei sighed, hesitating before saying,
"That woman didn’t just want a portrait. She wanted Ouyang to return to his roots."
Return to his roots?
As everyone knew, Ouyang’s original profession was...
"The protagonists were 'Jiang Chen'... and herself."
Li Mo: "......."
So she wanted the artist she liked to draw fanart of her and another man? That was next-level self-cuckolding...
Just imagining it hurt. Too painful.
After a long silence, Li Mo consoled him:
"An artist’s love life is always rocky. The more it fails, the better your art becomes."
"You’ll definitely become a legendary painter—renowned across the land, immortalized in history."
If the Heavenly Destiny Eye said so, it was guaranteed.
Ouyang burst into tears.
He was genuinely heartbroken.
Everyone: "..."
Junior Brother, you really know how to comfort people.
Feeling awkward, Li Mo frowned. "Wait, Senior Brother’s reaction seems too extreme."
Shen Yunfei and Xu Zhiqing exchanged a glance. Are you sure it’s not because of you?
Just to be safe, Li Mo activated the Heavenly Destiny Eye and looked at Ouyang.
His eyebrows shot up.
[Name: Ouyang]
[Age: 27]
[Innate Talent: Masterful Brushwork]
[Cultivation: Fourth Aperture of Observation]
[Destiny: Blue-Purple]
[Evaluation: Exceptionally skilled at painting women. After earning a fortune from The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me, he no longer lacks money. Following this heartbreak, his artistry will advance greatly.]
[Recent Events: Encountered Yin Mianmian disguised as a female admirer. Fell under her bewitchment and is now weeping uncontrollably.]
Yin Mianmian is still in Yunzhou?
Not only was she here, but since Li Mo hadn’t gone to Baohuan Tower yesterday, she had targeted the next best option—Ouyang.
Is she after me?
Li Mo’s heart sank.
That Rainmist Pavilion’s Holy Maiden wasn’t known for combat...
And he didn’t know if this was her personal scheme or if Rainmist Pavilion was involved.
"By the way, Junior Brother, the sect sent word. Elder Qian, Elder Xue, and the others are already on their way."
"That’s great news."
Li Mo relaxed slightly.
The elders were as shrewd and reliable as ever. They knew fame attracted trouble, so they were coming as backup.
Qingyuan Sect had indeed made quite a splash this time.
---
Before long, Li Mo set off for Hengyun Sword City with Ying Bing and Jiang Chulong.
The mist hung thick in the air. Though it wasn’t raining, walking any distance left their clothes damp.
The streets were still crowded, but fewer martial artists lingered—most had gone to Sword City for the lecture.
Their teacher, however, was still en route.
At every Sword Hero Convention, a seven-day sermon could be held in Sword City.
Jiang Chulong carried a small basket on her back, her eyes darting around beneath the cloth wrappings as she scanned the ground. Whenever she spotted discarded bottles, broken kites, or tattered clothes, she would hurry over to collect them before catching up with the others.
Her small figure flickered in and out of view amidst the misty rain.
Meanwhile, Ying Bing moved as if gliding on clouds, her skirt fluttering with an ethereal grace.
They ascended halfway up the mountain of Sword City.
Along the way, the trio passed by a lone pavilion.
Inside stood a shadowy figure.
"Would any of you care for a divination?" came a woman's voice.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
