Night had fallen.
The private room was dimly lit, with candlelight filtering through the frosted glass shades, casting a hazy glow that seemed to shut out even the moonlight.
"Take off your shoes."
Li Mo sat on a small stool, gazing earnestly at Ying Bing, who reclined on the massage chair. He hoped this gesture would repay her for the effort she'd expended earlier while rushing about—and maybe, just maybe, secure some investment in the process.
As for why he was sitting on a stool...
"Take off my shoes... why?"
Though Ying Bing's jade-like face remained as composed as ever, her slender, fair fingers had already tightened their grip on the fabric of the massage chair.
"Have you ever seen a dragon?" Li Mo asked solemnly.
"I have," Ying Bing nodded.
Li Mo: "......"
Had she seen one in a past life or in a dream?
He was momentarily at a loss for words.
Noticing his speechlessness, Ying Bing tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and corrected herself, "Oh, then I haven't."
"Good. You’re about to," Li Mo said mysteriously.
Ying Bing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a few question marks practically materializing above her head.
Li Mo grinned. "Because you’re about to experience the full dragon service."
Ying Bing didn’t quite understand what this strange term meant, but Li Mo explained it was a new service their tavern planned to offer customers.
If it was meant for guests, it was probably... somewhat normal.
Besides, it involved dragons—a word now absent even among the myriad beasts of the Southern Border, reserved for solemn and dignified contexts, often used by the imperial family.
Li Mo added, "If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just let me know."
The young man was oddly enthusiastic, though he wasn’t entirely sure why.
"Want any extras?"
"Extras?"
"Never mind, I’ll add lotus wine for you. Enhances the experience."
He poured snow lotus wine—worth a thousand taels of silver per bottle—into the basin, unbothered by the fact that the water would eventually be discarded.
But he soon regretted it.
Her calves were fairer than snow, her toenails like delicate petals curling slightly as she tested the water temperature before finally dipping her feet in.
"Mmm..."
"What’s wrong?"
Ying Bing noticed Li Mo had fallen into deep thought.
He was suddenly struck by how wasteful it felt to pour out this water—especially since it now contained such precious wine.
Well, it must be because of the wine’s muscle-relaxing properties...
"I’ll... begin now. Just relax."
"Mm."
Ying Bing turned her face away, silent.
Li Mo observed that though the "ice block" maintained her usual aloof expression, her fingers and toes curled slightly whenever she was nervous.
This was a truth he’d confirmed firsthand.
Earlier, it had just been a hypothesis—after all, practice was the sole criterion for testing truth!
A moment later...
"Are you done?"
"I haven’t even started yet."
"But you’ve been... rubbing for a while."
"Impossible. You must just be feeling every second drag on."
"......"
Li Mo employed the Flower-Pinching Technique, but well...
This was probably just the eternal struggle between service providers and their clients.
The more indifferent Ying Bing looked, the more determined Li Mo became to find her pressure points.
So he located a particularly sensitive acupoint and pressed down—squelch~
Hmm...
Good thing he dodged fast.
Otherwise, those damp, jade-white toes might’ve ended up in his mouth.
When he looked up, Ying Bing’s cool gaze clearly spelled out:
'Not funny.'
So Li Mo behaved himself.
Honestly, whoever created the Flower-Pinching Technique was a genius. Even without its core essence, the technique was remarkably effective.
And was Li Mo taking this seriously?
Well, customer Ying Bing certainly thought he was enjoying himself a little too much.
In any case, Ying Bing’s tense posture gradually relaxed.
But that annoying system never missed an appointment—and was never late.
[Ding—]
[Countdown to the next ranking comparison: one minute remaining.]
The system’s virtual text overlapped with Li Mo’s figure.
Ying Bing glanced down at him, her lashes fluttering with an unreadable emotion.
Unlike the first two times, she wasn’t so confident now.
She’d lost twice already. Though she’d since mastered divine techniques, what exactly had Li Mo just been using?
"You go to the top of the Sword Tower often, don’t you?"
Li Mo was diligently applying the Flower-Pinching Technique, though his hands seemed to have a mind of their own. Still, multitasking wasn’t an issue:
"Yeah. I’ve been trying to sketch the strange stone up there, but no luck so far. Though I have made some progress..."
"Why sketch the stone?"
"If it’s that mystical, maybe it’s a Great Dao Divine Form?"
Li Mo chuckled.
Ying Bing dismissed it as a joke. "You can’t possibly depict a Great Dao Divine Form right now."
She’d never heard of anyone successfully copying one.
The most skilled painting sage she knew could only replicate Extreme Forms—and even that required perfect conditions.
Normally, the inheritance of Extreme Forms involved powerful figures splitting off fragments of their soul to leave behind divine imprints.
Ying Bing didn’t find it odd that Li Mo could study two divine imprints.
Most in the Observation Divine Realm were lucky to master one divine imprint in their lifetime—some didn’t even manage a Lower Form.
But she herself had taken the path of observing a hundred avian Extreme Forms to condense the Phoenix Divine Form.
"If you want to study other divine imprints, you’ll need ones compatible with your physique."
"But I don’t know what suits me."
Li Mo shrugged.
Only the things he drew himself seemed to fit.
"It can’t just be a rock."
"What if a monkey jumps out of it?"
"You—"
Ying Bing’s cold gaze suddenly paused.
She looked down and saw his hand resting on her calf.
While they’d been talking...
When had it moved up there?
Li Mo coughed professionally. "Just say the word if it’s uncomfortable."
"Right now..."
Ying Bing’s lips parted slightly.
But the countdown was already nearing zero.
3...
2...
1...
[Results of the third Eastern Wasteland Domain prodigy ranking have been announced.]
[Note: The next ranking will expand its comparison scope.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 50th place: Zheng Conglong]
...
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 39th place: Lin Jiang]
...
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 22nd place: Murong Xiao]
...
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 11th place: Xiao Qin]
...
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 2nd place: Ying Bing]
...
[Congratulations, Host. You’ve secured second place in this ranking.]
[Rewards are being issued...]
[Detected that Host has activated the Punishment for the Defeated. All rewards have been stored in the system space and will be distributed after punishment is completed.]
[This punishment’s content: Request ‘Li Mo’ to touch you.]
[Requirement: Cover over 80% of your body’s surface area.]
Ying Bing pressed her lips together, momentarily dazed.
It was unexpected—yet made perfect sense.
Or perhaps, deep down, she’d already braced herself for this?
The air seemed to freeze for a second.
Li Mo suddenly felt the smooth arch of her foot tense up again, her previously relaxed legs stiffening once more.
Hmm...
To be honest, the issue wasn’t whether Ying Bing could adapt or not.
Student Li Mo felt he needed to cool off too—maybe take a cold shower or something.
It was a bit overwhelming.
But the investment feedback still hadn’t refreshed. Was it because the investment wasn’t complete yet, or did this not even count as an investment?
"First time being a deadbeat dad—it’s normal not to be used to it."
"Let’s end it here."
Yet just as he shook the water droplets off his hands and stood up,
Ying Bing’s faint voice drifted from behind him. She seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure:
"Wait… can’t you see the dragon?"
"What dragon?"
"The dragon in ‘full-service dragon.’"
"??"
Li Mo turned back in confusion.
Her jade-like face, usually as cold and clear as frost under moonlight, now seemed more like the moon’s reflection rippling across a lake, faintly trembling.
Must be the lighting.
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!
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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."
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
