Was the ice chunk intentional or accidental

The private room belonging to the young lord of the Southern Suppressing King's household was far from luxurious. The table bore no refreshments—just two steaming bowls of hand-pulled noodles.

One bowl for him, and another for the square-faced middle-aged man seated across from him.

"Not bad, not bad. It seems my recent training has borne fruit."

Seeing his name, Zhong Zhenyue felt his appetite surge and loudly called for the server to bring two more bowls.

"His Highness will surely see this too and be delighted," the square-faced man said with a smile that tugged at the scar on his face, giving him a seasoned rather than fearsome demeanor.

"My father has never once praised me."

Zhong Zhenyue shook his head like a rattle-drum at the thought of his stern-faced father, the Southern Suppressing King.

The only ones his father had ever commended were three young prodigies from the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

One was Xie Xuan, the Sword Sovereign of Tianshan. The other two... naturally, were the boy and girl who had soared to the top of the ranking the moment they appeared.

Unconsciously, Zhong Zhenyue had set them as his rivals to surpass.

"I wonder what achievements Ying Bing and Li Mo have made recently."

He flipped directly to the second page of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Nothing?

Slurping a mouthful of noodles, he turned a few more pages—still nothing.

"No way..."

Muttering to himself, he flipped back to the first page.

"Young Lord?!"

The square-faced general, Qu Sheng, choked on his spicy noodles in shock and hurriedly handed Zhong Zhenyue a cup of water.

"Tenth... eleventh?"

Zhong Zhenyue stared blankly at the rankings, his gaze frozen.

"Slaying sixth-tier calamity beasts at the Insight Realm, and outnumbered at that? How did those two manage it?"

Qu Sheng's eyes widened in amazement.

A seasoned soldier, he knew all too well the terror of calamity beasts. Even at his own External Manifestation Realm, he couldn’t guarantee killing two sixth-tier calamity beasts simultaneously.

Calamity beasts were cunning—they fled at the first sign of danger.

But that wasn’t what gave him pause.

"They ventured deep into the Southern Borderlands? And even went to the Hanging Temple?"

"No wonder... no wonder..."

"Uncle Qu, no wonder what?"

Zhong Zhenyue took a deep breath, steadying himself before asking.

"Young Lord, do you recall the recent military reports?" Qu Sheng guided him deliberately.

"I do..."

Zhong Zhenyue pondered, then mused aloud:

"Lately, calamity beasts in the western Southern Borderlands have grown increasingly rampant, forcing many human tribes to migrate..."

"The calamity beast Hound Clan has clashed with the Leviathan Clan."

"A great demon of the Roaring Serpent Clan battled the nine-headed bird calamity beast in the Blackwater Marsh..."

As he recalled, Zhong Zhenyue realized the demon territories in the Southern Borderlands had descended into utter chaos.

Demonic beasts and calamity beasts were fighting? Though the two factions had always despised each other, they generally kept to themselves.

For them to suddenly clash so fiercely, there had to be a reason.

"Many calamity beasts have abandoned their territories and encroached upon demon lands," Qu Sheng said softly.

Zhong Zhenyue’s eyes gleamed with realization.

"I heard a young man and woman slew several calamity beasts disguised as witch-spirits in the Southern Borderlands’ tribal settlements."

He pulled out a map and traced a route, soon arriving at an answer.

"Li Mo and Ying Bing obtained that so-called Divine Jade at the Hanging Temple, so the calamity beasts pursued them... only to be intercepted by the demonic beasts?"

"If they’re returning to Southern Pass City, they’ll have to pass through..."

Qu Sheng’s eyes shone with approval.

Before Zhong Zhenyue could gather his thoughts, a server arrived with two more bowls of noodles—and a voice he knew all too well rang out.

"Server, do you have any available rooms?"

Li Mo, leading Ying Bing by his side, approached the counter of the Jiatailou Inn.

"Of course!" The server had been wiping a table when he looked up—and froze.

The young man held a sugar-painted figurine, shaped like a girl... which, admittedly, resembled the one beside him.

The "ice block" couldn’t eat candy through her veil, so she lifted a corner of the gauze, revealing half her jade-like face. Her lips, glistening with syrup, were breathtaking.

"Ice Block, what do I taste like?"

"Gone."

Ying Bing’s bamboo skewer was empty.

Li Mo glanced at her sugar-stained lips and, acting on impulse, wiped the syrup away with his thumb.

Ying Bing blinked, then lightly licked the corner of her lips.

Li Mo: "!"

Was Ice Block doing this on purpose or by accident?

He’d just resisted the urge to lick his own finger.

"..."

The server’s silence was deafening. After a long pause, he turned and shouted:

"One deluxe room!"

"Wait!"

Zhong Zhenyue’s voice came from above.

......

Moments later.

Inside the private room.

"Brother Zhong, why aren’t you eating your noodles?"

Li Mo hadn’t expected to run into Zhong Zhenyue again so soon after learning of his arrival in Greenwood City.

Last time, in Southern Pass, the young lord had gifted him a token.

"I... suddenly feel full."

Zhong Zhenyue rubbed his chin, baffled by this abrupt loss of appetite.

If he could figure out the cause, procuring military rations would become far easier.

"Oh, then I’ll help you finish it."

"Thanks."

Li Mo licked his finger, picked up his chopsticks, and asked:

"Weren’t you doing well in Southern Pass? What brings you to Greenwood City?"

"..."

Zhong Zhenyue hesitated before finally muttering:

"Just... wandering."

Could he admit he’d come to train hard and catch up to these two?

"This is Qu Sheng, my uncle and the garrison commander of Greenwood City."

Zhong Zhenyue introduced the square-faced man, who had been studying the pair intently.

"I’ve long admired the reputations of you two young prodigies."

Qu Sheng nodded slightly.

Zhong Zhenyue sighed in reluctant admiration.

"Brother Li, you actually ventured deep into demon territory in the Southern Borderlands to temper yourself. I lost to you in resolve and courage from the start."

"Temper myself?"

Li Mo shook his head, pointing at the ice block beside him. "I went to find her."

Ying Bing spoke coolly: "To pick stars for him."

This was her usual demeanor—only she couldn’t maintain it around a certain someone.

Zhong Zhenyue: "..."

Qu Sheng: "..."

Well. That was abrupt.

"Are you two planning to return to Southern Pass?" Qu Sheng suddenly asked.

"We are."

After a pause, Qu Sheng said, "Then I suggest you stay in Greenwood City for a while. At least here, you’ll be safe from calamity beasts."

These two had already shown their extraordinary potential. For a seasoned officer like him, befriending future powerhouses was only natural.

"Hmm..."

Li Mo considered it.

He did need a quiet place to master the Seventy-Two Transformations and comprehend the Somersault Cloud.

Sharpening the axe wouldn’t delay the chopping.

Besides, seeing those children earlier had reminded him of Lu Fuying—and a promise he’d yet to fulfill.

He glanced at Ying Bing, who gave a slight nod.

"Then we’ll trouble Commander Qu for the hospitality."

After thanking him, Li Mo added sheepishly:

"Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you."

"Name it."

"When passing through Bottle Town, I promised to deliver a letter for a family. Would it be possible to locate a soldier named Lu Yi in your ranks?"

Qu Sheng's eyes flickered with surprise, followed by a hint of relief after a long pause.

He agreed to the matter, promising to help with the inquiry.

Zhong Zhenyue took a deep breath, his gaze burning with intensity as he extended an invitation:

"Since we're also heading out to search for someone, Brother Li, why not return to the military camp with me?"

He still remembered how Li Mo had once guided many in Yunzhou.

And the young woman by his side—her martial prowess was even more unfathomable.

He wanted to test the limits of his own strength against Li Mo’s, using the discipline of the military formation to measure the gap between them.

"Military men are rough by nature, especially in camp. They speak without restraint and might easily offend Young Master Li," Qu Sheng said with a frown.

Soldiers were coarse and unrefined.

With his refined, scholarly demeanor—like an elegant orchid—Young Master Li could easily be mistaken for a frail, bookish nobleman, powerless in a fight.

"We’ll win them over with virtue," Li Mo replied with an unconcerned smile.

...