The carriage creaked as it advanced through the streets of Qingmu City, heading straight for the Qingmu Barracks, which were established within the city walls to guard against emergencies.
As they traveled further, armored soldiers clad in sturdy armor and wielding sharp weapons became an increasingly common sight, marching in disciplined formations.
"Hiss..."
Inside the carriage, Li Mo sat with a pensive expression.
"Brother Li, are you worrying about how to handle my military formation later? Nervous, aren't you?"
Zhong Zhenyue sat with his legs spread wide, hands resting on his knees, grinning broadly.
A military formation diagram lay before him.
After all, Li Mo had been deep in thought the entire journey, his expression serious. Zhong Zhenyue felt he ought to match that level of seriousness.
"Well, it’s not just the formation."
"Oh? What else could make you so tense, Brother Li?"
Zhong Zhenyue raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"You’ve met... the Frost Fairy, right?"
"Of course."
"This morning, she gave me this look."
Li Mo narrowed his eyes, lowered his gaze slightly, then tilted his chin up, mimicking the Frost Fairy’s expression with about thirty percent accuracy.
A mental image of "Frost Fairy’s Stare – Li Mo Edition.jpg" flashed through their minds.
"Hiss..."
Zhong Zhenyue leaned back in shock, spilling hot tea all over his lap.
"Based on your experience with women, what do you think it means?"
"But I don’t have any experience in that area, Brother Li."
"..."
Li Mo recalled the time Zhong Zhenyue had been drooling over a seductress who hadn’t even used any mind-bending martial arts.
Right.
Asking him was pointless.
This guy probably only had "fight, fight, fight" in his head, on the same level as the muscleheads from the Gangdou Sect.
Before long, they arrived at the Qingmu Barracks. As the heavy gates slowly opened, the two stepped out and proceeded on foot. The sight before them was a flurry of diverse military drills.
Some were new recruits, mostly at the Qi-Blood Realm, practicing basic thrusting techniques.
Others, at the peak of the Qi-Blood Realm, were stripped to the waist, grappling in pairs like massive bears.
Sweat, muscles, a true man’s one-on-one battle...
The most elite were the archers, all at least at the Internal Breath Condensation Realm.
Among them, many had features distinctly different from those of the Great Yu people—likely locals recruited from the Southern Border.
"How many troops are stationed in Qingmu Barracks? Is that something you can disclose?" Li Mo asked, gazing at the seemingly endless camp.
"Care to take a guess, Brother Li?"
"Three hundred thousand?"
Li Mo had seen TV shows where armies of hundreds of thousands were commonplace. Given the sheer scale of the camp before him, he figured he was being conservative.
"Haha, it’s eighty thousand."
Zhong Zhenyue strode into the barracks, his demeanor taking on a more authoritative air. "A force of three hundred thousand would be more fitting for Nanguan City. Back in the day, Nanguan truly had a million-strong army."
Li Mo nodded.
He had heard his father drunkenly boast about it before—there had been no Qingmu City in the past. Nanguan had been the Great Yu’s sole bulwark in the Southern Border.
Back then, the calamity beasts had been far more rampant than now, and Nanguan had faced the threat of falling multiple times.
"By the way, Brother Li, regarding Lu Yi—the person you asked me to find—it might take another two or three days at the earliest."
"That’s already quick. If only every garrison army were as disciplined as Qingmu Barracks."
"My father does what he can, but his hands are tied."
Zhong Zhenyue understood Li Mo’s implication and fell silent for a moment before adding,
"The Emperor no longer prioritizes Nanguan as he once did. Perhaps it’s no longer necessary."
Li Mo seemed to grasp something, pausing before smiling faintly.
"That just means the Southern Border is less likely to see war. A good thing, really."
"True. After you, Brother Li." Zhong Zhenyue also smiled, gesturing ahead toward his personal guard’s training ground.
The spacious drill field was occupied by a unit of heavily armored soldiers, numbering around three to four hundred. They were practicing formations, each exuding a fierce and spirited aura.
Commanding them was a striking female general, holding an ornate carved bow in one hand and a command flag in the other.
"Personal guards are all battle-hardened elites, their killing intent palpable."
Li Mo felt a stir within.
The aura they gave off bore some resemblance to what he sensed from the Yazi Spirit.
"Before they finish drills, how about a spar, Brother Li?"
Zhong Zhenyue was eager.
"Certainly." Li Mo drew his Chixiao Sword.
Having not wielded a sword in some time—and after a night communing with the Yazi Spirit—the swordsman in him was itching for action.
The Yazi Spirit governed blades and reveled in battle.
Their duel lasted only briefly, but Zhong Zhenyue had clearly improved—not just in skill but in experience as well.
Li Mo restricted himself to swordplay, and it wasn’t until the eightieth exchange that Zhong Zhenyue began to falter.
Moments later, a familiar system notification chimed in Li Mo’s ears.
[Congratulations, Host. Successful investment in ‘Zhong Zhenyue’—identified flaws in his martial techniques.]
[Investment Reward: Hundred-Man Formation (Black Scale Formation)]
A military formation technique?
Li Mo mused that he wasn’t a soldier.
He wondered how this formation compared to the Zhong Family’s Iron Formation of the Southern Suppressing King.
"Given time, once I reach the Internal Scenery Realm, I’ll shed the nickname ‘Eight-Armed Young Flood Dragon.’"
Drenched in sweat, Zhong Zhenyue leaned on his spear, eyes alight with determination.
He had lost, but he had gained much.
"So nicknames can be changed?"
"Of course. What’s yours again, Brother Li?"
"Hmm... the Lone Strange Sword!"
Li Mo declared with utmost seriousness.
As they spoke, Li Mo’s ears twitched, but he made no move.
Thwack!
An arrow embedded itself into the ground three inches from his foot, its fletching quivering violently.
The female general standing atop the command platform called out,
"The eleventh-ranked genius of the Hidden Dragon Ranking can’t even dodge a stray arrow? Did you earn your spot solely by..."
"Being a lucky charm for wives?"
Li Mo: "......?"
His face darkened instantly.
Really? That’s the topic you bring up?!
Zhong Zhenyue glanced at Li Mo’s sleeve, relieved to see he was still holding Chixiao, then scowled and reprimanded,
"Zhong Ling, Brother Li could’ve easily dodged your arrow—he just chose not to retaliate. Since he’s still holding his sword, you’d better apologize now."
Judging by her age, Zhong Ling was likely Zhong Zhenyue’s elder sister.
"Hmph."
Zhong Ling shot Zhong Zhenyue an angry glare before turning her gaze back to Li Mo.
"You wanted to challenge our Zhong Family’s military formation, didn’t you? I’ll command it, with Zhenyue as the vanguard. Does the ‘Hidden Dragon Heavenly Flood Dragon’ dare to face us?"
"Gladly."
Li Mo sheathed Chixiao.
He had intended to temper himself against the army’s killing intent anyway, to better harmonize with the Yazi Spirit.
Zhong Zhenyue: "?!"
Since when was I the vanguard?! I never agreed to this!
Zhong Ling, though usually fiery, wasn’t one to act recklessly. What had gotten into her today?
"How about adding a wager?"
"Fine. If you lose, you’ll serve as the cooks for my personal guards for a few days."
Zhong Ling seemed to have prepared this in advance.
"Deal."
"And if you lose, you’re never allowed to call me the ‘Lucky Charm Battle Soul’ again!"
Li Mo stripped off his upper garment, revealing a lean, panther-like torso.
His muscles, brimming with power, shimmered with a dark aura, radiating a fierce, weapon-like sharpness.
Behind him, the faint silhouette of a ferocious beast began to take shape.
Yazi!
Zhong Zhenyue: "......"
Is it too late to withdraw from the competition now?
Waiting online, kinda urgent.
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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!
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."
