Li Mo gathered all the rare herbs and treasures and placed them inside the hollowed-out tree root bathtub. Then, he called out to the attendant outside, asking him to prepare hot water.
Before long, the chamber was filled with steam, the air thick with the sweet, fragrant scent of flowers and herbs.
Li Mo glanced at the bathtub, now adorned with floating petals, and tested the water temperature. Satisfied that it was similar to the Mistflower Immortal Spring, he turned to the side and said,
"Ice block, the 'soup' is ready. Come in."
Ying Bing pressed her lips together, her beautiful eyes flickering with complicated emotions.
"Is this today's four dishes and one 'soup'?"
"Huh?"
Li Mo was momentarily stunned.
He hadn’t prepared any soup during dinner—mainly because they had returned late, and he was exhausted.
This "soup" wasn’t meant for drinking anyway...
"In the southern borderlands, hot springs are called 'soup.' Oh~ You didn’t think..."
"I didn’t."
Ying Bing stared at him coolly.
"...Right."
Li Mo had initially wanted to explain, but as silence fell, he recalled the scenery he had glimpsed during their last massage session.
As everyone knew, Li Tianjiao possessed an incredibly robust physique, capable of bearing the weight of four thousand soldiers and armor, even smashing disaster beasts’ skulls with his bare hands.
Yet, there were things even an indestructible body couldn’t withstand.
Some things could make him bleed in an instant.
How terrifying.
Searching his conscience, Young Li considered himself a gentleman. But if he were to scoop a bowl of water from the bathtub she had just soaked in, he feared his mouth might have ideas of its own.
With utmost seriousness, Li Mo said, "Go ahead and soak. The 'soup' will cool soon, and that wouldn’t be... good. It wouldn’t feel comfortable."
Ying Bing pinched the head of a large doll in her hands, her tone faintly mocking. "Young Hero Li, truly a paragon of virtue..."
"Naturally."
Li Mo maintained an utterly solemn expression.
Splash—
A wisp of rosy light materialized into a tiny hand, pulling a folding screen across the room.
It divided the chamber in two, turning one side into a makeshift bathing area.
"?"
Young Gentleman Li’s expression stiffened.
What? Even a gentleman must be guarded against?
Thus, the most beautiful scenery in the world might be separated from you by nothing more than a screen.
She was inside. He was outside.
The glow of the night pearl illuminated the chamber, casting a soft, radiant light far gentler and brighter than candle flames. The woven screen appeared pristine, like a blank canvas.
The silhouette of the young maiden projected onto it, giving form to the interplay of light and shadow—a sight that stirred the heart.
Rustling sounds emerged.
"Hm? What’s that noise?"
Gentleman Li sat at the table, maintaining an air of solemnity as he analyzed the situation calmly.
Indeed.
That must be the sound of silk stockings being removed...
Young Li took a deep breath and pinched his own waist hard.
The system had issued so many rewards today, and he hadn’t even had the chance to claim and sort through them yet!
The Seventy-Two Transformations had reached perfection, and he still needed to study the Somersault Cloud from the "Monkey Seeks the Dao" painting!
Li Mo, oh Li Mo, how could you be so depraved?
"I can’t afford to be distracted like this!"
Summoning the system, Li Mo inhaled deeply and began reviewing the long list of rewards.
[Investment Return: Rongyuan Military Crossbow ×10.]
[Rongyuan Seven-Kill Crossbow: Crafted in the early years by the military artificer Gongsun Buqi. Can be charged with true essence, boasting extraordinary penetrative power. Even the defensive fields of ordinary Inner Realm experts cannot withstand it. A true killing weapon among military equipment.]
"Military gear?"
Li Mo’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Though this item was valuable, it clearly couldn’t compare to the rewards obtained from Ying Bing or Princess Xiao Jiang.
But similar items had never appeared as returns before—he had rarely even seen them.
The Great Yu did not prohibit swords, blades, or even bows and armor. Sects could even maintain private militias.
However, anyone caught hoarding military-grade weaponry would be treated as a rebel.
Thus, Li Mo had never encountered such items even in Yunzhou’s bustling markets.
The Rongyuan Seven-Kill Crossbow was a bronze-colored ballista, exuding a chilling aura of lethality—undoubtedly falling into this category.
[Investment Return: Thunderfire Pills ×50 crates.]
[Thunderfire Pills]: "A certain alchemy prodigy, gifted by nature, found that no matter what pill he refined, the cauldron would not only explode with alarming frequency but also with extraordinary force. It turned out there had been a mistake during his initial aptitude test—he did not possess a fire-wood spiritual root but a fire-thunder one.
Mocked and humiliated by his sect, he eventually left in fury and joined the Great Yu’s Divine Machinery Battalion, becoming a master of military explosives. In the end, he used Thunderfire Pills to blast his former sect into the sky."
"..."
Li Mo now had a rough idea of this item’s potency.
It was probably as volatile as the temperament of that 'misguided' explosives expert.
So... did this thing even count as a pill?
Elder Xue, the genius alchemist who had once refined external mystic pills, might be able to provide a definitive answer...
"What kind of rewards are these?"
"It’s not like I plan to blow up my own sect."
Frowning, Li Mo continued scrolling.
[Investment Return: Heavenly Tribulation Warding Banners ×4.]
[Heavenly Tribulation Warding Banners]: "When embedded into mountain walls or city fortifications, they can multiply defensive capabilities. Their sturdiness depends on the strength of the wielder maintaining the formations and the ambient spiritual energy."
......
[Investment Return: Thunder-Patterned War Drum.]
[Thunder-Patterned War Drum]: "A master craftsman used the hide of a thunder beast, said to carry a trace of the Kui Bull’s bloodline, and inscribed thunder patterns upon it to create this war drum. Its sound shakes the heavens, bolstering allies’ morale and striking fear into formidable foes."
......
[Investment Return: One Mystic Crystal.]
[Investment Return: 10,000 Demon-Slaying Arrows.]
[Investment Return: One Peace Golden Lock.]
[Investment Return: A pair of patchwork shoes sewn by mother.]
......
Among the subsequent rewards, aside from miscellaneous items, the valuable ones were either Mystic Crystals or military equipment. The crystals numbered in the thousands, while the military gear amounted to seventeen or eighteen types, all in considerable quantities.
Staring at the system’s storage space, now packed with enough Mystic Crystals and military supplies to sustain a small-scale war, Young Li fell into deep thought.
"System, you’ve been getting a little too 'criminal' lately."
Under normal circumstances, these rewards were practically unusable, weren’t they?
They couldn’t even be sold—even if he dared to offer them in bulk, who would dare buy them? Discovery would mean certain execution for the entire family.
He already had military funds.
If the system were to toss him a yellow robe next, it might as well be urging him to raise the banner of rebellion.
Hah, he absolutely couldn’t let his master find out.
She’d probably declare herself the Grand Imperial Emperor and immediately appoint Elder Hanhe as the Crown Imperial Grandson.
"Hopefully, these things will never see the light of day. Best if they rot in the system’s storage."
Shaking his head, Li Mo dispelled the mental image.
Better to focus on mastering the Somersault Cloud for now...
He swallowed a Seven-Lined Clarity Pill, then retrieved the "Monkey Seeks the Dao" painting.
"Only Brother Monkey can calm my mind."
Just as Gentleman Li was about to immerse himself in meditation—
Splash—
The sound of water came from beside him.
Inside the shimmering bathtub, Ying Bing had been about to rise when she suddenly froze, a flush creeping up her snow-white neck.
She had forgotten something.
Her birthday was approaching—she would soon turn seventeen, and her body had been growing quickly.
Her undergarments no longer fit properly. While the Jade Phoenix Form allowed her to alter her appearance and attire, it didn’t extend to the most intimate layers.
She had meant to buy new ones on the way back today.
But after slipping her hand into the young man’s pocket, she had completely forgotten.
She couldn’t very well step out with nothing underneath...
"......"
Ying Bing grabbed the floating bobblehead doll and searched through it.
A few seconds later.
Plop—
The chibi version of Li Mo plopped back onto the water's surface against her chest, splashing lightly.
Ying Bing pressed her jade-like lips together, hugging her slender legs as she sat in the wooden tub.
Nothing.
After a pause, her voice—cool, calm, and utterly 'composed'—drifted from behind the folding screen:
"Li Mo, I forgot something."
"What?"
"My clothes."
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."
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!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
