"Lately, even Qinghe County has seen an influx of martial artists," Li Mo mused as he gazed at the bustling street. Ahead, a group of swordsmen from Yunzhou stood out—each clad in white robes, long swords strapped to their backs, shivering like quails in the heavy snow. Yet, none of that dampened their belief in their own dashing appearance.
A true martial artist could circulate their inner energy to ward off the cold, but who in their right mind would keep it flowing nonstop for twelve hours a day? Unless, of course, they were like Li Mo, who possessed seven Mystic Pills.
"Li... Brother Li?"
Just as Li Mo was pondering whether his recent special effects had been a tad excessive, a familiar voice called out to him. It was none other than the famed "Three Heroes of Hengyun"—Wu Chushu, Cao Mu, and Bai Jinghong.
"What brings you here?"
"Are you also heading to Rotten Ke Mountain to investigate? A few days ago, ten thousand swords filled the sky there—an earth-shaking spectacle, truly grand."
"Ten thousand swords are impressive, sure, but a bit overdone these days. Personally, I prefer today’s phenomenon—the Heavenly Furnace Refining the Sun."
Li Mo nodded, giving himself a modest evaluation of his recent work.
Cao Mu: "?"
Wu Chushu: "??"
Bai Jinghong: "..."
How did he know such details? How could he recount today’s celestial phenomenon with such precision?
Noticing their bewildered expressions, Li Mo cleared his throat lightly.
"It’s almost New Year’s. You’re still heading to Rotten Ke Mountain?"
Bai Jinghong shook his head, maintaining the aloof demeanor of a lone swordsman.
"Brother Li, you haven’t been idle this New Year either, have you?"
Once absent from the Hidden Dragon Ranking, both Li Mo and Ying Bing had now surged into the top five.
Which rising star on the Hidden Dragon Ranking wouldn’t want to compete for the top spot?
But the current leader was none other than Jiang Yu, the Crown Prince of Great Yu—a prodigy said to rival his ancestor, the Martial Emperor. Backed by an entire dynasty and showered with the finest resources from across the land, he loomed over the rankings like an insurmountable peak.
To surpass him? Talent and effort alone wouldn’t cut it—one needed heaven-defying fortune.
And to many, the legacy of Rotten Ke Mountain was precisely that opportunity.
"I’ve been quite busy," Li Mo admitted, tilting his head at a perfect 45-degree angle, his expression as cold as ice.
Ah, nights were spent in dual cultivation with the "Ice Block" (Ying Bing), planning tomorrow’s special effects, and tutoring the little Princess Jiang.
Days were spent riding his somersault cloud to Rotten Ke Mountain to add more spectacle. And with New Year’s approaching, he still had to maintain the collective spiritual energy of the southern tribes.
Either he was showing off in public, or he was on his way to do so.
Young Li was exhausted.
Wu Chushu’s expression turned solemn.
"It seems Brother Li has prepared thoroughly."
"Of course. How else could I enjoy the New Year in peace?"
Li Mo spoke as if it were obvious, then paused.
...Wait.
Where’s my Ice Block?
She was holding my hand just a moment ago—how did she vanish in two sentences?
As Li Mo scanned the crowd, he noticed Bai Jinghong and the others staring past him, their faces pale as if they’d seen a ghost.
New Year’s wasn’t supposed to be this eerie, was it?
A chill ran down Li Mo’s spine as he turned—and froze.
There stood Ying Bing, clad in a striking red dress, holding a tiger-head hat—the kind meant for children, adorable and tiny.
Her cold, distant beauty only intensified in the new crimson attire. She squeezed the hat thoughtfully.
"Li Mo, does this look nice?"
"We don’t have any kids at home."
"Do you like it?" Ying Bing hugged the hat, her voice soft.
Li Mo hesitated. "I wouldn’t even fit my head in..."
Undeterred, Ying Bing tugged the hat onto his head—and somehow, it worked.
Thus, the dashing Li Mo acquired his New Year’s skin:
"Divine Hammer Little Tyrant—Limited Tiger-Head Edition."
Li Mo: "..."
He didn’t dare imagine what the Yantian Sect would write in the next Hidden Dragon Ranking if they saw this.
"Ten taels of silver. Not too expensive..."
Ying Bing adjusted the tiger whiskers on his head, murmuring to herself.
"Wait, how much?"
"Ten taels."
"Ten taels for a hat? If it were made from an actual tiger’s head, maybe! Which stall was this? Even immortals wouldn’t charge so outrageously. Let’s go—I’ll back you up."
Did they think the "Little Scourge of Qinghe County" was just for show?
Li Mo took two steps forward—then doubled back to take Ying Bing’s hand before nodding to the Three Heroes and leaving.
Ying Bing glanced at the trio, finding them vaguely familiar. She wanted to greet them but realized she couldn’t recall their names.
So instead, she swept them with an icy stare before turning away with regal grace.
"..."
Bai Jinghong, Wu Chushu, and Cao Mu fell into deep contemplation, wondering if they’d just witnessed something surreal.
After a long silence, Cao Mu spoke, gripping his sword.
"Li Mo and Ying Bing must have made extensive preparations for Rotten Ke Mountain’s trial. What we saw might just be the surface."
"Right. Behind the scenes, they’ve probably devised some method to seize the opportunity in one stroke," Bai Jinghong added.
He himself often trained in secret, telling Wu Chushu and Cao Mu he was at the pleasure houses to lull them into complacency—until he was caught.
Because Wu Chushu actually spent all his time at the pleasure houses.
Wu Chushu crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the retreating figures.
Everyone knew Li Mo had always outshone him in public displays—his exploits in the southern frontier were legendary.
He was curious how Li Mo and Ying Bing had both climbed into the Hidden Dragon Ranking’s top five.
"Should we follow them?"
"Mm. ‘Other people’s strengths can polish our own jade.’"
"I’d also like to see how they train to progress so quickly."
And so, the trio trailed after them, soon spotting Li Mo and Ying Bing again in the lively streets.
Li Mo was at a hat stall, still holding Ying Bing’s hand.
"Ten taels? Boss, isn’t that a bit much?"
"Ahem... Young Master Li, what price did you have in mind?"
The vendor clearly knew Li Mo—and sounded nervous.
Li Mo held up an 'eight' with his fingers.
"Eight taels?"
"Eight coppers."
"???? Young Master Li, that’s not how bargaining works!"
The vendor nearly fainted, then stiffened as a terrifying realization struck him.
In Li Mo, he saw the shadow of someone who haunted every small merchant on this street—
Gu Xueqin!
And so, the scene inexplicably ignited.
Li Mo and the vendor launched into a thrilling, high-stakes battle of haggling.
"..."
A flicker of confusion passed through Ying Bing’s serene eyes.
Ten taels of silver—no, even ten taels of gold—meant nothing to him.
So why was he negotiating as if it were a life-or-death duel between masters?
"One tael and four maces. If you lower the price, I’ll take two. No? Fine, I’m leaving. I’m really leaving now."
In the end, Li Mo deployed the "walk-away bluff" tactic—and emerged victorious.
Turning back to Ying Bing, he grinned and lifted his chin like a triumphant general.
Ying Bing pursed her lips, took out the money jar from the big-headed doll, and began counting the silver inside.
As she counted, a faint glimmer of delight flickered in her cool, downcast eyes.
"So bargaining is actually possible."
"Of course it is."
Li Mo paid the money and picked up a white-furred cat-eared hat from the stall.
The stall owner said with a wry smile, "Madam Li is terrifyingly good at haggling. I dread it whenever she comes around."
Hearing this, Ying Bing's gaze wavered slightly, and her hand paused as she watched Li Mo adjusting the fluffy white cat hat.
"Li Mo."
"Hmm?"
"I want to learn too."
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
transmigrates into the role of a villainous rich second-generation kid in an urban fantasy novel, and gets bound to a god-tier choice system. Right at the start, he catches the female lead stealing exam papers! This triggers the villain's choice options! [Choice 1: Pretend you didn't see anything] [Choice 2: Loudly call her out, drawing everyone's attention] [Choice 3: ...] And thus, a twisted villain is born. To avoid getting killed by the protagonist, he has no choice but to take down all the protagonists first. Jiang Che: Nobody understands being twisted better than me!
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.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
