The main hall of the peak fell into an eerie silence.
The elders were first left bewildered, then some began pacing like ants on a hot pan, others sank into deep thought, and a few even wondered if it was too late to leave the sect now.
"You... slapped the Crown Prince's face?"
Qian Bufan stood dumbfounded, his beady eyes losing focus.
Li Mo cleared his throat. "Ahem, it's more of a figure of speech. Not literally."
Before the elders could sigh in relief,
Li Mo added, "Though it might be slightly worse than actually slapping him."
"??"
The elders nearly choked on their unshed breath, their vision darkening.
Shang Wu was already unrivaled in stirring up trouble, yet here was someone who outdid even her.
Who taught you to surpass the master in troublemaking?!
Sect Master Shangguan Wencang appeared relatively composed as he asked,
"What exactly happened?"
"Chu Long was being bullied by Jiang Yu's sword attendant, so I stepped in. That's how the conflict started."
Li Mo said, holding a vegetable basket.
Chu Long?
That delicate girl who worked at the Happy Lamb Hot Pot restaurant?
Hearing this, the elders could somewhat understand Li Mo's actions.
Besides, Jiang Yu didn’t have "Crown Prince of Great Yu" written on his forehead—seeing their own innocent girl bullied, anyone would react.
The elders often visited the hot pot shop and had noticed the girl’s extraordinary talent. Moreover, with Mei Yun, an Inner Realm expert, frequently by her side, they had guessed she was no ordinary person.
But they hadn’t known the specifics.
Shangguan Wencang spoke gravely, "Elaborate further."
Li Mo coughed lightly. "Chu Long... also shares the surname Jiang."
Also... Jiang?
A puzzle in the elders' minds was solved—why would the Crown Prince of Great Yu go out of his way to harass that girl?
Jiang Chulong... was she of the imperial family?
Yet new questions arose.
If she were a princess of Great Yu, why was she working as a waitress? And what complicated reason had led the Crown Prince to target her?
One thing was certain:
Li Mo had unwittingly stumbled into the whirlpool of imperial intrigue.
Even wealthy families had unfathomable depths—how much more treacherous were imperial affairs?
Elder Qian suggested, "Run. Don’t even pack. Flee to the Southern Border and never return to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Take Shang Wu with you."
"If I run, what about you all?" Li Mo shook his head.
Xue Jing sighed. "If the Crown Prince seeks retribution, it won’t matter whether you’re here or not."
"And what about that Profound Mystic expert?"
Elder Han He still remembered the lone lotus blooming in the vast sky.
"Perhaps it’s related to Chu Long’s master. I just happened to be there."
Li Mo tucked the Mirage Spirit Pearl back into his system space.
Shangguan Wencang, Qian Bufan, Xue Jing, Han He, and the other elders now had a rough understanding.
Jiang Chulong had a powerful master who initially refrained from bullying the younger generation, observing quietly until Li Mo intervened.
Only when Jiang Yu’s guardian acted did that hidden expert reveal themselves.
Clearly, they had no ties to the Qingyuan Sect.
Nor could they erase the fact that Li Mo had offended the Crown Prince.
"What should we do?" Elder Qian was at a loss.
No one answered—only the heavens knew.
If the Crown Prince pursued this, Li Mo’s only option was to flee, living the rest of his life under the hunt of the Sky Patrol Guards.
And what of the Qingyuan Sect?
Being held accountable for failing to discipline their disciple would be justified...
"For now... we wait and observe."
After a long silence, Shangguan Wencang finally spoke.
"Li Mo has just accomplished great deeds in the Southern Border, known throughout the land. By public justice, he cannot be casually punished."
"Proceed as usual within the sect."
"Tomorrow, we’ll first gauge Jiang Yu’s stance."
The elders continued deliberating, brainstorming solutions. Not one suggested handing their disciple over for judgment.
Warmth filled Li Mo’s heart.
"If it comes to it, we can relocate the entire Qingyuan Sect into a pocket realm."
"Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that."
......
Ziyang Prefecture City.
In the residence of the Lord of Ziyang Prefecture, Jiang Yu sat in the host’s seat, gently stroking a gleaming sword, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.
"Your Highness, the expert protecting that boy has no record in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Their origins are completely unknown."
"They likely belong to no known faction—perhaps not even to this era."
The Thin Old Man seated beside him spoke.
In other words, the lotus-manifesting expert might be the boy’s master.
"Hm."
Jiang Yu neither confirmed nor denied, still caressing his sword. Suddenly, he frowned.
A streak of crimson slid down the blade—as if the divine sword itself was silently protesting.
"Your Highness!"
The Green-clothed Sword Attendant hurriedly fetched precious medicine to bandage his hand.
"That brat is too insolent! Just because he’s ranked fourth on the Hidden Dragon List and has a Profound Mystic master, he thinks he’s untouchable."
The Pink-clothed Woman, her arm bandaged, spoke bitterly.
Their assumption was natural.
From all appearances, that mysterious Profound Mystic expert had been shielding Li Mo.
And Li Mo was merely a disciple of a prefecture-level force in the Eastern Wasteland Domain—his rapid rise surely stemmed from extraordinary opportunities.
"You want me to kill him?"
Jiang Yu glanced sidelong at the Pink-clothed Woman, his dual-pupiled eyes scrutinizing.
As a maidservant, she was usually domineering, but today she had overstepped.
He had never ordered Jiang Chulong’s disfigurement.
The Pink-clothed Woman faltered, her tone softening. "This servant wouldn’t dare. It’s all for Your Highness to decide."
Jiang Yu said indifferently, "I won’t kill him. I’ll even grant him an official post."
"An official post?"
The two female attendants exchanged startled glances.
The Thin Old Man remarked calmly,
"His Highness is benevolent and magnanimous—how could he lack tolerance?"
"However... if that boy survives leaving Rotten Ke Mountain, he can count himself fortunate."
Jiang Yu would do nothing.
But there were those who would bend over backward to serve him, whether he needed it or not—all to curry favor with the future emperor.
Such as removing an eyesore.
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...
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!
