"What's he doing here?"
Blood Refining Hall's Lu Ziqing was taken aback.
Before he could react, Sun Gui had already risen to greet the newcomer, offering tea with both hands and a face full of fawning smiles.
"My dear God of Wealth, what brings you here today?"
"Family matters, state affairs, worldly affairs—naturally, I'm here to lend a hand," Li Mo replied, taking a sip of the tea.
What else could he be here for? Investment, of course!
With the grand event hosted by the Great Yu Imperial Court, how could he miss the opportunity? Strangely enough, many of the renowned beauties from the Hundred Flowers Ranking seemed to know him.
"Ah? In that case, our Flourishing Trade Guild won’t interfere. If you need anything, just say the word. We might not have money, but we can certainly lend a hand with manpower," Sun Gui decisively withdrew.
Li Mo smiled at him. "Then I’ll trouble you, Manager Sun. There is indeed a matter where your help would be invaluable."
The scene left the gathered merchants stunned.
Young Li Mo’s name already thundered across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
But their understanding of him was limited to his prodigious talent, his status as a young genius, and his uncanny ability to bring fortune to his wives...
So why did Sun Gui call him the "God of Wealth"?
They soon found out.
"Ahem, esteemed guests, hosting the Hundred Flowers Grand Banquet is a matter of national importance. It must be grand, splendid, and unforgettable—no small undertaking. Be prepared for the costs," the official announced.
"Our Money Gang offers two million taels of silver!"
"The God of Wealth Bank pledges three million taels, and we’ll cover all necessary materials for the event!"
"The Verdant Wood Society offers ten vials of Seven-Pattern Spirit Pills, and several fair maidens who initially declined have agreed to perform at the banquet as a favor to us."
"As for the Flourishing Trade Guild... well, we’ll follow Young Master Li’s lead."
Sun Gui toyed with his sunglasses, clearly pleased.
The others exchanged glances, unsure what the Flourishing Trade Guild was scheming, and turned their attention to the young man beside Sun Gui.
Lu Ziqing sipped his tea, his gaze fixed on the stage.
The hosting rights for the banquet had to remain firmly in his grasp—otherwise, complications would arise.
No matter what the other side offered, he would...
Li Mo solemnly raised two fingers in a "V" gesture.
"Young Hero Li, what does this mean?" the Minister of Rites asked, having already exchanged knowing glances with Lu Ziqing. No matter Li Mo’s bid, he could always...
"Double."
"Eh? Double what?"
"The sum of their three bids combined."
"...How much?!"
The unconventional "bidding war" concluded with startling speed.
The merchants, usually boasting of wealth rivaling nations, emerged dazed, never having imagined being overwhelmed by sheer financial force.
Double. All three bids combined. Words so unfamiliar yet so chilling.
Of course, it wasn’t just the merchants left reeling—Lu Ziqing, representing both the Blood Refining Hall and the Verdant Wood Society, felt his scalp tingle.
When Li Mo’s mountain of gold crashed onto the table, he knew even his connections with the Minister of Rites couldn’t salvage the situation.
The other side had simply offered too much.
Who the hell measures gold in "mountains"?!
Aren’t you worried about devaluing the damn metal?!
---
By evening, the riverside Cloud-Treading Pavilion blazed with light.
Logically, with the Hidden Dragon Tournament over, the place should’ve quieted down—the young talents returning home to their respective sects.
Yet, it remained bustling against all expectations.
"Eh? Brother Bai, Brother Cao, Brother Wu, weren’t you returning to Yunzhou?" Xiao Qin blinked at the returning swordsmen from Sword City.
Wu Chushu clasped his hands behind his back. "I suddenly realized the imperial capital’s scenery is vast, and it’d be a shame to leave without experiencing it all."
Bai Jinghong clicked his tongue in exasperation.
Cao Mu shook his head. "We were about to leave the city when Wu Chushu saw the notice at the gate and refused to go."
"What notice?"
"The Hundred Flowers Grand Banquet."
"Eh? Then I’m not leaving either."
Murong Xiao silently set down his luggage, acknowledging his unresolved weakness.
And he wasn’t alone.
News of the banquet spread, and one by one, young heroes who’d planned to depart reversed course, quietly reclaiming their seats.
Just then, Li Mo returned, accompanied by Zhong Zhenyue.
He seemed in low spirits.
After downing several cups of tea, he still couldn’t make sense of it.
So, he’d invested in the Great Yu Dynasty and the Hundred Flowers Banquet, right?
Then why did his system’s feedback read:
[Congratulations, Host! Successful investment in Minister of Rites Song Baiyue...]
[Congratulations, Host! Successful investment in Vice Minister of Rites...]
[Congratulations, Host! Successful investment in Minister of Revenue...]
Why were all the beneficiaries the very officials present earlier?
The question left Li Mo brooding.
Clearly, relying on those officials was unreliable. Yet, he’d already taken on the banquet’s responsibilities...
Only his own people could be trusted.
"Brother Li, you’re back. Should we postpone our return to Purple Sun Prefecture?" Xiao Qin sighed.
Personally, he didn’t mind, but his mentor’s nagging was relentless.
Li Mo nodded. "Yes, we’ll stay for now. There’s still the Hundred Flowers Banquet."
"Heh, Brother Li... you already have Fairy Han, yet you’re still eyeing the banquet?" Wu Chushu’s gaze accused him of heartless playboy tendencies.
"Misunderstanding."
"Oh? Then why stay?"
"I’m the investor."
"???"
The table fell dead silent.
In an instant, several expressions shifted from shock to silence, then to outright sycophancy.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
