Immediately creating a gap with the young talents

Question, what's the most important thing about grilled skewers?

Is it how good they taste?

No, that's only the second most important. The top priority is aroma!

It's just like instant noodles—when you open the package, the smell hits you like a drug, making anyone with an empty stomach drool. Grilled skewers work the same magic!

Master Little Li put great effort into perfecting the fragrance, filling the entire Wanchun Pavilion with a spicy, mouthwatering aroma.

However, skewers aren't a common sight in the Imperial Capital. Eating them leaves one's mouth greasy, which isn’t considered classy.

To put it in perspective—

Wanchun Pavilion is like a seven-star hotel where you’d wear a suit and tie just to step inside, while skewers belong to street-side stalls. Seeing them here feels downright bizarre.

But what if the one grilling them is the top-ranked genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking?

That makes it even weirder, doesn’t it?!

After the attendants delivered the message, doors soon opened one after another. Many of the women on the "Flower Ranking," curious about the man famed for his "Prosperous Wife Combat Soul," had even dressed up upon hearing of his arrival.

Most of the flowers who came to the Imperial Capital were young.

Time is a merciless blade, turning beauty into white-haired old age. The women on the Flower Ranking were renowned for their looks, but that didn’t necessarily mean their talent could defy the passage of years.

Besides, true powerhouses like the sect master of Penglai Star Sect—a top-tier figure on the Heavenly Ranking and a heroine in her own right—wouldn’t bother attending something like the Flower Gathering.

"What a delicious smell... Where is Young Master Li?" Lan Tian scanned the hall.

"Seems like... he’s over there grilling skewers?" Tu Yan raised an eyebrow.

The women exchanged glances, confusion evident in their eyes.

The image of the Hidden Dragon Ranking’s top genius seemed to crumble just a little.

"Isn’t he the swordmaster who wields the Celestial Blade...?"

"I saw the poetry he left behind in Yunzhou—I thought he’d be a refined scholar, a gentleman of jade-like grace."

"Somehow, he feels... different from what I imagined."

"Wanchun Pavilion’s dishes are pricey, but did he really have to bring his own food to grill? The smell is overwhelming."

Lady Shen covered her nose, her brows furrowed tightly.

Born into a scholarly family, she’d been raised in an environment of refined elegance—surrounded by erudite company, far removed from common vulgarity. Before stepping out, she had even lit incense as a gesture of respect for the occasion.

Yet never could she have imagined that Li Mo would fall so far short of his reputation. There was no trace of the dashing, free-spirited, heroic figure she’d envisioned.

To put it bluntly, he seemed... rather unrefined.

Especially the way he expertly flipped those skewers—it made him look like a somewhat handsome street vendor, a far cry from the lofty image in her mind.

As for his looks...

Every renowned beauty had admirers fluttering around them like butterflies. Compared to those young talents, Young Li seemed rather ordinary—yet oddly confident.

Had he gone to the trouble of hosting the Flower Gathering just to entertain them like this?

What kind of event would this turn into?

A countryside variety show?

Many shared Lady Shen’s sentiments.

"What’s taking them so long?"

Li Mo had already finished grilling, but when he looked up, he saw a crowd of "unremarkable" and "slightly pretty" women lingering upstairs.

"?"

"Young... Young Master Li, does this taste good?"

A clear voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of someone swallowing saliva.

The woman wore a sea-silk robe, her hair a flowing blue like ocean waves, her eyes bright and lively.

Perhaps sensing something familiar in Li Mo’s aura, she mustered the courage to approach.

"Want to try some?"

After scanning her with his Celestial Eye, Li Mo handed her a few skewers with a smile.

"Ahh... so spicy!"

Lan Tian gasped, a tear forming from the heat.

But before the tear could fall, it crystallized into a gleaming pearl.

The sight reminded Li Mo of Zhen Bang...

But unlike Zhen Bang, Lan Tian wasn’t a shapeshifted demon—she was more like Murong Xiao, a half-human, half-demon hybrid.

Just then—

The peony-adorned ceiling of the pavilion opened, and Luo Ji, under the alias Su Yao, descended. Seeing the hesitant flowers, she paused.

"Why is everyone standing here?"

"You’re the proprietor of Wanchun Pavilion, Su Yao, ranked tenth?"

"Oh, the pavilion no longer belongs to this humble one."

Noticing their thoughts, Luo Ji felt a mischievous urge and said softly,

"The ownership has changed hands."

"Young Master Li just bought Wanchun Pavilion. Now even I must follow his orders—lest the high-ranking officials he’s acquainted with take offense."

"??"

Their gazes turned downward, landing on the figure who had just put out the grill.

Funny how things change.

With the halo of "wealth beyond measure," the entire context shifted. Grilling skewers in his own establishment? That wasn’t tacky—it was down-to-earth!

"How much did Wanchun Pavilion cost?"

"There’s no fixed price. Young Master Li handed me a blank check and told me to fill in the number."

"The moment I saw him, I knew he was dashing. Now it seems he’s also true to his roots."

"That smell is oddly enticing. Is this the legendary grilled skewers?"

"Truly, he’s like a firefly in the dark—even while grilling, he stands out so vividly."

Why had they flocked to the Imperial Capital from all corners?

For fame, for a place in the most dazzling city of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

And now, Li Mo had instantly outshone every other young talent.