Ice Cube: "Something Bad Hit Me"

Those who frequently rebel know all too well that starting an uprising is easy, but ascending the throne in the end is far more difficult.

Unless you're an undercover agent.

"Mo City?"

"Correct."

"They also intend to compete for the Divine Sword and lay claim to the Emperor's throne?"

"Exactly."

After receiving Li Mo's confirmation, the Celestial clansmen collectively leaned back slightly.

To be honest, until now, many of them had hoped to secure Mo City's support, as its influence was undeniably formidable.

Never had they imagined that Mo City had no intention of backing any of them—they planned to seize power for themselves.

"How dare they?"

"Even the Earth City wouldn't dare defy us. Where do these mortals from the Human City get such audacity?"

"Hmph, I think we should set aside our mutual suspicions for now and unite to suppress the Human City first."

The Celestials fought among themselves, but regardless of who won or lost, the Divine Sword would remain in their hands.

The Earth City and Human City were different—if they were to wield the Divine Sword, would they expect the Celestials to bow to mere mortals?

"Agreed. For now, we must stand together against a common enemy!"

Li Mo spoke with righteous conviction, his words ringing with authority.

The Celestials were moved by his unwavering righteousness, exchanging glances as their expressions softened.

An elder among them, holding a mirror with the power to discern truth, scratched his head.

Something felt off.

Li Mo wasn’t even a Celestial—why was he the first to call for unity?

Yet when he glanced down at the mirror again, it showed no reaction. Li Mo’s words were sincere.

Had the mirror malfunctioned?

"Hmph, letting go of grudges isn’t so simple. Some accounts still need settling!"

A Celestial clad in robes embroidered with golden coin patterns snorted coldly.

Li Mo recognized him—this was Geng Lian, an exceptionally powerful Celestial born with auspicious purple radiance.

His abilities resembled a certain freeloading elder’s—the wealthier he was, the stronger his influence.

Behind the Earth City’s banks and businesses, his shadow loomed large.

If he was this furious, it had to be about money.

"Hmph, you want to settle accounts with me? I have grievances of my own!"

The accused, Yan Tu, refused to back down.

Li Mo coughed lightly. "Old grudges are best resolved. A little wealth—"

"Yan Tu poured boiling water on my money tree!" Geng Lian gnashed his teeth, rolling up his sleeves as if ready to fight. "That was a betrothal gift from my wife. I’ve always believed deities watch over us—this is a declaration of war!"

"That is a bit excessive... Wait."

Li Mo nodded before pausing.

You’re a Celestial—why would you believe in deities watching over you?

"Excessive? That tree was mine to begin with!"

Yan Tu also rolled up his sleeves, revealing dark, muscular arms. "You seduced my sister, then stole my sapling. I’d rather destroy it than let you have it! Don’t pretend you didn’t know my sister took it from me!"

"I... I didn’t know." Geng Lian’s bravado faltered.

Bzzz—

The elder’s mirror flashed red like an alarm.

"Huh, the mirror isn’t broken after all."

Li Mo: "..."

This was more complicated than he thought.

At that moment, Po Jun spoke up, frowning. "Enough. Petty squabbles have no place here."

"What matters now is how to deal with Mo City."

Lei Ze nodded in agreement.

"Li Mo, do you have anything else to report?"

The elder put away the mirror and turned to Li Mo with a serious expression.

"Though Mo City is based in the Human City, its strength cannot be underestimated. Figures like Dong Er... no, Dong Changtian are not unique."

Li Mo added silently in his heart:

For example, himself.

The Celestials fell into deep thought, their expressions growing graver.

None of them could confidently claim victory if they faced Dong Changtian alone.

"Go on."

"Mo City is about to launch an attack. The Earth City’s warriors are unreliable, but fortunately, the Celestial City has natural defenses. Since we know their plans in advance, as long as we conduct drills, we can ensure they return empty-handed."

"Drills?"

"Exactly!"

Li Mo pulled out several sheets of paper from his robe. "If Mo City does attack, we must prepare for every contingency."

The Celestials fell silent for a long moment, their eyes lingering on Li Mo’s slightly yellowed robes.

With such meticulous planning, he might as well be the Emperor.

Fortunately, Li Mo had gone undercover in the Human City and never ascended to Celestial status.

"You know military strategy too? In that case, come find me later. We’ll draft the drill plans together."

Po Jun decided Li Mo might just be a genius.

Evening.

Li Mo emerged from his residence, escorted personally by Po Jun to the Earth City. Since the drills required coordination with the Earth City, Li Mo had also asked Old Li to gather the noble families for discussions.

Thus, the great houses had already assembled at the Li Manor.

"Didn’t young Li join Mo City and make quite a name for himself?"

"Have you heard Mo City’s slogan? They’re rebelling!"

"So isn’t Li Mo a traitor now? How dare he swagger back into the Earth City?"

"I wonder what the Li family head has summoned us for. Surely nothing illegal..."

Several influential Earth City nobles hesitated at the gate, unsure whether to enter.

But just then, someone exclaimed, "Is that Po Jun of the Celestials?"

Po Jun held an exalted position among the Celestials, his innate prowess focused entirely on combat.

In these tense times, many Earth City families sought his favor.

Yet Po Jun wasn’t alone.

He personally escorted a young man to the Li Manor’s entrance.

Patting Li Mo’s shoulder with approval, he said,

"Li Mo, keep up the good work. If I become Emperor, I won’t forget you. At the very least, I’ll make you a general."

"I believe so too."

Po Jun smiled, pleased with his sharp judgment.

Li Mo also smiled—Po Jun was surprisingly decent.

Meanwhile, the Earth City nobles stood frozen, their minds short-circuiting.

Wasn’t Li Mo a high-ranking member of Mo City?

Since when did traitors get escorted by Celestials? This was absurd—had all their years in the Earth City been for nothing?

"Drop by the Li Manor for drinks sometime."

"Of course. I’ll take my leave now."

After waving Po Jun off, Li Mo turned to find the Earth City nobles staring at him, torn between approaching and holding back, their faces a mix of bewilderment and burning curiosity.

"?"

"Nephew Li, weren’t you doing well in Mo City? Why...?"

"Ah, now that things have come to this, I might as well come clean."

Li Mo reintroduced himself: "I was an undercover agent sent by the Celestials to infiltrate Mo City."

"!!"

The air grew still as the nobles’ eyes gleamed with sudden understanding.

Years ago, why had young Li, with his extraordinary talent, failed to inherit anything?

Why hadn’t he stayed to take over the family business?

And how, as a rebel, had he been personally delivered back by a Celestial?

Now, it seemed all the pieces had finally fallen into place!

The way the crowd looked at Li Mo shifted in an instant.