What should Xiao Li do if he wants to go to the toilet

"The dynasty's fortune..."

Upon hearing Xiao Qin's words, Huang Donglai and Murong Xiao exchanged glances, as if they had reached some decision.

"Luckily, I wrote down my rebellion experience back then."

Huang Donglai silently pulled out his imperial ascension manual.

"Old Huang, go get some potent elixirs. I'll strike as the chosen disciple of the Hanging Temple. Together, we'll grow stronger and reclaim our glory."

Murong Xiao clasped his hands together and said,

"May the Buddha bless us. Once this succeeds, I'll have my foster father appoint me as the state preceptor, and I'll accumulate merits for you every day."

Xiao Qin: "..."

You two are acting like this is real.

How does it seem like you’ve been prepared for this all along?

After some idle chatter, the mood among the three quickly turned somber again.

In the top-floor room of the Wanspring Pavilion.

Night had fallen, and the room was brightly lit. Though many people were present, the silence was so deep one could hear a pin drop.

A figure lay on the soft couch, his breathing imperceptible. He looked like a ragdoll that had been shattered and then clumsily stitched back together.

His densely covered wounds still oozed fresh blood, staining Ying Bing’s robes with splashes of crimson.

"Even the Eight-Line Heaven-Mending Pill from Tianbao Workshop didn’t work?"

"Has Little Treasure arrived yet? Let him lick Li Mo a couple of times..."

Shang Wu clutched her gourd of wine, scratching her head in frustration.

Elder Hanhe’s wrinkles deepened enough to crush a mosquito.

"The 'Little Treasure' you speak of is the Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir, isn’t it? That’s a fiercely potent medicine—far too strong for Li Mo in his current state."

Qin Yuzhi, once the leader of the Divine Calling Sect, had dabbled in many fields, including medicine.

She proposed several methods, but none had much effect.

For now, Li Mo was being sustained solely by Ying Bing’s inner-world ability, "Reverse Journey."

In simpler terms, time flowed unusually slowly around him, delaying his march toward the end.

"Didn’t he seem slightly better just now? Could the medicine be working?"

Shang Wu’s eyes suddenly brightened.

Ying Bing’s face was pale, almost translucent, as she murmured blankly,

"It’s not the medicine. It’s the power of the masses."

That seed of the ancient bronze tree now resided in Li Mo’s dantian.

Its miraculous, almost divine energy temporarily replaced his shattered inner world, stabilizing his spirit and body.

But it was still not his original inner world.

"His inner realm must be connected to the power of the masses. Now that he’s the talk of the world, his inner realm has improved slightly."

"But... it’s not enough."

Ying Bing brushed her fingers across his cheek. The realness of his suffering sent a dull, splitting pain through her heart, as if a chasm had opened beneath her—an endless abyss pulling her deeper and deeper...

Since her rebirth, she had faced everything with confidence.

Yet now, for the first time, she was utterly powerless.

He had shattered his world to forge hers. But what could she use to save him?

"If the power of the masses works... what about the fortune of a nation?"

The familiar voice made Ying Bing freeze. She looked up to see Shang Wu speaking.

Gone was her usual reckless demeanor—now she stood solemn and dignified.

At this moment, she didn’t resemble the Qingyuan Sect’s brawler but rather a noble Vermilion Bird.

"National fortune is refined from the power of the masses, so it would naturally be more effective. But aside from Great Yu..."

Ying Bing paused, as if realizing something, and tightened her grip on the doll in her hands.

She was, after all, sharp-witted—and some things she had already lived through once.

With a bit of calm reflection, the pieces fell into place.

Why had the Demon-Summoning Sect schemed so meticulously against the Qingyuan Sect alone, even planting a mole among its elders?

Why had the Qingyuan Sect’s downfall been so sudden?

Why had the Bronze Divine Tree, long destroyed, retained its miraculous properties within the sect?

Those questions were secondary now.

What mattered was that there was hope.

"Within the imperial mausoleum... lies the remaining fortune of the Great Shang dynasty."

Qin Yuzhi sighed, revealing the true reason she had stayed in the Qingyuan Sect all this time.

"I’ll have Little Azure Luan take me back to the sect to prepare." Shang Wu set her wine gourd down on the table and turned to leave.

"Ah, there’s no time to worry about consequences now. This old bones might as well stir up some trouble too."

Elder Hanhe’s expression was complicated as he rose to his feet.

The Qingyuan Sect elders had suffered plenty under Shang Wu’s antics, but this time, he found himself in rare agreement.

The world now belonged to Great Yu—Great Shang’s national fortune was a scorching hot iron. Buried in the mausoleum, it was harmless. But once unearthed, who knew what storms it would unleash upon the already turbulent world?

But if the person was lost, what meaning did anything else hold?

Shang Wu and Shang Qinqing departed together.

The others exhaled in relief, exchanged glances, and tactfully withdrew from the room.

The room grew even quieter.

After a long silence, two soft pats echoed—teardrops splashing against his parched lips, shattering like crystal.

Ying Bing carefully wiped them away and whispered tenderly,

"I’ll take you home soon. When you wake up, we’ll see all the rivers and mountains together."

In her past life, she had always been alone.

But now, she couldn’t bear the thought of a future without him.

A future without him...

She had already walked that path once.

---

How fast could a former Seventh-Realm Demon Saint—one who had devoted all her abilities to speed—truly be?

That very day, a streak of azure light split the skies above Purple Sun Prefecture.

"The Heavenly Trial? That Crown Prince of Great Yu got beaten so badly in the Hidden Dragon Tournament his eyes turned purple—what use is he?"

"Still no news about the results. By my calculations, it should be over by now."

"If no good news has arrived, has Shang Wu caused trouble in the imperial capital?"

"If she really did, we’ll just issue a statement saying she’s a temporary elder with no direct ties to our sect and thus bears no responsibility..."

Shangguan Wencang and a group of elders were gathered in the main hall of the sect’s peak, eating hotpot while awaiting news from the capital.

As everyone knew, if the news wasn’t good, it was probably bad.

If not for the fact that Shang Wu had also sneaked off to the capital, the elders would’ve been singing while they ate.

"Relax, the only person in the sect who can control her is also in the capital. It’s fine."

Shangguan Wencang didn’t seem too concerned. Smiling, he reached out with his chopsticks.

After fishing around the pot, he frowned at Qian Bufan.

"Where’s the tripe I just put in? Did you steal it?"

"I—I didn’t!"

Qian Bufan’s lips glistened with oil as he shook his head like a rattle-drum.

Just as the sect master was about to press further, Qian Bufan sighed dramatically.

"Autumn Water Pavilion’s food is still the best. When is Little Li coming back? I’ve lost weight without him around."

No sooner had he spoken than a streak of azure light descended outside the main hall.

"?"

Everyone shot to their feet, wary. An unannounced visitor of such strength was likely hostile...

Wait—

"Shang Wu? Elder Hanhe?"

"What in the world happened to your hair?"

Shang Wu’s long black locks had been blown back by the wind, molded into a funnel-like shape.

Elder Hanhe was the same, though he also wore a pair of sunglasses.

"Never mind that. I have an announcement to make."

"Is it about Li Mo?"

"Yes."

"How is he?"

The elders rose to their feet, their expressions brimming with excitement as they strained to listen. Even Qian Bufan forgot about sneaking bites of food.

"He's about to kick the bucket."

"I told you so... Wait, what the hell?"

Li Mo's message √

"How badly is he hurt?"

"Then why aren’t you staying there to watch over him? What’s the rush to come back?"

"Quiet, all of you! I’ve got an announcement to make."

Shang Wu planted her hands on her hips, silencing the elders before declaring loudly:

"Get ready—I’m digging up my family’s ancestral grave."

"???"

Trouble’s brewing √