Seeing the direction Li Mo pointed, Shangguan Wencang almost resorted to martial arts, ready to strike him down with a palm. That wouldn't just be vanquishing demons and defending the Dao, it would practically be cleaning house for the sect.
The Summoning Demons Cult and the Heart's Echo Sect are both harboring ill intentions, birds of a feather.
You, the future of the Qingyuan Sect, are the helper they invited?
"Sect Master, you don't understand the full story..."
Li Mo gave a light cough, urging the old sect master to calm down first.
"What on earth is going on?" Shangguan Wencang suppressed his headache.
"At first, I had no choice. To gather the Power of the Multitude, I preached in the Southern Border under the alias 'Heitu Immortal', and even had the Southern Border's demon tribes cooperate with me in putting on a show."
"Isn't that the Summoning Demons Cult's territory for gathering the Power of the Multitude?" Shangguan Wencang's headache worsened, mixed with confusion.
The Power of the Multitude is the foundation of the Summoning Demons Cult.
Since ancient times, conflicts between orthodoxies have been life-and-death struggles. For you to preach in their territory, your guts are truly immense.
"Exactly."
"Hold on, then they didn't fight you to the death?"
"Initially, I just wanted to win the trust of the Southern Border commoners. Who knew the Summoning Demons Cult would believe it too."
Li Mo spread his hands, saying helplessly:
"I was forced into a corner, so I claimed to be an immortal from the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect. I even took them to see the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect's treasure vault... well, actually, it was just some of my personal assets."
"......"
Shangguan Wencang fell silent for a long moment, scratching the back of his head with his pipe.
I know you're wealthy.
But I didn't expect you to be such a braggart.
What's even more unexpected is that the Summoning Demons Cult was actually fooled.
"To be honest, after seeing this kid's assets with my own eyes, I'd believe anything he says." Qian Bufan wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
"So, what should we do now? How should we handle this?"
The Summoning Demons Cult's greatest helper is right here, so Shangguan Wencang had no choice but to ask for his opinion.
"An arrogant army is doomed to defeat. To make them perish, first make them swell with pride."
"Quoting proverbs now? Where did you learn all this?"
Shangguan Wencang found it somewhat familiar, but couldn't recall where he'd encountered it before.
Li Mo said, "The Essence of the King of Fights. Quite useful. You should study it, Sect Master."
Shangguan Wencang remembered now.
He hadn't just seen it; he had personally experienced it.
"......" Shangguan Wencang fell silent again for a while before saying, "You'd better explain your plan in detail."
"To make them swell with pride, we must first make them think I, their helper, am of immense assistance. But I'm alone, and my demon tribe friends from the Southern Border are easily recognizable."
"So?"
"So, I want the elders of the Qingyuan Sect to act as my subordinates. Make them think the advantage is on their side, that attacking the Qingyuan Sect will be a walk in the park."
Shangguan Wencang: "?"
Well, wouldn't that be just like coming home?
"I'll think it over. You go back first."
Shangguan Wencang waved his hand, supporting his forehead.
After Li Mo left, he pondered alone for a long while.
"Little Mo's ideas are always flights of fancy. They sound unorthodox, but when you think about it carefully, the results are surprisingly effective..." Elder Qian thought it feasible.
Besides, it's not like he hasn't done similar things before. Having been an assassin already, this is no worse.
"I know, but..."
Shangguan Wencang sighed: "I'm just thinking, as the number one on the Jade Tree and Orchid Ranking, how does he have any semblance of a 'jade tree or orchid'?"
......
Two days later.
The announcement of the Jade Tree and Orchid Ranking also caused quite a stir in the martial world.
After all, the Hundred Flowers and Peerless Beauty Ranking comes out every year, and unlike the Hidden Dragon Ranking, its changes aren't that drastic. Ever since Ying Bing took the top spot, the ones behind seemed to lack suspense.
But the Jade Tree and Orchid Ranking was a first.
To be honest.
Young Li Mo isn't bad-looking, but compared across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, he seems rather ordinary.
"Li Mo actually really took the top spot?"
At the Autumn Water Pavilion, Shang Qinqing held the latest Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Chronicle, her eyes slightly wide.
"I always feel the boss himself is slightly different from the portrait in the booklet..." Qin Yuzhi looked at the booklet thoughtfully.
The one in the booklet was clearly much more handsome than the real person.
As if it had been photoshopped.
But booklets don't have concepts like being photogenic or not...
"Because Ouyang drew it."
A familiar voice suddenly sounded from outside the door, accompanied by the chime of golden bells.
The newcomer was Tian Miao.
Beside her was another girl, wearing a goose-yellow long dress. Her eyes were lively, exuding an intelligent, scholarly air, and she looked a bit younger than Tian Miao.
"No wonder it looks a bit like the male lead from 'The Overbearing Empress Falls in Love with Me'..."
Shang Qinqing suddenly understood: "No wonder he's more handsome than the real person."
"Hero Li himself is definitely more handsome than in the booklet," the young girl objected defiantly.
Tian Miao said helplessly, "I told you on the way here, but you didn't believe me. These two are people who often interact with Li Mo. How can you still not believe it?"
"Senior Sister, you don't understand. There's something called 'aura'."
"As the number one on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the most dashing top-tier figure in the mortal world, his face is no longer important. Even if he were just a butcher, he would still be graceful and elegant..."
Tian Miao didn't know what to say.
Truth be told, her junior sister here deserved most of the credit for Li Mo being rated number one.
"Hmm?"
Seeing the girl's look of yearning and admiration, Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi grew alert.
The girl continued, "And even though he clearly brings good fortune to his wife, he remains devoted. He and the Cold Immortal share a deep love, both willing to sacrifice everything for each other. The top of the Jade Tree and Orchid Ranking must be the 'Number One Devotee in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths'. Changing the first place to Hero Li, what's wrong with that?"
Shang Qinqing and Tian Miao relaxed, smiles appearing on their faces.
A fellow enthusiast, then it's fine.
"Little Tian Miao, is this your junior sister?"
"Her daoist name is Tian Xun."
"Come, come, little girl, some Southern Border specialty melon seeds. Make yourself at home here."
Tian Xun seemed guileless. Initially a bit flustered by the honor, she quickly adapted to their warmth.
After looking around for a bit, she asked:
"Aren't Hero Li and the Cold Immortal living here?"
"Them? Recently, they bought a house with their family in Purple Sun Prefecture. I can take you to see them."
Shang Qinqing smacked her lips.
They're a family; she couldn't very well linger there. She'd been craving to gossip for days now.
Just as she spoke.
Ying Bing arrived outside the door. She had come to find Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi to inform them of Li Mo's plan.
Upon arriving, she discovered Tian Miao and Tian Xun were visiting.
Tian Xun's eyes lit up. Clutching the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Chronicle, she ran up to her.
"Cold Immortal, can I interview you about your thoughts on the Jade Tree and Orchid Ranking?"
"Mm... alright." Ying Bing nodded.
"Do you think this one is handsome?" Tian Xun showed her the portraits from the Jade Tree and Orchid Ranking one by one.
"Average."
Ying Bing looked at each one, her expression cold throughout, sometimes even frowning.
When she flipped to the first one, she found it familiar but didn't recognize it immediately.
"This one... passable."
"That's Li Mo."
"Then this one is very handsome."
Ying Bing said earnestly.
Tian Xun looked triumphantly at Tian Miao, her eyes seeming to say, 'See? Authoritative certification from the Cold Immortal herself.'
"......" Tian Miao's mouth twitched slightly.
What reference value does asking her have?
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
