Ice Block: "Mother..."

The night deepened. The damp wind after the rain carried the fresh scent of earth, and the moonlight following the rain shower pierced through the hazy mist enveloping the empty mountains after the fresh rain.

Li Mo, along with his Left and Right Protectors, and two attendants, returned to the Autumn Water Pavilion. The attendants... oh no, after Elder Qian and Elder Xue arrived, they did not stay long and went back to report to Sect Master Shangguan.

"Take care on your way, Elders."

Li Mo waved his hand, turned to close the door, and looked at his two Protectors.

"You two Protectors are quite professional at being members of the Demonic Cult."

"Ahem, Little Mo, your 'Upper Immortal' act was also a true performance. If you had been born a few thousand years earlier, I'd have had to give up my Cult Leader position for you."

Qin Yuzhi, the former Cult Leader of the Summoning Demonic Cult, now looked at the moon with a face full of guilt.

"What was that plan you mentioned earlier? Whose side are you really on?"

"Naturally, we are on your side. It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea."

Qin Yuzhi waved her hands repeatedly.

Li Mo nodded, then looked at Shang Qinqing: "But why did I hear from Clan Leader Shang that you've been wanting to do this for a long time?"

"Right, right, it's all her fault. She's the one who's been talking about it every day."

Qin Yuzhi immediately threw her teammate under the bus.

"......"

Shang Qinqing's eyes widened. After a moment of silence, she rolled her eyes:

"Correct, I do want to see bloodshed and casualties, but I understand priorities. That act earlier was all to lull the people from the Summoning Demonic Cult into complacency. Besides, if the drug was in the drink, you could just not drink it, right?"

"That's true, I could just not drink it... Huh?"

Li Mo stopped mid-sentence, doubting if he had misheard a word.

Knowing there's a drug in it and still drinking it—is that right?

"To be frank, shipping you two has almost brought me back to the Seventh Realm."

Shang Qinqing spread her hands. "If you two were to actually consummate the marriage, I might immediately attain mastery over the Profound. Then, a mere Summoning Demonic Cult wouldn't even require you to lift a finger. Everyone would be happy."

"Hey, boss, you're criticizing us, but are you some kind of gentleman yourself?"

"Of course. Who across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths doesn't know the true worth of being ranked first on the Jade Tree and Orchid List?"

Young Li wore a deeply profound expression, gazing up at the starry sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

He seemed to have completely forgotten how much water that ranking contained due to certain CP fans.

"Then, what's the deal with Little Bing'er secretly washing clothes this morning? She's so meticulous about cleanliness, she wouldn't often get her clothes dirty."

"Well... Elder Xu, a mighty Physical Body Realm cultivator, can spill tea. Is it so strange if I... and the ice block... weren't holding the cup steady while drinking tea?"

Young Li glanced sideways towards the upstairs.

Fortunately, the ice block wasn't watching.

Shang Qinqing: "Tsk tsk tsk... Oh my... 'weren't holding the cup steady' while drinking tea."

Qin Yuzhi: "Pfft... I'm going to sleep."

They usually wouldn't laugh, unless they couldn't help it.

The Dark Earth Upper Immortal, who had been utterly composed facing the two Deputy Leaders of the Summoning Demonic Cult just moments ago, now became evasive after just one question about clothes.

Watching their retreating figures, Li Mo opened his mouth but found no words. Perhaps due to the law of complementary softness and hardness—too much time spent tossing and turning at night—his mouth simply couldn't stay tough now.

Tonight, he would be even more sleepless.

Li Mo went to the kitchen and made a late-night snack, temporarily satisfying his perpetually empty Inner World. After completing his daily cultivation, he realized it was already the next morning without noticing.

"Why is it so noisy outside?"

The dawn light from the three great suns was blinding. Li Mo instinctively shielded his eyes from the light.

But when he lowered his hand and looked at the scene in the courtyard, he couldn't help but be stunned.

Qin Yuzhi was directing a group of Clear Abyss Sect disciples, busily decorating the courtyard with lanterns and streamers, setting up tables and chairs.

Senior Brother Ouyang had also come. He finished writing on a wooden board, placed it at the entrance, and nodded with satisfaction.

Li Mo didn't see the names clearly, but the words "a harmonious union for a hundred years" and "joyfully tying the knot" following them were perfectly clear.

The scene bore some resemblance to what he had once seen in a dream, making it feel somewhat unreal.

"Who's getting married?"

Li Mo couldn't help but ask, only realizing the answer after he spoke, his expression turning somewhat dazed.

In the entire Clear Abyss Sect, which other Li and Ying could possibly be paired together?

In the blink of an eye, it seemed he was about to change his status, so fast he could hardly process it himself.

Wait.

This scale... is it an engagement banquet?

Li Mo cleared his throat lightly. As he went up to help, he thought to himself that his ice block probably didn't know much about these kinds of matters, after all, she'd never even seen a pig run.

But he forgot—while Ying Bing might not understand, there was a deity in the Autumn Water Pavilion who presided over marriages and weddings in the Great Shang.

Room in the attic.

Ying Bing had been woken early by the noise. Sitting on the edge of the bed hugging her knees, she looked somewhat bewildered, as if still half-asleep.

"You're awake, Little Bing'er. Help me write some things."

Shang Qinqing handed over several stacks of red paper.

"Write what?"

Ying Bing's long legs were curled beside her on the soft couch. Hearing the request, she nodded and took out a small table.

"Wedding invitations."

"?"

Shang Qinqing sat opposite, decorating the attic while chattering nonstop.

"After so many years, I finally get to preside over an engagement banquet again!"

"You handle engagements too?"

"Weddings, engagements—they're just one character apart. It's perfectly reasonable for me to have a broad jurisdiction."

Shang Qinqing's logic wasn't very straight, but her tone was exceptionally bold.

Ying Bing was stunned for a moment, but given Clan Leader Shang's overwhelming authority and her own genuine lack of understanding regarding the differences and similarities between the two, she didn't argue.

"What needs to be done for an engagement?"

"First, the bride's maternal family must prepare the dowry. Accompanied by her family, she waits at home for the groom to fetch her. Then she rides in a bridal sedan chair, steps over a basin of fire..."

"......"

Ying Bing listened to her talk for a good while, her gaze lowering slightly, the fingertips holding the brush curling inward slightly.

But she had long since had no maternal family.

She had gotten used to being alone long ago.

Even before coming to the Clear Abyss Sect, back in Qinghe County, people often whispered about her background and the reason the Ying family vanished overnight. Even the coachmen and maidservants in the Li Manor would sometimes look at her with pitying eyes.

When she sensed such gazes, she would pretend not to notice.

Perhaps she couldn't accept what had happened, or perhaps she didn't want others to see her vulnerability—or maybe both. This was her way of protecting herself while alone.

Over time, no one dared to speak to her under her frosty, moon-chilled expression, let alone cause her trouble.

Except for a certain immature troublemaker of Qinghe County who remains a childish devil to this day...

In short, gradually, even she herself truly stopped caring about her origins.

But now, there was no one to prepare her dowry, no one to do her makeup and dress her hair, no one to hold her hand and give her to that childish devil...

"Clan Leader Shang, please be my maternal family."

Ying Bing suddenly looked up and said.

"I'd like to, but I can't compete with them. I'll be the master of ceremonies instead."

"Can't compete?"

As she spoke, footsteps sounded again at the attic door.

Ying Bing looked over in confusion and saw Gu Xueqin and Li Dalong entering, carrying large and small packages. Upon seeing her, they revealed gentle smiles.

Shang Qinqing pouted and said, "See? Your maternal family is here."