Chapter 224
What does the Huanmo Sect want to do? What will happen in the Southern Wilderness? To be honest, Li Xiaoming isn’t very curious about it.
He just wants to stay in the small patch of land belonging to Qingyuan Sect and collect his rewards.
With the Southern Wilderness having the Zhen Nan Wang (Southern King), he doesn’t need to worry as a mere observer in the realm of gods.
Anyway, Murong Xiao has already been found. Although he is still in a deep sleep due to his bloodline, there will come a time when he awakens.
This little episode in Li Xiaoming’s heart is far less significant than the upcoming Qiu Xi Festival.
...
A few days later.
The fallen leaves in the courtyard have become increasingly abundant.
The festive atmosphere is growing stronger, and the entire tavern is adorned with colorful lanterns.
After much discussion, everyone unanimously decided to return to Ziyang Mansion after the Qiu Xi Festival.
A young girl with her hair tied in a ponytail is sweeping the courtyard.
From time to time, she looks up at the kitchen of the tavern.
What will he cook today?
If she goes to the Southern Wilderness, she might not taste those familiar flavors for a long time.
It’s better to leave sooner rather than later...
For her, being alone has always been the norm; in her past life, she was always by herself.
But for some reason...
The thought of stepping into the Southern Wilderness alone makes her feel a bit uneasy?
“Ice Dumpling.”
Suddenly, a voice calls out from not far away.
Ying Bing raises her eyes and sees a young man at the dimly lit kitchen door.
“Hmm?”
“Come quick and see my latest creation!”
Li Mo waves at her with a mysterious expression.
As Ying Bing steps into the kitchen, she sees a table filled with various mooncakes. She raises an eyebrow and picks one up.
On the round mooncake, there is a clear engraving of a chibi version of Li Xiaoming.
“Your creation is... carving yourself onto mooncakes?”
“Ahem, of course not!”
Li Mo chuckles proudly:
“As everyone knows, if you don’t take a bite, you’ll never know what’s inside the mooncake.”
“That’s why many mooncakes are like assassins!”
“As long as you carve the corresponding design, it’s much easier to tell them apart.”
So why not just write it out?
Ying Bing laughs, “Then what flavor are you?”
“Why don’t you try and find out?”
Li Mo says, picking up a snow skin mooncake with an image of Ice Dumpling on it.
This is probably the least necessary mooncake to depict a person, yet it’s exquisitely crafted.
He takes a bite of the snow skin mooncake.
He bites off the legs of the chibi Ying Bing and then looks at her with a grin.
Ying Bing furrows her brows slightly, glances down for a moment, and then takes a bite out of the chibi Li Xiaoming’s head.
Is it lotus seed paste?
“Is it good?”
Li Mo watches her take such a big bite.
“Mm.”
“Then you should try the others.”
So, Ying Bing picks up mooncake after mooncake, savoring each one carefully.
The warm light is soft, not overly bright.
Perhaps every ordinary family’s night is a blend of light and shadow like this.
Li Mo watches Ying Bing’s delicate features.
He can’t tell if it’s just his imagination.
He suddenly feels that she has changed a bit during this time, becoming more lively and down-to-earth.
The once aloof and domineering Empress of the Phoenix has transformed into a true childhood friend.
If it weren’t for the habit of calling her Ice Dumpling, he might have wanted to use a different name.
And...
Ice Dumpling seems to have something on her mind lately?
As Li Mo watches Ying Bing finish the last mooncake, he casually asks:
“Ice Dumpling, which one do you like the most?”
“Li Mo.”
“Ah?”
“I meant the mooncake.”
Li Mo is momentarily taken aback.
He thought the mooncake with the design was lotus seed paste, so why not just say lotus seed paste?
Suddenly calling his name...
But before he can react, he sees the girl’s gaze shift toward him, the flickering lights reflecting in her eyes:
“I heard the streets of Yunzhou are lively during the Qiu Xi Festival. I’m not really curious, it’s just...”
“I’m really interested!”
“If I don’t see it, I feel like I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
Li Mo, without any thoughts of genius, replies earnestly.
“Mm.”
Ying Bing gently twirls a strand of hair around her finger and softly says, “If you really want to go, I’ll tag along to take a look...”
...
PS: I’m exhausted! I’ll fix any typos later, please bear with me, dear audience!
---
Chapter 240: What Should I Give Him? Date Plans!
The next day at noon.
In the courtyard that was originally meant for alchemy, a dense aura of battle and sharpness has now filled the small space.
The young man’s body, honed through rigorous training, has shed its superficiality, revealing a gradually deepening dark luster.
This is a sign that the Extreme Martial Body is progressing toward perfection.
Building one’s physique is easy to say but hard to do.
The difficulty lies in the persistence over time, while the ease comes from focusing on a single goal; if you work hard every day, you will surely improve compared to yesterday.
While enduring the tempering of divine weapons, Li Xiaoming, who is adept at utilizing time, is also observing divine intent.
This is something he discovered by accident.
While observing the “Wukong Seeking the Way” (悟空求道图) to refine his spirit, he simultaneously uses the divine weapon to hone his body.
The two processes not only do not interfere with each other but actually complement one another.
As noon approaches, Li Mo finally stops.
He opens the door to the courtyard.
Today is the Qiu Xi Festival, and the tavern is already bustling with decorations, lively and vibrant. Even Elder Zeng from Hengyun Sword City and Bai Jinghong have come to help out.
The tavern hasn’t reopened yet, so they are among the first guests.
The elders chat among themselves while the younger generation shares tales of the martial world, creating a warm atmosphere as if it were just another ordinary day.
However, the girl feels somewhat out of place.
Ying Bing sits under a tree, her gaze serene, with a letter in front of her, as if contemplating some profound martial arts principle. Even the autumn cicadas nearby dare not chirp loudly.
The sunlight is just right.
It filters through the gaps in the banyan tree, casting dappled golden shadows on her sky-blue skirt.
The disciples from Sword City, when their eyes land on her, are always filled with awe, as if they are gazing at a celestial being.
Suddenly, the girl’s gaze shifts, and she spots the young man walking out of the courtyard.
Before he can turn his gaze toward her, she looks down at the small notebook in front of her.
“Li Shaoxia.”
“Practicing during the Qiu Xi Festival? Isn’t that a bit too diligent?”
“Here, this is a specialty from our Sword City. Happy Qiu Xi!”
A few familiar faces greet Li Mo and present him with gifts.
Li Mo had already prepared return gifts and took out several boxes of mooncakes.
These are the mooncakes he made earlier, the ones with designs.
“Li brother, why don’t you have your own design on the mooncakes you made?”
Bai Jinghong opens a mooncake box and finds ones with Tang Xiaobao’s, Ouyang’s, and Shang Wu’s designs...
But there’s none with Li Mo’s.
“I don’t have one either.”
“Me neither.”
“Really? I clearly made a lot of lotus seed paste mooncakes...”
Li Xiaoming scratches the back of his head, feeling puzzled, and the more he scratches, the itchier it gets.
Where did all those lotus seed paste mooncakes go?
A reasonable guess is that Ouyang must have eaten them; he often gets up in the middle of the night looking for snacks...
The voices drifted from a distance.
Ying Bing lowers her gaze and gently rubs the head of a doll.
Her expression is calm as she flips open the letter again, picking up a brush with dried ink, yet she still doesn’t know how to begin writing.
“Sister Bing, what are you thinking about?”
A soft voice calls out.
Ying Bing turns around to see Jiang Chuchong standing there timidly.
“I’m thinking... about martial arts.”
“Really?”
Jiang Chuchong blinks her grayish-white eyes. Although her voice is soft, the confusion in her eyes is evident even through the fabric.
How could Sister Bing be lost in thought about martial arts for so long...
“...”
Ying Bing is momentarily taken aback, suddenly unsure how to face that clear gaze.
So she looks at the box in Jiang Chuchong’s hands:
“What’s that?”
“It’s a Qiu Xi... gift for Li Gege.”
“A gift...”
Watching Jiang Chuchong happily run over to Li Mo, Ying Bing can’t help but feel a bit lost in thought.
The Qiu Xi Festival... seems to require preparing gifts.
It’s only natural; exchanging gifts during the Qiu Xi Festival is quite reasonable.
But she, who doesn’t even celebrate her own birthday, let alone festivals, has no habit of preparing gifts.
But in such a rush, what should she prepare?
Table of Contents
