Chapter 232
"Look at these scales, these claws, these magnificent dragon horns, and that speechless gaze..."
There was no doubt about it!
In an instant, Mu Rongxiao's gaze towards Li Mo grew increasingly affectionate.
"Brother Mu Rong, I know you're excited, but could you please refrain from touching everything?"
The little Li Mingjiao wanted to hold his forehead, but found his claws too short to reach his own head.
Speaking of which, while the number of claws differs between a jiao (a type of dragon) and a true dragon, their lengths seem quite similar.
What do they do if their backs itch?
Li Mo intended to clear his throat lightly, but instead let out a loud snort. "To get back on track, Brother Mu Rong, this is merely a transformation technique, not true bloodline power."
Mu Rongxiao blinked. "Huh?"
His CPU was about to overheat.
A transformation technique that could be more authentic than him?
Seeing the kind-hearted Mu Rong lost in thought, Li Mo felt a sense of relief.
No wonder this transformation technique, passed down from Monkey King, was so convincing—it was indistinguishable from the real thing.
No wonder Princess Iron Fan could mistake her husband...
With this, their journey to the southern frontier seemed to hold much more promise.
"It’s time to set off..."
"Boss... what the hell!"
As Xu Xiaoer entered the backyard, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Li Mo sighed, reverting to his original form and releasing the moonlight.
As the moonlight illuminated the area, Xu Xiaoer slowly regained consciousness, his face filled with anxiety.
"Boss, I just saw a jiao that big!"
"You must have had a nightmare."
"Really? I've never had that kind of dream..."
"Don't forget, you're a bit of a lunatic; having strange dreams is pretty normal for you."
Li Mo patted his shoulder.
The moonlight shone down.
"That makes sense..."
Xu Xiaoer quieted down, choosing to trust his boss.
He repeatedly assured Li Mo that he would keep a close eye on the tavern while the boss was away.
After all, the pay was good.
With money to be made, and even benefits like social insurance, who would want to be a killer?
"Don't worry, Boss, the tavern is in my hands."
"Good. If we need more hands, you can recruit a few experienced folks from outside. That guy who makes sweet soup seems decent; it counts as re-employment."
"Got it! I’ll make sure the tavern grows and thrives, achieving new heights!"
"Nice, that’s the spirit."
After settling the tavern matters, Li Mo walked up to Mu Rongxiao and gave him a light tap to reboot his brain.
"Brother Mu Rong, we’re leaving."
"Oh, right..."
Neither of them had much to pack; they didn’t even need to grab their bags.
With Xu Xiaoer waving them goodbye and the entire street of re-employed killers seeing them off, the two stepped out of Yulong Street.
On the road.
"Um... Brother Li, what kind of martial arts is this? It’s so incredible."
Mu Rongxiao had finally accepted that Li Mo wasn’t a family member, but his curiosity couldn’t be contained.
Li Mo thought for a moment. "Aren't many martial arts based on imitating birds and beasts?"
"Right, that type of martial arts is called 'xiangxing wushu' (象形武学, literally 'form-imitation martial arts')." Mu Rongxiao nodded.
He had encountered it before, like the White Crane Cloud-Descending Fist taught to him by Elder Han He.
"So, the closer the imitation, the greater the power?"
"Yes, that’s the idea." Mu Rongxiao nodded.
"Then tell me, does this look like it?"
"0.o"
Mu Rongxiao felt there was some truth to what Brother Li said.
But something still felt off.
After pondering for a moment, Mu Rongxiao decided to abandon his thoughts.
He looked around the streets and realized they weren’t heading out of the city but rather into a more prosperous area than Yulong Street.
"Brother Li, aren’t we going to the southern frontier?"
"Of course, but the journey to the southern frontier is long, so it’s best to be prepared."
Li Mo glanced towards the center of the street.
There stood a tall building, towering above the rest, its golden tiles reflecting dazzling light in the sun. The gilded plaque read:
【Hengtong Commercial House】
The system space had many precious items, but it couldn’t compare to the comprehensive offerings of a commercial house.
Moreover, the elixirs for body refinement and rare materials were running low.
It was necessary to stock up first.
"Brother Li?"
As soon as they entered the commercial house, a clerk at the counter spoke up.
Li Mo looked over to see a pale, beardless middle-aged man, someone he didn’t remember knowing, yet his voice sounded somewhat familiar.
"Who are you, brother?"
"It’s me, Huang Donglai."
The middle-aged man adjusted the mustache that had stuck to his lips and lowered his voice.
"Brother Huang, you have quite a few identities..."
Li Mo chuckled in disbelief and couldn’t help but ask, "The last time I saw you, you were gathering herbs. How did you end up as a clerk at Hengtong Commercial House?"
"Mainly because I was short on cash..."
Huang Donglai smiled shyly. "The cost of living in Yunzhou is too high, and I wanted to buy a batch of materials for training."
"Hengtong Commercial House not only offers good pay, but employees also get internal prices... though you often get scolded by the manager, just bear with it."
Li Mo: "..."
No wonder you had to disguise your identity.
If you ran off with a bucket, they wouldn’t even be able to find you.
"Brother Li, are you looking to purchase something? I’m quite familiar with this area."
"Yes, I’m preparing to go to the southern frontier. What should I prepare?"
Li Mo felt it would be reliable to ask Huang Donglai about this.
Sure enough.
Huang Donglai smiled confidently. "Brother Li, you’ve come to the right person; my hometown is in the southern frontier."
"How much do you plan to spend on various items? It’s best to be well-prepared for a long journey."
"I have a deposit slip at Hengtong Commercial House; just spend the money on that."
"Alright... huh?!"
Huang Donglai nodded, took the deposit slip, and his body trembled.
Hiss...
Clerks at Hengtong Commercial House earn commissions.
He felt like he could run off with a bucket right now.
As everyone knows, he was a very low-key person.
But now he kind of wanted the manager to brew him a pot of tea.
---
Chapter 249: Setting Off to the Southern Frontier, Baoping Town!
Huang Donglai excitedly began to recommend products.
"Brother Li, take a look at this. This is Biling Baicao Ku, an excellent herb for eliminating pests and weeds when cultivating heavenly materials. Not only is it highly effective, but it’s also very cheap."
"The downside is that it has a rather pungent smell; you can smell it from quite a distance."
He pulled out a porcelain bottle, removed the cork, and a sharp odor immediately wafted out.
"Brother Huang, I’m not going to the southern frontier to engage in agriculture."
Li Mo was puzzled as to why Huang Donglai would recommend this.
Carrying a bottle of herbicide while traveling?
That wouldn’t be useful...
"Brother Li, you don’t know."
Huang Donglai glanced around and lowered his voice.
"I have a unique secret recipe. As long as you use Wisteria fruit to neutralize it, it will become a colorless and odorless poison!"
"That’s quite effective."
Li Mo carefully analyzed the properties of the two substances.
From his experience in cooking and alchemy, it indeed seemed feasible.
"And who is this master from which temple?" Huang Donglai didn’t forget about Mu Rongxiao.
"I am Mu Rongxiao, a fellow disciple of Brother Li."
Mu Rongxiao’s expression turned serious.
"Brother, you’ve misunderstood. Aside from being bald, I also need to recite Buddhist scriptures and eat vegetarian food. What else is similar to a monk?"
He did all this to suppress the bloodline power within him.
Li Mo: "..."
Was there anything else that needed to be similar?
As he spoke, Mu Rongxiao scanned the hall and suddenly his eyes lit up.
He spotted an old monk.
So, Mu Rongxiao stood beside the old monk and said, "See, there’s quite a difference."
"Which temple do you two masters serve? Would you like to try our wooden fish at Hengtong Commercial House? I’m also a believer, and I can give you both a discount."
"I’ll knock you on the head!"
Mu Rongxiao trembled with anger.
"Amitabha." The old monk murmured a Buddhist chant.
"Master, we meet again."
Li Mo raised an eyebrow.
The old monk was Hengyuan, and he didn’t even know when he had arrived; he seemed to have been waiting for them all along.
He felt it was the latter.
Li Mo asked, "Master, do you have any advice for our journey to the southern frontier?"
"......"
Old Monk Hengyuan practiced silent meditation, and aside from chanting Buddhist scriptures, he couldn’t speak any other words.
So he began to gesture, illustrating something.
Li Mo was left puzzled.
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