Chapter 251
Li Mo only accepted the pearls from Zhen Bang in person, and he paid for them, including the large one. He managed to return all the other gifts.
He was just about to continue speaking when—
Crack—
“!”
A chill ran down Li Mo's neck as he saw the head of the doll being twisted off by a pair of delicate fingers, white as scallions.
Then...
A jade whistle was pulled out from inside?
“The Qingluan clan makes instruments that mimic bird calls based on their own voices.”
The jade whistle lay in the girl’s palm, shimmering with a watery luster.
“I intended to come to the Southern Wilderness and bring back some souvenirs for you, but I didn’t expect you to come to Xuankong Temple. You...”
“I really like it.”
Li Mo’s expression was serious, his eyes clear, and his tone resolute!
“But you haven’t even heard its sound.”
“No need. Just looking at it is enough.”
“.....”
Little Li quickly took off the red string bracelet from his wrist, strung the jade whistle onto it, and put it back on.
Ying Bing seemed unfazed, glancing elsewhere, her lips pressed together lightly.
“By the way, I also prepared a gift for you. It’s made from pearl-white lotus silk, and I made quite a few.”
“What is it?”
“Stockings.”
“?”
“I’m not sure if they’ll fit, but I suggest you try them on now.”
Li Mo thought that the avian tribes of the Qingluan clan probably didn’t produce stockings like these.
When giving gifts, one should choose something useful and hard to come by for the recipient.
—Lu Xun.
Little Li had always understood the wisdom of his predecessors.
And not just understood; he knew how to put it into practice!
What good is knowledge if you’ve never put it to the test?
How can one call it the unity of knowledge and action?
“You...”
“No need for more words.”
Standing in the shade of the trees, Li Mo reached down to remove the shoes of the Qingluan goddess, revealing her delicate, jade-like feet.
Li Mo said with righteous indignation, “See? I told you, it’s really hard to find stockings in the Southern Wilderness. It must be uncomfortable without any, right?”
“I haven’t...”
The warm, soft little foot in his hand curled slightly.
“It smells nice!”
Li Mo thought that even if someone soaked it in water, they could drink from it for years.
Who could say it didn’t smell good?
What if her bare feet got sore? Who would she complain to?
What if the texture was off? Who would take responsibility?
Li Mo gently squeezed, confirming that the texture was indeed as soft and fragrant as jade, and he finally felt relieved as he helped her put on the stockings.
“All done.”
“I know I’m wearing them.”
“Then your hands...” Ying Bing’s gaze was deep.
“Just a habit.”
Li Mo rubbed his nose.
Indeed, while the touch of the pearl-white lotus silk was nice, it depended on what you compared it to.
He took out a few more pairs of stockings for Bing Tuozi.
Of course, he had made more than just these few pairs.
But Li, the upright gentleman, felt that some of the styles were not suitable to present at this moment.
“Mo Laoda, Mo Laoda? Where are you?”
Wu Meng’s voice, like a broken gong, pierced the night sky as he called for him.
“It’s probably about the competition for the divine jade. I’ll head back first.”
“Okay.”
Watching the boy’s silhouette fade into the darkness, she couldn’t take her eyes off him for a long time.
Clap—
Suddenly, something appeared in her palm.
Ying Bing looked down to find a silk pouch, clearly the one the boy had tied to the Yinyuan Tree, which had somehow fallen down.
It fell on its own.
If it fell, could she take a look?
Gently opening it, she saw what was inside, and her eyelashes, dyed silver by the moonlight, trembled slightly.
Half a red bean mooncake with ice skin.
It was half a piece because the other half, adorned with the pattern of Bing Tuozi, had been eaten, leaving behind bite marks.
After a moment of silence, she took out the silk pouch from her sleeve and opened it.
From inside, she pulled out half a lotus seed mooncake.
Two halves.
Put together, they made a whole.
Just enough to cover the moon in the sky.
A perfect reunion.
...
PS:
My sister came over from school, and I promised to take her out for some good food. Little Pu Jie also needs a break to clear her mind and think about the details of the divine jade competition. So, just two updates today.
I want to be charged up by the audience, hehe.
---
Chapter 270: Waiting for Them to Both Be Wounded...
In Xuankong Temple, within the cave dwelling of the water tribe.
The clam clan opened their shells, and the large pearls emitted a soft glow, reflecting on the shimmering surface of the winding river.
On the river, floating plants held an array of dishes, a dazzling display, the origin of which was unknown.
The water tribe was hosting a flowing banquet.
By the time Li Mo arrived, the various demons were already soaking in the water, dining while discussing the matter of the divine jade.
Little Li, the Tianjiao, was a bit curious and reached out to pinch a piece of sashimi.
“Mo Laoda, don’t you wash your claws before eating?”
Wu Da Meng, as a cultured dragon, always washed his claws before meals.
“No need for that.”
Li Mo grabbed the sashimi and quickly devoured it.
It tasted quite good, fresh and tender, melting in the mouth—definitely silver-scaled fish.
Even the silver-scaled clan praised it.
Hmm...
Li Mo watched the silver-scaled fish demons feasting nearby and thought, does this count as a record of gluttony among demons?
It seemed that in the demons' understanding, those without spiritual intelligence were not considered demons, merely wild beasts.
There was also a category known as disaster beasts.
Disaster beasts among demons were somewhat akin to the most vicious individuals among humans, not only heavily rejected by humans but also shunned by proper demons, categorized as mere beasts.
The Mingjiao clan was often labeled as disaster beasts (mainly by the avian clan), but they actually didn’t belong to that category.
The demons sat at the flowing banquet, chatting about everything under the sun.
Li Mo felt a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of attending a rural feast in his past life.
“If our water tribe obtains the divine jade, I will surely be able to return to the ancestral dragon whale. By then, I’ll even create a piece of land on my back. If any humans want to live there, they’ll have to pay me rent. I’ve heard human rent is quite expensive.”
This heroic voice belonged to Guo Jing.
“What do you think will happen if our shrimp clan’s bloodline strengthens?”
“By the way, Wu Mo already has true dragon blood. If he comes into contact with the divine jade, could he really transform into a dragon?”
“If our water tribe produces a true dragon, wouldn’t we dominate the Southern Wilderness? Wouldn’t we be able to walk with our heads held high?”
“Aren’t you from the crab clan?”
“Don’t get caught up in the details. In any case, we must keep the divine jade within the water tribe!”
“Right, we need to unite and fully support Mo Laoda!”
The water demons grew more and more excited.
They seemed to have more confidence than the Tianjiao himself.
Li Mo: “......”
How did this suddenly turn back to him?
The divine jade...
Even if he obtained it, he wouldn’t keep it for himself.
Looking at the eager, clear-eyed water tribe geniuses, Little Li suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Perhaps he was destined to disappoint them.
Little Li suddenly felt the weight of the expectations placed upon him by the demons.
Of course.
If he hadn’t taken this spot, the water tribe would likely have no connection to the jade phoenix.
But he had given them a glimmer of hope for witnessing the true dragon’s emergence.
Afterward, he would find another way to make it up to them.
With that in mind, Li Mo spoke up:
“There are many clans competing for the divine jade, and the competition is fierce. I don’t have complete confidence in winning.”
“I’ve seen many powerful demon geniuses today. If I encounter them, I must be extra cautious.”
He shared the information he had gathered, all about other powerful demon geniuses.
The water tribe listened in stunned silence, increasingly convinced that their Tianjiao not only had a strong bloodline but was also a meticulous thinker, capable of gathering such accurate information.
“What about the Qingluan goddess? Mo Laoda, do you know anything about her?”
The water tribe geniuses believed that the only one who could pose a threat to Li Mo was the girl from the Qingluan clan, who was suspected of possessing true phoenix blood.
“A little, but not much.”
Li Mo paused for a moment before nodding.
“What aspect?”
The water tribe members leaned in, ears perked up, and some even took out notebooks, ready to jot down notes.
“She has great footwork.”
“????”
The demons were momentarily confused.
Was he saying the Qingluan goddess was fast?
That was indeed true.
The Qingluan clan could traverse the ‘Qingming,’ achieving the effect of being close yet far away.
No wonder the Tianjiao Mo Laoda from beyond the Southern Wilderness had such a unique way of describing things; if they weren’t all cultured demons, they might not have understood him at all.
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