Chapter 272
Thus, the topic that everyone was buzzing about was naturally the Qianlong List.
In no time, many citizens were astonished, and discussions erupted.
"Isn't this change too drastic?"
"The young Lord Zhong, who guards our city, has jumped to sixty-fifth place? With him and General Qu leading the troops in Qingmu City, we can rest easy."
"If the young lord were in the military ranks, his strength would be even greater. He could easily fight above his level; this ranking seems too low."
"Wait a minute."
The common folk whispered among themselves, filled with admiration for Zhong Zhenyue. After all, given his status, he could have stayed safely in the South Gate, but ever since returning from Yunzhou, he had voluntarily come to Qingmu City.
"Zhong Zhenyue is also in Qingmu City?"
A student named Li in the crowd perked up at the familiar name.
Before long, several copies of the Qianlong List were posted, and as they approached the top ten, the crowd suddenly fell silent.
"Wang Qi Douhun Eleven? Ying Bing... tenth?!"
After a long pause, someone exclaimed in disbelief, as if a dam had burst, and the crowd erupted in chatter.
"They're only in the Observation Realm! Even fifth-tier external scene experts wouldn't dare to venture too deep into the Southern Wilderness, right?"
"How did they manage that? What is this Tianwai Shenyu (Heavenly Divine Jade)?"
"Tsk tsk, the two of them together took down four sixth-tier disaster beasts! It's already tough for someone at the same level to take on two; they were fighting disaster beasts."
"If this achievement is true, then their ranking makes sense."
These two were still quite young.
Moreover, this was only their second time on the Qianlong List, and their first ranking had already been impressive; no one expected them to rise even higher.
But this achievement was solid—Fei Yi, Da Feng, Xiang Liu, and the Fanjiang Crocodile were all formidable disaster beast clans that had left many legends in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths during their prime.
Against the odds, they hadn't let a single one escape; they had slain them all.
"By the way, have you noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
"Li Mo and Ying Bing made the list together, and their rankings rose together too. They're practically glued to each other."
"Is there no one else who can fit in between them?"
"Impressive, Yue Jianhuang, in the top ten now," Li Mo said with a smile as he turned around.
"You're not too shabby yourself, Wang Qi Douhun."
"...."
Li's smile vanished.
So he wasn't the unparalleled Tianjiao (heavenly talent)?
He had made such a name for himself in the Southern Wilderness, and now his nickname had changed—what a pain!
Li decided to distance himself from the source of his sorrow and headed to find an inn to settle down.
Ying Bing lowered her gaze, narrowing her eyes in contemplation.
The Qianlong List had been released.
Would the movements of the disaster beasts become even more aggressive?
Meanwhile, in a tavern called "Jiawei."
"Young Lord, the list has been delivered to you."
In a private room on the second floor, Zhong Zhenyue rubbed his hands together, not even glancing at the other lists, and directly picked up the Qianlong List.
He had always been quite confident in himself.
But ever since he met Li Mo and Ying Bing, that confidence had been shattered into pieces.
So he had taken the initiative to come to Qingmu City for training!
"This time, surely the gap between us will be smaller..."
---
Chapter 294: Was Bing Tuozi (Ice Dumpling) Intentional or Accidental?
The private room of the young lord of the Southern King’s family was not particularly luxurious; there were no snacks on the table, just two bowls of steaming wide noodles.
One for him, and one for the square-faced middle-aged man sitting across from him.
"Not bad, not bad. It seems my training during this time has been quite effective."
Seeing his name on the list made Zhong Zhenyue's appetite surge, and he shouted for the waiter to bring two more bowls.
"The prince will surely see this and be pleased," the square-faced middle-aged man said, his smile pulling at the scar on his face, which did not appear menacing but rather seasoned.
"My father has never praised me."
Zhong Zhenyue recalled his father's serious expression, shaking his head vigorously.
His father had only praised three young heroes on the Qianlong List.
One was Xie Xuan, the Sword Master of Tianshan, and the other two... were naturally the young man and woman who had just made the list and ranked high.
Zhong Zhenyue couldn't help but regard them as his targets to chase.
"I wonder what achievements Ying Bing and Li Mo have had recently."
Zhong Zhenyue flipped to the second page of the Qianlong List.
Nothing?
He slurped a noodle and flipped further back, still nothing.
"Could it be...?"
Zhong Zhenyue muttered to himself, flipping back to the first page.
"Young Lord?!"
The square-faced middle-aged general saw his young lord and choked on a mouthful of hot noodles, quickly handing him water.
"Tenth... eleventh?"
Zhong Zhenyue stared blankly at the rankings, his gaze vacant.
"Observing the God Realm and slaying sixth-tier disaster beasts, and doing so against the odds? How did these two manage that?"
The square-faced middle-aged man was astonished.
Having spent a long time in the military, he knew all too well the terror of disaster beasts; even at his external scene level, he couldn't guarantee he could take down two sixth-tier disaster beasts at once.
Disaster beasts were cunning; they would flee at the first sign of danger.
But that wasn't the reason he fell into deep thought.
"Deep into the Southern Wilderness? And they went to the Xuankong Temple?"
"No wonder... no wonder..."
"Uncle Qu, no wonder what?"
Zhong Zhenyue took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts to ask.
"Young Lord, do you remember the recent military reports?" Qu Sheng guided Zhong Zhenyue's thinking.
"I remember..."
Zhong Zhenyue pondered:
"Recently, the disaster beasts in the western Southern Wilderness have become increasingly rampant, and many Southern human tribes have shown signs of migration..."
"The disaster beast Hound Clan has clashed with the Giant Whale Clan."
"The Ming Jiao Clan's great demon fought against the disaster beast's great demon, the Nine-Headed Bird, in the Heishui Marsh..."
As he recalled, Zhong Zhenyue suddenly realized that the territory of the demon clans in the Southern Wilderness had recently turned into chaos.
The demon beasts and disaster beasts were fighting? Although they generally kept to themselves, something must have triggered this sudden conflict.
"Many disaster beasts have left their territories and entered the demon beasts' domain," Qu Sheng said softly.
Zhong Zhenyue seemed to understand, murmuring:
"I've heard that a pair of men and women have slain several disaster beasts turned wraiths in the Southern Wilderness tribes and cities."
He took out a map he carried with him and began to sketch, arriving at an answer after a moment.
"Li Mo and Ying Bing must have obtained that so-called divine jade at Xuankong Temple, which is why the disaster beasts are pursuing them? But they were blocked by the demon clans?"
"They're trying to return to Nanguan City and will have to pass through..."
Qu Sheng's eyes revealed a satisfied expression.
Before Zhong Zhenyue could fully process this, the waiter arrived with two bowls of noodles, interrupting his thoughts with a familiar voice.
"Waiter, do you have any rooms available?"
Li Mo led Ying Bing to the counter of the Jiawei Tavern.
"Of course we do." The waiter, who had been wiping the table, suddenly froze.
He was about to ask if they needed one room or two when he was taken aback.
The young man held a sugar figurine, resembling a woman... well, it was clear it was the one beside him.
Bing Tuozi couldn't eat sugar through the veil, so she lifted a corner of the light gauze, revealing half of her exquisite face, her lips glistening with sugar syrup, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Bing Tuozi, what do I taste like?"
"All gone."
Ying Bing's bamboo skewer was empty.
Li Mo glanced at her delicate lips, and without thinking, he reached out his thumb to wipe away the sugar syrup.
Ying Bing was momentarily stunned, gently licking the corner of her lips.
Li Mo: "!"
Was Bing Tuozi being intentional or was it an accident?
He had been trying hard not to lick his fingers.
"....."
The waiter's silence was deafening, and after a long pause, he turned back and shouted:
"One room!"
"Wait!"
Zhong Zhenyue's voice came from above.
---
Moments later.
In the private room.
"Brother Zhong, why aren't you eating the noodles you ordered?"
Li Mo hadn't expected to see Zhong Zhenyue again so soon after learning he had come to Qingmu City.
The last time they met was in Nanguan, where the other had given him a token.
"Uh, I suddenly feel very full."
Zhong Zhenyue rubbed his chin, unsure why this sudden fullness had come over him.
If he could find the reason, the difficulty of securing military provisions would drop significantly.
"Well then, I'll help you eat it."
"Thank you."
Li Mo licked his fingers and picked up his chopsticks, saying:
"Brother Zhong, weren't you doing well in Nanguan? Why did you come to Qingmu City?"
"......"
Zhong Zhenyue was momentarily at a loss for words, and after a long pause, he finally said:
"Just... taking a stroll."
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