Chapter 353
Ying Bing wore a fluffy hat, her aloof and delicate features wrapped in white fur. Her expression remained cool and distant, but the fierce, sword-swinging aggression was gone.
After all, a high-and-mighty cat can still be adorable.
Ice Cube Cat Hat Limited Edition!
“It really suits you.”
“.....”
With that, Li Mo took Ying Bing’s hand and they strolled through the market.
His mother’s bargaining skills were legendary: the first move was the Dragon-Slaying Blade, the second was “I know my stuff,” the third was “You’re making less profit,” and the fourth was “If you don’t sell, I’ll walk away.” She was already unbeatable.
Now, she had added a new trick!
Ice Cube, fierce one!
Thus, the Tiger Vanguard and the White Cat King set out, leaving a trail of lamenting vendors in their wake.
With a smooth little combo, they made sure that every small merchant on that street remembered that unforgettable face.
Rumor even spread in Qinghe County later on!
The little Mrs. Li bargained even harder!
Peeking out from behind a tree, the three heroes of Hengyun fell into deep contemplation once again. The bewildered fruit on the bewildered tree, and you and I beneath the bewildered tree.
Was this unparalleled genius really so down-to-earth?
What happened to the promised extraordinary skills, the diligent training, and the secret weapons?
They even bargained for a candied hawthorn!
After a while, the New Year’s market was nearly explored by the two of them. They bought quite a few things and even used their bargaining skills, but there were still some items they couldn’t secure.
Li Mo glanced at the sky, holding a bundle of goods, planning to head home for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
“Alright, let’s head back.”
“Wait for me a moment.”
“What else do you need to do?”
Li Mo was taken aback as the figure in the white cat hat turned around and headed back into the market.
Maybe there were a few things she wanted to buy after all?
“Phew...”
Watching the market grow dimmer, Li Mo stood in the snow, exhaling a puff of white breath.
Moments later, Ying Bing returned, holding a big-headed doll, which she carefully reattached to her waist.
“What did you go to buy?”
“Not telling you.”
“Tsk, I wasn’t that curious anyway...”
Li Manor.
The family was busy preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner, with Mom and Dad cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
The Li Manor was decorated with lanterns and streamers, dispelling the darkness of the cold night, while fine snowflakes fell at the entrance.
Li Mo, wearing a tiger hat, was organizing the New Year’s goods he had just bought at the door, rummaging through the bag to find firecrackers, lighting them with a flick of his lighter.
Ying Bing sat on the clean steps, tilting her white cat hat, her eyes illuminated by the sight of the boy playing with firecrackers, filled with a soft, snowy glow.
Li Dalong clicked his tongue, watching the two of them, and suddenly felt a sense of calm wash over him. He turned to Gu Xueqin, who was busy in the kitchen, and asked:
“Dear, do you think that idea of yours will work?”
“If they just need a little push from us, then it’s worth a shot. Even if it doesn’t settle things, we won’t be too involved.”
“True. Is the food ready, dear? I’ll take it over.”
As everyone knows, the parents of a genius often have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Though they usually don’t meddle in their children’s affairs, the Li couple had their own methods.
“Son, Xiao Bing, dinner’s ready!”
Old Li called out to the outside, and when he saw the two had made their way to the main hall, he carried a freshly cooked dish into the room.
“Dad, you never used to come into the kitchen.”
Li Mo took off his tiger hat, feeling a bit puzzled.
His dad didn’t just learn the “everyone should do their part” philosophy from his teaching days; he usually preached the virtue of gentlemen keeping their distance from the kitchen.
Today, however, he was actually in the kitchen serving food.
“This dish was made by your mother herself. How could it be the same?”
“It looks good. What’s it called?”
Li Mo picked up a piece for Ying Bing and tasted it himself.
“Delicious.”
A layer of glistening oil coated Ying Bing’s lips.
“Couple’s Lung Slices.”
“???”
Li Dalong was quite serious this time, explaining the dish with enthusiasm:
“Couple’s Lung Slices symbolize the unity of husband and wife, supporting each other, working together, and creating a beautiful life together…”
“.....”
Intimate connection? Working together?
Listening to his dad’s earnest explanation, Li Mo couldn’t help but picture a few scenes in his mind.
In the Southern Wilderness, he was the immortal on the black soil, and she was the saintess of the Wanshang Sect...
At Lankao Mountain, he was the one handling external affairs while Ice Cube managed the internal, their seamless cooperation allowing them to navigate the chessboard and leave the demon cultists dumbfounded.
If he had to learn from this dish, could it still be called Couple’s Lung Slices?
And it didn’t end there.
“Now, this one represents sharing joys and sorrows, and that one symbolizes a hundred years of harmony.”
“This wife cake tastes pretty good too. Xiao Mo, eat more.”
“The husband’s soup has a great backstory; your mother learned it specifically.”
Old Li was quite good with words, rattling off the names of the dishes one after another.
Soon, Gu Xueqin joined the fray, continuously serving food to the two of them.
Before long, their bowls were piled high with dishes, all about couples and wives.
“Dad, Mom, what’s the meaning of all this? I’m still young!”
Li Mo said helplessly.
“We made this for ourselves, to celebrate a year of working together as husband and wife. What does it have to do with you?” Li Dalong took a sip of wine.
Li Mo glanced at Ying Bing, who was nibbling on her food, and then, imitating her, casually started eating, ignoring the names of the dishes on the table.
In truth, the couple also wanted to ask about the two of them.
But they had discussed it beforehand; the more the elders meddled, the more likely it was to backfire.
Anyway, seeing how Bing and Xiao Mo were, it was best to let things unfold naturally; it wouldn’t go wrong for long.
So at the dinner table, the couple felt a bit anxious but didn’t ask or say much more.
The meal lasted for about half an hour, and it was Li Mo who finished first and got up to head back to his room.
“I’m going back to my room first.”
“Wait.”
“What’s up?”
Li Mo turned back.
“Tomorrow morning, it’s best if you come out from your own room, okay?”
Having been busy and not seeing what he wanted to see, Old Li said with a hint of annoyance.
“Hey!”
Li Mo shrugged.
He thought his dad was going to wish him a happy birthday.
Another year went by with everyone celebrating the New Year, and no one remembered to celebrate his birthday.
---
**Chapter 387: Little Li’s Birthday Gift**
In the room on New Year’s Eve.
Li Mo gazed up at the night sky, his eyes illuminated by the dazzling fireworks. From the position of the moon, it was still not quite midnight.
But in this world, fireworks and firecrackers were not allowed, and the sky was filled with brilliant bursts of color, the cacophony drowning out even his own voice.
“After living two lives, what’s the point of celebrating a birthday?”
Soon to be a year older, Little Li shook his head, his mind sinking into the seed of the world.
In an instant, the world fell silent.
The tranquil little world had been transformed into the image of a celestial sect in Li Mo’s heart, filled with breathtaking, ethereal wonders, standing tall under the serene moonlight.
It felt as if he had transcended the mundane, cut off from all noise.
His teacher, the Heavenly Sovereign, sat once again in his Yin-Yang dojo, pulling out the Kongming Wanse Tower.
“The power of sentient beings from the Eight-Armed Bodhisattva has been mostly purified.”
“On the twelfth level, I can manifest two extreme forms, but for the Great Dao’s divine form, I need thirty-six levels... and I’m only a third of the way there.”
Li Mo wasn’t in a hurry.
At least the Southern Wilderness was still continuously providing him with the power of sentient beings, and on this New Year’s Day, the supply was especially abundant.
In the short term, the power of sentient beings from that side wouldn’t be an issue; it should be enough to fill the Kongming Wanse Tower.
Moreover, he had only just barely surpassed the innate Golden Crow.
Could he really take on the full-strength projection of the Great Sage?
The gap was likely not small.
“Teacher, Happy New Year…”
Lost in thought, Jiang Chuchong entered the seed of the world, wearing a new outfit she had bought in Yunzhou.
She was also carrying a food box and a small bundle.
“Haven’t you eaten yet?”
“Uh... I have. This is... for you, Teacher.”
Jiang Chuchong opened the food box, revealing a bunch of dumplings that looked a bit clumsy.
Her small hands fidgeted together as she said shyly, “I... I learned to make dumplings for the first time... they don’t look very good...”
“I’ll eat them well. By the way, what’s in that bundle?”
The Heavenly Sovereign was curious about the small package.
“That’s a gift for Big Brother Li…”
Jiang Chuchong hugged the bundle, her speech becoming clearer as she lowered her head:
“Big Brother Li said his birthday is on New Year’s Eve, and since everyone is celebrating the New Year, he wouldn’t have any birthday gifts.”
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