Chapter 516
After a moment of exploration, a delicate blush began to emerge from the previously pale and translucent skin, as if it had ripened.
Just then, he realized he was hungry.
“Li Mo, it seems we haven’t had breakfast.”
“I’m a bit hungry. How about you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Then I’ll have something delicious first.”
With that, Li Mo quietly opened his mouth wide...
“Lan Tian, such a small person, yet your appetite is... ha~”
Ying Bing suddenly curled her neck, as if her bones had vanished in an instant.
She felt a jolt of electricity and wanted to get up.
But she lost her balance and fell right into his arms, bringing the delicious food to the famished Li Junzi’s lips. Her body went limp, as if she had melted away.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and her gaze gradually became unfocused.
Wait a minute.
The “delicious food” he mentioned was... this?
What was worse, he had learned how to eat from her.
Her mind was a chaotic mess, yet she found it strange. In the past, she had always had Li Junzi wrapped around her finger; he would give away his thoughts with just a twitch of his backside.
If it were before, she would have sensed his childish intentions immediately.
But now, she had fallen into a trap and was successfully ambushed.
What on earth was happening?
In her previous life, she had faced countless malicious gazes and navigated through treacherous storms in the Gui Palace without ever suffering a loss.
Yet now, a mere childish fool had caught her off guard.
It hadn’t been long since her rebirth; how had she become so careless?
Thinking of this, the Empress Bing Tuozi couldn’t help but lift her head to stare at him, her serious gaze filled with intensity:
“Wait... I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a secret about Tianren City...” Ying Bing’s voice grew softer.
By the end, it was so faint it was almost inaudible.
Li Junzi, oblivious, leaned in closer, not noticing the mix of shyness and defiance in her eyes.
“This secret is...”
“Ah!”
Li Junzi was caught off guard and didn’t dodge!
---
Chapter 583: A Letter, the Rules of Tianren City
The morning passed in a blur, wrapped up in Lan Tian’s food broadcast, as the grand Hundred Flowers Festival filled the air with smoke and delightful aromas.
The Imperial Kitchen was likely the busiest place in the royal city, with dish after dish being served to the banquet.
When the palace maid lifted the curtain, Li Mo was completely unaware.
He was currently blind and deaf.
The renowned sword master, the pampered little tyrant, had his eyes closed, his iron will now as limp as a fish on a chopping board.
Bing Tuozi leaned close to his ear, providing an immersive ASMR experience.
Who wouldn’t feel dizzy from that?
“Bing Tuozi.”
“Hmm?”
“Your feet... don’t move around.”
Just moments ago, Bing Tuozi had snuck up from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into her embrace.
Wasn’t that a classic hold? (Not really.)
Unbeknownst to her, as she earnestly subdued the childish fool, her delicate feet, clad in pearl-white silk, had already found their way onto his lap.
Only when Li Mo spoke did she realize.
“Out there...”
Ying Bing’s tone softened, her autumn-like eyes glancing aside as she expressionlessly tucked her hair behind her ear. But when her fingers brushed against the dampness on her ear, her eyelashes fluttered again.
Yes, they were outside, just a carriage away from the lively Hundred Flowers Festival.
What had she just been doing?
“Let’s settle this when we get back.”
Li Mo took a heavy breath, his voice rougher than before.
“...”
Faced with the childish fool’s provocation, Ying Bing parted her lips, but no words came out.
If things were already this outrageous outside, what would it be like when they returned?
It was his fault; every time he drew a punishment, she had to look at all sorts of strange things, which had led her to unconsciously overlook any issues...
At this point, they might as well eat first.
She picked up her bowl, ready to taste the Imperial Kitchen’s dishes.
Hmm?
“What’s this...?”
Ying Bing paused, discovering a small note hidden beneath her bowl.
“It looks like there’s something written on it.”
Li Mo took it, unfolded it, and after reading, his brows furrowed deeply.
The note was succinct:
【The Empress is in danger, changes in Tianren, unlike before, please be cautious—neither of us owes the other.】
“Who sent this?”
Li Mo was taken aback, looking up.
But outside, the crowd was vast, like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even with the divine eye, the overwhelming information was dizzying, making it hard to discern anything.
“The messenger likely means no harm.”
Ying Bing pondered for a moment, then looked toward Tianren City.
She recalled the events of the last Hidden Dragon Conference, but after a moment, she shook her head.
At that time, she was still in the Ziyang Mansion, only knowing that Jiang Yu was in charge of Tianren.
Moreover, many circumstances had changed since then; the initial gentle flutter of a butterfly’s wings had now become a storm.
For instance, the other half of the Tianhuang Domain.
“It only mentions changes in Tianren, but what kind of changes...”
Most people would be stumped by riddles, but fortunately, Li Mo was not just anyone.
He could directly see Bing Tuozi’s recent experiences!
If Bing Tuozi’s recent experiences were fine...
Then it wouldn’t matter what changes occurred in Tianren City; let it change however it wanted.
【Name: Ying Bing】
【Age: 17】
【Root Bone: Taiyin Moon Phoenix Body.】
【Realm: Observing the Nine Orifices.】
【Destiny: Red (possessing imperial bones, with Xuanbing as fate, and Qiushui as spirit, resembling the Phoenix of Heaven)】
【Evaluation: A life full of tribulations, always able to turn misfortune into fortune. At this moment, her feathers are not yet full; when the winds and clouds change, she will surely soar high above the nine heavens and the eight wildernesses.】
【Recent Experiences: Entered Tianren City, trapped within due to possessing the other half of the Tianhuang Domain, until four years later when she enters the fifth realm and breaks free.】
“Four years?!”
Li Mo’s expression turned serious in an instant.
In four years, little Bing Tuozi and the childish fool could have gone to buy soy sauce!
“What’s wrong?”
Ying Bing was puzzled by his sudden reaction.
“Bing Tuozi, what’s Tianren City really like? And what about your Tianhuang Domain?”
Li Mo shifted into battle mode.
He felt that since they were both part of the Tianhuang Domain, Bing Tuozi should have some understanding of Tianren City.
Clearly, going to Tianren City was a matter of urgency; after the Hundred Flowers Festival today, the planned Tianren Trials would begin.
They needed to gather as much information as possible before entering.
Ying Bing lowered her head slightly and said:
“The Tianhuang Domain is a realm of wonders, but more real than any other realm, like... your little world, but even more complete. To be precise, it is a microcosm of the imperial capital within the nine heavens and ten lands.”
“Tianren City is actually divided into three layers: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. The inner city is Heaven, the middle city is Earth, and the outer city is Humanity. Each city has its own disasters, and outside the city, there are demons coveting the people within...”
“Three-layered city, with dangers lurking outside...”
Li Junzi’s DNA inexplicably stirred.
Ying Bing continued, “The longer Tianren City can endure, the higher the evaluation given by the Tianhuang Domain. But... I don’t think it’s entirely like that.”
She shared everything she knew with Li Mo, who diligently took notes.
Before long, the Hundred Flowers Festival was nearing its end, and he paused his recording.
“Once you enter the Tianhuang Domain, it’s like being in a dream, forgetting the past, leaving only your true self.”
“The three cities of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity have no hierarchical relationship; they each have their own struggles and cannot unite against disasters or external enemies.”
“Among them, the Heaven City has the fewest inhabitants but the strongest power. They are born extraordinary, possessing innate divinity.”
“The Tianren Divine Sword is usually wielded by the strongest, and throughout history, it has mostly been held by those from Heaven City.”
“Of course, the number of Tianren is fixed; a new Tianren can only be born when one dies, mostly from Earth City.”
“Once inside the city, everyone is considered Earth people. So, are the mortals just there to buy soy sauce?”
Lost in thought.
The Hundred Flowers Festival had reached its conclusion, and the voice of the purple-clad eunuch rang out from above, inviting Li Junzi to come up and give a speech.
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