Chapter 546
At this moment, Dong Changtian, Qi Tiezhu, and the others, despite having come here countless times, still felt an overwhelming sense of unreality.
Who could have imagined that the person before them was a singular force that had ended the last natural disaster, an extraordinary being who had transcended the ordinary?
Every time they saw her like this, it was hard not to think that the world had gone mad.
“You all need to wash up.”
“Oh, okay.”
Under her gaze, the group of elderly men became as awkward as children caught doing something wrong, and they hurried to line up in front of the water vat.
Soon, everyone settled down. Three benches were set up; Li Mo and Ying Bing shared one, while the others squeezed onto the remaining two.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the group enjoyed hot pot and a few drinks, feeling quite content.
Li Mo took a sip of his drink and sighed, “I hope when I come back, you all are still in good health. Don’t let me go off to fight in some foreign land only to find you’ve all left me behind.”
“That can’t happen.”
“I might be gone for two or three years, and in the worst-case scenario…”
Before Li Mo could finish, he felt a gentle tap on the top of his foot.
Ying Bing frowned at him, “You better not say that.”
“... Okay, okay.”
“Little Li, you really don’t have to say it so forcefully. I haven’t even eaten yet.”
Qi Tiezhu looked a bit troubled.
Dong Changtian waved his hand, “Alright, let’s not talk about unhappy things. When we meet next time, we’ll give you a big red envelope, just as a contribution.”
Li Mo was taken aback, “What contribution?”
“The contribution for your wedding.”
“Right, right! If we’re all well when we meet again, we should definitely get that sorted.”
“...”
“Or we could just consummate the marriage first and hold the ceremony later.”
“??? ”
---
Chapter 620: You’re Cold, I’m Warm
Dong Changtian and the others hadn’t drunk this much in a long time. When they left, their faces were flushed, and they stumbled as they walked.
“Take it slow on the way back.”
“Er Niu, wait for me to come back, okay?”
Li Mo and Ying Bing stood at the door to see them off.
Hearing the familiar name, Dong Changtian paused in his tracks.
He turned back, squinting at the two figures standing in the doorway, their faces obscured by the dim light.
The light spilled into his eyes, illuminating the murkiness within, and it also cast a glow on his face, filling the creases with warmth.
“Got it, Little Li.”
The wind and snow grew stronger, making it hard to keep one’s eyes open.
The empty street was left with a trail of footprints leading into the distance, which the snow had yet to cover.
Meanwhile, Li Mo returned to the small courtyard, tidying up the leftover food as usual. He couldn’t quite understand why he had suddenly called out that name to Dong Changtian.
The rustic name “Er Niu” seemed worlds apart from the Sword Sect.
Yet, he found it flowed off his tongue so easily, without any sense of awkwardness.
This sense of normalcy made him uneasy.
He could toss a coin and make it stand upright; surely, he couldn’t let anyone see through him, right?
After a while, Li Mo went back to his room.
With his departure imminent, he thought he’d take a quick shower before heading out. After spending some time heating water, he settled into the tub.
“Li Mo? Where are you?”
“Are you in there?”
Ying Bing’s voice came from outside.
She must have just returned from outside and couldn’t find him, so she came to the bathroom.
Li Mo, soaking in the water, hesitated for three and a third seconds before burying his head underwater, instantly cutting off all outside sounds.
“See, I like to soak completely, not leaving even my head out.”
“It makes sense that I can’t hear anything from outside.”
Creak—
When Ying Bing entered, he emerged from the water, looking bewildered.
“Are you... here to take a shower too?”
“Uh-huh, I’ll wait... until you’re done.”
Ying Bing actually knew he was inside, but if she didn’t go in, he’d probably stay submerged forever.
“Since you’re here, you might as well join me.”
Li Mo wore a look of righteous innocence.
“Yeah, but I have things to do.”
Ying Bing set down the wooden basin in her arms, which contained clothes she had just brought in from outside. She shook off the snowflakes and prepared to wash them again and hang them up indoors.
“What’s it like in the foreign land?”
“It’s a place where mortals can fall gravely ill, martial artists’ vitality wanes, and celestial beings struggle to communicate with heaven and earth.”
“No wonder you feel there’s little chance of success.”
“Then why did you deliberately make the coin stand upright?”
Ying Bing set down the clothes and looked at him with a hint of melancholy.
Li Mo felt a bit guilty under her gaze; he had made that decision on a whim and hadn’t informed her in advance.
It was only after Po Jun arrived that he realized how determined the Celestial Clan was about sending a representative from Mo City.
“Someone has to go; Old Dong and Old Qi are getting on in years.”
“...”
Ying Bing didn’t giggle; she pressed her lips together and focused on washing the clothes in the basin, completely ignoring their desperate cries for help.
Li Mo said earnestly, “I made a last-minute decision. I originally planned for everyone to just play dumb and slip through, but that didn’t work out. It wasn’t intentional not to discuss it with you.”
“I’m not angry.”
“Your clothes are almost ruined... How about a hug? Just one hug, and I’ll believe you’re not angry.”
“But you’re in the bath.”
“What’s the big deal about a bath? It’s not like...”
Li Mo realized he had just said something odd.
Why did it feel like he had done this before?
Can a fairy just soak in the tub like that?
But he was even more surprised when Ying Bing thought for a moment and asked softly, “How long will you be soaking?”
Li Mo glanced out at the snowstorm, unable to gauge the time.
He planned to leave early, not waiting until the sun was high in the sky; he intended to set off at dawn.
“All night.”
“?”
“The water won’t get cold; I’ll be nice and warm.”
“Really? I’m a little skeptical.”
“Why not give it a try?”
As Li Mo was smiling, suddenly his vision went dark, and his face was covered by a fragrant dress.
Splash—
A cool body settled into his arms, and he instantly understood what soft jade felt like; it was soft yet surprisingly resilient...
Ying Bing sat in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder, a rosy hue spreading from her neck upward.
She caught a glimpse of a familiar red mark from the corner of her eye, and her gaze flickered, as if something was about to spill from her eyes.
“This is because you’re leaving,” Ying Bing’s voice trembled slightly, a hint of shyness creeping in.
Li Mo inhaled the icy scent, his mind swirling as if bubbles were bursting inside: “Well, this is a good deal; I’ve hit the jackpot.”
“Are you trying to say the battery is fully charged?”
“No.”
Li Mo’s stubbornness now matched a certain part of him that had just been soft.
As he spoke, he tightened his embrace around the icy figure, quietly savoring her breath and every inch of her warmth, his mood gradually calming.
Li Mo suddenly felt time passing swiftly.
Joyful moments are always fleeting; after about an hour, he finally rose from the tub.
He gently placed Ying Bing on the bed and covered her with a blanket.
Taking a deep breath, Li Mo steeled himself and stepped outside.
The snow that had fallen all night had stopped by morning, and a faint light appeared in the east.
Entering the place where Po Jun was staying, he saw the tall figure of a man, dressed and ready to depart.
Seeing it was just him, Li Mo let out a sigh of relief.
But Po Jun looked surprised.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came a bit early, but it’s better this way. We can set off before Old Dong wakes up; that guy is quite cunning.”
Li Mo smiled casually.
“Are you afraid he’ll beat you to it?”
Po Jun frowned.
He didn’t understand why everyone had been making excuses yesterday, fearing for their lives, yet today they were worried about someone else getting ahead.
Moreover... wasn’t Li Mo the undercover agent?
“No, I just don’t like scenes of parting.”
“Dong Jian Sect said the same thing; you two are on the same wavelength.”
“Right? I said... Huh? What do you mean?” Li Mo was momentarily confused.
Po Jun looked at him oddly.
“Dong Jian Sect reported in last night; he should have already arrived at the Yinma Camp.”
“He didn’t say anything to you?”
“?”
Li Mo stood frozen, memories of Old Dong’s weathered face turning back in the snowstorm last night flooding his mind.
“When he left, he even left you a letter; it should contain his instructions for you.”
Po Jun seemed to have realized something and smiled, “You did well; you even anticipated his early departure. No wonder you’ve earned the trust of the people in Mo City. At this rate, sitting in the top seat of Mo City is just around the corner.”
Hmm...
He thought this was Li Mo’s undercover strategy.
Table of Contents
