Free Web NovelThe next morning, the east was faintly lit.
Only a faint fragrance lingered by the bed.
Li Mo was already used to not seeing Ice Cube every morning.
Quietly estimating his progress in cultivation, he got up and went downstairs, where Ying Bing was already waiting for him.
Today, the hotpot restaurant had no proprietress, but a graceful figure appeared under the tree at the entrance.
A deep blue fish-tooth brocade draped over her delicate figure, holding a long sword.
Through the light veil of her veiled bamboo hat, which was ruffled by the wind, one could seemingly see her serene gaze.
"Who is she?" freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Hiss, those legs are longer than my life."
"I wonder which major sect's heroine she is."
"I heard that the current chief of the Qingyuan Sect is a woman of unparalleled beauty and great strength, could it be...?"
Wherever she appeared, she always automatically became the center of attention.
"Let's go."
After a few seconds of eye contact, Li Mo chuckled and spoke.
Entering Fu City with the morning breeze, Xiao Li finally felt a sense of immersion, like galloping through the Jianghu.
Inside Fu City, carriages flowed like water, and people moved like smoke.
Li Mo thought it had been a long time since he visited Princess Xiao Jiang and the children, so he prepared to buy some food to take over.
"Candied hawthorn!"
"Are the white plum big Li plums sweet? Sweet!"
"Families, today I'm giving you benefits! My exotic wine, originally eighty-eight taels, is now eighty-eight copper coins..."
"Wrap all the candied hawthorn for me."
"Li Daxian? Hahaha, Li Daxian is eating my homemade candied hawthorn!"
A certain stall owner was overjoyed.
Then he took out a wooden sign and quickly wrote on it:
'Candied Hawthorn, Highly Recommended by Li Daxian.'
The effect was outstanding, and instantly many people became curious and went to watch and buy.
"Li Daxian, eat mine!"
"Do you like roasted yam?"
"Li Daxian, are you buying clothes? My family's women's clothing is so beautiful."
"Huh, where are they?"
The scene became somewhat chaotic for a while.
It took Li Mo quite a while to squeeze out, holding the bamboo pole of candied hawthorn, even using Wind Shadow Step.
"Li Daxian?"
Ying Bing turned her head, wondering why Li Mo was so famous in Fu City.
"It's partly your fault."
"......."
After learning the whole story.
After a brief recollection, Ying Bing turned her gaze, her red lips lightly pursed behind the veiled bamboo hat.
Before long, the two arrived at Nijiao Alley.
Upon entering, the originally messy courtyard had been tidied up, clean and neat, though there were many miscellaneous things, it looked very orderly.
The roof of the dilapidated house had been repaired, and even a stove had been built in the courtyard.
"Li Dage!"
"Jieba, look quickly, Li Dage is here!"
"Huh, who is that older sister?"
"Wow, I've wanted to eat candied hawthorn for a long time."
The little kids all swarmed around at once.
After some greetings, they felt strange again; Jieba was always talking about it, so why wasn't she coming today?
Li Mo looked up and caught a glimpse of a figure hiding behind the door inside the house, only half her head peeking out, her small face flushed, not daring to come forward.
That appearance reminded Li Mo of the socially anxious kitten he had in his previous life; it would hide whenever a stranger came to the house.
Stranger?
Li Mo looked at Ice Cube, a question mark appearing above his head.
You told me to come find her, but you and her... don't seem very familiar?
What's going on?
Ying Bing looked at Jiang Chulong, whose breathing was steady and whose complexion was rosy despite being thin, and her expression softened.
Li Mo tried to wave at her:
"Chu Long, I brought you something delicious."
"Mmm..."
Jiang Chulong then walked out, slightly nervous.
Although her eyes were covered, she could feel it.
That older sister was not a bad person.
The small courtyard in Nijiao Alley welcomed its chef.
Li Mo put on an apron and began preparing today's meal for the little kids.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chulong secretly looked up at Ying Bing, and noticing that the other person was also looking at her, she quickly lowered her head again.
This older sister, compared to the elder aunts, second aunts, third aunts in the palace... well, she was even more noble.
Her aura was so powerful.
"Li Dage, I..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... I'll help you... cook..."
She skillfully took out Chixiao Sword and helped Li Mo.
Ying Bing took half a step forward, then withdrew.
About half an hour passed.
Just as the food was about to be served.
"You, why are you here?!"
A voice filled with disappointment suddenly came from the courtyard entrance.
It was a young man dressed in brocade, holding two strings of candied hawthorn.
Plop—
The candied hawthorn in his left hand fell to the ground.
"Luo Yu?"
Li Mo leaned back slightly; why was this attention-seeker here?
"I waited for you at the prefectural office for a long time, why didn't you come as agreed?"
"You clearly already arrived in Fu City."
Luo Yu asked loudly and righteously.
"Uh... I forgot."
Xiao Li remembered what he had forgotten.
Well, he had never intended to act with Luo Yu and the others.
"You can forget something like this?"
Luo Yu's brows were already furrowed into a knot.
"Then what have you been doing since you arrived in Fu City?"
"Being a hotpot restaurant owner."
Li Mo said seriously.
Hearing his matter-of-fact tone, Luo Yu felt his Qi and blood surge.
So unreliable!
He looked at Ying Bing with a glimmer of hope:
"What about you?"
"Counting money."
Ying Bing didn't even look at him.
She didn't even know what the name of this jumping-around fellow was.
Who are you? Really not familiar.
Counting money? Isn't that the proprietress?
Luo Yu's vision went black, and he was so angry he wanted to vomit blood.
The candied hawthorn in his right hand also rolled to the ground.
Ziyang Prefecture is at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain; you don't care about the safety of the common people, and you even have the leisure to open some broken hotpot restaurant?
Did you come here for a public holiday?!
"Hmph, I thought you were somewhat respectable, but now I'm too disappointed in you!"
"And you, Miss Ying Bing, to stoop so low!"
Luo Yu angrily flicked his sleeves and left.
Li Mo rubbed his forehead: "What is all this?"
Ying Bing gently shook her head, not quite understanding, nor interested.
They had just picked up their bowls, ready to eat.
But then Luo Yu, who had just stormed out, returned.
Li Mo: "?"
"Um, lend me two candied hawthorn," Luo Yu's face alternated between green and pale.
The ones he had just dropped were his last two candied hawthorn, which he had managed to get with great difficulty.
"You still like these?"
Li Mo was exasperated: "Take them, take them."
"Hmph... my sister wants to eat them..."
Luo Yu picked two from the bundle of candied hawthorn placed at the entrance.
Then he turned back and repeatedly emphasized:
"Don't think this means I forgive you; I'm still very disappointed in you."
He pointed with the candied hawthorn.
As he was about to leave the doorway, he paused, his eyes sweeping over Li Mo and the group of little kids gathered around the dining table, before he sullenly said:
"Recently, children have frequently gone missing."
Leaving that remark, he hurried away.
Of course, he hadn't come out just to buy candied hawthorn; he was out to conduct investigations.
He just hadn't found any clues yet.
Li Mo: ".....?"
"Children missing..."
Ying Bing looked thoughtful upon hearing those four words.
Li Mo looked at the little kids and asked:
"Have you seen any suspicious people nearby recently?"
"No, Li Dage."
"We're very clever, human traffickers can't trick us."
"That's right, that's right."
"Hmm, Jieba is very strong; she even subdued that big vicious dog at the alley entrance, she'll protect us."
The little kids quickly promised.
Li Mo, however, wondered if he should just take them to the shop, and they could help out or something.
Uh... would that ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ count as child labor?
"Cough!"
A cough came from outside.
It was Xiao Qin, disguised.
His expression was solemn as he surveyed the surroundings.
When Li Mo came over, his first words were:
"Xiao Mituo sent a message."
