Su Hongyu

"Heavenly Flames."

"Queen Medusa."

"Evolution."

"Surrounded by the leaders of the Eight Great Tribes."

Any one of these would have been enough to leave people stunned, yet Yun Yun recounted them all as if listing familiar treasures.

Nalan Yanran was left utterly dumbfounded. Especially when she heard that Chen Mo had been surrounded by eight Dou Wangs, her heart leaped into her throat. Why her Junior Brother had gone to the Snake People Tribe had long been thrown several yards to the back of her mind.

Shaluo and the others behind her gasped repeatedly in shock.

Eight Dou Wangs had surrounded the Overall Pavilion Master alone.

The Overall Pavilion Master truly was formidable.

After their shock faded, everyone looked at Chen Mo with admiration, and beneath it lurked a faint sense of yearning.

Especially after they learned that Pill King Gu He and the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect were both the Overall Pavilion Master's teachers.

Astonishment, delight, and excitement all surfaced on their faces at once.

They had not joined Lingyan Pavilion by mistake.

With such a backer, who in the Jia Ma Empire could compare?

There was one matter Yun Yun had not mentioned: Queen Medusa.

After all, no one would find it easy to believe that the famed Queen Medusa, whose name intimidated all around her, had turned into a little snake like a demonic pet, and had even been taken out of the desert, humbly seeking favor.

Too many things had happened today, and Yun Yun and the others had countless questions as well.

Seeing that none of it could be explained in just a few words, Shaluo hurriedly had someone prepare a table of food and wine.

Whatever needed discussing could be discussed over drinks.

The wine was fine, but these were no ordinary people.

After several jars, not a single person showed any sign of drunkenness.

The Seven-Colored Skyswallowing Python, however, drank a few mouthfuls, and the scales all over its body flushed crimson. It then burrowed into Chen Mo's robe, coiled around his arm, and fell asleep.

The banquet lasted until the latter half of the night before finally ending.

Chen Mo slept until dawn.

When he groggily opened his bleary eyes after a deep sleep, a ray of sunlight had already slipped through the gap in the window and fallen across his face.

Though his eyes were open, that did not mean he was awake. Having a ray of sunlight shine on one's face so early in the morning would irritate anyone.

He got up, dressed, and tidied his appearance.

Looking at himself in the Bronze Mirror—so handsome even the heavens would pale beside him—Chen Mo sighed.

If he had not been so handsome in his previous life, two peerless beauties would not have fought over him, and he would not have been dragged into a river by one of them, resulting in his transmigration.

Yet after transmigrating, he discovered that he was even more handsome than before.

Wasn't that infuriating?

Chen Mo was very irritated.

But life had to go on, and girls still had to be courted, and he still had to b—.

Ahem. He had gone off topic.

Chen Mo practiced a smile in the mirror.

To his great disappointment, he could never imitate those wild, domineering, cool, and wickedly charming smiles from novels.

Sure enough, no one could be too perfect.

"Creak."

Just as Chen Mo had finished tidying himself up and only needed to wash up, the door was gently pushed open. A graceful figure entered, carrying a basin of water.

It was Nalan Yanran.

After placing the basin on the wooden stand beside the bed, Nalan Yanran soaked a towel, wrung it dry, and handed it to Chen Mo. "Teacher asked when you plan to return."

"Teacher is returning today?" Chen Mo asked as he wiped his face with the towel.

"The sect's affairs are busy, and Desert City is close to the Snake People Tribe. To avoid any further accidents, Teacher hopes we can return as soon as possible."

"Teacher is coming with us?" Chen Mo caught the key point.

Nalan Yanran seemed to recall something, and her pretty face reddened. She nodded and said, "Elder Gu He, Sixth Elder, and the two seniors have already left ahead of us."

"Then I'm afraid we'll have to stay in Desert City for a while longer."

Chen Mo felt that he could not keep drifting along. What had happened yesterday, when he was surrounded, told him that relying on external strength was only temporary. Only one's own strength was truly strength.

As a transmigrator with cheats, if he did not advance at least one star a day or break through to Dou Saint within a year, he would be disgracing transmigrators everywhere.

Nalan Yanran relayed Chen Mo's words to Yun Yun. The latter said nothing and did not leave either. It seemed she was prepared to stay for quite some time as well.

After Nalan Yanran left.

Chen Mo ate something and was about to begin today's training when someone knocked on his door.

"Pavilion Master, Desert City's city lord has arrived. He brought generous gifts to pay you a visit. Do you wish to see him?" Shaluo's voice sounded.

"Desert City's city lord?"

"Was there such a character in Dou Po?"

"Could Lingyan Pavilion's expansion have drawn his attention?"

"No, what does it mean that he brought generous gifts?"

Casting these thoughts from his mind, Chen Mo rose and opened the door. "Let's go take a look."

In the restaurant's VIP private room.

Chen Mo pushed open the door and entered. He did not know Desert City's city lord, so the moment he entered, he flattered him, "City Lord, you honor us with your presence. Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar."

"Not at all, not at all. Pavilion Master, you are too courteous." Seeing Chen Mo being so polite, Su Hongcheng, who had been worried that Chen Mo might be arrogant and difficult to get along with, let out a sigh of relief.

Chen Mo did not stand on ceremony any longer and sat down opposite him. Only then did he have the chance to examine the middle-aged man.

He was dressed lavishly, with ordinary features and the face of an honest man.

Yet the woman behind him was far more eye-catching. Dressed in a red gown, she was lovely and graceful, her shapely figure accentuated beneath the fabric.

Chen Mo only wondered whether she could see her own feet when she looked down.

"May I ask what brings you here, City Lord? And these generous gifts..." Chen Mo quickly withdrew his gaze and looked at the presents on the table.

"I have long heard that the Pavilion Master possesses extraordinary talent. Even His Majesty has praised you. Now that I have met you, you truly are exceptional. Moreover, my daughter greatly admires you, so today I prepared these modest gifts and came to trouble you for a while," Su Hongcheng said smoothly.

".Oh?" Chen Mo froze for a moment, then understood. Although Desert City was remote and its news was not very well-informed, several days had already passed. As a city lord appointed by the empire, Su Hongcheng should have learned of it by now.

"Are you really that Chen Mo who defeated a seven-star Dou Shi while only a two-star Dou Shi?" the girl behind Su Hongcheng asked.

"?"

"This is this old man's beloved daughter, Su Hongyu."

"The genuine article." Being admired by a beautiful woman was something worth being happy about, especially one with two towering treasures.

"Then can you accompany me shopping?"

Chen Mo was stunned. What was this supposed to be?

Chen Mo refused.

She was beautiful, but compared to Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran, she still fell a little short.

When Su Hongyu heard Chen Mo refuse, not only did she not get angry, her interest instead grew considerably.

What she had just said had merely been meant to test Chen Mo.

"Hongyu, stop fooling around." Su Hongcheng was worried that she would anger Chen Mo.

Su Hongyu was very obedient toward Su Hongcheng.

After the two sides exchanged another round of pleasantries, Chen Mo saw Su Hongcheng off.

"I didn't expect that spoiled little devil to come too." Shaluo had only heard the report from his subordinates and thought that only Su Hongcheng and several attendants had come. He had not expected this young lady to be here as well.

After listening to Shaluo explain a few things, Chen Mo learned that the woman from earlier was not as timid and well-behaved as she appeared. Rather, she was a little devil who often turned Desert City upside down.

P.S. I have something to do tomorrow, so I'm posting this early.

Su Hongyu will not have much screen time, but if the protagonist wants to remain in Desert City for a long time, he will still encounter her. So I'm having her appear early to get the process out of the way.