Who Would've Thought You Were Like This, Xu Qingyi

Chen Mo furrowed his brow.

According to the game's story, the protagonist was an inner disciple of the Kuixing Sect. He should have been a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist by now, preparing to descend the mountain for a trial.

He had planned to ambush and kill him along the way...

But it turned out the protagonist didn't exist at all?

"No character was created, so there's no such thing as a protagonist?"

"I wonder if that's good or bad... The story that follows will probably be even harder to predict."

Chen Mo shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.

In the game Absolute Immortal, the villains were all terrifyingly powerful, while the protagonist was the weak one.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to cheat in his previous life...

Besides, with his current strength, he could completely crush the protagonist. There was no need to worry about him.

"Was that person important to you?"

Seeing him fall silent, Xu Qingyi couldn't help asking.

Chen Mo came back to himself and replied casually, "Not as important as Chief Xu."

Xu Qingyi froze for a moment. Her lovely brows drew together as she said coldly, "Flag Chief Chen, please mind your boundaries. We aren't close enough for you to make that kind of jo—"

Before she could finish, Chen Mo reached for his token again. Xu Qingyi instantly flashed away and disappeared.

"Hmph. You're lucky you ran fast."

With his hands behind his back, Chen Mo sauntered away.

Not far away, Xu Qingyi hid behind a pillar and peeked at his retreating figure, her teeth grinding with a grating squeak.

"Annoying man!"

Begonia Pool.

Yu Youhan soaked in the warm spirit spring.

Kneeling behind her, Xu Qingyi combed through her long, satin-smooth hair with a white jade comb.

Recalling what had just happened, a hint of vexation flickered in Yu Youhan's eyes. The tingling sensation in her body seemed not to have faded yet.

"Even a foot massage can make me... Could this dog of a slave really be the demonic star fated to torment me?"

Still, it was reassuring that she had lasted quite a bit longer than last time.

It seemed the desensitization training would have to continue.

"Qingyi."

Yu Youhan asked, "What do you think of Chen Mo?"

Xu Qingyi's hand froze. After a moment of silence, she replied, "He seems frivolous, but he's actually shrewd and meticulous. He's an outstanding talent among his peers, and someone who could be put to good use."

Yu Youhan nodded. "It's rare to hear such high praise from you."

"But..."

Xu Qingyi wrinkled her delicate nose, her eyes rippling with emotion. "His character is far too unruly. He's truly infuriating!"

Yu Youhan glanced at her in surprise.

As her personal lady-in-waiting, Xu Qingyi was steady and reserved. She rarely showed such emotion.

Could it be...

That she knew Chen Mo rather well?

"If you couldn't use force, what do you think Chen Mo's weakness would be? How would you defeat him?"

Yu Youhan mused.

That day, in the Nightmare, she had been defeated by her Inner Demon and then bound by Red Silk.

If she wanted to break free, perhaps she would have to completely defeat Chen Mo, her "Inner Demon."

"Without using force?"

Xu Qingyi answered without hesitation, "When dealing with men, it always comes down to beauty..."

As she spoke, she realized her words were a little too brazen and stopped.

Yu Youhan's vermilion lips parted.

"Speak freely."

Those four words echoed like a mantra. Unable to control herself, Xu Qingyi blurted out everything on her mind:

"As the saying goes, a man who can lift a grain sack will surely have a flower-thief's heart."

"Men in this world—so long as they're still breathing—there isn't one who doesn't lust after women."

"After all, an ox can be worked to death, but a field can't be plowed barren. Just keep taking and giving, day and night, and I guarantee he won't even be able to hold a knife steady. How could he possibly cause any more trouble?"

"Isn't that a kind of victory... Mmph!"

Xu Qingyi panicked, but she couldn't stop herself from talking.

In the end, she had no choice but to clamp both hands over her mouth, stopping herself from making another sound.

"An ox can be worked to death, but a field can't be plowed barren?"

"Keep taking and giving, day and night?"

Yu Youhan's brows twitched wildly.

She looked up and studied her as if she were seeing her for the first time.

"Who would've thought you were like this, Xu Qingyi."

"..."

Chief Xu was close to tears.

I'm innocent! That's how they write it in storybooks...

Prince's Mansion.

The sound of smashing and crashing rang out from the study.

The servants held their breath in fear. None dared to go in and see what was happening.

The room was a wreck. Tables and chairs lay overturned, vases smashed to pieces... A pale-faced young man in fine clothes panted heavily, his teeth clenched in fury. "Useless! Every last one of you is useless!"

"Please calm your anger, Heir Apparent."

The gray-haired Old Butler spoke gravely from nearby.

"How could that useless Yan Liang get caught by his own people?"

"And they even dragged a Sixth-Grade Occultist into it!"

The young man in fine clothes ground his teeth in hatred.

Yan Liang alone didn't have the clout to transport the Barbarian Slave thousands of miles from the Southern Frontier to Heaven Capital City.

He had naturally helped behind the scenes.

Now that the two of them had been thrown into the Imperial Prison, it was only a matter of time before they confessed!

Keeping Barbarian Slaves was no big deal to him, but if the investigation went deeper and uncovered something it shouldn't...

It could bring him a world of trouble!

"Who's in charge of this case?"

Once the young man had calmed down, he asked.

The butler replied, "Chen Mo, son of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief Chen Zhuo, and Flag Chief of the Water Bureau in the Heavenly Qilin Guard."

The young man furrowed his brow. "That name sounds familiar."

"He was involved in the Music Bureau incident last time, too."

"He's been summoned to the palace twice in quick succession. It seems Imperial Concubine Yu values him highly," the butler said.

At the mention of Imperial Concubine Yu, a trace of apprehension flickered in the young man's eyes.

"So he's a troublesome one."

"But everyone has a weakness..."

Heavenly Qilin Guard, Training Grounds.

"Flag Chief Chen."

"My lord."

Chen Mo walked through the gate. The officers and guards all lowered their heads to greet him, their eyes full of awe.

News of last night's events had already spread.

They'd assumed that after Chen Mo cut off one of Yan Liang's hands, he would face a fierce retaliation.

But to their surprise, less than a day later, he had sent the Yan brothers to the Imperial Prison!

His methods were truly chilling!

Now, whenever the people from the Ding Fire Bureau saw Chen Mo, they didn't dare even lift their heads, afraid the baleful figure might set his sights on them!

Even the Ministry of Justice's minister's own nephew had gone down. What chance did insignificant nobodies like them have?

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the wind howled.

A Mo Blade slashed toward him like lightning, reaching his neck in an instant!

Chen Mo stood unmoving. He flicked the blade with a finger, and the long saber veered aside by a few inches, skimming past his hair!

Li Yuan withdrew her Mo Blade, her gaze startled.

"You've gotten stronger again?"

"You're just too weak."

Chen Mo stood with his hands behind his back.

His right hand, hidden behind him, was numb.

Green vitality surged forth, and his fingers, sliced by the saber qi, quickly healed.

He'd meant to show off like Shen Shuchou and flick the blade with one finger, but he'd nearly botched it...

After all, Li Yuan was a prodigy on the Azure Cloud Ranking, one of the finest among Sixth-Grade Martial Artists. The gap between them wasn't quite that wide yet.

"What, here to avenge Yan Liang?" Chen Mo sneered.

Li Yuan scoffed. "What does he matter?"

She'd never thought much of Yan Liang.

His ability was mediocre, yet he lorded it over others on the strength of his connections.

She had stepped in last time only to save the Ding Fire Bureau's face.

Now that the evidence against him was irrefutable and he'd been thrown into the Imperial Prison, he was already a dead man in her eyes.

"Then why are you here?"

"After our last fight, I had a realization. I wanted to test myself against you."

Looking at Li Yuan's eager expression, Chen Mo felt a headache coming on.

He thought for a moment, then said:

"How about this? I'll use just one strike. Come find me again when you think you can take it."

"One strike?"

Li Yuan frowned, feeling insulted.

"Watch closely."

Chen Mo rested his right hand on the hilt. His aura drew inward, like a pool of still water.

The next instant, a blade's radiance burst through the air, accompanied by a roar like a dragon's cry that shook the soul!

Li Yuan's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Her entire body went rigid; she couldn't move even a finger. She could only watch as the blade's radiance tore her to pieces!

After a long while, she came back to herself and found her body unharmed.

Chen Mo had never drawn his blade. His blade intent alone had crushed her will!

"What kind of saber art is that?"

Li Yuan stood frozen in place, motionless as a statue.

Chen Mo passed her and strolled away at an unhurried pace. His casual voice drifted into her ears:

"Keep practicing. You're still too green."