Chapter 19: Never Expected This Was the Kind of Person You Are, Xu Qingyi

Chen Mo frowned.

According to the game's plot, the protagonist was an inner disciple of Kuixing Sect, should now be a seventh-rank martial artist, and was preparing to head down the mountain for training.

He had originally planned to intercept and kill him along the way…

But it turned out the protagonist simply didn't exist?

"No character was created, so there's no so-called protagonist?"

"Hard to say if that's good or bad… but the subsequent plot seems even harder to predict now."

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

In the game *Jue Xian*, the villains were terrifyingly strong one after another, while the protagonist was actually the disadvantaged party.

Otherwise, in his past life, he wouldn't have resorted to cheating…

Moreover, with his current strength, he could completely crush him — not worth worrying about at all.

"Is this person very important to you?"

Xu Qingyi, seeing him fall silent, couldn't help but ask.

Chen Mo came back to his senses and said casually, "Not as important as Steward Xu."

Xu Qingyi froze for a moment, her beautiful brows furrowing as she said coldly, "Captain Chen, please mind your bounds. We aren't close enough for you to make such jok—"

Before she could finish, seeing Chen Mo about to pull out his token again, Xu Qingyi flashed away and vanished in an instant.

"Hmph, lucky you ran fast."

Chen Mo, hands clasped behind his back, swaggered away.

Not far off, Xu Qingyi hid behind a pillar, peeked out at his retreating back, and ground her silver teeth until they creaked.

"Annoying bastard!"

……

Haitang Pool.

Yu Youhan soaked in the warm spiritual spring.

Xu Qingyi knelt behind her, combing her satin-like long hair with a Bai Yu comb.

Recalling what had happened earlier, a flash of shy vexation crossed Yu Youhan's eyes; that tingling sensation within her body seemed to have yet to fade.

"To think even a foot massage could… could this dog servant really be the bane of this Palace's existence?"

Still, what was gratifying was that her endurance had improved considerably compared to last time.

It seemed the desensitization training had to continue.

"Qingyi."

Yu Youhan spoke up and asked, "What do you make of Chen Mo as a person?"

Xu Qingyi's hands stiffened; after a moment of silence, she replied, "He seems cynical and carefree, but is actually meticulous in thought. Among his peers, his strength can be called top-tier — a talent worth employing."

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

"However…"

Xu Qingyi's delicate nose wrinkled slightly, a ripple stirring in her eyes. "His temperament is far too unruly — truly utterly detestable!"

Yu Youhan glanced at her in surprise.

As a personal attendant, Xu Qingyi was steady and reserved by nature, rarely showing such emotional display.

It seemed…

As though she understood Chen Mo very well?

"If you don't resort to force, what do you think Chen Mo's weakness is? How would you defeat him?"

Yu Youhan said, pondering.

That day in the nightmare, she had been defeated by her inner demon, and then bound by the red silk.

If she wanted to break free of the binding, she likely had to thoroughly defeat this "inner demon" — Chen Mo.

"Without resorting to force?"

Xu Qingyi answered without hesitation: "When dealing with men, it comes down to nothing more than the two words — beauty…"

At that point, she realized the remark was somewhat improper, and her words trailed off.

Yu Youhan's Zhu Chun parted slightly:

"Speak freely."

Those four words echoed like an oracle; Xu Qingyi, unable to restrain herself, blurted out everything on her mind in one go:

"As the saying goes, a man with the strength to thresh grain will surely have the heart to pluck flowers."

"Every man under heaven, so long as he's still breathing, is not immune to lust."

"Anyway, the ox can be worked to death, but the field won't wear out — as long as you take from him day and night without restraint, I guarantee he won't even be able to hold a sword steady. What trouble could he possibly stir up?"

"Isn't this also a kind of victory… mmmph mmmph!"

Xu Qingyi panicked, though her mouth kept right on talking.

In the end, she could only clamp both hands tightly over her mouth, refusing to let herself make another sound.

"The ox can be worked to death, but the field won't wear out?"

"Take from him day and night without restraint?"

Yu Youhan's brow twitched violently.

She raised her eyes and studied her carefully, as if seeing her for the first time.

"I never expected — this is the kind of person you are, Xu Qingyi."

"……"

Steward Xu was on the verge of tears.

It's unjust! That's how all the storybooks write it…

…

Prince's Mansion.

Loud crashing and smashing came from the study.

The servants sat frozen, none daring to approach and check.

The room was in utter chaos—tables and chairs overturned, vases shattered… A young man in splendid robes, pale-faced, gasped for breath and snarled: "Useless! All of you are useless!"

"Your Highness, please calm down."

Beside him, the old steward, his hair and beard faintly streaked with white, spoke in a low tone.

"Yan Liang, this worthless fool, was captured by his own people?"

"And they even lost a sixth-rank sorcerer!"

The young man in splendid robes gnashed his teeth in fury.

Yan Liang's influence alone could never have crossed ten thousand li to smuggle the barbarian slaves from the Southern Frontier into Ducheng.

His support was naturally behind it all.

Now both are locked in the Imperial Prison; their confessions are only a matter of time!

Keeping barbarian slaves meant little to him, but if they dug deeper and uncovered what they shouldn't have…

It might bring great trouble!

"Who's in charge of this case?"

After calming down, the young man in splendid robes asked.

The steward replied: "Chen Zhuo, son of the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, and Captain of the Gui Shui Division of the Tianlin Guard—Chen Mo."

The young man in splendid robes frowned. "That name sounds familiar."

"He was involved in the last incident at the Entertainment Bureau."

"He's entered the palace twice recently—Yù Imperial Consort clearly highly values him."

Said the steward.

Hearing the name Yù Imperial Consort, the young man in splendid robes flickered with a hint of wariness.

"Looks like he's a troublesome one."

"But as long as he's human, he has weaknesses…"

…

Tianlin Guard, Training Ground.

"Captain Chen."

"My lord."

Chen Mo walked through the gate; the bailiffs and captains all bowed their heads in greeting, their eyes filled with awe.

The events of last night had spread.

Everyone had assumed that after chopping off Yan Liang's hand, Chen Mo would face fierce retaliation.

But no one expected that, within a single day, he had thrown Yan Liang and his brother into the Imperial Prison!

Such methods were truly chilling!

Now, even the men of Ding Huo Division dared not raise their heads when they saw Chen Mo, terrified of drawing the attention of this demon!

Even the nephew of the Vice Minister of Justice had fallen—what about these petty underlings?

Shhh!

Suddenly, a fierce wind howled.

A mo dao slashed toward him like lightning, reaching his neck in an instant!

Chen Mo stood unmoved, flicking his finger against the blade's edge—the long knife tilted an inch, grazing past his hair!

Li Yi withdrew the mo dao, her eyes filled with shock.

"You've grown stronger?"

"You're just too weak."

Chen Mo stood with his hands behind his back.

His right hand, hidden behind him, was numb.

Green essence surged out, healing his finger sliced open by the blade's qi.

He'd wanted to show off like Shen Shuqiu—with a single finger deflecting the blade—but nearly got himself killed…

After all, she was a Qingyun List prodigy, one of the elite among sixth-rank warriors—the gap between them wasn't yet that vast.

"So, you're here to avenge Yan Liang?" Chen Mo sneered.

Li Yi scoffed: "What is he?"

She had always looked down on Yan Liang.

Mediocre strength, yet arrogant and bullying because of his connections.

The last time she struck, it was only to preserve Ding Huo Division's dignity.

Now that the evidence is undeniable and he's locked in the Imperial Prison, in her eyes he's already dead.

"Then what is this…?"

"After our last clash, I had an insight. I want to test my skills against you."

Seeing Li Yi's excited eyes, Chen Mo felt a headache coming on.

He thought for a moment, then said:

"How about this: I'll strike only once. Come find me again when you feel you can block that one cut."

"One slash?"

Li Yuan frowned, feeling insulted.

"Watch closely."

Chen Mo rested his right hand on the saber hilt, his aura completely withdrawn, like a pool of dead water.

The next instant, a bolt of saber-light tore through the void, accompanied by a dragon-roaring shriek that shook the soul!

Li Yuan's pupils shrank to pinpoints, her whole body rigid—she couldn't even move a single finger—and could only watch helplessly as the saber-light tore her apart!

After a long while she came back to herself and found her body completely intact.

Chen Mo had never drawn his saber from start to finish; with saber-intent alone, he had shattered her will to fight!

"What saber art is that?"

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

Chen Mo brushed past her shoulder, strolling away as if through an idle courtyard, and his light, drifting voice fell into her ear:

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