Chapter 7: Chen Mo, I Hate You the Most!

Chen Mo looked utterly baffled.

He recognized every single character, so why couldn't he understand them when put together?

The previous owner had groveled for over a year, offering constant care and attention, yet affection points remained utterly unchanged.

And now, one slap earned him "Regretting Our Late Meeting"?

Could that woman have some hidden trait… did she actually enjoy it?

At that moment, two new prompts popped up before his eyes:

【First-stage reward unlocked.】

【Obtained special item: Dao Yun Crystal.】

"Whoa, this is good stuff!"

Chen Mo's eyes lit up!

In the game's mechanics, True Spirit functions like "proficiency," which must be maxed out to upgrade skill levels.

The Dao Yun Crystal, by contrast, can be understood as a "skill point."

It bypasses all prerequisites and directly raises a Cultivation Technique or martial art by one rank!

If the technique is already perfected, using a Dao Yun Crystal may imbue it with "Dao Rhythm," granting a chance to evolve and upgrade its tier!

"The first-stage reward is already this good—what's next going to be insane?"

Chen Mo couldn't help but feel tempted.

Affection ranges from 0 to 100, divided into four stages.

0–25: Strangers Passing By.

25–50: Regretting Our Late Meeting.

50–75: Hearts in Harmony.

75–100: Unwavering Devotion.

Reaching the maximum value of each stage unlocks the corresponding reward.

There are also hidden mechanics like "Submission Level" and "Sin Value"…

Gu Manzhi's affection had already reached 45 points—just five points away from the next stage's reward, almost within reach!

But Chen Mo quickly calmed himself.

The rewards were tempting, but one had to be alive to claim them!

If that woman found out he was entangled with the Holy Maiden of Huang Sect, he'd have ten lives and still not be enough!

…

After dismissing this unrealistic thought, Chen Mo turned to look at the girl beside him.

According to incomplete counts, she'd already eaten two pig's trotters, three roasted sweet potatoes, five pieces of dried yam…

She pulled out another piece of red sugar mochi from somewhere, about to put it in her mouth, then paused slightly as she noticed Chen Mo's gaze.

After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly handed the mochi to him.

"Here."

"... Thank you."

Chen Mo reached out and took it.

Logically, it should have long since gone cold.

Yet the mochi still emitted steady warmth, as if just taken from the steamer.

"How is this possible?"

Chen Mo was curious.

"Impressive, right? This is my secret technique!"

"By evenly distributing True Qi over the food's surface and cycling it continuously, you maintain its heat!"

"But the amount of True Qi must be precise—too much and it burns, too little and it cools. It takes years of practice."

Shen Zhixia crossed her arms, beaming with pride.

"..."

Fine, this girl was basically a walking microwave.

Chen Mo shook his head and smiled. "Thanks for seeing me home. By the way, you're Zhixia, right? Haven't we met before?"

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the room's temperature dropped several degrees after he spoke.

Shen Zhixia frowned. "You don't remember me?"

Seeing Chen Mo's blank expression, Shen Zhixia's gaze grew colder, and without a word, she turned and walked out of the room.

Moments later, she stormed back.

She snatched the mochi from Chen Mo's hand and shoved it straight into her mouth.

Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed fiercely, as if she weren't eating mochi but biting into some villain.

"Qing Moyan was right—you're a total bastard!"

"I hate you the most!"

…

…

…

Recently, two events in Ducheng had sparked heated discussion among the common folk and the court.

One was Chen Mo tearing up the marriage contract.

Chen Zhuo and Shen Xiong, one civil, one military, both held real power.

With the court in turmoil, this marriage alliance carries profound significance, so attention is naturally high.

No one expected Chen Mo to cause such a scandal…

Logically, the Shen family would never swallow this insult.

Chen Zhuo's style is harsh and domineering; he has many enemies in the bureaucracy. After this incident, many are waiting to see him humiliated.

But for some reason, it suddenly went quiet.

Both families fell into a tacit silence, as if nothing had happened.

The second matter was the mysterious disappearance of the famed courtesan Gu Manzhi.

Yunshui Pavilion was now empty, all maids and servants vanished without a trace.

The Teaching Bureau's official explanation was: Gu Manzhi had saved enough silver, redeemed herself, left the brothel life, and retreated into seclusion.

That was somewhat reasonable.

But strangely, the Tianlin Guard sealed off the Teaching Bureau for days, turning it inside out.

Then the Capital Prefecture arrived to search as well…

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Rites, the supervising department of the Teaching Bureau, remained utterly silent, as if fearing something.

Both incidents reeked of strangeness.

Rumors claimed that on the day Gu Manzhi vanished, the only person who entered Yunshui Pavilion was Chen Mo…

Suddenly, all kinds of speculation erupted.

…

Compared to the outside clamor, the Chen household was calm and peaceful, time flowing gently.

In the courtyard, Chen Mo lay on a reclining chair basking in the sun, a maid crouched beside him peeling grapes and feeding the flesh into his mouth.

After days of rest and recuperation, bolstered by top-tier pills, his severely depleted body was now fully replenished, his True Qi so full it nearly overflowed.

"Enough."

"I've reached optimal condition—ready to break through."

Open the attribute panel.

Name: Chen Mo

Title: None

Realm: Rank 7 Mortal Body · Tendon-Transforming Realm

Cultivation Technique: Hunyuan Strengthening Body Decree · Minor Completion (185/1000)

Martial Art:

Chiyan Eight Cuts · Major Completion

Wind-Thunder Dash · Proficient (73/100)

Divine Ability: None

True Spirit: 1

Unused Item: Dao Essence Crystal *1

…

Chen Mo knew well that though he'd narrowly escaped last time, he'd also altered the plot—he couldn't predict what would come next.

Now he stood at the center of the vortex; to protect himself, he must rapidly increase his strength.

The key lay in this Dao Essence Crystal.

He must maximize its effect.

In this world, martial arts and cultivation techniques are divided into four tiers, from highest to lowest: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, Huang.

Each tier is further divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower Rank.

Wind-Thunder Dash is an Earth-tier Middle Rank body technique, and only Proficient—it adds little to combat power.

Chiyan Eight Cuts is an Earth-tier Upper Rank sword art, already at Major Completion; adding "Dao Rhythm" could greatly increase the chance of ascending to Heaven-tier.

Possible, but unnecessary.

At his current realm, he couldn't possibly control it—he didn't want to experience being drained into a dried husk again.

So the only option left was Hunyuan Strengthening Body Decree.

This technique seemed merely Earth-tier Upper Rank, but it was far from simple.

The versions circulating in the world were only fragments; if all fragments were gathered, it became a supreme method capable of leading one to Sainthood!

The locations of the other fragments were deeply etched into his mind.

As for why Chen Mo remembered them so clearly…

Because in his past life, during his breakthrough, he had primarily cultivated this technique—and the "Strengthening Body Decree" portion had dropped from "Chen Mo" himself…

"It's like a turtle taking day classes—can't even stay on campus."

Chen Mo's lips twitched.

At that moment, the steward approached and said, "Young Master, the medicinal bath is prepared as you requested—with Red Sun Flower, Tiankui Powder, Dragon-Snake Pills, Golden Spear Grass…"

"But these are all blood-boosting and yang-enhancing ingredients—your body has just recovered; it can't handle such heavy tonics."

Now confined to the house, the old steward feared Chen Mo would fall ill from boredom.

He wondered internally: should he send for a few courtesans from the brothel to let off some steam?

Chen Mo smiled and said, "No need to worry—I know my limits. But Master Fu, you'll have to work hard for me soon."

"Huh?"

The steward's expression froze, his eyes filled with terror as he stared at him.

"Young Master… you're not thinking of…"

"I served as a slave in the Chen household for several decades, working diligently, bearing every hardship without complaint — who would have thought that in my old age I'd still have to suffer such a calamity?"