[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal":3,"chapter-investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-11":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},596534,846,"Chapter 11: Unveiling the Veins, the Dancing Sister Stands at Attention","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-11",11,"\u003Cp>A figure flickered through the mountain paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing couldn't help but shudder at the thought of his disciple's disciple currently undergoing meridian awakening under Shang Wu's guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he arrived any later, it wouldn't just be a case of poor teaching—it might well turn into an emergency rescue mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was no exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu had once entertained the idea of taking on a disciple. Given her youth and her achievement of the Inner Scenery Realm, everyone assumed that even if she was usually unreliable, teaching a disciple would be child's play for her. So they tacitly allowed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could have predicted that on the very first day, the poor soul would suffer a qi deviation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, whether Shang Wu lost interest in discipleship or simply realized she wasn't cut out for teaching, she never brought it up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a shame. Li Mo, that kid, had exceptional talent—so exceptional, in fact, that no one quite knew how to approach his training. The other elders were at a loss, and Xue Jing's quota for personal disciples was already full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, with talent rivaling Ying Bing's—both having reached the pinnacle—how could he have ended up in such a dire situation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the boy made it through unscathed, it would be nothing short of a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sigh, Xue Jing's steps quickened, his body blending into the wind as he moved at an almost imperceptible speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In mere moments, he arrived at Qunyu Peak, a medicine kit strapped to his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet before he could reach the summit, his expression shifted from worry to bewilderment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something's off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is someone drawing upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth to cultivate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing upon the primordial energy—also known as the Harmony of Heaven and Man—was a state every martial artist dreamed of achieving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Typically, cultivators relied on food, elixirs, and other supplements to replenish the energy needed to temper their qi and blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But neither food nor elixirs could be consumed indefinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, by sheer serendipity, a warrior might attain the Harmony of Heaven and Man—a state somewhat akin to the Outer Scenery Realm, where one's inner microcosm mirrors and cycles with the macrocosm of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed at which energy could be absorbed in this state was hundreds of times faster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only were there no side effects afterward, but there were also unexpected benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shang Wu should be fast asleep at this hour. Why is she cultivating today? And in the Harmony of Heaven and Man, no less?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing quickened his pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the summit, Li Mo sat in serene stillness before a wooden hut, his entire being seemingly fused with nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every pore on his body appeared to have opened, exchanging breath with the world around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as though his body had become one with heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the cosmos, he was like a small depression, drawing the purest primordial energy from all directions, as if the universe sought to fill this hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faintly perceptible was the lotus seed taking root within his dantian, voraciously absorbing energy as it prepared to sprout, grow, and eventually bloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft sound escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xue Jing could even process his shock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After awakening his meridians, he's already opened a primary meridian?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing's jaw dropped, his long whiskers fluttering in the wind as he stood frozen in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had Li Mo successfully awakened his meridians, but in a single day, he had also broken through a primary meridian with unstoppable momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had he mastered the \"Lotus Blossom Heartfire Method\" without guidance, but he had also entered the Harmony of Heaven and Man!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing was questioning his own life, utterly speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Xue, when did you get here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo's ears twitched as he opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You—! Don’t speak and lose focus! The Harmony of Heaven and Man is a rare opportunity!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing was so agitated his beard bristled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? Harmony of Heaven and Man?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo blinked, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I kinda need to use the bathroom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Xue nearly fainted. Now was not the time for bodily functions!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his level, the Inner Scenery Realm, experiencing the Harmony of Heaven and Man was like a preview of the Outer Scenery—an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this opportunity had been his, he might have gained the leverage to break through to the next realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this brat was treating it like nothing special, squandering a treasure beyond measure!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo didn’t understand why Old Xue seemed so distraught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, he had moved to the shade of a tree because the sun was too strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, his cultivation speed remained just as fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other people didn’t cultivate like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was a benefit of his Mystic Yin Immortal Body...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made him pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The 'Lotus Blossom Heartfire Method' states that opening twelve meridians and planting twelve lotus seeds marks completion—a full mastery of the Qi-Blood Realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But... why do I feel like that’s not the limit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could sense it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twelve primary meridians were far from his ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body felt like a bottomless pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the first and second meridians wasn’t even the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah well, one step at a time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Foundations are important. I should aim for perfection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo closed his eyes and resumed cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Xue Jing kicked open the wooden door nearby, finding Shang Wu still dead to the world. His temple throbbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out a wakefulness incense from his medicine kit and waved it under her nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Achoo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu sneezed, her elegant face scrunching up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having her sleep interrupted twice, she clenched her fists—only to relax when she saw it was Xue Jing, the sect’s resident nice guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Xue, this better be good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your disciple is out there in the Harmony of Heaven and Man, and you’re still asleep? How can you sleep at a time like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you drunk or am I drunk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu tilted her head, thinking he was spinning fairy tales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See for yourself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jing didn’t bother arguing further and stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu rubbed her bleary eyes and peered out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Big Sis Wu stood at attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Congratulations, Host. Demonstrating the Harmony of Heaven and Man has enlightened Xue Jing.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Congratulations, Host. Demonstrating the Harmony of Heaven and Man has enlightened Shang Wu.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Calculating rewards...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Investment Return: Three Gourds of Icefire Wine.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Investment Return: Twenty Years of Martial Insight.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Icefire Wine]: \"Upon consumption, the drinker undergoes a trial of ice and fire, tempering the body. A sacred treasure for physical refinement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People can invest just by watching me cultivate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These rewards might as well be free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Icefire Wine...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo decided against trying it out just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what little he knew of his master, any alcohol in her vicinity would vanish instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he hadn’t figured out how to refine his body yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wine would come in handy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two hours of cultivation, he couldn’t sit still any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The muscle soreness and fatigue described in the martial manuals were absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his bladder was another story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, Li Mo ceased drawing upon heaven and earth’s energy, brushed off his robes, and stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wondrous state dissipated instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing he saw was Xue Jing reluctantly snapping out of his trance, his face filled with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I owe you a debt, young man.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At their age, bottlenecks were deeply entrenched, and breakthroughs were near impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Witnessing the Harmony of Heaven and Man had given him invaluable insights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Xue, you flatter me. My father often speaks highly of you at home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo clasped his hands politely in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father, Li Dalong, had once been a disciple of Xue Jing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Xue Jing had not yet risen to the position of elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, it’s good that he still remembers this old man,\" Xue Jing stroked his long beard and sighed. \"Dalong was truly a pity. Had he not met with misfortune, he would have been an inner sect steward by now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Xue appeared to be around the same age as Li Mo’s father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Mo knew that even when his father first entered the sect, Xue Jing already bore this middle-aged appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His true age was likely no less than ninety-six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment, Li Mo spoke up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Each man’s fate is his own. My father said he owed his life entirely to Elder Xue’s intervention.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he hadn’t met my mother on his journey home after being injured, I wouldn’t even exist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When one door closes, another opens—such is the way of things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Li had a knack for charming his elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dalong was a fortunate man,\" Xue Jing’s gaze at Li Mo grew even more approving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This boy wasn’t nearly as unruly as Li Dalong’s letters had made him out to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps fathers simply judged their sons more harshly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere between the old and young was harmonious—until Li Mo suddenly caught a whiff of alcohol in the air. Then, his neck tightened, and he felt a brief suffocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu had looped an arm around her beloved disciple’s neck, declaring her territorial rights with vigilance:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey hey hey, this is my disciple! Don’t you go getting any ideas, you old geezer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’d consider it if I could, but my quota’s long full,\" Xue Jing retorted irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Shang Wu’s boisterous antics, he felt a slight headache coming on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This grand-disciple was promising material—would Shang Wu end up leading him astray?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor martial skills were one thing, but he’d hate to see a fine lad pick up bad habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Mo, if you want to test your martial skills or spar with others, you might try the training hall at the mountain’s foot,\" Xue Jing suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu narrowed her almond eyes for a moment before nodding:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For learning basic techniques, the training hall should suffice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sis, you’re just too lazy to teach, aren’t you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, now that he had the foundational techniques, he did intend to pick up some combat skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trip to the training hall would also let him scout for potential investment targets—not a bad plan at all.\u003C\u002Fp>",1723,"2026-05-30T17:18:59.992Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","2ad4fbf9f39b84263f97be58342cab651ef61961276ac05bf1183aa09ee51f8d","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-12","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-10",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]