[{"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-19":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},596542,846,"Chapter 19: Murong Xiaos Past, Classmate Lis First Horizontal Training","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-19",19,"\u003Cp>His name was Murong Xiao, raised since childhood by his grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t always called a genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a young age, his body bore scale-like markings, making him a frequent target of bullying by other children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he returned from school battered and bruised, his grandfather would scold him for being too soft-hearted and cowardly, unable to even fight back when beaten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only he knew the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When fists and kicks rained down on him, what truly frightened him wasn’t the fear of losing—it was the ravenous voice that echoed in his heart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hungry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he never fought back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feared that once he tasted blood, he would no longer be able to control the starving beast within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao believed he had become no different from an ordinary person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had reached the second level of the Divine Edge Cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are a flood dragon, a born great demon—how can you abstain from blood and flesh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop erasing your true self.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Return to your nature, and you will never again be trampled by the weak...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instincts he had suppressed for years had never truly vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were like a pile of dry tinder, accumulating silently—once ignited, the flames would rage uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Murong Xiao’s consciousness nearly faded, his face nearly covered in scales—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone pried open his mouth and shoved something inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Round and smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could even taste it, it slid down his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miraculously, his mind cleared almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao blinked dazedly and saw a youth standing before him, around his own age, handsome and smiling brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his hand was a porcelain vial, the medicinal fragrance wafting from it invigorating to the senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao recognized him—the same youth who had been accepted as a true disciple alongside him during the initiation ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Glad you’re alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo exhaled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whew, that was close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren’t many people on this second level to begin with, and he happened to be the closest to Murong Xiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Murong Xiao had lost himself to bloodlust, the first target of his rampage would’ve likely been him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao murmured his gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a fool could tell this youth had saved him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he had swallowed earlier must have been an incredibly valuable pill—nothing else could have such an immediate effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My thanks, Brother Li. I was careless and nearly lost myself to the killing intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Though I suspect it’s more than just that, isn’t it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao’s expression stiffened. He looked up, meeting the other’s gaze—those smiling eyes seemed to see right through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I once read about it in an ancient text. Half-demons are often influenced by their bloodline.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The higher the rank of the bloodline, the deeper the influence. Without control, the demonic nature awakens... Yours must be of the flood dragon lineage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I saw horns sprouting from your head earlier...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Li Mo could finish, Murong Xiao’s expression shifted several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, his face darkened, as if he had made a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step by step, he slowly approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo instinctively took two steps back, wary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Murong Xiao about to silence him to keep his secret?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the thought crossed his mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao dropped to his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So forcefully that cracks spiderwebbed across the stone tiles beneath him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please... don’t tell anyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Eye’s judgment of his nature as \"kind-hearted\" really wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He almost wondered—if he leaned in right now and whispered, \"You wouldn’t want anyone to know about your half-demon blood, would you...?\"—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao might agree to anything he demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But doesn’t Elder Hanhe already know about your half-demon heritage?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing his mischievous thoughts, Li Mo voiced his confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao smiled bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know how the Purple Sun Prefecture calls me the 'Child of the Qilin'? That... was a lie my grandfather spread.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through Murong Xiao’s explanation, Li Mo finally understood the full story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Howling Flood Dragon was a beast of calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever it appeared, bloodshed and chaos followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years ago, Murong Xiao’s father had brought home a woman—his mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two married soon after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it wasn’t until she was pregnant that the Old Family Head realized his son was even bolder than the legendary Xu Xian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many things happened afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the end, Murong Xiao was born safely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing the half-demon blood couldn’t be hidden, the Old Family Head didn’t bother concealing it—instead, he spread rumors throughout the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over time, everyone in the Purple Sun Prefecture came to believe Murong Xiao carried a trace of the water qilin’s bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The qilin was an auspicious beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Murong Xiao became known as the \"Child of the Qilin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo was utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your whole family is full of absolute legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But even if I don’t say anything, you’ll be exposed eventually.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao fell silent for a long moment before releasing a heavy sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he not know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he survived today, what about tomorrow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a warrior, he couldn’t spend his entire life playing the pacifist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Murong Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, Brother Li, what kind of pill did you give me earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here, it's called the Tranquil Heart Pill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo handed him the bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tranquil Heart Pill?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've taken it before, but it never had such an effect...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao poured out one pill and examined it closely, his expression dimming again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was indeed a Tranquil Heart Pill—no mistake about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was a six-marked one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A six-marked pill, even the simplest healing pill, was something one could only hope to encounter by chance, its value far exceeding the pill itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the effect was so potent...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the Murong family's considerable influence in the Purple Sun Prefecture, such a treasure was beyond easy reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because even if alchemists succeeded in refining them, they rarely traded them openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I’ll take my leave now. I still have to train.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Li Mo waved his hand dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li, your pill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep it for now. A man's pride is worth more than gold—consider this a fair exchange for your grand gesture earlier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the bloodline issue, I’ll look through that ancient text again. There might be a solution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, what??\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao knelt there, clutching the porcelain bottle in a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, this was the first time he felt truly humbled by his own lack of imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seriously, brother?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A six-marked pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just one—an entire bottle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t even begin to estimate its worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the hands of someone who needed it, this was nothing short of priceless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pang of regret suddenly struck Murong Xiao’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d already knelt, he might as well have kowtowed a couple more times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to chase after Li Mo, at least to express his gratitude properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after taking a few steps, he stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized the place Li Mo was heading to was somewhere he couldn’t follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li! Li Mo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the third level!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao’s voice echoed through the cavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with his own physical resilience, he could only make it halfway through the second level of the Divine Edge Cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi-Blood Realm, venturing into the third level?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mere thought sent chills down his spine!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way. Brother Li just saved me—I can’t let him come to harm!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I can’t reach the third level, then I’ll have to ask my master for help...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Xiao scrambled to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprinted toward the cave’s exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the young man in question remained blissfully unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he walked, Li Mo noticed a notification from his system:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have unclaimed investment returns. Would you like to claim them?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping into the third level, Li Mo focused intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him, weapons of all kinds were embedded sporadically into the stone walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were blades once wielded by Inner Realm experts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at them felt like glimpsing fragments of their former owners’ legacies—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>moments when they pierced flesh, clenched in their masters’ hands during life-or-death battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that legacy came an aura of killing intent and razor-sharp energy, magnified many times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There might have been others on this level, $2ut none within Li Mo’s line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This should be far enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Any deeper, and even with my Extreme Blade Forging Body, it’d be too dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo settled onto a flat boulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out a gourd and took several deep gulps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Icefire Wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cool and refreshing like a mountain spring upon the first sip, yet the moment it reached his stomach, it ignited like wildfire, searing through every inch of his meridians, sinews, and even bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s begin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhaling the wine’s aroma, Li Mo chewed and swallowed a Tranquil Heart Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he began circulating his energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Extreme Blade Forging Body activated, the weapon-born killing intent surged through him like a torrent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beads of sweat formed on Li Mo’s forehead as he gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles felt like unyielding stone, gradually polished to reveal jade-like resilience beneath, growing tougher by the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Icefire Wine’s potency acted as a lubricant, enhancing the tempering process while accelerating muscle regeneration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His robes clung to him, drenched in sweat, and steam rose from his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, Li Mo truly understood just how agonizing body refinement could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since he’d already committed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief test, he extended the tempering to his meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Mo immersed himself in cultivation, $2he weapons embedded in the walls trembled violently, as if resonating with his energy.\u003C\u002Fp>",1638,"2026-05-30T17:18:59.992Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","6e5ad425cf99ca4cd78ef16ead4974d541b341c4c3f5c371079e23e7dbe8e65d","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-20","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-18",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]