[{"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-74":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},596447,846,"Chapter 74: Networking for points, boos all around, its rigged","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-74",74,"\u003Cp>This match had drawn the attention of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple—it marked the first public appearance of that sect master's true disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing stood alone with her sword, aloof and detached, like a divine snow lotus from the celestial mountains. She naturally became the focal point of all gazes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in the audience couldn’t tear their eyes away, watching intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opinions varied on just how talented she was, but there was no dispute about one thing—her beauty was beyond compare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had even amassed a dedicated following within the sect...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, Ying Bing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A disciple’s voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One voice led to another, and soon, the cries multiplied like wildfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the high platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, Ying Bing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu waved her fists, standing up without a care for decorum as she cheered loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Han He’s lips twitched. What was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an elder overseeing a peak, she had no sense of dignity at all—how utterly improper!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, Ying Bing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Su of Sunset Peak shouted even louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han He: \"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing is fighting your disciple, for heaven’s sake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The high platform descended into lively chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other sects, big and small, were no exception. They watched with bated breath—after all, many had come precisely because of the legendary celestial phenomenon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That divine radiance might very well be tied to Ying Bing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene grew slightly unruly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposite her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drop of cold sweat slid down Xie Lan'ai’s forehead—not because the crowd supported Ying Bing, but because of Ying Bing herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gritting her teeth, she spoke up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Junior Sister, I’d like to add a wager.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I win, I ask you to yield the Frostblade to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I lose...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Agreed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xie Lan'ai could finish stating her terms, a voice as clear as jade striking jade answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing hadn’t even waited to hear what Xie Lan'ai would stake in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This disregard stoked Xie Lan'ai’s irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. Junior Sister, make your move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, Ying Bing lifted her gaze to study her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Lan'ai understood this wasn’t courtesy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that if Ying Bing struck first, she wouldn’t get a chance to act at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How arrogant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo’s scalp tingled as he took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was exactly the vibe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Junior Sister, be careful!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Lan'ai wasted no more words. She unleashed the Serpent Sword Art at its peak, sending unpredictable, razor-sharp slashes forward, aiming to overwhelm with the sheer force of her Jade Marrow Realm cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was angry, but that didn’t mean she underestimated her opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Frostblade had acknowledged Ying Bing, her swordsmanship was undoubtedly superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xie Lan'ai still held advantages—higher cultivation and far more combat experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, she thought of many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to cut off Ying Bing’s retreat if she dodged, how to press her own rhythm if Ying Bing countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality... all her thoughts were unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intricate web of sword light closed in, sharp enough to grievously wound even someone of the same realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet a pale hand passed through the deadly dance as if it were nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the ever-shifting swordplay, it moved as effortlessly as plucking a leaf in one’s own garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Serpent Sword Art halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the flexible blade was now pinched between two slender, jade-white fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flick of the finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword recoiled, grazing its owner’s robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fraction closer, and it would have pierced her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Lan'ai stood frozen, pupils contracted, breath suspended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instinctively looked at the girl just a sword’s length away, but those mirror-like eyes remained serene and unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had held back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, that fraction wouldn’t have existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence engulfed the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The high platform, too, fell into stunned quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had expected Ying Bing to win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not like this—not with such ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against an opponent a full realm above her, she hadn’t even drawn her sword. Just a wisp of internal energy wrapped around her fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sword of hers... it’s called Frostblade, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed youth from the Blazing Jade Forest had lost all trace of arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholarly middle-aged man didn’t answer, merely sighing,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every time the Qingyuan Sect seems to decline, heaven sends them a prodigy...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the elders’ reactions, there was no need to elaborate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo was providing a live commentary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This woman... is terrifying!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing frowned at Li Mo, who alternated between dramatic whispers and exaggerated gasps, fully immersed in his role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"Being a properly shocked bystander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing: \"?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some more tea-drinking, just as Li Mo was about to excuse himself for a bathroom break, Elder Qian Bufan’s voice rang out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next match.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin Jiang of Ruyi Peak versus...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Li Mo of Jade Cluster Peak!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good news—it was finally his turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bad news—he really needed to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, his first match was against an acquaintance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Elder Qian announced the names, the crowd’s eyes swiveled toward them, many filled with scrutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Discussions about Li Mo had always been divisive in the sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some praised him as a righteous and warm-hearted gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others claimed his strength fell short, unworthy of being called one of the Qingyuan Sect’s twin prodigies alongside Ying Bing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haters called him a pretty boy, Shang Wu’s kept man...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that last one was pure slander. Any senior disciple knew Shang Wu was too broke to afford a pet goldfish, let alone a boytoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, opinions varied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one thing was certain—everyone wanted to see what this true disciple was made of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the weight of countless stares, Li Mo couldn’t very well announce he needed a bathroom break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he stepped onto the stage and said softly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin, let’s make this quick.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jiang, who had just climbed onto the platform, walked straight to the edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Elder Qian shouted \"Begin!\"—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jumped off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I forfeit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jiang declared without hesitation, as if afraid that delaying even a second would give Li Mo a chance to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciples: \"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elders: \"??\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other Sect Observers: \"???\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had to be rigged!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of you are at the Blood Qi Realm, and you didn’t even throw a punch? You think we’re idiots?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jiang, how could you betray us like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screw you, refund!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Wait, we didn’t pay to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something was definitely fishy here. Big-time fishy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rules didn’t forbid forfeiting, and stepping out of bounds did count as a loss. But this was the first time something so bizarre had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With prestigious sects from the Purple Sun Region watching, Elder Qian felt this was downright embarrassing. He hurried back to consult the other elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do we rule this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should we make them fight again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at Lin Jiang. Is there even a point? It’s meaningless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elders couldn’t reach a consensus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Qian suddenly had a thought and asked suspiciously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Niece Shang Wu... you didn’t secretly threaten Lin Jiang into forfeiting, did you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elders all turned to her. This was exactly the kind of thing she’d do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Watch your words!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would I bother threatening a mere junior disciple? Too much trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wouldn’t it be easier to just pressure Elder Qian into rigging the match?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People could question her morals, but doubting her intelligence was downright infuriating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elders: \"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly are you so righteous about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, $2lder Qian had no choice but to announce reluctantly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Li Mo wins!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boo......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chorus of jeers rose from the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo fell silent for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. \"Brother Lin, quick to concede, I see... but was this really necessary?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not stupid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jiang shook his head like a rattle-drum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered it clearly—during the sect trials, a single punch from Li Mo had turned Wang Hu, who once suffocated him with sheer pressure, into a cripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the shell of a Thornback Tortoise had been shattered... The man was practically a walking calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting Li Mo? That was just asking for a beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By forfeiting now, he could at least conserve his strength for the next match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t, ranking in the Nine Peaks Tournament would be the least of his worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Mo happened to lose control... well, he might as well start planning his own funeral feast.\u003C\u002Fp>",1412,"2026-05-30T17:19:00.269Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","60ca31dec5a06262a2b8d5514e891f2b42f480b628ba630056268e8c04775aee","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-75","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-73",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]