[{"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-84":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},596457,846,"Chapter 84: Why is she acting so weird today","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-84",84,"\u003Cp>Master rushed off to the library in a hurry, not even stopping for breakfast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said she was going to review knowledge related to the Inner Breath Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tendrils of cooking smoke rose from Autumn Water Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not a single sound all morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did the Ice Block really run into trouble?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or was it because of yesterday's spar...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo's mind flashed back to the scene from yesterday when he had pinned Ying Bing to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she was a woman, and it had happened in front of everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably not... right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo didn’t think Ying Bing was the type to act that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some deliberation, he decided to go upstairs and check on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying the freshly cooked dishes, he climbed the stairs and knocked loudly on the wooden door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo blinked, then pushed the door open with a creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he stepped inside, he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was as cold as a freezer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the cracked bed, where one would normally sleep, lay a massive block of ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the ice, a girl was curled up in a fetal position, her condition unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Ying Bing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A literal ice block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How in the world did you manage to encase yourself in ice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t even enough water in the room for this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock, knock, knock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ice Block.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ice Block?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo tapped the ice and called out twice, but there was no response. He didn’t have time to question the absurdity of the situation—he immediately prepared to smash the ice open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But halfway through swinging his fist, he abruptly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eerie blue ice was clearly no ordinary frozen water—it was unnaturally solid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew if shattering the ice would also shatter the Ice Block inside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, Inner Breath!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo suddenly remembered—he was now a martial artist in the Qi Condensation stage of the Inner Breath Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended his hand and channeled wisps of Inner Breath into the ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish, swish—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under his control, the Inner Breath acted like a precise chisel, slowly eroding the frozen mass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The progress wasn’t fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ice Block was finally \"rescued.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes were tightly shut, her delicate brows furrowed as if trapped in a nightmare, but her breathing was steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo took her wrist and checked her pulse, letting out a small sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to pull his hand back—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold grip suddenly tightened around his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She held on tightly, $2ike a drowning person clutching a lifeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo wanted to ask if she was alright, but the words died in his throat when he saw Ying Bing open her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a complicated gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confusion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Complexity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a hint of... helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never seen the Ice Block look at anything with such an expression before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ying Bing of the past had always been aloof and detached, as though nothing in the world could truly matter to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had always seemed in control, certain of her every move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you have a nightmare?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo had no idea what she had gone through, so he could only ask this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing took a deep breath and loosened her grip slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chill in the depths of her soul had faded a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for him, she wouldn’t have let her guard down last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, it was also him who pulled her out of that nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Were you holding back yesterday?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Ying Bing’s quiet voice finally came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During their spar, Li Mo clearly hadn’t displayed strength surpassing hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That could only mean one thing—he had been hiding his true power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing had once concealed her own strength in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she was still hung up on yesterday?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she even went into \"isolation\" over it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this really the Ice Block? Why was she acting so strange today?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo gave an awkward chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing lowered her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He admitted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had indeed held back during their fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo fell silent at the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been an accident—there was no deeper reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he had to give one...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because of the hammer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo pulled out the Star Piercer from his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Worldbreaker Meteor Hammer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing blurted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A divine weapon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No... only the appearance matched. It lacked the essence of the real thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was just a replica—a mere profound weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did the Ice Block know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at Divine Edge Cave, they had sworn secrecy—no fourth person was supposed to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless... Master?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of Shang Wu, Li Mo immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have let it slip while drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Worldbreaker Meteor Hammer is indeed with me. Please don’t tell anyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I had no choice. Hope you don’t mind...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the Ice Block wasn’t an outsider. If she knew, so be it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No choice...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing’s eyes flickered with realization, as though a fog had lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commotion at Divine Edge Cave that day—it was because the Worldbreaker Meteor Hammer had chosen its master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that master was Li Mo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A divine weapon couldn’t be revealed so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you... wield it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing asked seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Barely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless it’s life or death, I’d rather not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo shrugged helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when he was at the peak of the Qi-Blood Realm, he could only sustain the power of the World Seed for a single breath. Any longer, and he’d collapse from exhaustion—or worse, injure himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder... no wonder...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing finally grasped the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system ranked them based on combat prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And \"prowess\" didn’t include external aids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, if someone had a one-time-use weapon of immense power, it wouldn’t count toward their permanent strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Mo was the master of a divine weapon—one he could barely wield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the hammer became part of his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The might of a divine weapon...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing recalled a scene from her past life—Shang Wu wielding the Worldbreaker Meteor Hammer. A single strike could topple mountains, like a meteor crashing from the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kind of power was beyond human limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she withstand it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolutely not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how invincible she was within her realm, or how she could fight above her level, there was no way she could block a divine weapon’s strike in the Inner Breath Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But... a Qi-Blood Realm cultivator wielding a divine weapon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t that just a fantasy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t fathom how he had managed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this was essentially exploiting a loophole in the system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as she couldn’t withstand the hammer’s power, she would forever be ranked below Li Mo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now that everything’s cleared up, let’s eat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Mm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing had faced far greater challenges in her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t fear adversity—she feared the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she knew the reason, it was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine weapons didn’t grow stronger, but her cultivation advanced every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she could secure the system’s rewards...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Reminder: Today is Day 1 of the Loser’s Punishment.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Host must strictly adhere to the penalty conditions.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, Ying Bing found the food tasteless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That unfamiliar, unsettling feeling rose in her chest again, lingering stubbornly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharing a bed... for a whole month...\u003C\u002Fp>",1246,"2026-05-30T17:19:00.269Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","55f76f9571833959f06560cc0f02c9ece69c0dc651471dbdaafec8c572de4369","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-85","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-83",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]