[{"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-98":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},596471,846,"Chapter 98: Observing the Divine Fundamental Diagram, the Enraged Crowd of Burning Jade Forest","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-98",98,"\u003Cp>\"Are you...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Picking... picking up trash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I haven’t left yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hammer King... doesn’t seem... like a bad person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chulong first poked Liu Heng with a small branch, confirming that he was indeed dead—limp as mud—before letting out a relieved sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was dead, and no one wanted his belongings, then they were trash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And trash was fair game for her to take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chulong timidly raised her head again, her hopeful little eyes glimmering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not afraid of me, but aren’t you worried about running into other bad people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve... met them before...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When they’re bad... I use this... to hit them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved the little branch in her hand, then used it to pick through Liu Heng’s belongings one by one, her excitement evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she usually only found scattered, unwanted scraps—rarely this much loot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was what you meant by \"practicing swordplay while picking up trash\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For her to have survived this long, her luck must be incredible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it wasn’t just luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of thought, he spoke gravely,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t come out to scavenge for a while. The city isn’t safe right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if I don’t... I won’t... have money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you need money for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To buy... cloth... for clothes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this enough now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo watched as she fished out a few crumpled silver notes from Liu Heng’s pockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough... enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chulong nodded earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then hurry home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, Li Mo added, \"But you can’t have this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flick of his inner energy, he snatched the small statue she had just picked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you... Hammer King...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chulong was delighted, even giving a little wave before tiptoeing away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thin, small figure vanished into the night like a wisp of straw carried off by the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I should go see her soon,\" Li Mo thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe tomorrow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped out of the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, Liu Heng’s corpse—its organs crushed into pulp, sprawled like mud—silently burst into flames, quickly turning to white ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never got to experience the hammer’s destructive inner energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were still alive, he might have regretted that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the hotpot restaurant, second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Congratulations, Host. You successfully invested in ‘Luo Yao’ and saved her life.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Reward: Named Artifact—Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch]: \"Once, a master of the sword path glimpsed enlightenment amidst a peach blossom grove. On a whim, they plucked a branch and wielded it as a blade—thus, a Named Artifact was born.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A jade-like branch materialized in his palm, adorned with three fresh peach blossoms, as if just plucked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When inner energy flowed into it, faint traces of sharpness shimmered along its length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike forged weapons, this branch seemed naturally formed—undoubtedly a top-tier Named Artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Suits Chulong well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll give it to her when she’s close to breaking through to the Inner Breath realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, Li Mo’s lips curled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stowing the Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch away, he retrieved another item from his robes—a grotesque statue of a bat-like demon, its four wings spread, its visage horrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An eerie aura clung to it, and staring too long made one feel as if their mind were being sucked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a fleeting moment, the demon bat seemed to stir to life...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This thing is unnerving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo steadied his breathing, pulling himself back to clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That statue records the Night Ghost Foundation Diagram.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cool voice came from the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, Woven Mist Silk—black and sheer as stockings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slightest movement of her legs made light ripple across the fabric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is no one speaking up, my dear ministers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze traveled upward to see Ying Bing stepping into the room, clad in a skintight black outfit of the same material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could a master craftsman weave Woven Mist Silk into fishnet patterns... or even more daring designs?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo subtly pinched his own thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You recognize this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mn. It’s used to comprehend the Spirit Observation realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing gave a slight nod. \"Spirit Observation means observing objects, living beings, and ultimately the essence of heaven and earth—tempering the spirit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over time, the spirit forms connections with the external world, dissolving the Mystic Core. That marks entry into Spirit Observation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When your spirit grows strong enough to manifest an inner world, projecting mental landscapes into reality, you reach the Inner Scenery realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ice block rarely spoke this much at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the information was invaluable—a complete roadmap from Inner Breath to Spirit Observation and beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She made it sound like personal experience...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo recalled the illusory yet tangible gusts of ghostly wind and shadows Liu Heng had conjured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No doubt, he had been studying this ‘Night Ghost Statue,’ advancing from Mystic Core toward Spirit Observation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Li Mo not undergone Shang Wu’s brutal training, brute force might have been his only option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You practice the Fire Heart Lotus Art. Learn the ‘Extreme Yang Fire Lotus Force’ from her first, then have her paint you a ‘Southern Bright Fire Lotus Diagram’...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing trailed off, her brows knitting slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Wu didn’t seem the type to paint foundation diagrams—let alone carve statues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wouldn’t observing the real thing be better?\" Li Mo asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Obviously.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Statues and paintings could never fully replicate the true essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, Li Mo pressed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why not observe the sun directly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hung in the sky, free for all to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everyone in the world could do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not that simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, you need matching martial techniques.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second, you must endure it. Aside from the Great Yu imperial family, no one can observe the Sun’s divinity. Attempt it, and your soul will scatter before you succeed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing had observed the Moon—the Lunar Essence—to reach Spirit Observation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was only possible because of her extraordinary constitution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo glanced out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t practicing the Extreme Yang Fire Lotus Force anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he had safeguards in place, he might just try observing the Sun’s divinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that failed, he could always observe his Indestructible Starfall Hammer—breaking into Spirit Observation through body refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m only at Inner Breath Condensation. No rush.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shall we visit Chulong together tomorrow?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the exchange, silence fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo sat on the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing stood wordlessly, her lips pressed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time for the beloved dual cultivation session.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today posed a challenge for Li Mo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ice block hadn’t changed clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As all men know, cold conditions make little brothers lose morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as all men also know—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Li here was impervious to heat and cold, and his martial arts skewed yang-aligned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold wasn’t an issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A certain runaway girl, disguised as a young hero, slunk back to the magistrate’s office in disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother, I was bullied and almost died! Wuwuwuwu!\" The voice was deafening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who the hell dared?! I'll chop them into pieces and feed them to the dogs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To take advantage of the chaos and mess with our Burning Jade Forest—unforgivable!\" The true disciples of Burning Jade Forest were seething with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>",1203,"2026-05-30T17:19:00.269Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","7e6a94cb911779c8e92e20f7e654bd425866b787eac5741e214a71d218cfe687","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-99","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-97",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]