Beneath a massive tree, the young man sat on the grass with his knees pulled up to his chest, his eyelids half-drooped and his eyes completely devoid of life. The misfortune of being separated from his pregnant body seemed to have hit the dragon like a heavy blow, plunging him into a profound, suffocating gloom.
Just last night, he had chased all the way from Tongzhou City to a secret realm over ten miles away, only to fail in his search for Jian Guichi. The lonely dragon was like a fish that had been out of water for too long, completely lacking the energy even to thrash about.
In stark contrast, a dozen vibrant, high-spirited youths around him were cheerfully digging things up from the soil.
The secret realm opened this time was of a remarkably high grade, attracting numerous cultivators. Among them were quite a few mediocre noobs who coveted the rare treasures within yet feared for their lives, prompting them to temporarily band together on the spot. As they passed by, they encountered Mo Zhi, who was even more incompetent than they were yet dared to seek death by entering, and regarded him as a miraculous find, immediately picking him up and tacitly accepting him into their makeshift group.
Among a flock of noobs, his cultivation was the lowest, yet he stubbornly refused to apply himself. Was he really just here to commit suicide?
The one whose lack of ambition provoked such exasperation was none other than Mo Zhi, who had chased after Jian Guichi. Having searched like a headless fly the entire night until the noobs picked him up and absorbed him into their group, the youth was a disheveled mess with unkempt hair, curled up in a corner. A few female cultivators, seeing his miserable appearance, went over to comfort him, only to be nearly infected by his crushing aura of depression.
Is all this really necessary? The system couldn’t understand, especially since they had only been separated for a few hours. If you ask me, we might as well just go back to the main world.
The system was just like Zhu Bajie, single-mindedly longing to go home, though unfortunately, its human host completely ignored it.
Once they returned, it vowed to try slipping red envelopes to the specialized departments; it didn’t want to be a system anymore.
I must catch up to Jian Guichi as soon as possible, Mo Zhi thought, lowering his head in deep contemplation. People who just entered the secret realm would be dropped into the relatively safe southern region. Once Jian Guichi wandered off, tracking him down would become exceedingly difficult.
While the system was urging him to pack his bags and return to his hometown, the next second it saw his ears twitch and his eyes light up. He drifted toward the noisy crowd where someone had pulled out a newly purchased Beauty Ranking and was browsing it with appreciation.
Motivated by the idea of feeding his longing through reading material, Mo Zhi squeezed into the crowd and eagerly scanned the pages. He didn’t find Jian Guichi, but the other names were far too familiar. He asked the cultivator holding the Beauty Ranking, Fellow Daoist, are the most sought-after handsome men and gorgeous women of the cultivation world all on this list?
Not at all. The Beauty Ranking changed its rules a long time ago. Who gets on the list is entirely up to City Lord Mo.
…What do you mean?
You’ve heard of the City Lord of Tongzhou, right? He might be a bit dissolute, but his taste is exceptional. Everyone he takes a fancy to is a top-tier beauty; take the Second Young Miss of the Jiang family, for instance; she’s simply breathtaking. Everyone listed here is someone he has pursued, and the longer ago it was, the higher their rank. The lean man admired how formidable Mo Zhi was, considering a mere city lord’s identity was insignificant in the wider cultivation world. Yet Mo Zhi was capable of stirring up trouble, befriending the high-profile prodigy Jian Guichi while entangling himself with multiple talented and beautiful aristocratic young ladies. Plenty of men were fickle, yet he, despite being rather ordinary, had managed to become a household name and the talk of the town within a mere two years.
Mo Zhi lifted his eyes. He had no idea that aside from Jian Guichi and Tian Ying, the entire cultivation world viewed him as a playboy driven by a lust for beauty rather than a deeply devoted simp.
Judging by your attire, are you also from Tongzhou City? The lean man was reduced to skin and bones, radiating a shrewd aura as he looked Mo Zhi up and down with surging enthusiasm. However, his topic drifted further and further off course as he winked suggestively. Want to take a shortcut to the top?
It seemed the playboy’s actual appearance hadn’t spread as widely as his romantic escapades, and when the others saw the lean man putting away his scroll and beginning to pimp, they lost interest and walked away.
Mo Zhi waved a hand in refusal. Assuming Mo Zhi’s pride was too high for him to lower himself to serving others with his looks, the emaciated man sighed, If I had a face like yours, I wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone to keep me as a kept beauty in a gilded cage. It’s a pity I only know those big bosses; damn it, all I can do is run errands to earn a living. He sighed on and on, every single sentence designed to tempt Mo Zhi with the benefits of latching onto a wealthy family.
Mo Zhi smiled. My master is far too wealthy and powerful; ordinary people simply can’t compare.
Never expecting the youth to already belong to someone, the lean man grew anxious, questioning his clientele as if it were a grave insult to his professional pride. Little brother, people climb to higher places! I happen to know a certain Lord Wang who owns ten estates and hundreds of acres of fertile land.
Is that it?
Hah! What about Lord Li, the owner of the Drunken Dream Restaurant? His businesses are spread all across the world.
Oh.
Seeing that he couldn’t sway him, the lean man braced himself and began to boast, I have some connections with City Lord Mo, and I can arrange an opportunity for you to meet him. His novelty for beauties fades fast, but he is generous with his money; you’d better seize the chance!
Mo Zhi replied indifferently, That wouldn’t be good, would it? I hear he’s already betrothed.
The explosive news that Jian Guichi and his sworn brother had hooked up hadn’t spread widely; the cultivation world only knew that Jian Guichi had headed to Tongzhou City because of an arranged marriage. Because the lean man had broad connections and heard about it from the servants in the city lord’s mansion, he was surprised by the youth’s well-informed nature, shook his head, and dismissed it unconcernedly. Heh, what’s an engagement? It’ll be broken off sooner or later.
Mo Zhi was startled. How so? Just where did I offend someone for them to lay such a malicious curse on us?
Seeing that Mo Zhi was no longer aloof, the lean man suddenly grew excited, winking teasingly. A fickle prodigy might make a good friend, but having one as a partner will kill you. You’ll have green hats dropped onto your head left and right before you even know it. He rambled on, operating on the logic that a brother being fickle versus a partner being fickle were two entirely different concepts. After all, a man might tolerate it once, but how many times could he endure?
Good grief, why are you saying things like that to a fragile male dragon? The system clicked its tongue. You really shouldn’t go around speaking brutal truths right to someone’s face.
The lean man chattered on: Besides, being betrothed to your own sworn brother, how terrifying… My, your expression looks awful.
Mo Zhi lowered his gaze. So Jian Guichi doesn’t like my bad reputation either, which is why he abandoned me?
Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly, and the leaves on the tree branches quivered gently. The commotion grew increasingly intense. Looking up, a Gray-Strength Ape nearly ten meters tall, its pupils glowing a scarlet red, came barreling toward them. The quick-witted members of the crowd fled in disarray, while the cowardly ones ran for their lives with their tails between their legs.
The lean man urged Mo Zhi to run, but the latter stood completely motionless, assuming he had been frightened out of his wits, and hurriedly grabbed him to drag him away. Who are you waiting for to save you, you idiot! He figured the youth had been spoiled rotten by his sugar daddy and had no idea how to preserve his own life in the face of danger. And naturally, those wealthy patrons were too busy hunting for opportunities in the secret realm to look after them.
Every year, they would see a few reckless fools who ran into dangerous places themselves, dragging their pretty vases along with them, only to abandon them once trouble started.
The Gray-Strength Ape looked down upon the fleeing mortals and roared in excitement, but its raucous bellow suddenly cut short as it crashed heavily to the ground. The lean man, who had only run a few steps, turned his head and came to a gradual halt, completely bewildered. How did the crisis just get resolved?
Whoa! Turning around, the lean man discovered that Mo Zhi’s face had suddenly become radiant with life, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.
Mo Zhi patted him on the shoulder. My Lord Jian has arrived. We’ll chat next time. Like a dog catching sight of a meaty bone, he eagerly rushed forward, utterly indifferent to his dignity.
What Lord Jian? Never heard of him. Following the direction Mo Zhi was heading, the lean man looked into the distance and saw a tall, dark-robed figure walking over at a leisurely pace. Taking in that appearance and figure, straight, well-proportioned, and striking, he recognized who it was, and his jaw dropped in utter astonishment. Jian Guichi?!
Isn’t that pretty vase the very same person?!
Having not seen each other for a long time, a surging wave of emotion flooded Mo Zhi’s chest. The closer Mo Zhi got, the more the intoxicating scent of meat made him dizzy, and by the time he snapped back to reality, he had already bent forward and crashed right into Jian Guichi’s embrace, wrapping both arms tightly around a slender waist.
As expected of the cultivation world’s recognized male god, his physique was absolute perfection. Not only were the abdominal muscles beneath his waist clearly defined, but every other part of him was also solid and alluring. Yet the aforementioned hound remained sober for less than a second before burying his face right into the chest that countless people longed to touch.
Pressing against the pregnant body intoxicated the dragon so deeply that he even took a deep breath. Jian Guichi visibly stiffened. When he finally regained his composure, the dragon was already making excuses for his own impulsive behavior. I was so scared, he said, his voice trembling at the tail end. It was only natural for a weak Foundation Establishment weakling facing a Gray-Strength Ape to suffer palpitations.
Jian Guichi rarely engaged in physical contact with others, and his hand hovered over Mo Zhi’s back. Knowing he was about to be pushed away, Mo Zhi squinted and seized every split second to enjoy the physical contact, feeling a firm, measured pat land on his back.
It was a pat entirely laden with comforting intent.
Mo Zhi stopped clinging to Jian Guichi like a puddle of mud. He straightened his back, stared blankly at Jian Guichi, and forgot all about pretending to be scared. Jian Guichi’s attitude toward him seemed as though all the friction from these past few days had never happened, remaining as gentle as ever.
Seeing the brightness return to his eyes, Jian Guichi asked, Calmed down?
Fearing he might displease Lord Jian, Mo Zhi pulled back from his embrace and asked, Meeting in such a massive secret realm, is this fated?
Jian Guichi did not attempt to conceal his use of power and privilege to take a shortcut: I asked the official in charge of the secret realm’s entrance about where you were dropped.
Mo Zhi stood tall. I thought you went in first, which is why I rushed to follow you inside.
Jian Guichi frowned. I never said I was coming here.
The system, which had quietly turned invisible after spreading fake news about the male lead running to this secret realm on this exact day, chose that moment to stay hidden. Mo Zhi didn’t bother investigating, his mind entirely consumed by the thought that Jian Guichi had deliberately come looking for him.
Didn’t they say that because of Jiang Jiaojiao, those two were sworn enemies who would never cross paths again?
Women are like clothes; once City Lord Mo’s fresh interest fades, making up is easy enough. Jian Guichi cares about him so much, after all.
Hard to say. Let’s keep watching.
Mo Zhi blinked. Where are we heading next? Are we going to look around here? He guessed that since Jian Guichi had proactively come to this secret realm straight out of the book’s plot, his suggestion should hit right on target.
Jian Guichi replied, We can.
Seeing the two of them acting as though no one else was around, glued together and utterly sweet, everyone watching thought to themselves that this looked nothing like a reconciliation; it was as if they had never argued in the first place. It was just that the overall atmosphere felt somewhat strange. After pondering it, the onlookers concluded that this must simply be the profound, loyal bond of sworn brothers.
The system assumed its host had finally gotten his wish and would cling to the male lead until the end of time, but Mo Zhi suddenly announced he was going to pick some wild fruit and scampered off, leaving Jian Guichi behind.
It really couldn’t understand their dragon logic.
Mo Zhi gave a half-truth: We ran into each other too suddenly; my heart can’t take it. I need a moment to recover. If we don’t meet, I ache with longing; but when our eyes meet unawares, my breathing goes completely out of rhythm.
The system: You’re a bit of a freak, aren’t you?
Jian Guichi used a blade to slice open the beast, searching for the more valuable parts inside. When the other junior noobs saw Jian Guichi, they couldn’t move their feet. In the eyes of younger cultivators, Jian Guichi was an idol. Seeing him retrieve a beast core and sit down on the spot to wait, they also scattered and sat down around him, testing the waters to see if, should the big shot not find them annoying, they could shamelessly spend a bit more time mingling with him.
After a short while, a flash of yellow, graceful beauty approached step by graceful step. One of the noobs jumped up in excitement, ran over, and blurted out loudly, Eldest Young Miss, are you here looking for me? He raised his voice, attempting to draw a sharp line between himself and the others who were equally lacking in power and influence, yet lacked his perceived backing.
The young lady wore an outfit whose total value was enough to purchase an entire estate; even the hairpins adorning her head were high-grade magical artifacts, which looked somewhat jarring paired with her Core Formation cultivation.
The young miss, who had merely come over to check out the commotion upon hearing the noise, didn’t bother explaining. Her entire focus was fixed on the head of the Jian family, though her servant understood her intention instantly. Her young miss had exceptionally high standards and naturally wanted to choose the very best, and amongst their peers, Jian Guichi was quite literally the finest choice available.
With the ferocious beast dealt with, Jiang Jiaojiao didn’t leave to seek out the next opportunity, nor did she proactively approach anyone, maintaining the aloof pride of an aristocratic daughter. The spoiled young miss found a spot not too far away, kicked off her dirt-stained shoes, and ordered her servant to find a pool of water to wash them clean.
As her most favored servant, he was accustomed to ordering other maids around to handle the dirty and exhausting chores during ordinary days. Looking at the shoes caked completely in black mud on the ground, he couldn’t bring himself to touch them. His hesitation was glaringly obvious. The young miss glanced at him sideways, prompting the servant to frantically cobble together an excuse: Miss, my hand has a cut on it and shouldn’t get wet. Besides, Mo Zhi is right here; once he comes back from picking fruit, you can just make him wash them for you. Mo Zhi was infatuated with their young miss, so he would surely be more than willing to wait on her and win a smile from the beauty.
Jian Guichi glanced at them. The young miss showed no reaction to the existence of a certain passionate suitor, nor did she think having him wash her shoes was inappropriate, so she simply nodded.
The people quietly watching all drew in a sharp breath. Among the three great families, the Jiang family had the most ancient lineage, and this Miss Jiang was just as pampered as the rumors claimed. The crucial part was that Mo Zhi’s recent pursuit was directed precisely at Jiang Jiaojiao, who unmistakably harbored favorable feelings toward Jian Guichi. Word had it that the two brothers had fallen out over this very matter not long ago.
What baffled them, however, was that judging from the attitudes of the master and servant, Mo Zhi didn’t seem particularly suave or carefree, drifting effortlessly through a forest of blossoms; instead, he acted rather submissive in front of Jiang Jiaojiao!
Rustle, rustle,
Footsteps treading on fallen leaves drew closer and closer. It was none other than the infatuated City Lord Mo himself.
A love triangle gathered all in one place, there was bound to be bloodshed and excitement now!