Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me 'Husband' - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Ying Bing’s Worries, The Inheritance Ground

—Autumn Water Pavilion—

At this moment, the fragrant aroma of cumin and fat filled the small courtyard.

“Grilled meat, five silver taels per skewer. If you’re pretty, it’s free.”

“Here you go, you’re a beauty, so you get one for free~”

Li Mo had repurposed the winter brazier as a grill, threading beast meat from the Rare Beast Peak, and grilling it until it sizzled with oil.

As he grilled the meat, he called out playfully like a street vendor.

“My dear disciple, were you a cook in your past life?”

Shang Wu took a bite, her almond-shaped eyes glowing with satisfaction.

She had eaten grilled meat before, but why was her disciple’s so delicious?

Especially that unique aroma, blending perfectly with the meat’s smoky flavor—it was simply exquisite.

Li Mo smiled and grabbed a few more skewers:

“Wow, another beauty! This black-horned lamb meat nourishes yin and replenishes blood. Here’s one for you.”

“It’s very tasty,” said Ying Bing, taking a small bite and chewing slowly.

The ice doll’s four-word high praise indicated the flavor was indeed excellent.

“Huff… huff…”

Shang Wu loved spicy food and kept exhaling sharply.

Even Ying Bing, who usually preferred light flavors, indulged heartily for once. As they grilled and ate, she lost track of how much she had eaten.

“Xiao Bing’er, you’ve always respected your elders. So this skewer of grilled fish shouldn’t be for you.”

“But you’re not my master.”

“You’ve eaten quite a bit. Little girls who eat too much will get chubby.”

“I’m still growing.”

“Ah, you live with Li Mo every day. You can have him cook for you next time.”

Shang Wu crossed her arms, pouting angrily.

She couldn’t even wheedle or trick a single grilled fish from this little girl, much to her annoyance.

Ying Bing continued eating her grilled fish, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, not hiding her faint smile.

She thought back to the past.

In those hazy memories of the Eastern Desolate Region, only a few important people left a deep impression on her.

Shang Wu was one of them.

When the Qingyuan Sect fell, if not for Shang Wu, she likely wouldn’t have escaped Ziyang Prefecture alive.

Unfortunately…

Shaking her head, Ying Bing dispelled the troubling thoughts.

In this life, those tragedies would never repeat.

“Good meat naturally calls for good wine,” said Li Mo, sitting down at the table to eat.

He held a bottle of wine, contained in delicate white porcelain.

As he pulled out the cork, instantly a spicy yet refreshing aroma wafted out.

He poured the liquor.

Surprisingly, it formed two distinct layers of red and blue in the cup.

“What kind of wine is this? It smells amazing!” exclaimed Shang Wu, her delicate nose twitching as she sniffed. Her almond eyes widened slightly, suddenly energized.

“Ice Fire Wine,” Li Mo smiled, placing the wine cup in front of Shang Wu.

As he spoke, he poured another cup.

This one he gave to the ice doll.

Ying Bing’s crescent-moon eyebrows raised slightly as she picked it up to examine closely. The two-colored liquor reflected in her mirror-like eyes, a striking sight.

This wine came from a place called the Hot Spring Island in the Northern Sea.

There was a spring there, half cold and half hot year-round, with miraculous effects for tempering one’s physique.

A family of master brewers on the island specialized in using it to make wine, resulting in this Ice Fire Wine.

Although that family were brewers, they were a formidable power comparable to the Qingyuan Sect.

Every year, that family would present hundreds of types of fine wine to the Osmanthus Palace as tribute, including this Ice Fire Wine.

By then she was no longer fond of drinking, and it would generally be bestowed upon promising disciples.

How did Li Mo come to possess this wine?

“My dear little disciple, where did you get this wine from?” asked Shang Wu, her face flushed from drinking the Ice Fire Wine, speaking softly for the first time.

Her almond eyes blinked gently, like ripples on water.

“…..”

Li Mo leaned back tactically.

It was hard to imagine that the delicate woman before him was capable of shattering a mountaintop with one punch.

“I stumbled upon a secret place and obtained it, only got a few jars,” Young Li casually explained.

“Oh? So you had such fortune, no wonder you could enter the third level of the Divine Blade Cave unscathed,” said Shang Wu, finding nothing wrong with this explanation.

Ying Bing took a sip, understanding dawning in her mind.

She had a guess.

Li Mo had likely obtained some inheritance.

Relying on treasures left behind in that inheritance, he changed his physical constitution, and the Ice Fire Wine was also left behind in the inheritance, originally meant to temper the inheritor’s physique.

Perhaps… it was during those few days when she was opening her meridians in Ziyang City?

That’s fine.

At least in the future, he would have the opportunity to inherit Shang Wu’s mantle and become an elder of the Qingyuan Sect.

For him, this was already an extreme change in destiny.

“Hmph, alright then,” Shang Wu pursed her lips, finishing her wine in one gulp.

“There are still a few jars of Ice Fire Wine left. If Master likes it, why not take a jar with you?”

“No need, you keep it. This wine can temper the body, I’m past that stage now.”

“Then when I go down the mountain next time, I’ll bring back some good wine for Master.”

Li Mo was somewhat surprised as he took the wine cup and drank.

But then …

The next moment, he realized something was wrong.

He recalled that he hadn’t poured himself any wine, so what he just drank… was from Ying Bing’s cup?

“Xiao Bing’er, what’s wrong?” Shang Wu tilted her head, noticing that Ying Bing seemed to have frozen.

“It’s nothing,” Ying Bing furrowed her brow slightly, shaking her head.

“Oh, then you should drink more. This wine is very beneficial for those at the Blood Qi realm,” said Shang Wu, lifting her own small gourd from her waist and taking two big gulps.

Li Mo coughed lightly, getting her a new cup and filling it to the brim.

“Mm,” Ying Bing sipped her wine.

Just now, had there been an almost imperceptible ripple in the calm lake of her heart?

This was strange…

Back then men who had pursued her included those with unparalleled talent since ancient times, those with unmatched natural gifts, those with terrifying backgrounds, and even before she became one of the Nine Heavens, the Azure Heaven of the Nine Heavens had once expressed admiration for her.

Let alone returning their affections.

She had never even entertained the thought.

Over time, people across the world said that the Empress who long resided in Osmanthus Palace had a heart of ice, devoid of the seven emotions and six desires.

In truth, she was simply unwavering in her pursuit of martial arts.

The red dust of the world erodes the bones of heroes; love is but a stumbling block.

Yet just now, when that strange feeling arose in her heart, she found herself not averse to it…

“Perhaps it’s because of the Ice Fire Wine…” Ying Bing finished her Ice Fire Wine without savoring its taste.”

“At my current level, I still can’t ignore the effects of intoxication.”

Retracting her thoughts, she silently guided that thread of alcohol’s power to circulate within her body.

“For this period of time, I should focus on training diligently.”

“In a while, the sect will have trials for new disciples. Don’t embarrass your master, okay?” said Shang Wu, stifling a yawn.

“Trials?” Li Mo looked confused.

Shang Wu wiped the glistening wine from the corner of her mouth:

“It’s where we put you all in the Qingyuan Mountain Range to collect some medicinal herbs, kill some beasts, that sort of thing.”

“For those at the Blood Qi realm, it’s somewhat challenging. Some rank nine demon beasts can be quite difficult to deal with.”

“At that time, you and Xiao Bing’er can look out for each other.”

Li Mo nodded, roughly understanding what it was about.

It was a common plot device in novels.

Li Mo sighed to himself.

“Master, Ying Bing is the Sect Master’s disciple. She’s much better off than me. Why would she need to rely on me?”

Come to think of it, when Master took him in, it seemed to be because she was interested in Ying Bing?

They had just met, yet she was already calling her “Xiao Bing’er.”

Ying Bing didn’t seem to mind either, as if they had known each other for a long time.

“Who says I don’t care about you?” Shang Wu wrinkled her delicate nose, taking out a small booklet:

“Take this and practice. It’s a mid-grade martial art, just right for you now, much better than the Six Harmonies Fist.”

The booklet was titled:

“Scorching Wildfire Sword Technique”

Don’t be fooled by it being just a mid-grade martial art.

Outside, it would already be enough to serve as the core, pride-worthy technique of many sects.

Many small sects still treated inferior grades or even unranked martial arts as treasures.

“Thank you, Master.”

“Hmph, you were complaining about me just now.”

With that, Shang Wu waved her hand, picked up her small gourd, and left Autumn Water Pavilion.

At the table, Ying Bing put down her wine cup, her emotions returning to calmness.

For the sect trials, what she needed to do, no one could help her with.

She needed to go obtain an inheritance.

Although she didn’t know whose inheritance Li Mo had obtained, compared to what she was about to

receive, it was certainly worlds apart.

After all, no powerful cultivator would leave their inheritance in the Eastern Desolate Region.

The inheritance she was going to unlock was different.

It wasn’t left behind by a ‘person’.

…