Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’ Chapter 720: Oh~~

Dusk descended upon Ziyang Manor, bringing a damp mist that suggested a night of heavy rain. Li Mo had just concluded a strategic meeting with the elders. Their plan was set: they would converge at the Happy Hotpot Restaurant under the cover of a dark and windy night.

The elders had each contributed their own tactical ideas regarding the operation.

Sect Master Shangguan proposed that every participant select a pseudonym. He also insisted they coordinate a consistent backstory for the Ten Thousand Phenomena Immortal Sect to ensure they wouldn't expose their true identities if interrogated.

Elder Hanhe recommended that the sound of a shattering porcelain cup serve as the official signal to commence the strike.

Elder Qian, finding every suggestion to be excellent, simply suggested that they should have a meal first.

Listening to these arrangements, Young Li felt quite satisfied.

"The elders are truly nothing like my master," he mused.

"If they shared her temperament, would the Qingyuan Sect even be standing today?" Shangguan Wencang, Qian Bufan, and Elder Hanhe all let out synchronized sighs.

Xue Jing reached out, wanting to comfort Li Mo with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and say, "Child, you’ve truly endured a lot."

To his surprise, Li Mo looked back with a face full of deep emotion and remarked, "The elders... they have finally grown up."

"You..." Xue Jing’s hand twitched with the urge to strike Li Mo and pin him to the ground, but he ultimately restrained himself. He remembered that broken bones take a hundred days to heal, and a fractured hand would sideline him for months.

The other elders’ expressions flickered with annoyance.

Damn it, why was his statement so frustratingly hard to argue with? Forget it, eating first was the better option.

Young Li remained unaware that following his departure, Xue Jing had suggested a revision to the Qingyuan Sect’s harshest disciplinary measures.

In the past, the most dreaded punishment wasn't being expelled from the Sect; it was being assigned to clean Qunyu Peak. That meant enduring two days in the company of Shang Wu—a terrifying prospect for anyone.

However, Shang Wu had moved away from Qunyu Peak.

Consequently, Elder Xue proposed that the new ultimate punishment should be forced consumption of Little Bing'er's experimental culinary creations.

At that same moment.

Li Mo had descended from the main peak, heading out to rendezvous with Huang Donglai, who was currently acting as an undercover agent at the Happy Hotpot Restaurant.

But as he reached the waterfall near the Qiushui Pavilion, he stumbled upon Huang Donglai looking incredibly flustered. A familiar figure lay sprawled on the ground before him... or rather, it was a mermaid.

Lan Tian, a member of the merfolk who usually maintained a human appearance, had reverted to her true form.

She was out cold, her fish tail giving the occasional involuntary twitch.

"Old Huang, I never suspected you were that sort of man," Li Mo said, visibly stunned.

"I can explain everything..." Huang Donglai stammered, waving his hands frantically.

"So your tastes lean in this direction..." Li Mo wasn't actually shocked that Old Huang would resort to knocking someone out.

"...That only makes it sound worse!"

Huang Donglai paused for a beat. "Brother Li, perhaps it would be best if you woke her up first."

Li Mo nodded in agreement and produced a Five Auras Purple Spirit Pill.

It turned out that while Huang Donglai was returning toward the Qiushui Pavilion, he realized he was being shadowed. Known for his extreme vigilance, he had struck out decisively against the stalker.

Luckily, since they were within the grounds of the Qingyuan Sect where many different Cultivation experts gathered, he had used restrained force and spared the pursuer’s life.

As Li Mo placed the pill in Lan Tian’s mouth, he asked, "You’ve met Lan Tian before, so how did you fail to recognize her?"

"I only realized who she was after she transformed back. I genuinely thought she was some spy dressed as a beggar following me," Huang Donglai explained sheepishly.

Li Mo went quiet, suddenly remembering the detail he had overlooked.

But why had Lan Tian been following Huang Donglai in the first place?

"Let's bring her inside the Qiushui Pavilion before we continue this conversation," Huang Donglai said, scanning the surroundings nervously.

Even though the area was secluded, the Qingyuan Sect was currently bustling with visitors, and they couldn't risk being spotted.

A short while later.

The two of them were back inside the pavilion.

After placing Lan Tian in a large water vat in the courtyard to recover, Li Mo asked:

"What intel have you managed to pick up?"

"The Summoning Demons Cult and the Lingxi Sect are convinced that the Qingyuan Sect is hiding a relic from the Great Shang Dynasty, and they believe you are the one carrying it, Brother Li. You are their primary target."

"Why is everyone so certain of that..."

Li Mo wanted to argue that no such Great Shang relic existed. If he possessed anything of that caliber, it was the Phoenix Aura, which was already in the Ice Block’s possession.

Still, it was beneficial if the world believed this lie; it provided a perfect cover for the source of his massive wealth.

"So, what is their plan for attacking me?"

"They haven't finalized the method yet; they plan to deliberate once you arrive. I only know their intended timing: they will strike when you are most vulnerable."

"And when is that?" Li Mo asked, his guard rising.

Huang Donglai replied with a straight face, "During your wedding night."

"......?"

A giant metaphorical question mark appeared above Young Li’s head.

He wondered if the engagement traditions of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were fundamentally different from what he knew.

"Since when does an engagement ceremony include a wedding night?"

"I found it strange as well and even tried to correct them, but Hall Master Luo of the Summoning Demons Cult was adamant. He claimed he had experienced a wedding night himself and was certain of the procedure," Huang Donglai said with a shrug.

"I highly doubt he actually has."

"Yeah, I get that feeling too... wait a second."

Li Mo frowned as a thought occurred to him. "What about the others? Weren't there two Deputy Cult Leaders present? Did they not see the flaw in the logic?"

"Not at all. From what I saw, most of those cultists have never been wed, have no prospects for marriage, and are totally ignorant of such matters. A good number of them are clearly still virgins."

"..."

It stood to reason that people joined a demonic cult because they couldn't find a wife. It was perfectly logical.

"However, their theoretical knowledge—as messy as it is—is quite impressive. They speak with such confidence. I suspect they picked up their 'facts' from brothels or some other questionable places," Huang Donglai added, chuckling.

"?" Li Mo pointed a finger at him. "What are you laughing at? You’re in the same boat as them."

Huang Donglai: "??"

How did the conversation turn on him?

After a brief silence, Li Mo regained his composure. "So they've agreed with Luo Yexian to attack during my wedding night? They truly don't realize that an engagement doesn't actually have one?"

"That's the situation. Brother Li, perhaps you should just add one to the schedule for the sake of the plan?"

"Fine." Li Mo nodded.

He decided he would go along with the farce and play the part without delay.

However, he couldn't make that decision alone; he needed to consult the Ice Block first.

.....

Meanwhile.

"Crunch, crunch..."

Xiao Qin had been focused on solitary Cultivation lately. After his recent defeat at the hands of Tang Liu, he hadn't succumbed to despair; instead, he had identified his weaknesses and sought wisdom in the library.

He was so busy he hadn't even stopped for a proper meal, settling for a piece of dry bread.

He was currently lost in his studies, eating while he read.

"Xiao Qin."

"Huh?"

Xiao Qin looked up to find the library Elder glaring at him with a deep frown.

"Elder, is something wrong?"

"The library is a place of silence. Finish your snack quickly so you don't disturb the others."

"Huh?"

Baffled, Xiao Qin glanced toward a nearby section of the room.

There, he spotted the "others" the Elder was referring to.

It was Ying Bing, accompanied by Qin Yuzhi and Shang Qinqing. Ying Bing was busy writing on a scroll, while the other two were talking incessantly.

"Uh..." Xiao Qin began to protest.

"Yes, they are speaking, but they are discussing the Dao of martial arts, which is allowed."

Just as the library Elder finished his sentence, voices carried over from the trio.

"Little Bing'er, do you actually know what goes on during a wedding night?"

"Little Bing'er, do you have any idea how children are actually made?"

It was no surprise that the former leader of the Summoning Demons Cult and a former totem shared such a bizarre, almost telepathic link with the current cult members regarding specific topics.

"......"

Xiao Qin turned his gaze back to the library Elder.

"Why are you looking at me? The martial arts manual you're holding was personally annotated by Little Bing'er. Why shouldn't she be allowed to discuss it?"

"But that Qin woman..."

"She is a Grand Elder! Do you really expect me to discipline her? What if she decides to have me fired?"