Autumn Water Pavilion.
The aroma of cumin and sizzling fat permeated the small courtyard.
"Grilled meat skewers, five taels of silver each. Pretty ladies eat for free."
"Here, you're a beauty—have one on the house~"
Li Mo had dug out a charcoal brazier from winter supplies to use as a grill, skewering meat from the Rare Beast Peak and roasting it until it crackled with juices. As he grilled, he called out in a playful tone.
"Good disciple, were you a chef in your past life?" Shang Wu took a bite, her almond-shaped eyes glazing over in delight.
She'd eaten grilled meat before.
But why was her disciple's version so unbelievably delicious?
That unique fragrance, paired with the charred aroma of the meat, was simply divine.
"Wow, another beauty! This black-horned lamb nourishes yin and replenishes blood—it's yours."
"It is quite good."
Ying Bing took a small, delicate bite, chewing slowly.
For the usually icy girl to offer a four-word evaluation meant the flavor truly impressed.
"Phew... phew..."
Shang Wu, who loved spicy food, kept fanning her mouth.
Even Ying Bing, who typically favored light meals, indulged freely this time. Between the grilling and eating, she lost count of how many skewers she'd had.
"Little Bing'er, you respect your elders best, so this grilled fish skewer should be mine."
"But you're not my master."
"You've eaten so much already. Girls who overeat get chubby."
"I'm still growing."
"Come on, you live with Li Mo every day—just ask him to make more next time!"
Shang Wu crossed her arms, pouting.
Despite her wheedling, she couldn't pry a single skewer from the girl. How infuriating.
Ying Bing nibbled her fish, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, not bothering to hide her faint smile.
Memories surfaced.
In the hazy recollections of her time in the Eastern Wasteland Domain, only a few important figures stood out vividly.
Shang Wu was one of them.
When the Qingyuan Sect fell, had it not been for Shang Wu, she might never have escaped Purple Sun Prefecture alive.
But still...
She shook her head, dispelling the dark thoughts.
In this life, those tragedies would not repeat.
"Fine meat deserves fine wine."
Li Mo finally joined them at the table, carrying a jade-white porcelain flask.
When he uncorked it, a sharp yet refreshing aroma filled the air.
As he poured, the liquid separated distinctly into red and blue hues in the cup.
"What wine is this? It smells amazing!"
Shang Wu's delicate nose twitched as she inhaled, her almond eyes widening.
"Frostfire Wine."
Li Mo smiled, sliding a cup toward her.
He poured another for the "ice block"—Ying Bing.
Her crescent brows lifted slightly as she examined it, her mirror-like eyes reflecting the dual-toned liquor beautifully.
This wine came from Jade Spring Isle in the North Sea.
There, a mystical hot-and-cold spring existed, renowned for tempering the body.
A famed brewing family on the island used its waters exclusively, creating this very wine—hence its name.
That family, though mere vintners, dwarfed even the Qingyuan Sect in influence.
Every year, they sent hundreds of varieties as tribute to the Moon Palace, Frostfire Wine among them.
Back then, she'd long outgrown its benefits, often gifting it to promising disciples.
So how did Li Mo acquire it?
"Sweet disciple, where did you get this?"
Shang Wu, cheeks flushed from the wine, spoke softer than ever, her eyes shimmering like rippling water.
"..."
Li Mo leaned back slightly.
It was hard to reconcile this delicate, tipsy woman with the one who could pulverize mountains bare-handed.
"Found it in a hidden realm. Only managed to grab a few jars."
He spun the tale effortlessly.
"Oh? No wonder you emerged unscathed from the Divine Edge Cave's third layer."
Shang Wu found nothing suspicious in his claim.
Ying Bing took a sip, understanding dawning.
She had a theory now.
Li Mo must have stumbled upon some legacy.
Its treasures likely reshaped his physique, and this wine was left behind to further temper the inheritor's body.
Perhaps... during those days in Purple Sun Prefecture when she was unlocking her meridians?
No matter.
At least this way, he stood a chance to inherit Shang Wu's teachings and rise as a Qingyuan Sect elder.
For him, that alone was a monumental shift in fate.
"Mm, fine then."
Shang Wu drained her cup with a pout.
"There are a few jars left. Master, why not take one?"
"No need. This wine tempers the body, but I've outgrown its use."
"Then next time I descend the mountain, I'll bring you better."
Li Mo, surprised, absentmindedly took a sip from a nearby cup.
Then froze.
He hadn't poured for himself.
That was Ying Bing's cup.
"Little Bing, you okay?"
Shang Wu tilted her head, noticing the girl's sudden stillness.
"Fine."
Ying Bing frowned slightly, shaking her head.
"Then drink up! This wine's great for Qi-Blood Realm cultivation."
Shang Wu punctuated this by chugging from her own gourd.
Li Mo coughed, handing Ying Bing a fresh cup before refilling it.
"Mn."
Ying Bing sipped quietly.
Just then, her usually placid heart had rippled faintly.
That... was unusual.
In her past, suitors had included geniuses of unparalleled talent, scions of terrifying influence, even one of the Nine Heavens—the Azure Heaven himself—who'd confessed admiration before her ascension.
Yet she'd never spared them a thought, let alone reciprocated.
In time, the world deemed the Moon Palace's empress as icy in heart as in demeanor, devoid of mortal desires.
Truthfully, she'd simply prioritized the martial path above all.
Worldly attachments eroded greatness; love was but an obstacle.
But that fleeting sensation earlier... she hadn't disliked it.
"Perhaps the wine's effect..."
She finished the Frostfire Wine without savoring it.
"My current realm can't suppress intoxication."
Focusing inward, she guided the liquor's energy through her meridians.
"I should train seriously these coming days."
"Oh, and the sect's holding trials for new disciples soon. Don't embarrass me."
Shang Wu yawned after delivering this reminder.
"Trials?"
Li Mo blinked.
Shang Wu licked a stray drop of wine from her lip.
"They'll send you into the Qingyuan Mountain Range to gather herbs or hunt beasts."
"Challenging for Qi-Blood Realm disciples—some ninth-grade monsters are tricky."
"You and Ying Bing can watch each other's backs."
Li Mo nodded. A classic trope.
"Master, Ying Bing's the sect leader's disciple. She gets way better resources—why would she need my help?"
Rumor has it that when the master first took him in, it seemed to be out of interest in Ying Bing?
They had barely met, yet he was already calling her "Little Bing'er" affectionately.
Ying Bing didn’t seem to mind either, as if the two had known each other for ages.
"Who said I don’t care about you?"
Shang Wu sniffed lightly and pulled out a small manual:
"Take this and practice. It’s a mid-tier martial art, perfectly suited for your current level—far better than the Six Harmonies Fist, at any rate."
Written on the manual was:
Blazing Prairie Swordplay Though it was only a mid-tier martial art, $2n the outside world, it would already be considered a treasured heirloom by many sects.
Countless minor sects still treated low-tier or even unranked martial arts as priceless treasures.
"Thank you, Master."
"Hmph, and here you were complaining about me earlier."
With that, Shang Wu waved her hand, picked up her little gourd, and left the Autumn Water Pavilion.
At the table, Ying Bing set down her wine cup, her mind settling back into calm.
For the sect’s trial, what she had to do was something no one could help her with.
She was going to claim an inheritance.
Though she didn’t know whose legacy Li Mo had obtained, $2ompared to the one she was about to acquire, it would be as different as clouds and mud.
After all, no true powerhouse would leave their inheritance in the barren Eastern Wasteland Domain.
The legacy she was going to awaken was different.
It wasn’t left behind by a ‘human’.