93 - Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’

# Chapter 93: You Call This a Terrifying Killing Machine? Watching the three mangled figures of the Huai Mountain Trio sprawled on the ground, Zuo Qiuyang was left utterly bewildered. He had painstakingly prepared for this trio for a long time, going so far as to deliberately reveal his location to lure them into pursuing him. Just moments ago, he had turned the tables, using their exhaustion against them, and slaughtering those lying in ambush, fully charging his execution blade technique to its peak, leaving himself no room for retreat. Today he stood terrifyingly strong, ready for a fight to the death to avenge his master and his village. But to his surprise, those three nearly got beaten to death right in front of his eyes by a young man who looked even younger than him. It was quite baffling. "Who are you?" Li Mo squatted in front of the continually coughing blood Huai Mountain Trio and asked, "Why did you attack me so suddenly, and why is your laughter so unpleasant?" Representing the Qingyuan Sect and maintaining the order of the Ziyang Mansion, he couldn’t help but question them after beating them to such a state. "I...you..." The scar-faced brute on the ground glared fiercely. Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred. The overweight and thin bandits beside them swiftly placed their hands on the shoulders of the scar-faced brute in the middle. They channeled the last of their inner breath together. "Ha!" The scar-faced brute shattered the floor tiles and abruptly surged up. The torrents of their combined inner breath twisted into a single rope through his meridians, immensely fierce and violent. "Kid, you're still too green!" His face was full of malice, yet carried a victor's grin. This move, though trivial in strength, was enough for their combined inner breath to shatter his opponent’s dantian. Zuo Qiuyang snapped back to reality while Xiao Qin's face dramatically changed. He wanted to rescue him but it was too late. All he could do was watch helplessly as the enemy's palm slammed down heavily. It struck Li Mo’s dantian, with inner breath aggressively pouring in, as though trying to obliterate the young man’s martial arts. Bang— The sound was loud. Yet once it reverberated away, the air in the post house quieted to silence. The young man didn’t even move an inch, only wrinkling his brows. The mocking expressions of the Huai Mountain Trio froze, and fear clouded their eyes. What... what was this, human or ghost? The Huai Mountain Trio met an unsettling end. The strange inner breath entered Li Mo's body, leaving him unfazed, finding it rather chaotic, just crudely twisted together. Without thinking much of it, he used his own inner breath to repel it with ease, sending it back the way it came. But it didn’t stop there. As their liquefied inner breath was expelled, it bizarrely began to 'burn.' Poof— The Three Dunces... Oh no, the Three Evils, their bodies suddenly inflated weirdly, rolling their eyes, bleeding from all seven orifices. They died with eyes wide open. His dantian was so vast that even he found it terrifying, and his inner breath, emanating from martial arts above divine skills, could ignite an all-consuming, destructive blaze. This was his debut using it against an enemy. Even Li Mo felt he was quite formidable. Not to mention the bystanders. Xiao Qin opened his mouth, struggling to speak, standing dumbfounded for a while. Even the Thousand Shapeshifter Martial Venerable was left speechless in shock. "Li Shidi, are you alright?" Regaining his composure, he hurriedly approached to inspect, though Li Shidi appeared normal, facing the inner breath of three liquid state experts was no small feat, even if not magnified by martial arts, their bluster alone was typically unbearable for others. Li Mo shook his head and asked, "Were they chosen by Xi Yu Lou to join the Wujian Trial?" "Uh, they came to assassinate someone," Xiao Qin replied, glancing around. Following his gaze, Li Mo turned and saw a figure clad in a raincoat standing aside. The system suddenly provided a notification: [Congratulations to the host for helping 'Zuo Qiuyang' eliminate his enemies.] [A reward awaits your claim.] Zuo Qiuyang? A complex light flickered in Li Mo's eyes. [Name: Zuo Qiuyang] [Age: 19] [Meridian: Nine integral forms.] [Level: Inner Breath Qi Consolidation] [Fate: Purple tinted with gray.] [Evaluation: Born with nine foundations suited for martial arts, remarkable aptitude, taken as a disciple by a fugitive Earth Fighter from Xi Yu Lou, the lone survivor of Huai County, destined to become a terrifying killing machine.] [Recent Encounter: Accomplices dead, elusive mastermind, participating in Wujian Trial to seek traces.] "Purple tinted with gray..." This signified future achievements albeit with enormous sacrifices. A terrifying killing machine? Sounds impressive... "Are you... also part of the Wujian Trial?" Zuo Qiuyang suddenly asked, pressing down on his lethal, surging blade. "What makes you ask?" "If you are, then I shall withdraw now." "..." It was Li Mo's first time encountering someone so fiercely intense but spouting such discouraging words. What happened to the supposed terrifying killing machine? "Is the Wujian Trial so easy to quit?" "Of course not, but I am less inclined to compete with you." Only the few who survive till the end get absorbed into Xi Yu Lou. So, willingly or unwillingly participating, they're all hunters... or prey in the dark forest. Were Li Mo part of it... Undoubtedly, he would emerge the victor of this batch. "I hold no interest in Xi Yu Lou." "Quite the opposite." Li Mo revealed a token from his palm, smiling, "I am a disciple of Qingyuan Sect." "So am I," Xiao Qin echoed, presenting a similar token, positioning himself as a comrade of justice. At that moment: "Huh? What's going on here?" Shang Wu stepped over the post house threshold, surveying the gory scene, her expression unmoving as she lightly furrowed her brows, scrutinizing the unfamiliar person present. Gulp— Zuo Qiuyang swallowed nervously, instantly on guard. His blade trembled once more, not from lethal intent this time, but fear. Training in unalive blade techniques with his late master, he discovered an innate sensitivity to killing intent and such. Previously, the most terrifying killing aura he had encountered came from his master. Now, it had changed hands. The atmosphere in the post house felt strangely tense. An aspirant yet to secure full membership in Xi Yu Lou standing amongst four Qingyuan Sect advocates for justice. Quietly mulling it over, it was evident he couldn’t stand against any, even Xiao Qin, for the Thousand Shapeshifter Martial Venerable wasn't merely a mouthpiece. "Don't be so tense." "We descended from the mountain mainly to uphold order in the provincial city, prevent chaos, and shield innocents." "As for the Wujian Trial, our only wish is for it to conclude swiftly." Li Mo reassured him now. "I understand," Zuo Qiuyang visibly relaxed, then continued slurping his unfinished bowl of noodles from the ground. Meanwhile, Li Mo approached the trio, using his Akatsuki Sword to pry open their pockets. After some rummaging, aside from miscellaneous items, a letter tucked in the scar-faced man’s chest piqued his interest.