Zhou Xianzong slept until he naturally woke up.
According to the plot, Xiao Potian would be in secluded cultivation for the next couple of days, so there was nothing for him to do.
But he remembered clearly: when Xiao Potian comes out of seclusion this time, his cultivation would, damn it, skyrocket again.
He'd break through to the ninth level of the Body Forging Realm.
That speed was as easy as drinking water—truly freakish.
"Your Highness, the proprietress says that once you're awake, please head to the back garden. She's waiting for you there," a young maid called out from outside the door.
"Alright, got it."
With that, Zhou Xianzong got up, washed, and headed straight to the back garden.
You had to admit, Mo Wu knew how to live well.
She'd turned this back garden into something like a paradise on earth.
When he arrived, he saw Mo Wu sitting leisurely at a stone table, sipping tea.
But the moment Zhou Xianzong laid eyes on her, he froze in place.
He couldn't even move his legs.
Holy crap!
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!
He quickly pinched his nose and tilted his head back to the sky.
Damn it, he almost got a nosebleed.
What's up with this woman? Has her second spring arrived or something?
Wasn't she always wearing that signature red cheongsam?
Why did she wear a white dress to meet me today?
A white dress was one thing, but black stockings too?
Oh, my dear mother!
Who wouldn't lose their mind seeing this?
Something's off!
Definitely off! She's got to be plotting something!
Especially since she's the seductive, enchanting type—one sultry glance could make any man fall for her.
And now, in this white dress, she's the epitome of pure yet alluring perfection.
Zhou Xianzong shook his head, struggling to control his surging blood, then stiffly sat across from Mo Wu.
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her legs.
"Your Highness, does my outfit look good?" Mo Wu asked, pouring him a cup of tea with a charming smile.
"It looks good. Very good. Extremely good."
Zhou Xianzong gave her a thumbs-up as he spoke.
"Oh my, I heard someone say I'm always wearing the same red cheongsam, never changing, and I thought maybe I'm getting old. But getting Your Highness's approval today has given me some confidence," Mo Wu said with a hint of playful complaint.
"Who said that? Which blind idiot said my Sister Mo is old? I'll be the first to deal with him! Whether it's a red cheongsam or anything else, Sister Mo is the number one beauty in Tianwu City!"
Zhou Xianzong declared with a domineering air.
Keep acting, you little bastard!
Mo Wu had clearly seen Zhou Xianzong's diary entry from last night.
Then, with a smile, she said, "In that case, why don't we break that person's legs?"
Hearing this, Zhou Xianzong suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
He instinctively clamped his legs together.
"Haha, resorting to violence isn't good. So, Sister Mo, what did you want to see me for?"
"What else could it be? I'm here to ask for Your Highness's help, of course. I heard the Zhou Dynasty's imperial palace consumes a lot of medicinal herbs every year. I hope Your Highness can put in a good word for me so that my Treasure Pavilion can supply the Empress's herbs in the future. The price is negotiable—cheaper than the market rate by a third."
Mo Wu's captivating eyes locked onto Zhou Xianzong.
Hearing this, Zhou Xianzong paused, thinking to himself that it was indeed about this.
He clearly remembered that Mo Wu came from a medicinal herb family and wanted to build a bridge with the Zhou Dynasty.
This was just her first step.
This woman's future achievements would leave many men in awe.
"Sure thing. Since Sister Mo asked, I'll mention it to my father later. From now on, the Empress's herbs will come from your Treasure Pavilion."
Zhou Xianzong didn't think too much and agreed to Mo Wu's request.
According to the plot, he had a whole spiel prepared.
But he couldn't be bothered to go through it—getting to the right outcome was enough.
Mo Wu was momentarily stunned, not expecting Zhou Xianzong to agree so readily.
Her prepared lines went completely unused.
She blinked her beautiful eyes and suddenly said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Highness. I heard you've been pursuing Miss Luo for a long time, but that Xiao Potian doesn't know his place and dares to compete with you. Since Your Highness is so generous, how about I do you a favor and take care of this nuisance for you, permanently? What do you think?"
"Pfft…"
Hearing Mo Wu's words, Zhou Xianzong couldn't hold it in and spat out the tea he'd just sipped.
He stared at Mo Wu in disbelief.
This plot… it's going off the rails again, isn't it?
He clearly remembered that Mo Wu was very optimistic about Xiao Potian.
And she even fell in love with him later.
Big sister, you're supposed to be on Xiao Potian's side in the future, teaming up with him to deal with *me*!
Why would you want to take his life?
You're supposed to help him!
The one you should be killing is *me*, not Xiao Potian!
If Xiao Potian dies, how will the plot continue?
Zhou Xianzong immediately advised her in a serious tone, "Sister Mo, you can't say things like that."
"Your Highness, why not? He's just a nobody. Are you, the prince of the Zhou Dynasty, actually afraid of him?"
Mo Wu's beautiful face showed a hint of confusion as she looked at Zhou Xianzong.
"Afraid of him? I'm the prince of the Zhou Dynasty—why would I be afraid of him? Precisely because he's a nobody, I don't even bother killing him. I want to toy with him properly, let him know the consequences of crossing me."
Zhou Xianzong spoke with an air of arrogance, practically oozing smugness.
Hmph!
You little bastard, still acting with me, huh?
Mo Wu had only meant to tease Zhou Xianzong, but she didn't expect this guy to be so entertaining.
"Very well, then I'll follow Your Highness's wishes."
Mo Wu nodded.
Hearing this, Zhou Xianzong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
That was close.
Just a hair's breadth away from Xiao Potian being done for.
That was too risky.
I'm telling you, Xiao Potian, can you hurry up and grow stronger already?
Otherwise, one wrong move and you're dead.
I even had to speak up for you.
This Mo Wu is ruthless—when she says she'll kill, she doesn't even blink.
No wonder she'll build such a successful business empire.
"Sister Mo, I need to get back to my cultivation. I'll talk to my father about this, so don't worry."
With that, Zhou Xianzong stood up to take his leave.
Back in his room, he immediately pulled out his diary and started writing.
[Xiao Potian, do you know I just saved your sorry life?]
[Damn, Mo Wu is way too ruthless, wanting to kill her future husband.]
[Good thing I stopped her in time.]
[Speaking of which, it's almost my turn to shine. As the villain and simp, today I'm supposed to bring a bouquet of flowers to confess to the ice queen again.]
[But, as expected, the outcome is predictably tragic—my confession gets rejected again, and she even smashes the flowers in my face.]
[Then, right at that moment, Xiao Potian comes out of seclusion, and the two of them team up to humiliate me, calling me a toad lusting after a swan.]
[What the hell! I don't get it—have you ever seen a toad as handsome as me? Clearly, Xiao Potian, that nobody, is the real toad. The ice queen's got something wrong with her brain!]
*Ding!* "Host has successfully written in the diary. Received 100,000 soft girl coins, Charm +10."
"What's this? Today's rewards are kinda lame."
Zhou Xianzong was a bit dissatisfied.
Then he casually got ready, picked some wildflowers on the way, and headed to the Qingyang Sect.
Since he'd get rejected anyway, no need to put in too much effort.
On the other side, Luo Le'er slammed the diary shut and smacked it onto the table.
She was fuming.
That bastard Zhou Xianzong.
Every time he wrote in his diary, he'd insult her.
Yet every time he saw her, he put on that fake affectionate act.
As expected.
This two-faced guy—even a dog would turn away in disgust.