"You have successfully captured my attention, young man!"
Ming Li entered the assembly hall with a grim expression, walking at an unhurried pace.
Instantly, the entire hall fell silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were fixed on the red-clad figure entering.
At this moment, a loud shout erupted from the quiet assembly hall: "Old Ancestor! You've finally returned! Did you all see? This is our Old Ancestor! The Old Ancestor who is alive!"
Ming Li: ...His mouth twitched uncontrollably. What does "Old Ancestor who is alive" even mean?!
Everyone else: ...Are you not afraid of being ambushed and beaten up by saying that?
After speaking, Shi Yuyang quickly stood up and respectfully said, "Old Ancestor, please have a seat."
The sect leaders, clan masters, and island masters from various factions present also stood up and cupped their hands towards Ming Li.
Ming Li raised an eyebrow, sat down, and swept his gaze lightly over everyone, asking with feigned ignorance, "I merely went into seclusion. Why have you all come? Is there something amiss?"
Everyone else: ...Went into seclusion? Just like that?! And you were in seclusion for several hundred years?! Are you serious, Old Ancestor?!
Shui Huanqian of the Shuiyang Sect stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "Old Ancestor, rumors have been spreading outside that you have... passed away..."
Ming Li spoke, finishing Shui Huanqian's unsaid words, "Passed away?"
Shui Huanqian lowered his head and said nothing.
"If you all think I have passed away, then who is sitting here now? A demon?"
Everyone else: ...What kind of "demon" is that? They've only heard of demonic beasts.
Before everyone could say anything, Ming Li's voice was heard again, causing a jolt in everyone's hearts, "How about this, let's have a fight? I've also been... sleeping... oh no! I've been in seclusion for several hundred years, and my body has become a bit stiff. I just want to stretch my muscles."
Everyone else: ...Stop making excuses, we all heard you! So your seclusion was actually for sleeping!!
After some thought, everyone realized they couldn't sense the Old Ancestor's aura at all and were genuinely afraid that this Old Ancestor was a fake. Thus, they nodded in agreement.
Shi Yuyang: ...You will regret this!
"If you want to fight, fight! I'm not going!" Shi Yuyang said with foresight.
However, as Ming Li's gaze swept over him, Shi Yuyang immediately cowered and cautiously said, "Perhaps, I should go?"
Ming Li nodded with satisfaction, his figure instantly vanishing from his spot. A clear and cold voice echoed in the air, "I will wait for you at Mo Jin Mountain."
Everyone else: ...Teleportation! Space travel! If this isn't the Old Ancestor, then they must be blind.
Everyone swallowed in unison, their eyes meeting each other.
Long Shen, the sect leader of the Imperial Beast Sect, said with a stiff tone, "Forget it, we all said we would fight just now. Let's give it our all, and try not to lose too badly..."
The others: ...We are not comforted at all, thank you!
Shi Yuyang glared at everyone with his beautiful peach-blossom eyes filled with resentment and said, "It's all your fault! Why fight? I told you this is our Old Ancestor, and you still didn't believe me! Now I have to get beaten up too!"
Yao Lingzi, the valley master of the Medicine Valley, said, "I have top-grade recovery pills here. I'll sell them to you all at a cheap price later."
Everyone had a bad premonition: Not good! This old man has set his sights on our wallets!!
Ling Ji, the island master of Peach Blossom Immortal Island, sighed and said, "Alas! We should leave quickly! Let's not keep the Old Ancestor waiting!"
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. Their faces bore similar expressions of facing death, and they nodded. They then took out their flying artifacts or flying spirit beasts and flew towards Mo Jin Mountain.
Mo Jin Mountain, as its name suggested, was the territory of the demon race. However, most of the inhabitants here were low-level demons and demonic beasts.
At this moment. Beneath a thousand-year-old demon tree within Mo Jin Mountain.
A woman in red, wearing a mask, was lying comfortably on a hammock woven from vines, leisurely gnawing on spiritual fruits.
Suddenly, the woman's action of gnawing on the spiritual fruit paused.
Ming Li furrowed his handsome brows and said to the system, "Did you forget something?"
Hearing this, the system tilted its little pig head and looked at Ming Li doubtfully, "Did I forget something, Host?"
The system frowned its little brows, recalled for a moment, and then panicked internally. It said in a fawning manner, "Hah... Haha! Host, you remember so clearly! I will transmit the mission to you now!"
Ming Li raised an eyebrow, a devilish smile appearing on his face.
Seeing the smile on Ming Li's face, all the hair on the system's body stood on end. A bad premonition arose in its heart, and before it could fully form, Ming Li's cold voice came through: "I refuse."
The system instantly froze in place, the awkward smile on its lips stiffening. Tears welled up in its small eyes, threatening to fall, making it look exactly like a wronged innocent female protagonist from a television drama.
Its voice also changed abruptly, filled with a crying tone, "Host! No, no! Wuwuwu! I was wrong! Wuwuwu!"
Ming Li: ...His mouth twitched uncontrollably. Has this guy secretly become an Oscar-winning actor while she wasn't paying attention? Look at it, it's getting better and better at creating its own drama; the Oscars owe it a little golden statue.
Finally, Ming Li became impatient with the system's crying and said with annoyance, "Alright! Stop howling!"
The system continued to howl.
"Believe it or not, I'll beat you up!"
The system's howling lessened slightly.
Ming Li suddenly produced a brick out of thin air, weighing it in his hand, "Try howling one more time!"
The system's crying abruptly stopped, but it continued to sob softly.
Ming Li's eye corners twitched fiercely, and he crushed the brick in his hand with a loud *bang*!
The system's sobbing ceased, and it became as quiet as a chicken, not daring to make a sound.
Ming Li raised an eyebrow, "Oh! Why aren't you howling anymore?"
The system: ...This heartless woman! She's too terrifying!
Seeing the system lower its head and remain silent, Ming Li's mouth twitched. Tsk! It's getting temperamental again, isn't it?
The system said in a syrupy voice, "I dare not have a temper with the Host."
Hearing this, Ming Li almost burst into laughter. He raised his hand and picked up the system.
Meeting Ming Li's amused gaze, the system, after two seconds, threw itself into Ming Li's arms, crying buckets, its tears and snot smearing all over Ming Li.
"Host, you scared me to death! Wuwuwu!"
Ming Li's eye corners twitched fiercely: ...I just changed my clothes!
"If you transmit me to do another mission, I really won't do it anymore!"
The system's crying abruptly stopped, and it quickly began transmitting the mission.
--
Author's Note:
Thank you, little cuties, for the gifts!