Chapter 56: Shopping with a Beautiful Woman

To be honest, Hu Mo truly had no recollection—at most, the name suggested the event had something to do with women.

"Isn't that for women to attend? What business do we men have at such a gathering?" Hu Mo asked, puzzled. He was merely guessing, feigning ignorance.

"Young Master Hu, surely your memory isn't that poor," Huang Sheng replied, staring at Hu Mo in surprise, as though he were looking at a strange creature. "The Flamefire Ladies' Gala may have 'ladies' in its name, but it's not exclusive to women. Every year, when the gala is held, more men attend than women. Think about it—which man isn't curious? A place full of beauties without men—wouldn't that be rather absurd?" Huang Sheng's face broke into a knowing smile, bordering on mischievous.

"Huang Sheng, do we really have time for such things right now? I'm quite busy," Hu Mo said, though his heart longed to go. Yet, he truly had no time; were it not for today's rain and Huang Sheng's visit, he would likely still be secluded in his chamber, cultivating.

"Young Master Hu, that's not the point. The reasons I mentioned earlier are trivial; the real reason is a woman—the Grand Princess Zhu Xinluo. I imagine you haven't forgotten her," Huang Sheng's tone grew solemn. He had always approached this woman with utmost caution.

"Zhu Xinluo? The one with the deep schemes? Ha, well then, I'll go and see for myself what makes her so worthy of your praise," Hu Mo laughed, though inwardly he thought, "I hope Sister Cang doesn't show up this time—someone could die."

"Oh? Another gala? You fear I'll go, so I insist on attending," Hu Mo suddenly heard a voice behind him. There was no need to ask; at this moment, he was truly on the verge of tears.

The annual Beast Gala usually lasted at least a week, but after the major mishap this time, the Divine Flame Arena quickly emptied. The once bustling Flame City suddenly grew quiet.

The heavy rain had just stopped, and the blazing sun began to evaporate the moisture from the ground. Only then did Hu Mo realize that the famed transformation of land and sea could happen in an instant; the city after rain was like one giant steamer, the hot vapor making everything unpleasant.

Hu Mo couldn't help but curse inwardly—if he could choose his place of rebirth, he would have picked the climate-favored Divine Wood Empire, or at least the temperate Sacred Land Empire, where people could truly live—a paradise in the Continent of War.

To the people of the other four nations, the residents of the Flamefire Empire were nothing but southern barbarians, uncivilized and wild, which always left Hu Mo feeling deeply frustrated.

Stimulated by Cang Ling, Hu Mo was somewhat stifled, wandering through the streets of Flame City to relax—a rare stroll since his rebirth.

Given his current cultivation, he could slip away under Steward Fu's very nose without being noticed. Thus, he had few guards following him, only a young girl, seemingly about sixteen, walking leisurely behind him, which made him feel extremely uneasy.

Cang Ling had still followed him, under the pretext of protecting Hu Mo, and she had even revealed her true form. As a result, every male in Flame City had their eyes drawn to her; Hu Mo could distinctly hear the sound of swallowing, and it was not just a few—it was a chorus.

Hu Mo felt the discomfort of those stares, but fortunately, his notorious reputation in Flame City spared him from any reckless attempts at conversation.

He truly had no idea what Cang Ling was up to; at times, he even suspected she suffered from the legendary multiple personality disorder, her changes in demeanor so startling.

Now, she was nothing like her usual cold self; instead, she floated behind Hu Mo with her eyes half-closed, savoring the stroll, her face adorned with a gentle smile, giving an impression of untainted purity.

Was this truly the same ruthless sorceress who never showed mercy? Hu Mo wished he could gouge out his own eyes—for this was exactly his favorite type, yet he dared not touch!

Hu Mo turned around, meeting Cang Ling's watery, luminous eyes, which unsettled his heart. He couldn't help but conclude that this girl was born to be a troublemaker.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Cang Ling spoke softly, her voice as melodious as a warbler from the valleys, causing even nearby onlookers to feel weak in the knees.

Suddenly, Hu Mo felt his nose grow hot, a surge of boiling liquid about to spill forth. He quickly regained his senses, activating his Silken Lock technique to suppress the impending nosebleed with cold energy.

Looking around, he noticed that even those who were jaded by beauty could not help but be entranced by Cang Ling's gentle smile. Several "henpecked husbands" were dragged away by their wives, the sounds of their protests filling the air.

"A single smile brings forth a hundred charms; palace beauties pale in comparison. So it was her that Bai Juyi wrote of," Hu Mo murmured to himself.

Men are men; unless they're eunuchs, none can resist a beauty. And among the elders, the effect was even greater! Which powerful old lord didn't have a dozen concubines, all young and willing to bloom on muddy ground?

In just a short while, several officials' sedan chairs stopped; their owners, each with graying hair, craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Cang Ling's face and figure, swallowing hard in admiration.

"Come, let me show you around; there are too many people here," Hu Mo frowned, increasingly annoyed by the crowd's predatory gazes at Cang Ling—an irritation that only grew stronger with time.

"Show me around? Besides those places, do you know anywhere fun?" Cang Ling teased, leaving Hu Mo embarrassed, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Ahem, I've lost interest in those places. Let me take you somewhere else," Hu Mo, emboldened by some unknown force, grabbed Cang Ling's hand and hurried forward. The wolfish atmosphere of the street, thick with lust, was unbearable.

Cang Ling, surprisingly, did not resist. The two rushed into a tailor's shop at lightning speed, using the Windcloud Step—no one saw their shadows as they entered.

The tailor stared wide-eyed at Hu Mo, incredulous. "Young Master Hu, has the wind brought you here?" He glanced at Cang Ling, and in that instant nearly lost his soul.

"Boss Wang, fetch me a set of men's clothing, a small size, and a cloak. Hurry, I'm pressed for time," Hu Mo said urgently, smacking the table at the last word to snap Boss Wang out of his daze.

"Ah, oh, Xiao San, bring the best men's clothes, small size!" Boss Wang shouted, not daring to look at Cang Ling again. His fear of Hu Mo was well-known—offending Hu Mo would mean closing his shop for good in Flame City.

"But will men's clothes really work? She stands out too much," Hu Mo thought to himself. Indeed, Cang Ling's physique was too striking—what man could develop such formidable "pectoral muscles"?

Hu Mo's gaze lingered on Cang Ling's chest, and for a moment he was truly at a loss.

"Have you stared enough? Want me to take it off so you can see?" Cang Ling's voice suddenly echoed in Hu Mo's mind, detonating like a bomb and leaving him dizzy.

"Er...no need, I couldn't handle it," Hu Mo swallowed, his words especially provocative in the sweltering heat.

"Heh, if you don't mind losing a bit of flesh, you might just be able to handle it," Cang Ling replied with a soft smile, her beauty so enchanting that Hu Mo could no longer be distracted; he felt a chill in a certain part of his body, the flesh trembling.

This woman truly was a sorceress!

"Young Master Hu, the clothes and cloak are ready. Any other instructions?" Boss Wang asked timidly, his fear of Hu Mo palpable. Yet, seeing Hu Mo's manner toward this woman, his fear instantly shifted—years of business told him this woman might be even more terrifying than the infamous Young Master Hu.

"Nothing else, just mind your own eyes," Hu Mo said, his ire quickly redirected to Boss Wang and his assistant, startling them into stammered refusals.

"No need to wear the clothes; this outfit isn't meant to be casually removed. Give me all the cloaks," Cang Ling took the cloaks, donned one, and walked out.

"Hey, wait for me!" Hu Mo shouted, tossing Boss Wang a gold ingot as he dashed outside.

Boss Wang stared blankly at the gold, muttering to himself, "I'm not dreaming, am I? Young Master Hu...he actually paid."

Hu Mo now wished he could strangle himself. No wonder everyone in Flame City hated him—he was notorious for freeloading. Damn it, the Hu family had so much money, yet couldn't pay for food and clothing? Was it so satisfying to sully one's own reputation?

He was deeply resentful; after carrying so many burdens, anyone would have grievances. If Hu Mo hadn't acted as he did, he wouldn't deserve his title as Flame City's number one prodigal.

Even more vexing, originally Cang Ling was following him, giving him absolute control. Now, everything had been turned upside down—he was reduced to a mere attendant, trailing behind her. The tides had shifted, leaving him helpless.

But trouble clung to him like a ghost. No sooner had he left the tailor's shop than he witnessed a scene that made him frown. Three dandily dressed young lords were blocking Cang Ling in the street, leering and making vulgar remarks. At that moment, Hu Mo's heart stirred, and he slowly walked over.