The Art of the Feigned Attack

“Tomboy…can you eat slower? Eating like that, do you even deserve your face? You have no manners at all.”

Ji Xue was speechless, watching Lin Mo wolf down his food, completely lacking any ladylike manners. It was as if he hadn’t eaten in eight lifetimes.

The sight was akin to a tornado, tearing across the table.

“What the hell do you know!” Lin Mo merely tossed out this retort before resuming his ravenous feast.

Of course, Ji Xue wouldn’t understand; she had never experienced true hunger.

After a month of torment, followed immediately by the trials of the Hall of Clarity, he hadn’t enjoyed a single proper meal in what felt like an eternity.

Moreover, having cultivated immortality, his body was robust, his stomach capacious, and his digestion swift. How could he possibly justify the month of suffering if he didn’t eat his fill?

‘Hmm?’

‘How fortunate for you!’

‘Born into a life free from want, she would never know the pangs of starvation, no matter how unwelcome her presence might be.’

Lin Mo grumbled inwardly, yet continued his relentless eating.

“Hmph.” Ji Xue, disinclined to bicker further with the glutton, merely focused on swiping through her disciple token.

“The Xuan Nv Sect truly possesses ingenuity… I never imagined a mere token could perform such functions. This is something even the imperial palace lacks.”

At that moment, the reverse side of her disciple token, once etched with rules and regulations, now bore no trace of them. Instead, coalesced spiritual energy had formed a small, luminous screen.

Upon this radiant screen, the words ‘Order Food’ materialized with striking clarity.

A light touch of her finger upon the spirit-infused characters caused them to dissipate instantly, like fragile bubbles, melting into the luminous display. In their wake, a mesmerizing array of delectable dishes unfolded before her eyes!

Accompanying each entry were images, somewhat indistinct, yet clear enough to discern the culinary delights they depicted.

As she scrolled through the glowing menu, Ji Xue’s gaze immediately snagged on her most cherished dessert.

A gentle tap of her fingertip on the confirmation button was all it took, and she only had to wait for a brief moment.

The very next instant, a subtle teleportation array shimmered into existence, and an auspicious cloud, bearing a food tray, gracefully descended from the air.

It unerringly identified the diner, depositing the meal tray with effortless precision directly before her.

The entire process was nothing short of ingenious.

Though each element was commonplace on its own, their seamless integration created a profoundly novel experience.

Indeed, so captivated was Ji Xue by this innovative method that she ordered several additional dishes, simply to observe it in action a few more times.

After all, with that gluttonous tomboy present, there was no fear of leaving anything uneaten.

While this scene of ordering food was extraordinary to the inhabitants of this world, Lin Mo found it exceptionally familiar.

‘It’s practically identical to scanning a QR code to order food!’

‘Does the Xuan Nv Sect have transmigrators too?’

To the people of this realm, such a system would undoubtedly appear remarkably novel, its underlying service philosophy capable of elevating the prestige of even the most distinguished individuals.

By all logical accounts, such an innovation should have first gained traction within the imperial capital or other bustling metropolises.

Even Ji Xue, a scion of the imperial family, had never encountered such a thing, which only underscored the Xuan Nv Sect’s groundbreaking originality.

For some inexplicable reason, the two statues in the Yi-Domain, uncannily similar to his mother, abruptly surfaced in Lin Mo’s thoughts…

‘Could it be…’

‘No… that’s utterly impossible…’

‘It must simply be a coincidence.’

For all things under heaven and earth remain constant in their essence, yet pioneers invariably emerge, guiding all beings into uncharted territories.

Much like how, in days of old, the humble carriage evolved into the thundering iron cavalry—

How could ordinary mortals on Blue Star, a mere century ago, have ever conceived of a world without horses?

Even less would they have predicted that horseless carriages would become the common mode of transport they are today.

‘…’

‘Why does that sound like an insult?’

Lin Mo resumed his meal, abandoning his thoughts. Such matters rarely yielded answers through contemplation alone; perhaps one day, the truth would simply reveal itself.

Until then, it was better to focus on the present moment and savor it.

To fantasize and gaze too far into the distant future would only invite intimidation by the vastness, leading to feelings of powerlessness and despair.

This was a philosophy Lin Mo had distilled from his own lived experience.

Anyone who had been trapped within their own body for over a decade, yet still managed to live optimistically, would invariably become a philosophical master.

“Tomboy.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you so strong?” Ji Xue, her initial fascination with the new system having waned, found herself utterly disinclined to enjoy her meal, consumed instead by intense doubt and curiosity.

The pastry she held, poised between her chopsticks, remained untouched, for her gaze was fixed, lost in thought, upon the ravenously devouring Lin Mo.

She knew this tomboy possessed a peerless root bone, yet such a ‘root bone’ merely signified potential.

Only a month prior, this individual had been a mere mortal, yet now, even with their cultivation having advanced, they still surpassed her by a significant margin.

‘But why was she unable to defeat this person?’

‘Why couldn’t even Nangong Xuan and her two attendants overpower him?’

She neither understood nor could she curb her burgeoning curiosity.

Lin Mo undoubtedly concealed something she remained unaware of.

It wasn’t a magical artifact, nor was it a unique physique, and certainly not merely a root bone…

‘What could it be?’

“What a bother,” Lin Mo muttered, setting down the charred hind leg meat he had been gnawing. He then casually crooked a finger at Ji Xue.

Ji Xue’s brows furrowed slightly, uncertain of Lin Mo’s intentions.

However, just as she began to approach Lin Mo, a sudden, fierce gust of wind, tearing through the air with unexpected force, assaulted her face!

The stinging gale instantly caused her cheeks to ache.

Ji Xue’s pupils constricted abruptly. In a surge of panic, she instinctively shut her eyes, shielding her face with both arms. Spiritual energy instantly enveloped her entire body as she leaped backward, swiftly putting a safe distance between herself and Lin Mo.

Upon landing, however, the anticipated pain never materialized.

Trembling, Ji Xue slowly lowered her arms, only to find Lin Mo had already withdrawn his fist and was once again engrossed in gnawing his meat.

“Are you insane!” Ji Xue’s fury manifested as her palm slammed down onto the tabletop.

Though the immense force spared the tabletop from cracking, the bowls and chopsticks were sent airborne, clattering and clanging in a chaotic symphony.

“And… you’ve gotten oil all over my clothes and hands! Tomboy! You’re going to wash my clothes! You—”

As her gaze shifted from her stained clothes back to Lin Mo’s face, she found his earlier carefree demeanor entirely gone. His eyes were sharp, and he held the gnawed-clean leg bone, pointing it directly at her.

“I ask you, when exactly did the oil stain get on you?”

Ji Xue paused, bewildered, then retorted indignantly, “What ‘when’? It was obviously when you threw that punch! When else could it have been?”

“I require the precise moment. Did it get on you the instant I swung my fist, or while you were leaping backward through the air? Or perhaps upon landing?”

The barrage of questions left Ji Xue utterly unable to pinpoint the exact moment.

“What… what does that matter? Regardless, it was—”

“If what stained you wasn’t oil, but poison, would you still be so nonchalant?”

‘…’

“The moment I swung my fist, you immediately flinched, your eyes snapping shut. How, then, do you intend to anticipate an opponent’s subsequent moves?” Lin Mo’s teacup, held between his fingers, paused at his lips, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s. “You were exactly the same when we first met! Boss Ji, consider this carefully—”

His deliberately slowed tone carried a cutting edge. “In that fleeting instant of closed eyes, how much could an enemy accomplish? The very essence of combat lies in keeping one’s gaze fixed upon the foe, never straying for even a moment.”

The rim of the teacup lightly touched his lips as his clear voice resonated with impactful gravity: “A momentary lapse, a fleeting flaw, is more than enough to seal your fate.”

The moment the tea touched his throat, he closed his eyes, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.

‘Reading novels and watching anime truly proved quite useful.’

‘See? That move just now, wasn’t it brimming with gravitas?’

‘Ji Xue will surely be impressed by this, I reckon.’

‘Heh heh, another chance to swindle a bit of extra cash.’

‘In this life, it’s all about putting on a show~’