Bitter Realm: A Happy Person Traveling Across China

Ashes remain, but the pine trees stand tall.

This is a villa that Ye Jinming purchased in the Bitter Realm of Shenzhou. It is located on a green mountain full of lush pine forests, quiet and secluded, and little known to others.

In the elegant courtyard, under a vigorous ancient pine tree, there is a comfortable bamboo recliner.

At this moment, Ye Jinming was leisurely lying on the chair, stroking the seemingly simple and unadorned Mo Kuang sword in his hand.

Long, slender, fair fingers gently and carefully stroked the middle section of the sword.

There, a fine yet clear crack, like a flaw on a beautiful jade, ruined the overall beauty of the sword and subtly revealed a dimness of damaged spirituality.

"Oh dear, it seems I need to find someone to reinforce it again," he muttered to himself, his tone tinged with helplessness and regret.

Mo Kuang's debut ended in injury, which was not unexpected.

After all, Mo Kuang was originally a shattered ice monster. He shattered the Emperor Ghost, he shattered the Yuan Evil Emperor, and now he's shattering the Yama Drought Demon again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

After all, Mo Kuang is merely a vessel; the true source of power for slaying demons lies within Mo Kuang's profound vow to save the world.

It seems that weapons of different world levels ultimately have their limits in terms of materials and durability.

However, despite the regrets, the gains are even more important.

Although this battle was unsuccessful, it proved that the Demon-Slaying Technique is equally effective against demons in the Bitter Realm. (Or rather, after the system modification, the Demon-Slaying Technique can overcome any demon.)

In that case, once Mo Kuang is reforged and strengthened, he can be considered, like the Near-God Book, the most severe father to the demon race!

(Nothingness is a dog, too much satay, Hunger has become a roadside dump, and the Book of Near God is the strictest father of the demons and false gods!)

But none of that matters. Before Mo Kuang is repaired, I must keep a low profile.

After all, Yama and Hanba are known for holding grudges.

To repair Mo Kuang, a skilled blacksmith is indispensable.

To get them to lend a hand, besides catering to their preferences, you'll also need to employ some tactics...

.........

At the foot of Qinggeng Mountain, a market.

The sun had just risen, and the sun was shining brightly.

Shops line both sides of the long bluestone street, with banners fluttering in the breeze.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling over prices, and children playing mingled together, creating a vibrant and bustling scene full of life.

In a corner of the market, near the famous "Hibiscus Shop," the furnace was burning brightly, and the rhythmic clanging of hammering echoed through the air.

An unassuming middle-aged man was intently hammering a red-hot iron ingot.

Just then, a white figure, somewhat out of place with the bustling atmosphere of the marketplace, slowly strolled into the market.

Dressed in pristine white, Ye Jinming moved through the bustling crowd, seemingly surrounded by an invisible barrier that diminished the surrounding noise around him.

His gaze swept across the shops along the street, finally settling on the signboard of "Hibiscus Shop," and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

"Furongpu, um, this is it."

He didn't go up directly to talk to Old Qiu, the blacksmith. Instead, he casually set up a simple stall in an open space diagonally opposite Furong Shop, spread out a plain cloth, and placed several stacks of books with flashy covers and strange titles. Then...

Ye Jinming pulled out a folding recliner he carried with him, lay down comfortably, cleared his throat, and began to call out:

"Books for sale! Books for sale! Don't miss out!"

This shout, so different from his usual refined gentlemanly image, immediately drew many curious glances.

"Exclusive reveal, adapted from the true story of a renowned forging master in the Bitterlands!"

Do you want to know those untold stories from long ago? Do you want to understand the stories behind a generation of master craftsmen? This book is not to be missed! Limited edition, first come, first served!

The moment these shouts were uttered, it was like pouring cold water into boiling oil—it instantly caused an uproar!

A master craftsman? And given the special location of Qinggeng Mountain, whose past is this? It's hard to guess.

Passersby, tourists, and even some江湖客 (jianghu ke, a term referring to people from all walks of life) were all attracted by the crowd. Curiosity and gossip are universal, and in no time, the crowd was so large that it was impossible to move, and everyone was scrambling to buy it.

"Boss, one copy, please!"

"Keep one for me too!"

Ye Jinming smiled as he accepted the money and handed over the book, his movements practiced and efficient.

Soon, eager buyers began to open the books.

"Alien CEO's Forced Love? What... what kind of book title is this?" A young man who looked like a scholar looked at the big words on the cover and the striking, peculiar illustrations, and his expression became quite interesting.

(Illustration: A fat man dressed in strange clothes and with a large belly is embracing a woman whose face is not clearly visible but can be vaguely identified as a woman in white.)

Ye Jinming lay on the recliner, not even lifting his eyelids, and gently tapped his palm with his folding fan. His tone was calm yet confident: "Brother, don't rush to conclusions. After you've seen it, you'll know it's absolutely worth the money."

His actions naturally did not escape the ears and peripheral vision of Old Qiu, who was not far away.

When Ye Jinming began to shout, Qiu Lao's hammering of the iron ingot paused almost imperceptibly.

He tilted his head slightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the young man in white and the stack of strangely titled books on his stall, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

"Are all young people these days so attention-grabbing?" Old Qiu muttered to himself, watching the bustling scene of the shopping frenzy, and finally couldn't suppress his desire to gossip about the past of Qiaotiangong.

Once the crowd in front of the stall had dispersed, he took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and quietly winked at a familiar vendor next to him, slipping him a few copper coins.

Before long, a brand-new copy of "The Alien CEO's Forced Love" was secretly handed over to Old Qiu by the peddler and ended up in his arms.

He quickly stuffed the book into his pocket, ignoring the iron ingot, and went straight into the house, eager to see what was written in the book.

Ye Jinming's bookstall business was unexpectedly booming. In less than half a day, he sold a lot of books, and the topic of who the famous forging master was also spread in the small area of ​​the market.

He remained relaxed and content, lying in his chair with his eyes half-closed, as if enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

However, this "leisure" did not last long.

Around noon, the temperature seemed to drop suddenly over the market.

Ye Jinming was lying on the chair, dozing off, enjoying the little afternoon sunlight...

Suddenly, a shadow blocked the warmth from his face.

An undisguised aura, tinged with arrogance and anger, enveloped the stall.

Ye Jinming slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a graceful and beautiful figure in white.

The woman's almond-shaped eyes were wide open, her willow-leaf eyebrows were raised, and she was holding a crumpled copy of "The Alien CEO's Forced Love" in her hand. She stared down at the person on the recliner with a look that seemed to want to devour him alive.

Ye Jinming understood immediately; the fish had taken the bait.

He casually sat up, feigning nonchalance, and flashed a standard businessman's smile: "Oh, young lady, are you here to buy books too? Thank you..."

"Buy my ass!" The woman's voice was crisp but fiery, her gaze fixed on Ye Jinming's seemingly innocent face.

Before she finished speaking, she flicked her wrist, sending out a subtle burst of energy—

"Splash!"

Ye Jinming's already simple bookstall, along with the remaining books on the table, was instantly turned upside down!

The book flew into the air, only to be scattered by a gentle force, sending scraps of paper flying everywhere...