Chapter 5. The mooncake monster.

Li Chen was taken aback by the unexpected knock at his door. Who could be visiting at this early hour? Few people ever came to see him, no servant or anyone else.

As he pondered who it could be, a sweet voice called from outside, "Brother Li Chen, are you there?"

Hearing Li Jing's voice surprised Li Chen, and then it dawned on him—he had nearly forgotten that today was the day he and Li Jing were supposed to visit the Golden Gates. That was why he had left his room in the first place.

"Just a minute, I need to get ready!" Li Chen responded as he quickly started to tidy himself up.

The blood from his recent encounter with Li Wei still marked his clothes and face. He had to clean up fast; Li Jing would worry if she saw him in such a bloodied state.

Thankfully, the potion Li Feng had given him worked wonders in healing most of his wounds. Otherwise, he might not be able to prevent Li Jing from confronting Li Wei the next time they cross paths.

Li Jing's high-tier system significantly boosted her strength. She was now arguably the most powerful among the Li Clan's younger generation.

After a short struggle, Li Chen managed to wash the blood from his body and discard his stained clothing. He changed into fresh garments and went to meet Li Jing.

He opened the door, stepped out quickly, and shut it behind him, leaving the lingering smell of blood inside.

Li Jing noticed the quickness of Li Chen's movements and frowned. "Did you sneak a girl into your room last night?" she asked, eyeing Li Chen with suspicion.

"What? Where did that strange idea come from?" Li Chen replied, taken aback.

"Well, you don't want me to see your room, and Father told me..."

Before she could finish, Li Chen quickly interjected, "That's Father, and this is me. I just don't want you to see my room because it's a mess." Li Chen lied.

"Oh, I see," Li Jing accepted. "I suppose I should ask Father to assign a servant to you next time I see him."

"No, no, I am comfortable on my own," Li Chen hastily added. He always cherished his solitude, especially now that he had summoned a peculiar system. Having a servant would mean having no secrets.

Li Jing's frown deepened, but she nodded. She understood Li Chen's preference for privacy.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's get going," Li Chen suggested.

"Wait, you're not seriously considering leaving like that, are you?" Li Jing scrutinized Li Chen from head to toe.

"What's wrong with the way I look?" Li Chen inquired, examining himself.

At this question, Li Jing's frown turned into an angry scowl. "What do you mean, 'what's wrong'? In those clothes, you look more like my servant than my brother," Li Jing declared.

Li Chen's frown mirrored hers as he replied in a hurt tone, "Ouch, are you calling me a servant now?"

Li Jing was taken aback by Li Chen's sudden shift in mood. She realized her words had been harsh. "Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that. I... just mean..."

Her words were cut short by Li Chen's laughter.

"You know you look adorable when you're flustered," Li Chen said, still chuckling.

Realizing she'd been tricked, Li Jing's frown quickly transformed into a pout. "You're so silly," she retorted with annoyance. "Keep this up, and no girl will ever fancy you," she added, her tone tinged with concern.

Li Chen swiftly halted his laughter upon hearing Li Jing's unexpected comment.

"What... What do you mean by that?" he asked, taken aback by Li Jing's sudden statement.

Li Chen had always seen himself as naturally attractive, a trait he thought any girl would appreciate. He wasn't particularly concerned with girls' opinions, but Li Jing's statement still shocked him.

"Well, Father mentioned that girls aren't fond of silly men," Li Jing explained, surprised by Li Chen's abrupt reaction. She had not realized how keen he was on the idea of being liked by girls.

"But you love me, right?" Li Chen inquired.

"Of course, you and Father are my two most beloved people," Li Jing replied with a warm smile.

Hearing this, Li Chen's smile broadened, and he reached out to caress Li Jing's cheek gently. "As long as you love me, that's all that matters. You're the only girl I care about impressing," he said with a tender voice as he stroked her cheek.

Li Jing beamed at his words, but her expression soon turned serious again. "Don't think you can sway me with sweet talk. I still won't let you leave the house dressed like that," she declared.

Inside, Li Chen felt a mix of amusement and betrayal. 'What?! Can't I give a compliment without it being part of some scheme?' he thought in frustration.

But deep down, he knew Li Jing was correct about his attire; he did indeed look more like a servant than a disciple of a prestigious clan.

Despite being considered the clan's failure, he was still a disciple and the clan leader's son. He received a monthly allowance, most of which went towards medicines, primarily spirit-soothing and soul-enhancing medicines.

Even after his unsuccessful summoning, Li Chen hadn't lost hope of acquiring a system. He was aiming for a late awakening.

Failing a summoning didn't necessarily condemn one to a life of mediocrity. There were several reasons for summoning to fail, such as the soul not being strong enough to connect with a system spirit. In such cases, one must continue to nourish the soul with the hope of trying again before reaching the age of 50, after which summoning a system spirit would no longer be possible.

Then there's the possibility of summoning a dormant system spirit, which remains latent within the host's body, absorbing energy to awaken eventually—this is known as a late awakening.

Li Chen wasn't certain if this was his situation, but he believed it to be so. With his talent, he couldn't accept that he'd failed his summoning outright. Regardless, nurturing his soul would be beneficial, allowing him the chance to summon a system spirit later on—a win-win scenario.

"Well, I'm afraid there's not much I can do about that. I don't have any other clothes to wear, so you'll have to make do with this," Li Chen responded.

"You don't need to worry. I've made one just for you," Li Jing said, her smile returning.

Li Chen frowned at her words. "Wait, don't tell me you've always disapproved of my fashion sense?" Li Chen protested.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous," Li Jing replied, though it was clear she was lying as she avoided Li Chen's gaze. "Come on, it's getting late," she said, tugging at Li Chen's wrist with a firm grip that caused him a slight twinge of pain.

Despite his stature, Li Chen felt compelled to go along quietly, not voicing any complaints about the discomfort to prevent making her feel apologetic. Li Jing often forgot that she was no longer the small girl she once was; she now possessed enough strength to seriously harm him if she exerted more force.

**

Li Jing's quarters were situated on the far eastern side of the clan, near the verdant Veil Forest. Typically, only the clan elders resided there, but Li Jing was an exception due to her high-tier system spirit, which granted her the privilege of living in such a prestigious location.

After arriving, Li Chen changed into the new clothes Li Jing had prepared for him, and they started making their way toward the clan's gate.

The garment Li Jing had crafted for him was predominantly white, adorned with golden accents throughout.

It might not have been the most luxurious outfit he had ever worn, but it instantly became Li Chen's favorite; he could sense the love Li Jing had poured into it while hand-making the piece.

Li Jing was a compassionate and gentle soul. Even after summoning a higher-tier system spirit than anyone else in the clan, her demeanor remained unchanged: she was warm and kind to all.

Perhaps that was why Li Chen and Li Cheng felt so deeply connected to her—she reminded them of Li Hua in many ways.

"Big brother Li Chen, are you thinking about something?" Li Jing inquired, noticing the expression on Li Chen's face.

"No," Li Chen replied with a smile. "Why do you ask?" he added.

"It's just the look on your face; you always have it when you're lost in thought," Li Jing noted, her brows knitting together in concern.

A deep smile spread across Li Chen's face as he caressed Li Jing's hair gently. "You don't have to worry about me, Xiao Baobei. I'm just fine," he reassured her, his smile unwavering. "Let's focus on you for now. What's on your m—"

But before Li Chen could finish his sentence, Li Jing leaped up excitedly, her voice filled with joy. "Mooncakes! Lots of them!" she exclaimed, barely containing her drool.

"What? Don't you ever grow tired of them?" Li Chen asked in surprise, unable to comprehend Li Jing's obsession with mooncakes.

Since the age of three, when Li Chen first gave her one, Li Jing had developed an insatiable appetite for mooncakes. No matter how much she consumed, it never seemed to be enough.

Li Chen recalled a time when she was little and had suffered a severe stomach upset from overindulging, which left her bedridden for two days. Upon visiting her on the third day, Li Chen found her happily munching on another mooncake in bed.

He was astonished; he had thought the ordeal would have instilled a sense of caution toward mooncakes, but it hadn't.

"They're so yummy!" Li Jing replied, her eyes practically morphing into the shape of mooncakes as she drooled at the thought.

"Okay, okay, I'll get you one when we get there," Li Chen conceded.

"Just one?" Li Jing frowned in response.

"Yes, I need to buy other things as well," Li Chen said.

Though Li Jing, as the clan's treasure, received a larger allowance than him, Li Chen still insisted on paying for her purchases whenever they went out together. After all, he was the older brother, and it was his duty to take care of her.

Li Jing didn't try to persuade Li Chen otherwise. She knew him well enough to understand his compassion and his reluctance to take advantage of others or feel indebted. Occasionally, she would persuade their father to increase Li Chen's monthly allowance, hoping to ease his burden a bit.

"Brother Li Chen, please, one isn't enough for me," Li Jing said, her pout growing more pronounced, looking as if she were on the brink of tears.

Li Chen inwardly cursed himself for his soft heart. 'How can I ever say no to that face?' he lamented silently.

"Fine, I'll buy more for you," Li Chen replied with a sigh after a moment of hesitation.

"Yay!" Li Jing cheered, jumping with happiness. "How many more?" she inquired eagerly.

"As many as you can eat," Li Chen said, his heart feeling the weight of his promise.

"Yay!" Li Jing screamed joyfully once more.

'Oh God, please save my wallet from this little mooncake monster,' Li Chen prayed silently, foreseeing the dent this would make in his finances.

Li Chen didn't possess an abundance of resources. Most of the items he needed for his cultivation weren't too costly, but the same couldn't be said for sacred water.

Sacred water, a rare and precious liquid formed in places with excessive spiritual energy, was naturally quite expensive.

'But making her happy is what matters, right?' he reassured himself, feeling the metaphorical pain of arrows piercing his heart as he contemplated the forthcoming expenses.

His stinginess was a trait he'd inadvertently honed during his college years in his previous life. Now, it was a part of him, almost as if it was second nature to be cautious with his spending.