Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’ Chapter 1: Childhood Sweetheart is the Future Empress
Eastern Wasteland, Purple Sun Prefecture.
Under the scorching sun, the main thoroughfare teemed with the racket of horses and wagons. A massive caravan, consisting of over a hundred travelers and a dozen carriages, pressed forward at a frantic pace.
A youth clad in fine silks pulled back the window curtain, his pallid complexion betraying a desperate need for fresh air.
"Phew..."
"Traveling across these distances in ancient times is nothing short of agony. Truly."
However, the moment he parted the fabric, a cloud of grit rushed in, triggering a violent fit of coughing.
"Young Master, we are still two days away from reaching the Clear Abyss Sect," the driver—who also served as the family’s head steward—offered with a submissive grin.
After a brief hesitation, he added tactfully, "The carriages from our estate are already the most luxurious models available for such a trek."
"I understand."
Li Mo gave a weary response, sighing internally.
He couldn't help but miss the efficiency of high-speed rail and airplanes...
It was only two days ago that he had pierced through the "mystery of the womb," finally reclaiming the memories of his previous life.
In that past existence, he had belonged to a world known as Blue Star, a realm defined by high technology.
Great Yu, however, operated on entirely different principles.
This was a land where martial arts reigned supreme and individuals possessed the potential to wield the power of gods.
Now sixteen, Li Mo hadn't even begun to enjoy the pampered life of a wealthy Young Master before his father shoved him into a carriage. He was sent toward the Clear Abyss Sect, one of the three dominant sects in Purple Sun Prefecture, to undergo their entrance trials.
"Martial arts, huh..."
A flicker of yearning appeared in Li Mo's eyes as he looked up at the three suns burning in the sky.
From the gossip of other travelers bound for the Clear Abyss Sect, he had gathered that even a man as powerful as his father—who possessed the strength of a humanoid tank—was merely at the "Stubborn Bronze" rank.
Local legends claimed those three celestial suns were actually the manifestations of two former Great Yu Emperors.
This wasn't mere myth; it was recorded as historical fact.
An hour passed.
As twilight began to settle.
The convoy, shielded by hired mercenaries, gradually pulled over at a roadside tavern.
Just as Li Mo hopped down from his transport, the curtain of the following carriage was drawn back.
A young girl emerged, dressed in simple indigo cotton. Her complexion was as flawless and pale as fine porcelain under moonlight.
Though she was only in her early teens, her silhouette already showed signs of graceful maturity, standing nearly as tall as Li Mo.
The strain of travel and a lingering malaise had left her noble features looking drained, yet the exhaustion only seemed to sharpen her ethereal beauty.
Despite her frail state and modest attire, she possessed a natural elegance that would make the most pampered imperial concubines seem common by comparison.
A name clicked in Li Mo’s mind.
Ying Bing.
The Li and Ying clans had shared a deep bond for generations, a friendship dating back to their grandfathers.
In this generation, the patriarchs had even discussed a marriage arrangement to cement the alliance between the two families.
"Is there anything specific you'd like for dinner? I’ll have the chefs whip it up," Li Mo remarked casually.
The girl gave no response. Her freezing gaze never even flickered toward him as she brushed past and entered the inn, leaving nothing but a subtle hint of perfume in her wake.
"Young Lady Ying has endured a great family loss recently, so she is..."
"There's no need for excuses. I was the one who acted like a spoiled brat in the past."
Li Mo let out a quiet sigh.
What a disaster.
Even after reincarnating, he had ended up in the role of the neighborhood delinquent.
Born into privilege and completely indulged, he had spent his youth pulling idiotic pranks—spying on bathing servants, stuffing explosives into the firewood, and other such nonsense.
Years ago, a catastrophe occurred when a calamity beast razed the city. The Ying family was decimated, leaving Ying Bing as the sole survivor. His father had stepped in, bringing her to live at the Li estate.
Li Mo, being a little terror, had gone out of his way to torment her—even though his actions were driven by a clumsy, hidden affection.
It was that classic schoolboy behavior: pulling a girl's hair just to get a reaction...
"As the stories go, those who lose everything usually turn out to be anything but ordinary."
Drawing on his knowledge as a former webnovel fan, Li Mo couldn't help but notice the pattern.
"Your soup is ready, sir!"
A lively server approached, balancing a tray.
Li Mo’s mouth twitched as he grumbled under his breath,
"You’d think after two lives, I’d at least be granted a cheat system or something similar..."
"Greetings. You actually have one."
"Who said that?!"
Li Mo recoiled, jumping like a startled cat.
"Young Master?" The steward looked at him with confusion. Was he having another one of his episodes?
"Forget it, I must be hearing things."
Scowling, Li Mo began to doubt his sanity until the voice resonated in his mind once more:
"Since you have requested so earnestly, this System shall now make its official debut."
Li Mo: "......?"
So if I hadn't complained, you would have stayed quiet forever?
Regardless, that wasn't the priority.
"What is your function?"
"This System is an Investment Returns System."
"You may place investments in any individual. The more powerful the ‘Destiny’ of the target, the more significant your rewards will be."
"Should the target achieve a major breakthrough, you will receive bonus compensation."
Li Mo’s interest was piqued.
Any target?
"Can I invest in myself?"
"[Destiny’s Eye] has been initialized. You may judge for yourself if you are a worthy investment."
That was a clear yes.
The moment the thought solidified, Li Mo felt an abstract sensation settle into his mind—something invisible and weightless, yet undeniably real.
He couldn't fully comprehend its complexity, but he instinctively knew how to use it.
The data that appeared wasn't in the form of text or sound, but pure understanding.
Destiny’s Eye?
Li Mo knit his brows, struggling to interpret the raw input.
Suddenly, a transparent interface manifested before him, seemingly translating the data into a readable format.
[Name: Li Mo]
[Age: 16]
[Bone Structure: None.]
[Realm: Mortal.]
[Destiny: Gray (Clouded by Misfortune)]
[Evaluation: Born with physical flaws, sickly and frail, completely unsuitable for the path of cultivation. Aside from your looks and your father's gold, you have nothing. Truly, what is your purpose?]
[Recent Events: Encountered this System.]
Li Mo: "..."
That was uncomfortably blunt.
Insulting, yes, but impossible to argue with. There was zero investment potential here.
Surely, among this crowd traveling to the Clear Abyss Sect, there had to be some hidden talent.
Losing interest in his meal, Li Mo looked up.
A subtle shimmer filled his eyes as he surveyed the other travelers gathered in the common room.
[Name: He Yong]
[Age: 16]
[Bone Structure: None.]
[Realm: Qi-Blood Realm (1st Meridian)]
[Destiny: White (Mediocre)]
[Evaluation: A mere face in the crowd, completely forgettable.]
[Recent Events: A common woodcutter who borrowed money for his journey; currently stressed about his debts.]
...
[Name: Chen Xiaoyan]
[Age: 16]
[Bone Structure: None.]
...
...
After checking several people, he found mostly white-tier destinies, with only a handful touching the green rank.
It wasn’t until his eyes drifted to a far corner that he saw a flash of blue-green.
[Name: Wang Hu]
[Age: 16]
[Bone Structure: Tiger Arms, Leopard Waist.]
[Realm: Qi-Blood Realm (3rd Meridian)]
[Destiny: Green (Moderately Gifted)]
[Evaluation: Passable talent. With enough hard work, he might achieve something. However, he is petty, vengeful, and arrogant—likely to fall into darkness.]
[Recent Events: His fist techniques have hit a wall; he is searching for a combat partner to force a breakthrough.]
In essence, there was no one worth his time.
The only candidate with any merit, Wang Hu, was someone who already disliked him.
At that moment—
"Sir, here is the chicken soup you ordered—simmered with ten-year-old mountain ginseng."
"I’ll deliver this to the room on the second floor for you."
The server bowed politely and reached for the food container.
"Wait."
A sudden impulse struck Li Mo, and he stopped the man.
"I’ll deliver it personally."
What kind of fate does she possess?
Knock knock—
After a short silence, a soft, melodic voice answered from within:
"Come in."
The girl sat motionless by the window. Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting a glow over her dark hair and making her eyes seem to shimmer.
When she realized it was Li Mo, her elegant eyebrows pinched together slightly.
But Li Mo wasn't paying attention to her mood—he was paralyzed where he stood.
Before his vision, her data exploded into view:
[Name: Ying Bing]
[Age: 16]
[Bone Constitution: Lunar Phoenix Body of the Supreme Yin.]
[Realm: None.]
[Destiny: .....]
Suddenly, the Destiny’s Eye began to flicker and lag, as if the sheer magnitude of her fate was too heavy for the system to process.
A few seconds later, the final details crawled onto the screen.
[Destiny: Red (Possesses the Emperor’s Bone; with Mystical Ice as her essence and Autumn Waters as her spirit, she carries the aura of a Heavenly Phoenix.)]
[Evaluation: Her path is paved with hardships, yet she consistently transforms disaster into luck. Though her power is currently dormant, once the tides of fate turn, she will rise above the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, ruling over all existence.]
[Recent Circumstance: Prior to the awakening of her Meridians, the Lunar Phoenix Body presents as a Sealed Meridian Constitution. Until she masters the Supreme Yin power, she suffers from agonizing internal cold every day.]
Li Mo: "…?"
What did I tell you?
This wasn't even a standard color anymore—it was a full-blown divine omen.
Based on the Destiny’s Eye classification, the ranks went from lowest to highest as:
Black, Gray, White, Cyan, Blue, Purple, Gold.
Higher than Gold was the Red Destiny.
A fate like this couldn't be categorized by simple colors; it was defined by celestial signs.
The Martial Emperor, who had conquered the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths to found the Great Yu Dynasty, was said to be born when the sun and moon shared the sky, while the North Star shook and a divine turtle emerged to name him.
Looking at it now, those were clearly indicators of a transcendent destiny.
My future wife… is someone destined to stand alongside the Martial Emperor?
Well. That certainly escalated quickly.
Li Mo stood there in profound silence, reevaluating everything he knew about life.
"Uh… here’s some chicken soup. Drink it while it’s still hot."
Click—
He retreated, closing the door behind him.
"So, I have returned to this exact day."
"Nirvana and rebirth… so that is what it meant."
Inside the room, Ying Bing picked up a morsel of chicken and tossed it out the window into the yard below.
A stray dog below snapped it up instantly. After a few moments, the animal seemed perfectly fine.
Just normal chicken soup?
She didn't do it out of spite—past grudges and old feelings had long since faded into insignificance for her, except for those involving her lost family.
But in her memory, Li Mo was a boy who lived for annoying pranks.
Why would he suddenly bring her food?
Ding dong—
Suddenly, a sharp, clear chime rang in her ears.
"Who is there?"
Ying Bing’s eyes turned sharp with killing intent.
The voice remained indifferent to her hostility and spoke again:
"System synchronization complete."
"The victors rule the world, while the losers are forgotten—are you… prepared?"