I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 234 Your Majesty: My position as the First Wife is in jeopardy! Another clash with the Daoist Master?!

Staring at the stunningly beautiful woman in the main seat, Chen Mo was stunned. "Mother...Your Majesty?!"

Yu Youhan placed the teacup on the table, picked up a handkerchief, slowly wiped her lips, and said lightly, "Deputy Commander Chen is back? What a coincidence."

"..."

Chen Mo asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

No wonder there's no one in Hanxiao Palace...

He thought the Empress was avoiding him, but he never expected her to come to his door so directly!
Yu Youhan glanced at him with her emerald eyes, "What, you don't welcome me?"

Chen Mo hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty's presence is an honor to our humble abode. How could we not welcome you?"

"Is that so?" Yu Youhan raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone becoming a bit sharper. "I saw you were quite comfortable in Yangxin Palace, and I thought you would stay for at least another ten days or half a month. But you came back so early... Did the Empress kick you out?"

"..."

Chen Mo smelled the familiar scent of vinegar again.

These past few days he's been spending time with the Empress in the Yangxin Palace. The Empress hasn't said anything on the surface, but she's actually seething with jealousy inside...

"Ahem." Chen Mo cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed, and said, "There's a reason for this, isn't there? Last time at Hanxiao Palace, something like that happened... This subordinate was worried that Her Majesty hadn't calmed down yet..."

A blush rose on Yu Youhan's cheeks.

She was bound by a red ribbon, but Chen Mo couldn't find the knot, so he had no choice but to burn it... The ribbon burned through, but it also burned her skirt and underpants to ashes, leaving her almost completely exposed...

"What nonsense are you spouting in front of Lord Chen and his wife?"

Yu Youhan glared at him and said angrily, "Why would I be angry with you?"

Chen Mo dared not take the blame and lowered his head, saying, "This humble servant misspoke, Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Yu Youhan snorted coldly and turned her head away from him.

He Yuzhi glanced at the Empress, then at Chen Mo, feeling that there was something strange about the two of them... but she didn't dare to think too deeply about it, and said with an awkward smile, "Mo'er is carefree and impetuous in his youth. If he has offended anyone, I hope Your Majesty will forgive him."

Yu Youhan's expression was somewhat unnatural.

He played with her feet, touched her legs, and pinched her butt, and she saw everything. That's right, this lackey was indeed quite offensive...

"For Madam Chen's sake, I will not hold it against you... Please sit down."

"Thank you, empress."

Chen Mo bowed and sat down in the chair below.

Looking at his upright posture and proper sitting posture, Yu Youhan pursed her lips and felt inexplicably amused.

"It really is true that one thing can subdue another."

"You were so presumptuous in front of me, but now you're all behaving yourself..."

"My lady..."

At this moment, Chen Zhuo cautiously asked, "You have condescended to visit my humble abode this time. What instructions do you have for me?"

Despite being a key figure in the Imperial Concubine's faction, Chen Zhuo met with Imperial Concubine Yu no more than three times, relying mainly on Xu Sizheng to relay messages.

His sudden visit made him feel somewhat uneasy.

"Actually, it's nothing."

“Last time Madam Chen came to the palace, she seemed to like the Tianshan Purple Bamboo Shoots quite a bit, so I took some with me.”

Yu Youhan waved her hand, and an exquisite sandalwood box appeared out of thin air. The faint aroma of tea could be smelled from a distance, and it must have weighed at least several kilograms.

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly.

This is going to follow Xu Sizheng's path, leaving Xu Sizheng with nowhere to go...

Chen Zhuo and He Yuzhi exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat puzzled.

The Empress made a special trip to the Chen residence just to deliver tea?
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am flattered." He Yuzhi rose and curtsied.

"No need to be so polite, we're all family." Yu Youhan pursed her lips and said softly, "Speaking of which, I should thank you all. You've really raised a fine son."

As the top choice for those who absolutely must eat, and a slave to three different surnames, Chen Mo nodded without any modesty—

Indeed, everyone who has used it says it's good.

However, these words took on a different meaning when they reached Chen Zhuo's ears.

After all, Chen Mo had recently beaten up the young master at the brothel, causing quite a stir... Could it be that the Empress was giving him a warning?

With this thought in mind, Chen Zhuo stood up decisively, bowed and said, "This humble subject has failed in educating his son and almost caused a great disaster. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

Then he shouted sternly, "Guards, drag this unfilial son to the ancestral hall and punish him according to family law!"

?

Chen Mo looked bewildered. "Dad, what are you doing?"

"Hmph, you still have the nerve to ask?" Chen Zhuo said coldly, "Don't you know how big a mess you've made? You almost caused a disaster! I think you've gotten too tough just from not being disciplined for three days!"

This act was naturally put on for Yu Youhan's benefit.

He knew this imperial concubine's methods all too well; a beating was better than being punished by the empress.

Seeing this, Yu Youhan knew that Chen Zhuo had misunderstood and spoke up to stop him, saying, "I had no such intention. It is Lord Chen who has misunderstood... Chen Mo's attack on Chu Heng this time was somewhat impulsive, but it was also for a reason, and we cannot blame him entirely."

"Besides, he's just a prince. So what if we kill him? It's no big deal."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Majesty."

"But, having said that..."

Yu Youhan pondered for a moment and asked, "Where did you get the evidence you submitted in court?"

Chen Zhu shook his head, looking bewildered, and said, "This humble subject doesn't know either. The day before the court assembly, a palace servant delivered evidence to the Chen residence. At first, this humble subject thought it was Her Majesty's arrangement, but the evidence was far too detailed, and it seemed to indicate a great deal of knowledge about the Prince Yu's heir..."

"But some key parts are missing, which is not enough to convict someone. It feels like..."

"A warning."

Yu Youhan stroked the teacup with her fingers and said calmly, "It seems he is still somewhat wary of Prince Yu and doesn't intend to completely eradicate him with this. He's just using this opportunity to give him a warning... This also shows that Prince Yu's residence has indeed done some things that made him feel threatened..."

Chen Zhuo frowned and whispered, "The 'he' Your Majesty speaks of, could it be referring to His Majesty?"

Yu Youhan countered, "Besides Wu Lie, who else can make the Crown Prince rule from behind the curtain?"

Chen Zhuo had also considered this point, but he was still somewhat puzzled. He said, "But His Majesty knows that Chen Mo is the Empress's person, yet he still shows such favoritism. It's really hard to understand..."

"You can't say that."

Yu Youhan glanced at Chen Mo and said quietly, "Chen Mo is a very popular figure now. People who want to win him over can line up from Xuande Gate all the way to Yangxin Palace. What am I? I'm just dispensable..."

"..."

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine.

When did Your Majesty learn to be sarcastic and unsettling?
"There can only be one sun in the sky, Your Majesty is the only sun in my heart!" Chen Mo hurriedly expressed his loyalty.

"I am the sun, the Empress is the moon, and those confidantes are just the stars in the sky, right?" Yu Youhan narrowed her eyes and said in a teasing tone, "It seems that Deputy Commander Chen has made quite a good arrangement."

Chen Mo: "..."

Chen Zhuo and He Yuzhi looked at each other in bewilderment.

This sounds increasingly off; it seems a bit sarcastic...

"Your Majesty has misunderstood."

He Yuzhi spoke up to defuse the situation, saying, "Although the Empress has frequently shown goodwill towards Mo'er and even sent Lady Jinyun to propose marriage, Mo'er remains unmoved. The Chen family will always stand firmly on Her Majesty's side."

?

"Wait a minute..."

"Propose marriage?"

Yu Youhan stared straight at Chen Mo and said coldly, "How come I've never heard you mention this before?"

Chen Mo shuddered.

My goodness, don't say things you shouldn't!
Isn't this just making things worse?
……

……

The Demon-Suppressing Division.

In the backyard, Ling Yishan lay on a rocking chair, enjoying the cool shade under a big tree.

Ling Ningzhi sat on a small stool with her knees drawn up to her chest, while the teapot on the stove in front of her was bubbling away.

Gazing at the rising white mist, Jian Shui's eyes were unfocused, as if she were lost in thought.

Ling Yishan glanced at her and said, "Thinking about your lover again?"

"Ah."

Ling Ningzhi responded subconsciously, then suddenly realized what was happening and blushed slightly as she said, "What lover? Grandpa, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Ling Yishan sighed and said, "Although I'm old, I'm not so blind as to be... Besides that kid Chen Mo, who else could make you so distracted?"

"Tell me, what happened?"

Ling Ningzhi bit her lip and lowered her head, remaining silent.

Since parting ways with her master, she returned to the capital. She visited the Chen residence several times, but never saw Chen Mo. Recently, she heard that he had a conflict with the crown prince, which caused a great uproar in the capital, and she was even more worried.

Ling Yishan frowned slightly upon seeing this. "What's wrong? Did he bully you?"

"No, not at all." Ling Ningzhi shook her head and said, "I just heard that he's been having some trouble lately..."

"So that's what you were worried about?" Ling Yishan smiled and said, "Then you can rest assured. Chen Mo is highly sought after right now, and all sorts of forces are vying for him. Chu Heng alone can't do anything to him..."

At this point, he seemed to remember something, paused, and said, "But this isn't a good thing either; the trouble is yet to come."

Ling Ningzhi pressed, "What trouble will he face?" "That's hard to say," Ling Yishan said, slowly swinging his legs. "But this kid is very clever; he didn't put all his eggs in one basket, and he's latching onto increasingly powerful figures..."

"Even if that person wants to touch him, they'd better think it over carefully."

Ling Ningzhi was a little confused. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Grandpa, do you think it would be safer if Chen Mo joined the Tian Shu Pavilion?"

?

Ling Yishan asked in confusion, "Does the Daoist Master intend to take Chen Mo as his disciple?"

Ling Ningzhi nodded and said, "Master does have this idea, but Chen Mo is not very willing."

Thinking back to what happened in that mountain courtyard, her face flushed slightly. Not only was she witnessed by her master the whole time, but the three of them even slept together... If she really joined a sect, who knows what absurd things might happen!
However, she was more concerned about Chen Mo's safety.

"Isn't Tian Shu Pavilion a sect for female cultivators?"

"Besides, Ji Hongxiu has always disliked men, how could she..."

Ling Yishan waved his palm-leaf fan thoughtfully and said, "Although the Tian Shu Pavilion is powerful, it is indeed a good way out. However, I still do not recommend that Chen Mo get involved with the Daoist Master. After all, that crazy woman is unpredictable and has an eccentric personality. She cannot be judged by common sense..."

"Old man, who are you calling a jerk?"

Suddenly, a slightly languid female voice rang out.

? !
Ling Yishan suddenly stood up, looked up, and his expression became extremely solemn.

The void above shattered like a mirror, and a graceful figure slowly emerged.

She wore a bright red Taoist robe, as vivid as blood, with cloud patterns outlined in gold thread on the hem. Her long, flowing hair danced in the wind, and her eyes were slightly upturned, giving her a cool yet alluring charm.

"Master?!"

Ling Ningzhi snapped out of her daze and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Ji Hongxiu casually said, "I came to Kyoto to take care of some business and just stopped by to see you."

Immediately, Liu Ye glanced at Ling Yishan, her voice laced with arrogance and conceit, "You dare to speak ill of me behind my back? It seems you're tired of living?"

"..."

Ling Yishan said in a deep voice, "This is Tiandu City. Aren't you afraid that Yu Youhan will notice you showing yourself here?"

Ji Hongxiu snorted coldly, put her hands behind her back, and said, "So what? Does she really think I'm afraid of her? Besides, I have important business to attend to this time... When guests arrive, there isn't even a chair. Is this how the Demon Suppression Division treats its guests?"

Ling Yishan's eyelids twitched.

With a wave of his hand, a chair appeared out of thin air.

Ji Hongxiu sat in a chair, crossed her legs, picked up the wine pot, and drank it down in one gulp.

The wine flowed down her swan-like neck, giving her fair skin a shimmering sheen.

Looking at her carefree manner, Ling Yishan couldn't help but shake his head inwardly... Who would have thought that the current leader of the Tian Shu Pavilion, which has a history of thousands of years, would be like this?

"Comfortable~"

Ji Hongxiu put down the wine pot, her eyes slightly unfocused, and her delicate face flushed.

She squinted at the old locust tree with its canopy beside Ling Yishan and sneered, "The Dao Lock of Nine Tribulations is soul-consuming and bone-corroding. You have reached the final stage. With every bit of Dao power you use, the Dao Lock will tighten a little more."

"How long can this 'life-saving locust tree' help you survive? Three years? Five years?"

Ling Yishan said coldly, "Don't just criticize me, what about you... huh?"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly froze, scrutinizing Ji Hongxiu closely.

"Wait, your aura..."

"His cultivation level has actually improved again?!"

"Under the malicious suppression of Heaven's Dao, you can still advance your realm. There's only one possibility: you've found a way to alleviate the cost?!"

Ling Yishan's eyes were filled with surprise and disbelief.

At this moment, he recalled what Ling Ningzhi had just said, and a sudden realization dawned on him.

"No wonder you made an exception to accept Chen Mo as your disciple, so that's the reason?"

Having figured out the crux of the matter, Ling Yishan's tone became more playful as he remarked, "Tsk tsk, the dignified Supreme of the Forgetful Dao actually needs a man to suppress the consequences? If your disciples knew about this, I wonder what they would think."

Ji Hongxiu remained calm, shaking the wine pot in her hand. "That's still better than you. You even sacrificed your granddaughter in your quest for immortal ingredients and alchemy... I believe you can see through some things without me saying them, right?"

wow-

Ling Yishan's face turned cold, and the branches of the locust tree beside him swayed, making a rattling sound of iron chains.

Ji Hongxiu slightly raised her eyelids, and it seemed as if countless peach blossoms were blooming in her eyes.

The air pressure dropped to freezing point instantly.

Ling Ningzhi swallowed hard. These two had only just met, how could they start fighting after exchanging only a few words?

"Grandpa, Master, please calm down..."

Ji Hongxiu withdrew her oppressive aura, chuckled, and said, "In your current state, you can only go all out once at most. Let's leave that opportunity for someone else."

Ling Yishan's breathing calmed down, and he leaned back lazily in his chair. "You don't come here unless you have a reason. Speak, what brings you to this old man?"

"It's nothing..."

"Next, I have some important matters to attend to, and I may be unable to attend to them for a while... You will need to keep an eye on things for me... when necessary..."

Ji Hongxiu's voice gradually became indistinct, and Ling Ningzhi could not hear anything in it.

Ling Yishan's expression hardened slightly. "The question is, why should I help you?"

“Of course I won’t let you help me for nothing.” Ji Hongxiu crossed her long legs, her cloud-patterned shoes swaying gently. “Chen Mo has Heavenly Origin Spirit Fruit and three immortal herbs. He only needs two more to complete the main materials. At that time, I can help you refine the Creation Golden Pill.”

Ling Yishan's white eyebrows twitched, and he shook his head, saying, "Even if you gather all the materials and Tian Shu Pavilion has the pill formula, how easy is it to refine a golden pill? Heaven and earth are the furnace, yin and yang are the charcoal... I don't think you can refine it."

Ji Hongxiu said with a smile, "It might not have worked before, but it's hard to say now. After all, I have found the 'antidote,' and my cultivation level can continue to improve... Besides, if I can't do it, then who else in the Nine Provinces can?"

Ling Yishan was speechless for a moment.

In terms of individual strength alone, Ji Hongxiu ranks among the top, but she is not the strongest.

However, when it comes to divination, alchemy, magic arrays and other esoteric arts, no one in the world can surpass him. Even if Yu Youhan came, he would have to step aside!
If even Ji Hongxiu couldn't refine this Creation Golden Elixir, then indeed no one else could...

Ling Yishan had resigned himself to his fate and was unwilling to make any more futile struggles, but now he seemed to see a glimmer of hope... There is great terror between life and death, and even the supreme being is not immune to it. He was still hoping to hold his great-grandson one day...

Ling Yishan pondered for a long time before saying, "These are turbulent times in the capital. I still have to guard the Demon Suppression Division, so I can only try my best to keep an eye out for you."

Ji Hongxiu nodded and said, "That's enough."

"besides."

Ling Yishan glanced at Ling Ningzhi and transmitted his thoughts to her, saying, "Zhi'er truly loves Chen Mo. You'd better know your place. I don't want to see my granddaughter heartbroken and in tears."

Ji Hongxiu waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, Chen Mo is my precious darling now. If we want to get rid of the constraints of the Great Dao, we still need to rely on him..."

After saying that, she stood up and said to Ling Ningzhi, "Alright, we've talked about everything we needed to talk about, let's go."

Ling Ningzhi asked blankly, "Where to?"

Ji Hongxiu blinked. "Of course, I'm going to see your lover."

Ling Ningzhi: ?

……

……

"so……"

"You mean, Madam Jinyun came to our door in person to try and arrange the marriage between Lin Jingzhu and Chen Mo?"

Inside the Chen residence, in the main hall, Yu Youhan's delicate brows furrowed.

He Yuzhi nodded and said, "That's right. I think this is probably the Empress's arrangement, so I'll keep her in check for now. Anyway, as long as Zhixia doesn't come to the door, Miss Lin won't be able to enter the Chen family."

Yu Youhan's eyes darkened slightly, and she felt a tightness in her chest.

With Shen Zhixia already engaged, Lin Jingzhu coming to propose marriage, and Xu Qingyi, betrothed by the Crown Prince… who knows which one of them might become the young mistress of the Chen family? She couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness…

"Your Majesty can rest assured, Mo'er has no ulterior motives."

"His relationship with the Empress was merely a pretense; he had absolutely no other intentions towards her..."

dong dong dong-

Before He Yuzhi could finish speaking, there was a sudden knock on the door, and Chen Fu's voice came from outside: "Master, Madam, another guest has arrived."

Chen Zhuo said unhappily, "Didn't I tell you that we're closing the door to guests today? If we disturb someone important, can you take responsibility?"

Chen Fu hesitated for a moment, "But she said her name is Ji Hongxiu..."

"I don't care if you're a Red Sleeve or a White Sleeve, I don't have time for that now... Wait, Ji Hongxiu?" Chen Zhuo realized, and hesitated for a moment, "Why does this name sound familiar?"

call--

A gentle breeze blew by, and the door opened automatically.

Two graceful figures walked in slowly.

Ling Ningzhi, dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, possessed an ethereal air. Beside her stood a Taoist nun in a flamboyant red robe, holding a wine gourd in her hand, her eyes revealing a hint of bewitching allure.

"Wow, everyone's here."

"Chen Mo, I didn't expect to see you again so soon..."

Chen Mo's throat tightened. "Daoist Master, what brings you here?"

? !
Upon hearing those two words, Chen Zhuo and He Yuzhi's expressions froze.

"Dao... Dao Venerable?!"

(End of this chapter)