I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 272 Empress: I Don't Want to Be Your Sister-in-Law! The Netherworld Saintess's Gift of Gratitude!

The Empress's expression stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and said calmly, "I have no recollection of it at all, and as you yourself said, it was just a dream, so it shouldn't be taken seriously."

"That being said, this dream is a bit too strange, isn't it?" Chu Yanli asked curiously, "And you still haven't answered my question, who exactly is this little thief you're talking about?"

"How would I know? Perhaps I dreamt that thieves broke into the palace." The Empress's expression was slightly unnatural.

"is it?"

Chu Yanli scrutinized her carefully.

She always felt that the Empress had become somewhat strange since her return, as if she was hiding something from her.

The Empress, not wanting to dwell on the topic, spoke up while putting on her dress, saying, "What are you doing here? Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough about what happened last night?"

"What's so shameful about that?"

Chu Yanli shook her head and said, "Whether I can get rid of the alienation depends on Chen Mo... If I can ignore the erosion of the dragon energy and completely master the 'momentum', then even Yu Youhan might not be able to withstand my attack!"

The Empress frowned.

Although she had doubts about the claim that "completely controlling the dragon energy would allow her to go toe-to-toe with Yu Youhan," she did know how powerful the dragon energy was.

As the embodiment of the will of heaven and earth, the dragon's energy influences not only ancestral temples and the state, but also truly possesses the ability to reverse reality!
Legend has it that during the change of dynasties, the founding emperor was blessed by a red dragon. He uttered a few words of truth, and thousands of mountains collapsed like sand. As far as the eye could see, the vast blue waves evaporated completely!

While there may be some exaggeration involved, the fact is that during the reign of Emperor Taizu, the Yuan Dynasty enjoyed peace and prosperity, and foreign enemies dared not invade.

"You should know that over the years, I've only had three things on my mind."

"Suppress the southern barbarians, cleanse the imperial court, and eliminate the powerful clans."

Chu Yanli's gaze was intense, like burning sparks, as she said, "And all of this is inseparable from the blessing of dragon energy. This is not only for me, but also for the Great Yuan!"

The Empress bit her lip and said, "Even so, there should be a minimum standard, right? You can't impose this responsibility on Chen Mo, and you can't use such despicable means!"

Chu Yanli frowned and said, "Where did I do anything despicable?"

"First, they used their power to intimidate him. When Chen Mo refused, they summoned him to their bedchamber, got him drunk, and then forcibly pushed him down... Isn't this kind of tactic despicable enough?" The Empress glared at her, her tone revealing a hint of annoyance.

If she had arrived any later last night, we probably would have already slept together!
"You might have misunderstood. I didn't intend to share a room with him." Chu Yanli waved her hand and said, "I'm just curious about his physical structure and want to touch his bones."

"Inherent bone structure?"

The Empress was skeptical.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Although Chu Yanli has a free and unrestrained personality, she seems to be uncultured when it comes to romantic relationships, otherwise she wouldn't have been single for so many years.

"But then again..."

Chu Yanli seemed to have thought of something, her eyes momentarily lost in thought, and she said softly, "I talked a lot with Chen Mo last night, which made me more interested in him. Perhaps I can learn more about him."

?

Want to learn more?

Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately became nervous again.

If Chu Yanli really takes a liking to Chen Mo and wants to recruit him as her consort, how should she, as the emperor's sister-in-law, conduct herself?
The thought of Chen Mo calling her "sister-in-law" all the time gave the Empress goosebumps.

"If it really comes to that point, I'll have no choice but to come clean! It's better to be humiliated than to hand over the petty thief to someone else!" She made up her mind.

"Alright, I came here just to tell you that I won't interfere in Chu Heng's affairs."

Chu Yanli paused for a moment, then said, "However, it's hard to say about Wu Lie. Besides, the grand ceremony is just around the corner, and he certainly doesn't want to see this happen."

"It might not be so easy to resolve this matter. You should remind Chen Mo to prepare in advance."

Having said that, a flash of golden light appeared, and his figure disintegrated like smoke and dust.

After a moment of silence in the room, the Empress sighed softly, composed herself with her complicated thoughts, and turned to leave.

But after taking only two steps, I felt something was wrong. My bottom felt tingly and numb, accompanied by a slight pain...

She went to the full-length mirror, lifted her skirt, and looked to the side. Her fair skin was still a little red. Although the outline of the handprint was no longer visible, it was certain that she had been beaten!
"So it wasn't a dream after all; everything that happened last night was real?"

"and many more……"

"Could it be that Yu Youhan was actually tied up with ropes?!"

The Queen was a little confused.

Logically speaking, with Yu Youhan's strength, how could she possibly be captured by Chen Mo and even spanked on a small couch?
This is really a bit too outrageous...

thump—

The melodious sound of bells drifted from outside the palace; it was nearly midday.

The Empress shook her head, no longer thinking about it. After straightening her clothes, she pushed open the door and walked out of the room.

Upon arriving at the inner hall, they found that Lady Sun was already waiting there. A table to the side was piled high with memorials, at least fifty in number.

"Your Highness, you are awake."

"Ah."

"Since you didn't attend the morning court session, Eunuch Jin collected the memorials submitted by the ministers. I've reviewed them briefly, and about 80% of them are impeachments against Chen Mo..."

Even without Sun Shanggong saying it, the Empress could guess that things were definitely not peaceful in the court today.

The Tianlin Guard massacred Prince Yu's mansion and even imprisoned the heir apparent. This incident was so outrageous that it was bound to cause a stir in the court and among the people.

However, no matter how enthusiastically these ministers fought, it was all in vain. How things would end depended on the attitude of the Qianji Palace...

"Alright, just leave it there for now."

The Empress didn't even bother to glance at it, and turned to sit on the small couch.

"Ok?"

"Why does this mattress feel damp..."

She raised her hand, and you could still faintly smell the fragrance of osmanthus.

Recalling the fragmented memories of last night, his brows furrowed even more.

"If that dream was real..."

"What exactly happened between Chen Mo and Yu Youhan after I fell asleep?"

……

……

Tianlin Guard.

As soon as Chen Mo arrived at the entrance of the training ground, he saw a group of people waiting there, including many familiar figures.

Besides Yu Hongyin, Liu Qiansong, Qin Yi and other sect disciples, even Zi Lianji, who had not been seen for a long time, was among them.

"Brother Chen."

"Master Chen."

Upon seeing Chen Mo, the group quickly stepped forward to greet him.

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly, "What is this all about...?"

Liu Qiansong said in a deep voice, "We have already heard about what happened yesterday from Saintess Yu. We never expected that a prince would do such an inhuman thing!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the others turned somewhat unpleasant.

While they were still helping the imperial court, their fellow disciples were being drained of their life force and turned into dregs, becoming nourishment for Chu Heng to cultivate his evil arts. This was something they found hard to accept no matter what.

"Our sect has issued a recall order, so we can't stay in Kyoto any longer. I came here specifically to say goodbye to Brother Chen," Qin Yi said in a low voice.

Chen Mo had already anticipated this outcome.

After this incident escalated, the relationship between the imperial court and the sects, which had just begun to ease, will once again plummet to a freezing point.

No sect will be willing to obey the court's orders anymore, and all the achievements the Empress has made in establishing new educational programs will be in vain.

But he was powerless to do anything about it.

At this moment, Yu Hongyin said in a clear voice, "If it weren't for Lord Chen's fearlessness in the face of power and his bringing the murderer to justice, I'm afraid we would never have known the truth, and the victims would not have been able to rest in peace. Our gratitude is beyond words."

"That's right, one thing at a time."

Liu Qiansong nodded and said, "Regardless of our relationship with the imperial court, Lord Chen will always be an honored guest of the Xuan Yang Sect. If you ever need our help in the future, please feel free to ask."

After saying this, he bowed deeply.

"The same applies to the Kui Xing sect."

The same applies to the Crimson Cloud Sect.

Everyone bowed in respect.

In addition to awe, his expression also showed a hint of reverence.

Just as Chen Mo was about to say something, he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his dantian, and the two swirling streams of energy subtly thickened.

"The same thing happened last time in Linglan County."

"It seems that as long as one receives genuine respect from others, one's dragon energy can be enhanced... Could it be that this thing uses emotions as nourishment? Isn't that a bit too mystical?"

Zi Lianji stood at a distance.

Looking at his "love rival" surrounded by a crowd, his eyes held a complex expression.

I never imagined that so many things would happen in Kyoto during the time he was away.

What surprised him even more was that Chen Mo would be willing to risk his life and offend the royal family for the sake of a completely unrelated sect disciple, and even go so far as to kill someone with a knife...

"Perhaps there is a reason why Qingxuan took a liking to him?" Zi Lianji couldn't help but feel a little dejected. However, he quickly composed himself and walked up to Chen Mo.

"Master Chen."

Chen Mo looked up and said, "Chief Zi? It's been a long time."

Zi Lianji's attire remained impeccable, but his demeanor lacked the usual "arrogance," and he appeared much thinner, with a touch of world-weariness.

"What's up?"

"Yes, I have something important to tell you."

Zi Lianji organized his thoughts and tried to be concise: "A while ago, I went to Jinyang Prefecture to track down a wanted criminal, hoping to increase my contribution points, but I unexpectedly ran into two strangely acting cultivators..."

"After tracking them for a while, we discovered that they were remnants of the Gu God Cult."

"The Gu God Cult?" Chen Mo frowned slightly.

"From their conversation, we learned that Yin Tiankuo, the leader of the Gu God Cult, is not dead. Instead, he is leading the remaining followers on a journey through various parts of the Southern Frontier, seemingly trying to refine some kind of Gu worm in order to reshape his physical body," Zi Lianji said.

"And then?" Chen Mo pressed.

Zi Lianji shook his head and said, "I originally intended to arrest the two of them and take them back to the capital, but I unexpectedly ran into a woman."

At this point, his face darkened slightly, clearly displeased. "That woman seems to be investigating the Gu God Cult as well. She probably thinks I'm an accomplice. She attacks without warning, she's like a madwoman!"

"..."

madman?

A figure appeared in Chen Mo's mind.

Could it be that Zi Lianji has run into Ye Zi'e?
Ye Zi'e secretly drugged him in order to cultivate with him, but Ling Ningzhi intercepted her, causing the Imperial Concubine to experience a face-to-face teleportation...

As a result, the Empress was naturally furious and banished her to the frontier to investigate the remnants of the Gu God Cult.

Actually, this was just an excuse to punish her, but unexpectedly, Commander Ye actually took it seriously.

"It seems Ji Lianxing wasn't lying back then. Yin Tiankuo is indeed still alive and is plotting something... Zhong Lihe is unreliable; he actually let the big fish escape?"

Chen Mo's eyes darkened.

Ultimately, this matter is still somewhat related to him.

Not to mention that the Southern Diocese was destroyed because of him, if the Gu God Sect were to rise from the ashes, it might also drag the Moon Radiance Sect into the mess, at which point Gu Manzhi and Ye Henshui would both be in danger.

"Thank you very much, Chief Zi. This news is very important to me," Chen Mo said earnestly.

"No need. The Gu God Sect has committed numerous evils and countless atrocities. Everyone has the right to kill them. Since I have encountered them, I naturally cannot sit idly by," Zi Lianji said calmly.

It must be said that Chen Mo's saying, "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people," had a significant impact on these sect disciples.

"Now that this has happened, it is inconvenient for me to stay in the capital. Let's meet again at Wusheng Mountain if there is an opportunity."

"Farewell."

Zi Lianji originally wanted to say goodbye to Ling Ningzhi, but thinking that she probably didn't want to see him either, he felt a little disheartened, cupped his hands in greeting, and drifted away.

After thanking them repeatedly, the others also took their leave.

Qin Yi also left behind a talisman marked with the location of the Kui Xing Sect, inviting Chen Mo to visit the sect when he had time.

After everyone else had left, only Yu Hongyin and Qiao Tong remained.

Chen Mo asked, "Now that things are settled here, you should be heading back, right?"

Yu Hongyin clasped her hands behind her back and said softly, "Junior Brother's condition is still unstable, and he cannot travel long distances. He needs to rest for a while longer. Besides, I'm just going down the mountain for training, so it doesn't matter where I am. There's no rush to leave..."

"Oh fine."

Chen Mo didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Yu Hongyin called out to him.

Chen Mo asked, "Is there anything else?"

Yu Hongyin took out a piece of paper that looked like gold foil from her bosom, which shone brightly in the sunlight. She raised her hand and handed it over, saying, "Here, this is for you."

Chen Mo was slightly taken aback. "This is... the Golden Contract of Creation?"

Although it was a second-class gold contract, which could only be signed with those below the third rank, it was still extremely valuable.

After all, these are rare artifacts left over from ancient times, containing the power of rules, which cannot be refined by human hands. It can be said that each one used is one less available.

"Where did you get this?" Chen Mo asked, taking it from her hand with some curiosity.

Yu Hongyin said nonchalantly, "Don't worry about that. I am, after all, the Holy Maiden of the Netherworld Sect. A mere gold contract is nothing to me."

Qiao Tong, standing to the side, curled her lip and said, "Last time at Prince Yu's mansion, Lord Chen mentioned this item, and after the Holy Maiden returned, she started inquiring everywhere... I heard that the chief of the Qinglian Sect has one, and she went to ask him for it in the middle of the night, emptying all her possessions, even using the dowry her master left her..."

Chen Mo: "..."

Yu Hongyin instantly lost her composure, her face turning bright red. She raised her hand and flicked the girl's forehead, saying angrily, "You brat, you talk too much! Just wait till we get back, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Qiao Tong covered her head, looking aggrieved, and said, "What I said was just the truth~"

Chen Mo twitched his lips and handed the contract back to her. "Since that's the case, then forget it. Go find that person and exchange the item for yours."

"It's already been changed, there's no reason to go back on it," Yu Hongyin waved her hand and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. There's no dowry, just some magical treasures and spiritual essence... Besides, I'm not interested in men, and I probably won't get married in the future..."

"is it?"

Qiao Tong tilted her head and said, "But last time you clearly said Chen..."

"Shut up!"

Yu Hongyin quickly covered her mouth.

Fearing that the girl might say something she shouldn't, he grabbed her and flew away from the place.

Watching Yu Hongyin's retreating figure, Chen Mo stroked his chin thoughtfully.

If I remember correctly, this Holy Maiden of the Netherworld Sect also had a side quest involving "corruption"...

Although the triggering conditions are quite demanding, the rewards are indeed quite generous.

"Speaking of corruption, it seems like Zhi'er's mission is still stuck?"

Chen Mo opened the system panel, glanced at it, and found that it was indeed the case.

Besides the [Fallen Fairy], there are three other events that are incomplete:
The hidden events for the Imperial Concubine, including "Jade Locks the Deep Palace - Spring Dyes the Embroidered Bed", "Breaking the Formation" triggered at the Demon Suppression Division, and "Catching the True Culprit" triggered a few days ago.

"Strange, I clearly broke through to the final step with Zhi'er, but the event still hasn't indicated completion..."

"Does this not meet the standard of 'degradation'?"

"So, for her, what exactly constitutes depravity?"

Chen Mo pondered for a long time without any clue, so he simply stopped worrying about it.

Now that he and Ling Ningzhi are deeply in love and understand each other, it's impossible for him to deliberately do anything outrageous just for a reward.

Our gaze shifted to [Catching the Real Culprit].

The focus of this incident is on "apprehending" rather than "trial." Logically, the incident should have ended once the real culprit, Chu Heng, was brought to justice.

But it has yet to be completed.

Chen Mo felt like he was overlooking something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it...

"This system is terrible; it doesn't give any warnings at all. It's just plain annoying."

He secretly complained to himself.

"Chu Heng had been trying to destroy the great formation. At first, I thought he wanted to let the demons into the city and disrupt the court, but now it seems that it's not that simple."

"It seems I'll have to go to the Demon Suppression Division sometime to see if I can finish the 'Breaking the Formation' project."

"Anyway, the fact that I possess dragon energy isn't exactly a secret; everyone who needs to know already knows..."

Chen Mo put away the Creation Golden Contract and stepped into the Tianlin Guard's gate.

After passing through the training ground, we arrived at the yamen and found two men standing with their hands behind their backs in front of the desk in the courtroom.

It was Luo Huaijin and Yunhe.

"Lord Luo, Lord Yun, what brings you two here?" Chen Mo greeted them with a smile.

Luo Huaijin remained silent. Yunhe cleared his throat and said, "I heard that Lord Chen handled a major case yesterday, and Lord Luo has come here specifically to learn about the details..."

Chen Mo understood the implied meaning and cupped his hands, saying, "It was my dereliction of duty. I should have consulted with you beforehand, but the incident happened suddenly and the suspect's identity was somewhat special. I was worried that things might change if I delayed, so I took it upon myself to act. I hope you will not blame me."

"But you can rest assured, sir. If the higher-ups blame me, I will take full responsibility and will absolutely not implicate you."

Upon hearing this, Luo Huaijin's expression softened slightly.

Although this guy is a bit reckless, he's quite insightful.

"Lord Chen, you are mistaken. As I also serve as the commander of the Fire Department, I share both honor and disgrace. How can I detach myself from this?" Luo Huaijin said seriously.

Chen Mo cupped his hands again and said, "What you say is very true, sir. I was narrow-minded."

Luo Huaijin moved his throat, took two steps closer, and whispered, "Is Chu Heng still alive? Let me make this clear beforehand: if you kill him, then pretend I was never here."

Chen Mo: "..."

(End of this chapter)