I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 372 Peach Blossom Tribulation! Ye Zi'e's Little Secret!
"Away from those worries, even the air feels fresher."

"We'll be arriving in Egret City in about two days. I wonder what kind of expression that little thief will have when he sees me?"

"You'll definitely be surprised, won't you?"

"hey-hey……"

The Empress blushed slightly and smiled dreamily.

She leaned against the railing, her hair flying in the wind, her face gilded by the sunlight, making her look exceptionally radiant.

For a moment, Lady Sun was lost in thought.

Having served the Empress for so many years, she was always seen as dignified and elegant. But ever since Chen Mo appeared, she seems to have become a different person, sometimes feigning anger and sometimes appearing anxious and insecure.

Not to mention the absurdity of abandoning court affairs and running away from Zhongzhou to the southern border, which would have been absolutely impossible in the past.

From the perspective of the court lady, such neglect of state affairs naturally warranted her remonstrance to the death.

But I couldn't bear to do it.

After all, the Empress had sacrificed so much.

I've worked tirelessly day and night for years, and I'm already exhausted. What's wrong with indulging a little?
"never mind."

"It will take at most half a month, and with the Princess protecting him, nothing unexpected should happen, right?"

Lady Sun sighed and said no more.

Chu Yanli remained silent, drinking alone, lost in thought.

……

……

Bailucheng is located in the central part of Nantuzhou. A tributary of the Canglan River flows through the city, forming the Yangsha River Valley, which is not only a natural transportation route, but also has deep and fertile soil due to silt deposition.

Canal transport, trade, fishing, agriculture...

With all these factors combined, it naturally became the most prosperous place in the entire Nantu region.

Before this, Chen Mo hadn't thought anything was special, but when the flying boat landed and he looked at the huge city-state in front of him, he finally understood why this place was also called "Land and Sea Heavenly Prefecture".

The towering city wall, made of blue bricks, stretches for dozens of miles and seems to have no end in sight.

The city gate, which was over ten feet high, was teeming with people, mostly merchants coming and going. Mules and horses pulled carts of goods in a continuous stream, their wheels clattering on the bluestone slabs.

As soon as you enter the city, you can see rows of buildings on both sides of the street, with vermilion windows and carved beams, flying eaves and upturned corners, and brocade banners fluttering in the wind.

In the distance, the wide river shimmered, and to the sound of orderly boatmen's chants, the cargo boats cut through the water and headed towards the dock.

"Tsk..."

Li Yuan couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined that there were such prosperous city-states in the Southern Frontier! I almost thought I was in the Central Plains!"

Ye Zige shook her head and said, "The more remote and desolate a place is, the more concentrated its wealth becomes, which is not a good thing... Bailu City has taken full advantage of its location and is also the prefecture capital. All the resources of Nantu are concentrated here, which is equivalent to sucking the blood of other counties."

Previously, in order to track down the traces of the Gu God Cult, she had traveled almost all over the southern border, so she naturally felt the same way about many things.

Even in this White Egret City, only the very top tier of people are wealthy; most ordinary people don't actually have an easy life.

Chen Mo glanced at the restaurant next door and said, "It seems we'll be staying here for a few days. Yuan'er, go book a few rooms first, and we'll make further arrangements after we've settled in."

“Yes,” Li Yuan replied.

"Commander Ye, you've been here before and know this place well. Accompany me for a walk around the city later and see if we can find out any useful information," Chen Mo said to Ye Zi'e.

"Just the two of us?" Ye Zi'e was taken aback. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate? How about we bring Secretary Xu along too?"

“The more people there are, the bigger the target becomes. Besides, it’s just intelligence gathering. What’s wrong with that?” Chen Mo frowned.

"This……"

Ye Zi'e glanced cautiously at Xu You, and seeing that she looked calm and not displeased, she felt relieved and nodded, saying, "Alright then."

After agreeing on a meeting time, Li Yuan and the others entered the restaurant, while Chen Mo and Ye Zi'e continued walking along the street.

Throughout the journey, Ye Zi'e kept her head down and remained silent.

"Is Commander Ye preoccupied?"

"No, no."

"Actually, besides the investigation, there are some things I want to ask you when I called you out alone."

"Please speak freely, Lord Chen."

Chen Mo considered for a moment and said, "The other day, the night I got drunk, Commander Ye should have been in my room, right?"

? !
Ye Zi'e's expression froze, her eyes filled with panic. "Why did you suddenly ask this, sir?"

Judging from her reaction, the answer is obvious.

Chen Mo wasn't stupid. Ever since that night, Ye Zi'e's personality had changed drastically; she wouldn't even look him in the eye. Coupled with what she said yesterday, he could guess what was going on...

"No wonder Yuan'er didn't feel anything, but Ye Zi'e was limping..."

"So I stabbed the wrong person?"

Chen Mo rubbed his head, which was throbbing with pain.

I was originally thinking I should be careful around her along the way, but it turned out that I was drunk and had sex with her.

Is this ridiculous...?

Could this be the peach blossom calamity we predicted before?

"But since it has already happened, let's just make things clear."

Chen Mo made up his mind and pulled Ye Zi'e into a small alley. "Come with me."

The two left the bustling street and entered a quiet alley. Ye Zi'e gripped the hem of her clothes nervously and said, "Lord Chen, what are you doing? You can't do this here..."

Chen Mo raised his hand to set up a soundproof array and said, "Don't be nervous, I just want to talk to you."

Ye Zi'e bit her lip and whispered, "I know what you want to say. Don't worry, it was just an accident, and I won't bother you because of it..."

That's not what I meant.

Chen Mo was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "No matter what, what's done is done, and I won't make any excuses for myself... I have mastered the 'Dongxuanzi Yin-Yang Secret Technique,' which may help you enter the Celestial Realm. If you are ready, you can come to me at any time."

"As for Her Majesty's side, I will find a way to handle it, so you don't need to worry."

He knew very well what Ye Zige wanted.

Therefore, they wouldn't say silly things like "I'll be responsible for you for the rest of my life." Since there's no emotional foundation between them, it's better to do something concrete than to make empty promises.

"You mean you're willing to cultivate with me?" Ye Zige asked in surprise.

"Anyway, the rice is already cooked, so cooking it a couple more times shouldn't be a problem, right?" Chen Mo shrugged and said, "Of course, provided you don't mind."

"..."

Ye Zige realized that the other party had misunderstood.

Actually, the thug knocked on the wrong door that night and didn't actually enroll.

She wanted to explain, but the words stuck in her throat.

This doesn't seem like a bad thing; on the contrary, it could become an opportunity for her to become a grandmaster...

"I didn't expect that the divination I did yesterday would come true today?"

"But you can't rush things. After all, the Empress is still with us, so there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Thinking of this, Ye Zige cleared her throat and said, "Let's talk about this later, Lord Chen. Don't worry, public matters are public matters and private matters are private matters. I won't let my personal emotions affect my official duties."

"That's good."

Seeing how magnanimous the other party was, Chen Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After talking things out, both of them felt much more relaxed, and the atmosphere was no longer as awkward as before.

At this moment, Chen Mo thought of something and asked, "By the way, there's something else I'm curious about... Just who is this Secretary Xu?"

Ye Zi'e was taken aback by his question. "Why are you asking this?"

“She doesn’t seem like an ordinary staff member to me. There’s something strange about her, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Chen Mo stroked his chin and pondered, “Could she be the daughter of some wealthy family? But there’s no prominent family with the surname Xu in Tiandu City.”

"..." Ye Zige's lips twitched, and she shook her head, saying, "She's just a low-ranking servant of the chieftain. I kept her by my side because I thought she was quick-witted. She doesn't have any special status."

"is it?"

Chen Mo frowned slightly.

He could tell that Ye Zige wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't press her for an answer.

"Let's go first."

"Ah."

After leaving the alley, the two walked towards the center of the city.

Passing through the bustling streets, I could see a city wall in the distance, with heavily armed officials stationed in front of the city gate.

Ye Zige explained, "When the barbarians invaded back then, Bailu City, as the prefecture capital, was the first to bear the brunt. The city gates were shattered, blood flowed everywhere, and the casualties were extremely heavy. The city we see today was rebuilt later."

"In order to strengthen the defense, the city center was mainly used to house government offices, government offices and garrisons. Then it was expanded outward for a hundred miles as a commercial and residential area. This describes the appearance of the inner city and outer city today."

Chen Mo suddenly realized, "No wonder there are no signs of wind and sand erosion on the city walls. So it was newly built? They say it's to strengthen defenses, but aren't they just using ordinary people as speed bumps?"

"...Ahem, that makes sense."

"However, with the Princess in charge of the border, the barbarians dare not cross the line. There is no need to worry about foreign enemies invading again. The inner city is more like a symbol of status and identity."

"Didn't Kuang Jie give you a letter of introduction? Should we go in and ask the state government for help?"

Ye Zi'e asked.

After all, Bailu City is too large. For just a few people, finding traces of the Gu God Sect would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

There's no rush for now.

Looking at the heavily guarded inner city, Chen Mo's eyes flashed.

Kuang Jie's uncle is the Assistant Magistrate of Nan Tu Prefecture, a position of considerable power. With that letter of introduction and his own status as a commander of the Tianlin Guard, he is sure to gain the other party's assistance.

But the premise is that the other party has a clean background.

"The Gu God Cult uses unpredictable methods; no one should be trusted."

"I don't want to reveal my identity yet. I'll wander around the outer city first and see if the state government will take any action."

Kuang Jie would definitely communicate with his uncle about the Tianlin Guard's arrival in Bailu City, but the Gu God Sect was unaware of the Tianlin Guard's whereabouts... This simple information gap could easily expose their true intentions.

Ye Zige understood Chen Mo's intention and asked, "Where are we going now?"

Chen Mo looked around and spotted a courtyard with a sign that read "Liyun Pavilion." He could faintly hear melodious singing coming from inside. He blinked and said, "Since we have nothing to do, let's go in and have a seat."

"what?"

Before Ye Zi'e could react, Chen Mo had already walked through the gate, and she hurriedly followed.

The theater is quite large, with two floors. In the center is a stage made of solid wood, surrounded by tea tables, and in the far corner are rows of chairs.

Compared to the night sessions, the daytime sessions are generally quieter, but the first floor was about 80% full, so business was pretty good.

The female lead on stage had a clear and melodious voice, like shattered jade falling onto a plate, and cheers came from the audience from time to time.

The waiter quickly came over and asked with a smile, "Are you two here to listen to the music? Would you like to sit in the casual seats or the main seats?"

A price list was displayed above the counter. The benches in the corridor were for general seating, and an entrance fee of fifty coins was required to enter the park. The tea tables near the stage were for formal seating, and an additional two hundred coins were required for tea.

"Let's find a private room and brew a pot of good tea."

Chen Mo raised his hand and tossed over a silver ingot.

The waiter reached out and took it, weighed it in his hand, and his smile grew even brighter. "Alright, please come upstairs, esteemed guests."

He led the two to the east wing upstairs and said, "You two have come at the perfect time. The next performance is by Mr. Ming, who is the star of our Pear Cloud Pavilion. I guarantee you'll have a great time listening to him."

Pushing open the door, the room's decor is simple, elegant, and well-organized.

The window faces the center of the stage, offering an extremely wide view. Next to it are two pear wood chairs and a tea table, and against the wall is a soft couch covered with mattresses.

"Please sit for a moment, and the tea will be served shortly."

The waiter bowed and left.

Chen Mo entered the room and sat by the window.

Listening to the melodious opera singing of the female lead, her fingers rhythmically tapped the table.

Ye Zi'e, sitting opposite him, asked in confusion, "Lord Chen, are we not going to handle the case anymore?"

"You yourself said that Bailu City is too big, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Chen Mo said with a smile, "In that case, we can only try to get the fish to take the bait themselves."

dong dong dong-

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a maid carrying a teapot walked in gracefully.

He poured the teacups in front of them to about seven-tenths full, and a pleasant aroma filled the air. He said softly, "This is 'Bitan Piaoxue,' made from Mengshan green tea and scented with jasmine flowers. Please enjoy."

"Here, this is a reward for you." Chen Mo took out a silver note and handed it over.

"Fifty, fifty taels?!"

Upon seeing the face value of the silver note, the maid nearly lost her balance.

It's just serving tea, and they give her so much money as a tip? She couldn't earn that much in several years!

"Sir, we...we don't offer that kind of service..." the maid said with difficulty, her voice strained.

Although she was very envious, she also knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and that this money probably wouldn't be so easy to get.

"Don't be nervous, I didn't mean anything by it. This money is what you deserve, consider it... compensation for your emotional distress," Chen Mo said.

"Compensation for emotional distress?"

Before the maid could figure it out, she felt that the man's eyes were like whirlpools, making her unconsciously sink into them.

His eyes gradually became vacant, and he stood there like a statue.

Chen Mo took out a wooden box, handed it to the maid, and whispered, "Go and put this in..."

"Yes."

The maid nodded blankly, turned around and walked out of the private room.

Ye Zi'e asked curiously, "Lord Chen, what did you give her?"

"Insect."

"What?"

Seeing her bewildered look, Chen Mo smiled and said, "The bait has been laid; now it's just a matter of whether the fish will bite."

……

……

Backstage.

Ming Yuchun was sitting in front of the dressing table tidying up her makeup, dressed in the costume of a female warrior, her eyes and brows full of heroic spirit.

"Mr. Ming, you can get ready to go on stage," the stage manager reminded him.

"Okay," Ming Yuchun replied.

Tread-tap-

Just then, light footsteps sounded.

Ming Yuchun turned his head and asked in confusion, "Xiaoyue, why aren't you outside greeting the guests? What are you doing backstage?"

Holding a teacup in her hand, Yue'er said softly, "Sir, please have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

"You're quite thoughtful, girl."

Ming Yuchun smiled, took the porcelain bowl and drank it all in one gulp. He rubbed Yue'er's head, then got up and walked towards the front desk.

A moment later, Yue'er suddenly woke up, looked around, and looked confused.

"Huh? How did I get here?"

(End of this chapter)