I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 373 Is Heaven Dead? Use the Eldest Princess as a scapegoat!
As the song ended on stage, the artists bowed in respect, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

"color!"

"Pretty!"

"Don't underestimate this young actress just because she's young; her skills are quite remarkable. Pear Cloud Pavilion truly lives up to its reputation as the premier theater in Egret City."

"Even the opening scenes were so outstanding, making us even more eager to see Mr. Ming's performance!"

"Reward!"

The spectators in the main seats threw copper coins and silver pieces onto the stage, which the clerk picked up one by one and put into his cloth bag. "Thank you all for your generosity!"

whoosh-

At that moment, a golden light flashed.

A gold ingot traced a parabola and landed on the stage, rolling "tumble" to the servant's feet.

Immediately afterwards, a girl's clear voice came from the west wing: "Madam Hua has a reward for you."

The scene fell silent instantly.

The servant hurriedly picked up the gold ingot, bowed respectfully towards the west wing, and said, "Thank you for your generous reward, Madam!"

"My wife asked, when will Mr. Ming take the stage?" the young woman asked.

"The next one, the next one is it." The servant rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

"it is good."

There was no further movement from the west wing.

Chen Mo looked up and saw that the window was half-closed, and he could vaguely see a beautiful figure. Her fair and delicate hands were playing with a teacup, and her cuffs were embroidered with gold cloud patterns, exuding nobility.

"Judging from this servant's reaction, he seems to be someone of considerable importance."

He didn't rashly use his spiritual sense to investigate, but turned his head and asked, "Commander Ye, have you ever heard of this Madam Hua?"

Ye Zige nodded and said, "Her name is Hua Yinglan. She is quite famous in Bailu City. I have heard of her. It is said that she came from a scholarly family, but after her family fell on hard times, she married into the Li family, who were grain transport merchants."

"As a result, a few years later, the head of the household passed away, and all the burdens fell on her shoulders alone."

"And this Madam Hua is no simple woman either. She may seem gentle and weak, but she is actually quite shrewd."

"Under her management, the Li family not only did not decline, but thrived and took over the largest docks in the city. All the docks had to be subservient to her."

The port and wharf of Bailucheng were uniformly managed by the "Maritime Trade Office". Apart from salt, iron and grain transport, other trade adopted the profit-sharing model between officials and merchants.

As long as enough "site service tax" is paid, one can contract dock berths and storage facilities. For merchant ships passing through for trade, the contractor will charge "gate fees" based on weight, which is the so-called port fee.

"Bailu City is a vital passage for trade between the north and south. These few wharves alone can make her a fortune, and there must be quite a few envious people."

Chen Mo chuckled and said, "To be able to swallow such a large piece of fat meat, it seems that this Madam Hua is not only shrewd, but also has close ties with the prefecture."

thump—

With the sound of a gong, the stage manager finished tidying up the stage and announced loudly: "On this auspicious evening, we are fortunate to have your esteemed presence. Behold 'Mr. Ming' taking the stage to perform—General Feng's Great Victory over the Southern Barbarians!"

Dong qiang— Dong qiang—

The gongs and drums on both sides of the stage blared, the curtain was pulled to the sides, and a tall figure spun out from the side stage to the beat of the drums.

She wore a bright silver and kingfisher feather headdress with seven stars on her forehead, pearl tassels hanging in front of her forehead, and a rose-purple soft robe with four phoenix-embroidered banners behind her.

He held the knife in his right hand, pressed the sword with his left, and stomped his boot on the table.

Bang!
The sound of gongs and drums stopped abruptly, and her eyes, bright as copper bells, shone with a divine light, exuding a truly heroic spirit!
"it is good!"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

This scene is actually an adaptation of the story of the Eldest Princess suppressing the Southern Barbarians, but because of Chu Yanli's special identity, "General Feng" was used instead to avoid any suspicion of disrespecting imperial authority.

As the four claps sounded, Mr. Ming tapped his toes and spun like a top, the flag fluttering in the air.

Then, with a somersault, he swung his single-edged sword down with the force of the movement, the wind from the blade causing the candlelight on the platform to flicker, the sound high-pitched and crisp as tearing silk:
"A single word ignites my fury; the entire court fears the tiger and wolf. Our dynasty has raised its soldiers for a thousand days; how can we allow barbarians to run rampant!"

The drumbeats grew louder, causing ripples in the teacups and stirring up the emotions of the onlookers.

The invasion of Bailu City by the Southern Barbarians was an indelible scar in everyone's hearts. Now, it felt as if they were there, their cheeks flushed, their eyes wide with rage, and their breathing became rapid.

"So it was a woman?"

Chen Mo watched this scene with great interest and praised, "As expected of a pillar of the show, you really have some skill."

He could tell that Ming Yuchun himself had no cultivation, but his opera skills were extremely profound. He was proficient in singing, reciting, acting, and fighting. His personal charm and stage presence were perfectly integrated, making people unconsciously immerse themselves in the performance.

He truly deserves the title "Mr."

dong dong dong-

The drumbeats were as dense as a sudden downpour.

Erlu Dan, who plays a barbarian general, bursts out from backstage wielding a long spear.

Mr. Ming calmly raised his sword to meet the attack. The blade clashed with the spear shaft, producing a series of metallic clangs.

The two exchanged blows, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere that gradually reached its climax.

At the very last moment, Ming Yuchun should have finished off his opponent with a single strike, but he suddenly stopped and hesitated to make a move.

Erlu Dan frowned and asked in a low voice, "Sir, what's wrong?"

Ming Yuchun stood frozen in place like a statue, his eyes vacant, a "hoarse" sound coming from his throat, as if an invisible hand was gripping his neck.

"What happened?"

"Why aren't you moving, Mr. Ming? Did you hurt your back?"

The audience was also somewhat confused, and whispers filled the air.

The class leader realized something was wrong and was about to rush onto the stage when a horrifying scene unfolded—

Ming Yuchun slowly lifted his feet off the ground, his whole body suspended in the air. He suddenly looked up at the ceiling, his eyes now completely black.

His mouth was open to an unbelievable angle, his throat was stretched high and bulging, as if something was crawling out.

First, the joints covered in black fur, then the body...

Under everyone's terrified gaze, an ugly spider with a human face crawled out of Mr. Ming's mouth, opened its blood-red maw, and let out a terrifying roar!
"Roar!!"

Before people could react, the shadows in the corner twisted and emitted a strange "heh heh" laugh.

"The heavens are dead, the god of poison shall rise!"

"The Great Yuan Dynasty is corrupt and decadent, and the country is on the verge of collapse! This transformation will begin in White Egret City!"

"From this day forward, anyone who dares to sing praises or conceal the fact that all is well will suffer the same fate as this man surnamed Ming!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the giant spider turned into black smoke and disappeared.

Ming Yuchun then collapsed onto the stage with a thud, completely losing consciousness.

"Ahhhhh!!"

"Dead!"

Everyone snapped back to their senses, their faces turning pale, and screams erupted one after another.

"The Gu God Cult! The Gu God Cult has arrived!"

"Run!"

"Don't push! I'm a student, let me go first!"

"Get out of here! You're not even fit to be an animal!"

The Gu God Cult has wreaked havoc in the southern borderlands for many years, its infamous reputation is well-known, its hands are stained with blood, and its very name can stop children from crying at night!

We were just here to watch a show; nobody wanted to lose their life here!

The audience was terrified and rushed towards the door, turning the scene into complete chaos.

Chen Mo crossed his legs and calmly sipped his tea.

Seeing this, Ye Zi'e's throat went dry, and she asked with difficulty, "Lord Chen, is this your doing?"

“That’s right.” Chen Mo said calmly, “This Evil Spider Gu was obtained from Ji Weifeng. It looks a bit scary, but it doesn’t have much of an effect on the body. It just needs to be rested for a while.”

"Who was speaking just now...?"

"I used paper figures to create a fake body. The lines were improvised and not carefully crafted, but as long as the meaning is conveyed, that's fine."

"..."

Ye Zige's lips twitched slightly. Only now did she truly understand Chen Mo's intentions.

First, he used a secret technique to hypnotize the maid, then placed the Gu worm into Ming Yuchun's body, and then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he made the Gu worm burst out of her body!

To escalate the situation further, he openly defied the imperial court in the voice of the Gu God Cult!
The heavens are dead, the god of poison shall rise.

Based on these eight words alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to characterize it as treason!

Your Gu God Cult likes to hide and run away, doesn't it? Well then, we'll expose you completely to the light of day!

"Regardless of whether the state government is colluding with the Gu God Cult, we must react. The more chaotic the situation, the easier it is to expose our weaknesses... The other side has no way to deal with us yet. This is an open and aboveboard scheme!"

"The key point is that Ming Yuchun plays the role of the Eldest Princess. Once this gets out, it will definitely cause a huge uproar!"

"Lord Chen, was this also part of your plan?"

Ye Zi'e's heart was churning, and she looked at Chen Mo in disbelief.

It's hard to imagine that this person could come up with such a meticulous plan in the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea!
"You mean using the princess as bait? Aren't you afraid the fishpond will explode by involving the royal family?"

"How was I supposed to know they'd put on this show?" Chen Mo shrugged. "I really came here to listen to the music, but it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, going with the flow... cough cough, I'm just a little sorry to Mr. Ming."

Ye Zi'e deeply agreed.

All an actor wants is fame, and after today, Ming Yuchun's name will be firmly established...

The idea of ​​a giant spider crawling out of someone's mouth is just too terrifying; no one would want to experience it a second time...

But this is unavoidable.

The Gu God Cult has a deep-rooted and pernicious legacy, and it must be eradicated, otherwise countless more people will die. Chen Mo has already shown considerable restraint; if it were her, she would probably have gone even further.

"That's about enough, we should go." Chen Mo tapped the table.

"Mm," Ye Zi'e responded.

After what just happened, she now completely trusts Chen Mo.

……

……

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Waaaaah, Sister Ming, don't scare me..."

"Where's the doctor? Call the doctor quickly!"

The opera troupe surrounded the stage, and the scene was already in complete chaos.

wow-

The sound of tables and chairs clattering came from the next room.

Immediately afterward, a graceful figure strode out and descended the stairs with a clatter, followed by a maid in a green dress who anxiously called out, "Madam, please slow down and watch your step!"

"Is this Madam Hua?"

Chen Mo observed her from a distance.

She wore a smoky-colored lotus-patterned jacket on top and a moon-white horse-face skirt on the bottom, which accentuated her curves.

Her black hair was styled into a high bun, adorned with a red-gold and kingfisher feather hairpin. Her skin was fair and radiant, with a faint blush, suggesting that she took good care of herself. The few fine lines at the corners of her eyes did not make her look old, but rather added to her mature charm.

Hua Yinglan stepped in front of the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Make way!"

"Madam Hua?"

Seeing that cold and stern expression, no one dared to say anything and got up to make way for him.

Hua Yinglan walked to Ming Yuchun's side, knelt down, grasped her wrist, and carefully examined it.

They breathed a sigh of relief once they confirmed there was no danger to their lives.

"I am physically weak and need to recuperate. It is not suitable for me to perform opera recently."

Hua Yinglan turned to the maid beside her and said, "Xiao Die, take Mr. Ming back."

"Yes."

The young maidservant lifted Ming Yuchun up by the waist.

Just as the two were about to leave, the troupe leader spoke up: "Wait... Yuchun is from our Pear Cloud Pavilion. Isn't it inappropriate for Madam to just take her away like this?"

"Yes."

What if something unexpected happens?

"Moreover, this matter involves the Gu God Cult, and the government will definitely send people to investigate. How will we explain it then?"

Everyone said in a hurry.

Hua Yinglan's expression grew colder upon hearing this, and she narrowed her eyes as she sized them up.

That imposing aura made people feel uneasy, and they all looked away.

"This matter is none of your business. If there are any problems, let the state government come to me."

"Butterfly, let's go."

After Hua Yinglan finished speaking, she turned around and walked off the stage, with her little maid carrying Ming Yuchun following behind, heading towards the main entrance.

Watching the two figures walk away, the troupe leader frowned.

White Egret City is home to numerous factions. Apart from the established families, almost all the top sects in the entire Southern Frontier have branches here. It goes without saying how powerful Madam Hua's background is that she was able to snatch this piece of fat meat from a pack of hungry wolves.

These are the kinds of people they definitely can't afford to offend.

But this incident has escalated so much that the state government is finding it difficult to handle...

"Forget it, if the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up. Since she insists on taking the blame, let her be."

"Besides, wasn't the Gu God Sect wiped out? Where did this monster come from that's targeting the Pear Cloud Pavilion... It's like he just choked on his own horns, what bad luck..."

The troupe leader's eyes darkened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "From today onwards, we will close the doors and shut down the stage. We'll talk again once this storm has passed."

"Yes!" the crowd responded in unison.

……

……

Hua Yinglan walked out of the pear garden and boarded a sedan chair parked on the street.

Looking at Ming Yuchun lying beside him, a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes. "What exactly happened?"

"Madam, where are we going now?" Die'er asked.

"Let's go back to the manor," Hua Yinglan said.

"Lift the sedan chair and return to the manor!"

The sedan chair bearers lifted the sedan chair and headed west along the street.

However, no one noticed that a paper figure the size of a palm, which was stuck to the bottom of the sedan chair, silently slipped inside through the gap in the door...

After passing through the bustling streets, the surrounding environment gradually becomes quiet and serene. In the distance, a mansion comes into view, adjacent to the moat, surrounded by willows, creating a very elegant and tranquil environment.

As a prominent figure in Bailu City, Hua Yinglan did not choose to live in the inner city, but instead moved her mansion to a remote suburb.

When the sedan chair arrived at the door, Die'er stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker.

dong dong dong-

After three calls, the door slowly opened.

The sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair directly into the courtyard, and then the gate was closed again, and the surroundings returned to silence.

A moment later, two figures emerged from the shadows under the willow trees in the distance.

Ye Zige frowned as she looked at the tightly closed door and asked, "My lord, do you think there's something wrong with Madam Hua?"

"It's hard to say." Chen Mo's eyes gleamed with a purple-gold light. "I didn't see anything unusual, but it's strange that a mere mortal could remain so calm in the face of the Gu God Sect..."

"And she seems to have a close relationship with this Mr. Ming..."

"Tsk, could there be some unexpected gains?"

Ye Zi'e suggested, "Shall we sneak in and take a look?"

"Since we have the paper figure watching, there's no need to rush and risk alerting them." Chen Mo pondered for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the restaurant first, explain things clearly, and then come back tonight."

(End of this chapter)