I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 184 The Empress's Gift: The Feasibility of Becoming a Ghost King!
As dawn broke, the eastern horizon began to lighten with a pale, fish-belly white.

The sky was still dark, and the large red lantern hanging high above Feilai Mountain was exceptionally crimson, emitting streaks of blood-red light.

In a forest outside Feilai Mountain, two figures stealthily hid behind a large tree, only peeking out half their heads to look at the Green Wolf Gang on Feilai Mountain.

The one with the larger head was a young man in his thirties, wearing a blue robe and carrying a long sword on his back. He had an imposing presence and was none other than Ouyang Lu.

Standing next to Ouyang Lu was a young girl wearing a pink ruffled dress and cloud-patterned boots... Ouyang Yu.

“Brother, isn’t it unfair of us to just hide outside like this?” Ouyang Yu’s pretty face was slightly pale, and she looked quite ashamed. “After all, Young Master Mo has been good to us. Now that the entire Green Wolf Gang has suffered, we should at least go and help them out.”

Ouyang Lu said solemnly, "What can we do to help? It's the Rakshasa Mother who has descended. Although it's only one of the Rakshasa Mother's souls that has come, her power is far beyond what you and I can do to help. We're lucky we managed to escape. If the Rakshasa Mother's soul had discovered us, we would have been doomed."

Ouyang Yu pouted, "Of course I understand what my brother is saying. I just feel... Young Master Mo is so pitiful. He's been targeted by people from Nanzhou time and time again. I don't know what happened this time, but it actually attracted the spirit of Mother Rakshasa."

Ouyang Lu was more perceptive: "I've been keeping a close eye on Young Master Mo's whereabouts lately, and I roughly know... that trouble was brought by Abbess Huiyuan of Cihang Hui'an. Previously, Tang Binghu's possession by evil spirits was caused by Abbess Huiyuan behind the scenes. Later, Young Master Mo took action and captured Abbess Huiyuan alive."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yu was greatly surprised: "Young Master actually captured Abbess Huiyuan alive, but what about the red veil?"

Ouyang Lu said, "Young Master is cautious and intelligent. He captured Hong Yue long ago and learned about the strangeness of the red veil from Hong Yue. When he captured Abbess Huiyuan alive, he took away the abbess's red veil."

Ouyang Yu frowned and asked, "Now that the red veil has been taken away, Abbess Huiyuan can no longer communicate with Mother Rakshasa. How did Mother Rakshasa descend?"

Ouyang Lu said, "At first I was also curious. How could Abbess Huiyuan communicate with Mother Rakshasa across eight thousand miles without her red veil? Later I learned that... Abbess Huiyuan had refined her own head and skin into a red veil."

"Huh? Is this Abbess Huiyuan so wicked? Could she have tricked the young master?" Ouyang Yu was greatly surprised, and a sense of horror appeared between his brows.

Ouyang Lu sighed, "That's right. I've been in contact with Young Master Mo for several months now, and I know he's a bold yet meticulous person. If Huiyuan hadn't used such a wicked and insidious method, how could Young Master Mo have fallen for it?!"

Ouyang Yu gritted her teeth, "This nun Huiyuan is truly despicable. Now that she has attracted the spirit of Rakshasa Mother, I'm afraid the entire Green Wolf Gang will be wiped out."

We've finally managed to follow Young Master Mo, but if he were to die now, what would become of us?

Eh.

Ouyang Lu sighed, "I don't know either. To be honest, Young Master Mo has been really good to us. I thought he was a powerful figure we could rely on. But now it seems... Young Master Mo is alright in Nanyang Prefecture, but he's nothing in Nanzhou. We still have to continue our life on the run."

Ouyang Yu was heartbroken upon hearing this. She looked up at the large red lantern hanging high above her head, her eyes glistening with tears.

The brother and sister had been on the run, wandering from place to place, living in constant fear that they would be killed by the Rakshasa Temple. It was only after meeting Chen Mo that they were able to live a few months of peace.

now……

Thinking of this, Ouyang Yu felt a pang of unease.

Just then, Ouyang Yu suddenly said, "Brother, look at that big red lantern, it seems to have undergone some kind of change."

Ok?
Ouyang Lu initially dismissed it, but upon looking up, he exclaimed, "It really is! Could it be that someone has broken through Rakshasa Mother's soul? That's impossible. Even if it's just Rakshasa Mother's soul, it's still extremely powerful. Who could possibly break through Rakshasa Mother's soul?"

……

Meanwhile, Chen Mo stood on the rooftop, contemplating the possibility of making a deduction.

hum!
My brain immediately went into an overloaded state, and my head throbbed with pain. Immediately afterward, I felt as if the level of brain development had been enhanced in an instant.

As the pain subsided, lines of text appeared.

【Name: Crimson Moonlight】

[Type: Yin-type life force]

【Function: Creation of Destiny】

[Introduction: All things in the world grow and develop by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Red moonlight is a type of lunar essence, a special life force that can transform into zombie energy to nurture zombies, ghost energy to nurture ghosts, and life force to nurture human life.]

[Note: Zombies become zombies because they absorb an extra breath, which is their life force; ghosts also absorb an extra breath of ghostly energy, which is also their life force. Humans are born from their mother's womb, absorbing a breath of innate energy, which is also called life force. All life has life force and is born from it. Red moonlight is a special kind of life force that can be transformed.]

Seeing this, Chen Mo suddenly thought of something: all life depends on life force. The red moonlight could actually transform the life force among the corpse demons. Could it be that Jiang Hongyue's ability to return to life was related to this red moonlight?
After all, the souls in the underworld also have a life force.

If that's the case, then this red moonlight... is simply too mystical.

When I first went to Dayin Mountain, the moon I saw was red.

Chen Mo continued to ponder along this line of thought: The Great Yin Mountain was originally formed because it nurtured the Elderberry, a tree that appears only once every thousand years. The Twin Demons discovered that the Elderberry possessed the power to guide souls to heaven. That's why they dug ancient tombs around the Elderberry and excavated methods for achieving immortality through the corpse liberation of thirty-six lifetimes.

Could it be... that the appearance of elderberry is also related to the red moonlight?
Red moonlight...

No wonder Jiang Hongyue needs to retrieve the Red Moon Essence, hoping to use it to reshape her Yang Soul.

What a good thing.

Chen Mo gathered his thoughts and continued reading.

[Logic: This wisp of crimson moonlight is tainted with the soul essence of Rakshasa Mother. Although its essence is similar to Jiang Hongyue's crimson moonlight, it is also different.]

[Note: The Crimson Moonlight is extremely powerful. Ordinary ghouls and humans cannot directly fuse with it and will be killed by the backlash.]

[Deduction 1: The reason Rakshasa's mother was able to use the Red Moon Essence was not only because she learned Jiang Hongyue's techniques, but also because there were other components within her body.]

[Deduction 2: This component is the blood of a certain demon king.]

[Deduction 3: Rakshasa Mother was originally a human, but later obtained the blood of a certain demon king. This transformed her into a powerful demon. Only through the demon king's blood could she absorb and use the red moonlight.]

[Deduction 4: Due to insufficient information, it is impossible to deduce the type and existence of this ghost king. Preliminary assessment indicates that this ghost king is extremely powerful.]

[Deduction 5: If you can obtain the blood of this Ghost King or other substances, you can modify and fuse with it. You will also have the opportunity to grow into an existence like the Rakshasa Mother, or even go further.]

[Deduction 6: The Rakshasa Mother's foundation is the blood of the Ghost King, but after a hundred years of development, she has become extremely powerful and possesses profound cultivation. There are two ways to defeat the Rakshasa Mother. One is to crush her with superior cultivation; the other is to find the Ghost King's weakness, modify and fuse with it, and then dismantle the Ghost King's bloodline within the Rakshasa Mother. Without the Ghost King's blood, the Rakshasa Mother will collapse.]

[Deduction 7: The Rakshasa Mother failed to fully fuse with the Ghost King's blood; a certain degree of rejection still exists.]

[Deduction 8: You possess a special ghost bone. Although its fusion rate is only 72%, its ghost bone level is high. Furthermore, you have some kind of ambiguous relationship with Jiang Hongyue, allowing you to use the ghost bone to absorb this wisp of red moonlight.]

After reading all the information, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

This deduction... the 100,000 original solution essence was well worth the money.

It turns out that the terrifying Rakshasa Mother was originally a human. She later obtained the blood of the Ghost King and then, after a hundred years of development, grew into the terrifying being she is today.

It was only through the blood of the Ghost King that he was able to control the red moonlight.

Ghost King...

If I find that Ghost King and modify and merge with him, not only will my cultivation increase greatly, but I can also dismantle Rakshasa Mother from within.

That's amazing!

This ghost king... should be mine.

I have no idea where this Ghost King is.

She, the Rakshasa mother, can have it? But I can't?

I'll have Li Huabai inquire about it later.

Black Mountain Tower's information network is unparalleled in the entire Southern Continent, so it's likely possible to find information related to the Ghost King.

No rush, let's absorb the red moonlight from the red lanterns first.

Here comes the problem...

The red lantern is suspended quite high, a full four hundred meters above the roof.

Even though Chen Mo was a Taoist with eight incantations and eight marks, he couldn't jump that high in one go.

We need to leverage our resources once.

However, there were no taller buildings or tall trees nearby to lean on.

Bring me a rope?

Not right either.

That red lantern, though it looks like a real red lantern, is actually an illusion. It has no physical form.

Even if you throw a hook and chain on it, it won't stay.

Even the Flying Tiger Claw won't work.

Chen Mo thought and thought, but couldn't come up with a solution.

Just then, Su Yuqing appeared behind Chen Mo. "I wonder what troubles you, young master? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Chen Mo was taken aback, then turned around and scrutinized Su Yuqing. His gaze was as if he were looking at a treasure. This made Su Yuqing feel somewhat embarrassed. "Why is Young Master looking at me like that?"

Chen Mo regained his senses and said, "Xiaoyu, I want to jump up and absorb the light from that red lantern. But I can't jump that high in one go. Could you hold me and jump once first, then I'll use your shoulders to propel myself up?"

Although Xiaoyu is one of our own, we still need to ask for her opinion before we can rely on her.

Su Yuqing looked up at the red lantern and nodded: "I am willing to do my best for you, young master."

"Then come here, hold me."

Su Yuqing was still a little embarrassed: "I was holding you, young master... I'm afraid I offended you?"

You, the eldest princess of the palace, are quite proper... She said, "It's alright. Xiaoyu is one of us, no need to stand on ceremony."

"Ah."

Su Yuqing happily agreed, then came up and put her arm around Chen Mo's waist. At first, Su Yuqing was a little embarrassed, but after a while she got used to it and hugged him tightly.

Chen Mo also smelled a faint, refreshing fragrance. Upon closer inspection of Su Yuqing, he saw that her complexion was exceptionally good; she was truly naturally beautiful. No wonder she was the eldest princess of the royal family.

Being held by such a beautiful woman was quite a pleasant experience. They say women are made of water, and a hug can instantly ignite those feelings.

Just then, Su Yuqing spoke up, "Young master, I am about to jump."

"Ah."

brush!
Wearing red embroidered shoes, Su Yuqing lightly touched the rooftop and then, carrying Chen Mo, shot up like an arrow.

Chen Mo originally thought Su Yuqing would be lucky to jump half the distance, considering she was carrying him, who was heavier than her. He had greatly underestimated Su Yuqing's abilities.

She was holding a man when she jumped to a height of 300 meters.

“Young master, step on my hands and get up.” Su Yuqing held Chen Mo’s feet with both hands.

"it is good."

Chen Mo pushed off with all his might, soaring upwards. With a second leap, he instantly reached the red lantern. He immediately raised his right hand, grabbed the lantern, and simultaneously activated the Ghost Bone and Corpse Ghost cultivation within his body.

wow~
As expected, Chen Mo caught the wisp of red moonlight in his hand and fell with it. Almost simultaneously, the red lantern, now devoid of its red moonlight, released countless souls that scattered and rained down on the surrounding houses.

boom!
Chen Mo landed on the ground and watched the scattered souls fly to various places.

A short while later, Chen Mo saw that the large red lanterns above his head had completely disappeared, revealing the gray sky above.

Su Yuqing, standing to the side, exclaimed with delight, "Young Master is truly remarkable! You've pulled away the red moonlight within. All the souls hidden within have been released. They should return to the bodies of each disciple whose souls were taken. Everyone should wake up soon."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that everyone has recovered. Otherwise, the Green Wolf Gang would have been in a terrible state. I also feel guilty. Xiao Yu, go and see if Master and the others have woken up yet. Also, I'll call Li Huabai to come out and help. We'll try our best to help everyone recover. Although we don't have enough manpower, we can only ask you to do this."

Su Yuqing immediately went to do it.

Chen Mo, holding the Moon Essence, ran towards the Hundred Herbs Garden.

Although I have the moonlight in my hand, it is ultimately an ethereal thing that can easily slip away and dissipate. I should absorb it as soon as possible, otherwise I would be at a great loss.

Halfway there, I was surprised to see two people in front of me.

Ouyang Lu and Ouyang Yu.

Chen Mo was taken aback: "You guys are all alright too. That's great. Go help them. Help them come back to their senses."

Leaving behind a message, Chen Mo didn't think much of it and went straight to the Hundred Herbs Garden.

Ouyang Lu was stunned for a moment. He had some things he wanted to say to Chen Mo, but Chen Mo ran away quickly.

Ouyang Yu tugged at Ouyang Lu's arm: "Brother, stop spacing out. Saving lives is the priority."

Ouyang Lu finally came to his senses and followed Ouyang Yu to the surrounding houses, helping each person to regain their senses. He said, "This Young Master Mo is truly terrifying. He actually directly extracted the red moonlight left behind by Rakshasa Mother. That red moonlight belonged to Jiang Hongyue. Even Rakshasa Mother only gained the ability to use the red moonlight by obtaining the blood of the Ghost King. Otherwise, she would have been devoured and died long ago."

Ouyang Yu said, "What time is it and you're still thinking about this? Doesn't that just prove we've chosen the right person to follow?"

"That's true... I underestimated Young Master Mo after all. This Young Master Mo... is a very powerful patron."

"Stop talking nonsense and save the person quickly. Otherwise, we will truly be letting down Young Master Mo's efforts to save them."

"Yes, yes, yes."

……

Baicao Garden.

Li Huabai stood in the front yard, looking up at the vanished red lantern, his face full of disbelief.

She just saw it... Su Yuqing jumped up with Chen Mo in her arms, and then Chen Mo used the momentum to jump to the position of the red lantern and smash it.

These were the red lanterns set up by Mother Rakshasa, yet Chen Mo managed to scatter them.

Terrifying!
Young Master Mo is terrifying.

Li Huabai felt a chill run down his spine, and he felt even more strongly that following Young Master Mo was an absolutely correct decision.

No one knows how Rakshasa's soul died.

From any perspective, I've found a powerful patron.

"Young master, what kind of person are you? I really can't understand you."

Just as Li Huabai was feeling sentimental, she heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, she saw Chen Mo rushing back and cupped her hands in greeting: "Is Young Master alright?"

Chen Mo said, "I'm fine. Go check if Xiao Qing and Bai Ye have woken up. Help them recover. If you've recovered, go outside and help out."

"Yes."

After bidding farewell to Li Huabai, Chen Mo rushed into the central courtyard. He first went to the side room to check on Wan'er, only to find that she had just woken up.

"Master!!"

When Wan'er saw Chen Mo enter, she threw herself into his arms and sobbed, "Wan'er was just possessed by an evil spirit. I thought I would never come back and would never be able to serve you, young master."

Chen Mo could tell that Wan'er's body was trembling. She must have been terrified.

Chen Mo patted Wan'er's shoulder, "Wan'er, don't be afraid, everything is alright now. I've already killed the evil spirit. Go outside and help out, see if there are any people whose souls haven't returned. Go and help Li Huabai and the others, they know how to bring their souls back to life."

"Ah."

Wan'er knew the situation was urgent, so she ran off in tears.

Seeing Wan'er running to help while wiping away tears, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. Still worried about Juan'er, he put aside his thoughts and went to the main hall.

result……

Juan'er acted as if nothing had happened, sitting by the long table fiddling with the shadow puppets.

Upon seeing Chen Mo's return, Juan'er smiled innocently and said, "Young Master, you're back."

Chen Mo: "..."

I wanted to ask Juan'er if she was alright, but now it seems... there's no need to ask.

He's just a kid, but he's got some nerve.

He's someone who's destined for great things.

Chen Mo then asked, "By the way, what was the matter with Abbess Huiyuan in the beginning? Wasn't it you who was in charge of keeping an eye on things?"

Juan'er then recounted the whole story in detail, and concluded with great remorse: "It's all Juan'er's fault for being useless and failing to keep an eye on that scoundrel."

Chen Mo patted Juan'er's head: "It's alright, this beast is powerful. It's not your fault. I'm going into seclusion for a while."

"Yes, Juan'er will stay here. I will not let any thief harm the young master." Juan'er clenched her fist and made a firm statement, showing a strong determination to get revenge.

Chen Mo shook his head and then went into the bedroom.

He closed the door and sat down cross-legged.

Looking down, I noticed that the red moonlight in my hand was beginning to fade.

"As expected, this stuff dissipates very quickly. I guess it's because I haven't mastered how to use it yet. I'll absorb it first. Master is with Su Yuqing, so he should be alright. Su Yuqing's cultivation is above mine, so I can't help much even if I go. Absorb the moonlight!"

Chen Mo made up his mind, circulated a calming mantra, and completely eliminated distracting thoughts from his mind.

It must be said that Xiaoye's calming technique was indeed very effective.

As Chen Mo became more proficient in using the Tranquility Technique, this technique proved to be of great help to him. It always enabled Chen Mo to quickly regain composure in any situation.

Otherwise, something terrible will happen.

After all, one cannot be distracted when it comes to cultivation.

If you force yourself to circulate your internal energy when your mind is in a state of confusion, you will most likely suffer a qi deviation.

At first, Chen Mo thought the Tranquility Technique Xiao Ye gave him was a useless thing, but it turned out to be more and more effective. Whew!
Chen Mo let out a long sigh of relief. He made a cut in the skin and then injected moonlight into it.

In an instant, the moonlight coursed through his limbs and bones, causing his muscles, bones, and flesh to grow rapidly.

Although it couldn't compare to the wisp of red moonlight that Jiang Hongyue had given, the effect wasn't too different.

With the experience of absorbing the red moonlight before, this time the absorption was much easier. In just a short while, the red moonlight flowed into the ghost bone, causing the fusion rate of the ghost bone to increase by another point.

It reached 73/100.
Chen Mo also discovered that he couldn't absorb and refine the red moonlight himself; it was the effect of the ghost bone within his body. Without this ghost bone, he couldn't use the red moonlight either.

Boom!

After absorbing the red moonlight, Guigu immediately unleashed an extremely powerful force, injecting it into the natal incense within his sea of ​​consciousness.

As the powerful corpse demon energy circulated within his body, the innate incense in his sea of ​​consciousness began to surge.

The eighth stick of natal incense, which had only just begun to sprout, began to rise steadily. Before long, it reached a state of perfection, and the growth stopped.

"The red moonlight is indeed miraculous. It's much more effective than absorbing the serpent's essence before. It's allowed them to reach the Eight-Stem Dao Perfection so quickly. It seems that the reason why Jiang Hongyue and that Rakshasa Mother have such abnormal cultivation is because they obtained the red moonlight."

"That Rakshasa mother was able to use the Red Moon Essence because she obtained the blood of the Ghost King. The reason I can use it is because I have Ghost Bones. I really don't know where these Ghost Bones come from."

"Once I get to know the Empress better, I'll have to find an opportunity to ask her. Ugh, that Red Moon Palace is really eerie, I really don't want to go there again. But in order to curry favor with her, I have no choice but to bite the bullet and go."

Little did they know that while everyone thought Chen Mo was a powerful figure, Chen Mo actually believed that Jiang Hongyue was the real powerhouse.

Just when Chen Mo thought his cultivation had stopped growing—

boom!
An extremely powerful force suddenly exploded within his body, followed by what seemed like breaking through some barrier. Within his natal incense burner in his sea of ​​consciousness, a ninth stick of natal ghost incense actually sprouted.

what?
He broke through the Nine-Choice Daoist Realm in one go?

Chen Mo was taken aback.

What a surprise.

This red moonlight is so useful.

Chen Mo made a decision: he had to cling tightly to the Empress's coattails; who knew when she might be in a good mood and bestow upon him another wisp of crimson moonlight? That would be truly interesting.

Instead of taking the shortcut, you insist on struggling through solitary training... that's just plain stupid.

After regaining his senses, Chen Mo carefully sensed the innate fragrance within his sea of ​​consciousness.

The ninth stick of natal incense sprouted a small head, and spontaneously engraved on it... the ninth stiff mark.

Nine patterns and nine incense sticks of Taoist practice.

This rate of improvement far exceeded Chen Mo's expectations.

The crimson moonlight... How terrifying!
Wow!

Chen Mo opened his arms and began to circulate his newfound Daoist power.

That terrifying power that comes at your beck and call is intoxicating.

Chen Mo spent quite some time, until he had become familiar with the Nine Patterns and Nine Incense Sticks technique, before slowly stopping his practice.

Just then——

hiss!
He felt extremely tired, as if his essence and soul had been drained away, causing Chen Mo's once vigorous body to suddenly become weak and listless.

'It's Jiang Hongyue again, absorbing my essence and soul power.'

'Sigh, looks like I still need to maintain a good relationship with that guy. If I do, I might not be the one suffering. For now... I'll just have to bear with this.'

Chen Mo was quite open-minded.

As fatigue continued to wash over him, Chen Moren became drowsy.

"Juan'er, I'm going to sleep for two hours. Remember to wake me up when it's time."

Juan'er's voice came from outside: "I know."

Chen Mo then climbed onto the bed.

As I lay down, I murmured, "Your Majesty."

She fell asleep quickly.

This time, Chen Mo's consciousness was no longer hazy. Instead, he appeared at the main gate of the Red Moon Palace.

Perhaps knowing that Jiang Hongyue wouldn't kill him immediately, Chen Mo's emotions were no longer as tense as before. Instead, he observed his surroundings.

Outside was a large lake, on which lay the remains of some large snakes that had failed in their attempts to become dragons. A chilly wind blew by.

Chen Mo composed himself, stepped onto the stairs to the front door, and was about to push the door open when he suddenly stopped, thinking to himself: She is, after all, the former empress of the previous dynasty. It would be impolite for me to push the door open rashly.

dong dong dong.

Chen Mo then knocked on the door.

Soon, a cold, quiet voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Chen Mo then pushed open the door and entered, where he saw Jiang Hongyue watering flowers in the front yard.

Although she was still wearing a red veil, her figure was undeniable. She was quite alluring, but there was something strange about her.

Chen Mo was no longer afraid. He took the showerhead from Jiang Hongyue's hand and said, "Your Majesty is of noble birth and cannot handle such trivial matters. Please rest, Your Majesty. I will take care of it."

Jiang Hongyue didn't refuse. She handed the watering can to Chen Mo and then stood aside, watching Chen Mo water the flowers with practiced ease, a look of comfort and relaxation on her face.

As Chen Mo watered the plants, he noticed that some of the flowers and plants planted in the front yard were rare varieties. There was also an extremely strong medicinal fragrance that was refreshing just by smelling it.

Looking back at Jiang Hongyue, who seemed to be in a good mood, Chen Mo asked, "These flowers and plants have all grown exceptionally well thanks to Your Highness's skillful hands. It seems Your Highness has quite a bit of knowledge in planting flowers and plants."

Jiang Hongyue smiled, a rare occurrence for her: "You have a sweet tongue. These are not ordinary flowers and plants; they are plants that can absorb and store the red moonlight. Since I am currently trapped in a dream, I can only use these flowers and plants to store and grow some moonlight."

What?
Do these flowers and plants all have a red moonlight?

Then I'll steal some later...wouldn't that be a huge profit?
Chen Mo quickly dismissed the idea.

If the Empress discovers this, it will be a huge loss. Not only would it be a case of losing more than one gains, but what if the Empress harbors evil intentions and destroys me with a single thought?

Just then, Jiang Hongyue came over and said, "You have to be careful when watering flowers. These are spider lilies, so you can water them more. These are frost grass, so you can't water them too much. Otherwise, they'll drown..."

Having received personal guidance from the Empress, Chen Mo naturally adopted a posture of listening attentively and made timely adjustments.

Seeing that Chen Mo picked it up quickly and soon remembered the essentials of watering flowers, Jiang Hongyue breathed a sigh of relief: "He's a quick learner."

After watering the flowers, Chen Mo put the watering can and other items in a small room next door, and then said, "From now on, if Your Majesty wants to water the flowers, just call me in your dreams. There's no need for you to do it yourself."

As he spoke, Chen Mo helped the Empress walk toward the central courtyard, saying, "Your Majesty, please watch your step."

Jiang Hongyue remained calm as she walked, saying, "I have lived a lonely life for a hundred years and am used to living alone. I handle all the trivial matters of life myself."

Chen Mo hurriedly said, "That was before. From now on, Your Majesty will no longer be lonely with me by your side."

Jiang Hongyue suddenly stopped and turned to look at Chen Mo.

Fearing the other party would doubt his story, Chen Mo said, "I am also a lonely person. Along the way, I have been harmed by others at every turn. I have never had a few days of peace. It was not until I met Your Majesty that I felt I had someone to rely on. I am overjoyed to be able to stay by Your Majesty's side."

Eh.

Jiang Hongyue sighed before continuing on her way. "Have the matters outside been resolved?"

Chen Mo said, "It's all resolved. Thanks to the Empress's favor, she bestowed upon me the Crimson Moonlight, and my injuries have healed completely. My cultivation has even increased considerably."

I was thinking to myself: What a huge patch of red moonflower herbaceous plants... Your Majesty, why don't you give me more red moonflowers?

Of course, Chen Mo wouldn't show it.

Jiang Hongyue said, "That red moonlight is indeed a good thing. But you are still weak and should not use it too much. Otherwise, it will backfire on you."

Chen Mo said, "I only want to stay by Your Majesty's side; the red moonlight doesn't matter to me."

Jiang Hongyue: "..."

She knew Chen Mo's words were insincere, but as someone who had been lonely for a hundred years, hearing them was still comforting. Moreover, seeing Chen Mo return to this place, Jiang Hongyue felt that there was some sincerity in his words.

Upon entering the courtyard, Chen Mo helped Jiang Hongyue sit down and then brewed her some tea.

After chatting for a while, Jiang Hongyue said, "You age quickly here. If you don't have anything else to do, you should leave early. You don't need to stay and keep me company, a lonely person."

Chen Mo said, "I want to stay by Your Majesty's side and listen to your stories. When I was little, I loved being with my parents and listening to them tell me stories."

As he spoke, Chen Mo moved closer to Jiang Hongyue and began to act coquettishly and cutely: "Your Majesty is very knowledgeable, why don't you tell me a story?"

Seeing Chen Mo's expression, Jiang Hongyue didn't feel any rejection. Instead, she felt a sense of warmth and affection and said with a smile, "You're not a child anymore, why are you listening to adults tell stories? Don't try to act cute in front of me."

Chen Mo replied, "Your Majesty was once the mother of the nation, and all the people of the Great Qian were Your Majesty's children. Naturally, I am also Your Majesty's child. Moreover, I am someone who once called you 'Mom'."

Jiang Hongyue looked at the child's coquettish behavior and was truly at a loss, as if her fatal weakness had been exploited. After a long pause, she said, "Just for that mouth of yours, I will tell you a story."

Chen Mo immediately brought over a drum stool, sat down in front of Jiang Hongyue, and even massaged her legs, looking like he was listening attentively.

……

When Chen Mo woke up again, it was already noon.

Chen Mo lay on the bed and stretched, dragging his tired body.

Although I'm still tired, my mood has improved a lot.

Judging from the time I spent with Jiang Hongyue, she seems to approve of me.

The probability of being killed by Jiang Hongyue has decreased again.

Sense of security +1.

Moreover, Chen Mo also discovered that the child was Jiang Hongyue's Achilles' heel. If he continued down this path, Jiang Hongyue might not only completely give up the idea of ​​killing him, but there might even be other surprises.

However, as their contact progressed, Chen Mo also felt that Jiang Hongyue was not as terrifying as he had first met her in Dayin Mountain.

I quite enjoy being with this person.

Even during their time together, Chen Mo remained extremely cautious, afraid that a single misstep would expose his true nature. The result… was that he was killed.

However, there were some gains: it was generally understood that although Jiang Hongyue had returned to the mortal realm, because most of her red moonlight had been stolen, she could only exist in dreams and was unable to appear in the mortal world yet.

In other words, Jiang Hongyue was unaware of her own actions in the real world.

Of course, it's also possible that Jiang Hongyue used some secret technique to appear directly in the mortal realm.

"Never mind, I'll go a few more times and try to build a better relationship with her. Then I'll find out more about her joy."

Chen Mo was in a good mood and suddenly sat up.

"Huh? What do I have in my hand?"

Chen Mo vaguely felt that he was holding something in his hand. He looked down and saw that it was a wisp of red moonlight.

Turtle...

I didn't ask for it.

That was given to me by Jiang Hongyue on her own initiative!?
This is a good sign.

This means that Jiang Hongyue is increasingly accepting of herself.

It wasn't a waste of my time acting like a pushover...

"I'll absorb it."

Chen Mo immediately sat up cross-legged, cut open his skin to absorb the crimson moonlight. The moonlight circulated within his body before entering his ghost bones. Then, he added pure Daoist power to the natal ghost incense in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Boom!

The natal ghost incense, which had only just begun to sprout from the ninth stick, immediately surged in power. It reached the Great Perfection level in a short time before its growth stopped.

The ninth incense stick of his birth year had grown to its fullest extent, and the stiff lines on his body had also grown considerably larger.

"Nine incense sticks and nine patterns at the Great Perfection... I'm only one step away from the higher level of Corpse Demon cultivation. It's still faster to grow by clinging to a powerful figure. Moreover, the powerful figure I'm clinging to isn't just any powerful figure, but the most top-tier powerful figure in the Great Qian Dynasty."

Why don't you change your surname?
Her name is Su Mo...

No, no, no, Su Mo won't do it. She'll be asking for death.

Jiang Hongyue and the Su family are sworn enemies.

It has to be... Jiang Mo?
Having cleared away the distracting thoughts in my mind, I have adapted to a completely new path.

With just a little effort, his muscles and bones resonated and cracked, and an overwhelming surge of power erupted from his body—it was simply outrageous.

Only after becoming familiar with the new power of his cultivation did Chen Mo stop.

At this moment, Chen Mo felt extremely tired again.

It must be because Jiang Hongyue was absorbing his own blood and soul power.

Chen Mo did not resist, nor could he resist.

At first, I thought this trade was worthwhile.

but……

Soon, Chen Mo realized something terrifying: Why did it feel like Jiang Hongyue gave him the red moonlight so that she could strengthen his cultivation and drain him dry?
Am I some kind of pig she's raising?
When the pigs are fat, then...

hiss!
Thinking of this, Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine and his scalp tingle.

If Jiang Hongyue really had this idea, then there was nothing he could do.

It took Chen Mo a while to recover and calm down.

"It seems I'll have to be more diligent at the Red Moon Palace from now on... As for the rest, there's no point in thinking about it."

Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions and called Juan'er over.

Upon hearing Chen Mo's call, Juan'er, who was in the living room, put down the shadow puppet and hurriedly entered the bedroom: "Young Master, what do you need Juan'er for?"

Chen Mo beckoned: "Come here, let me see what level your cultivation has reached."

……

Nanzhou.

Cihang Hui'an Temple, Qianfo County.

Cihang Hui'an is a large nunnery, entirely populated by female nuns.

The host was an old woman named Gu Ci.

Gu Ci had three direct disciples: Hui Jing, Hui Si, and Hui Yuan.

Huiyuan ranked third.

At this very moment, inside the Cihang Hall.

dong dong dong.

An old woman dressed in a red Taoist robe sat cross-legged in the center of the main hall, striking a wooden fish. Her face was covered in wrinkles, indicating her advanced age. However, the skin on her head was red.

It was Gu Ci who presided over the ceremony.

A short while later, two old women walked in from outside.

One was a tall, red-robed nun with a large frame, like a man; she was Hui Si. The other was petite and quite demure; she was Hui Jing.

Huijing held a brocade box and presented it with clasped hands: "Master, Huiyuan's life talisman spontaneously combusted. She died in Nanyang Prefecture."

The tall Hui Si spoke up: "Hui Yuan was merely investigating the human-dragon sacrifice at Dayin Mountain, yet he didn't die there, but instead died in Nanyang Prefecture. It's simply unforgivable. Master, please say a word, and I'll go to Nanyang Prefecture. Logically speaking, Hui Yuan could have invited the Rakshasa Mother to descend at any time; it's impossible for anything to have happened to him."

Click.

The sound of the wooden fish abruptly stopped.

Gu Ci raised her head and said coldly, "Just now, Mother Rakshasa sent me a message. A wisp of Mother Rakshasa's soul descended into Huiyuan's body, but was killed. We don't know what happened. Mother Rakshasa ordered us to investigate thoroughly."

Huijing asked, "Master, could it be that Jiang Hongyue has really come back to life?"

Gu Ci shook her head: "Impossible. Not to mention that the matter of Jiang Hongyue returning to life is too far-fetched. Moreover, Jiang Hongyue's moonlight is in the Rakshasa Shrine, under the care of the Rakshasa Mother. Without the red moonlight, even if Jiang Hongyue returns to life, she cannot appear in the human world. Something must have happened that we don't know about."

Huijing asked, "What are Master's plans?"

Gu Ci said, "Huiyuan did communicate with me before. He said that the high priest in charge of the Dragon Sacrifice is a young man named Chen Mo. The two of you should go to Nanyang Prefecture and make sure to investigate Chen Mo's identity, background, family, and sect. Remember, do not attack him, just investigate. However, if you find out about his family and sect, you can arrest his family. Afterwards, I will personally go and meet him."

(End of this chapter)