Entering the Palace, a Noblewoman Seeks Fortune Amid Peril!

"Highness."

A female official entered the palace hall, lowered her head, and said, "The investigation has been completed. That courtesan was indeed a remnant of the Moon Radiance Sect and had infiltrated the Music Bureau a year ago."

"The Heavenly Qilin Guard searched the city day and night but found no trace of her. She has likely already fled Heaven Capital City."

"As for the box Madam Chen sent over, the residue inside was a Heart-Devouring Gu..."

"Heh."

Yu Youhan gave a cold laugh. "She actually got mixed up with the Gu God Sect. Ji Lianxing is truly becoming more pathetic with age."

The female official was somewhat puzzled.

Since Gu Manzhi had escaped, why had she left this item behind?

The box even bore the Crescent Moon Emblem, as if she were afraid others would not know her identity.

Yu Youhan spoke. "That Chen Mo..."

The female official immediately caught her meaning and said, "I heard that after severely injuring Gu Manzhi, Chen Mo was greatly depleted as well. He has been recuperating in his estate these past few days."

Yu Youhan nodded. "He uprooted a hidden piece. He has rendered merit and should be rewarded."

The female official said, "Madam Chen said that sharing Your Highness's burdens is simply her duty. She does not require any reward."

"She may refuse it, but I cannot withhold it."

Yu Youhan said indifferently.

Clear rewards and punishments, favor and authority applied together—such was the way of ruling subordinates.

Not to mention that the Chen Family was still her right hand. She had never been stingy with rewards toward useful people.

"Since He Yuzhi does not want it, have Chen Mo enter the palace."

"Yes."

The female official bowed and withdrew.

Chen Estate.

In the dining hall, the table was laden with dishes, their fragrance filling the air.

Shen Zhixia had her head down as she wolfed down food, her chopsticks practically leaving afterimages.

She had originally intended to leave after fighting Chen Mo, but Chen Zhuo happened to return and insisted that she stay for a meal.

Although Shen Zhixia had always possessed a good appetite, she would not normally behave so discourteously before her elders.

But whenever she recalled what had just happened, her heart descended into chaos. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles and could only use eating to conceal her guilty conscience.

"Eat more. If it isn't enough, I'll have the kitchen prepare more dishes."

Chen Zhuo said with a smile.

The steward had already told him the rough sequence of events.

A house could be rebuilt if it was destroyed, and pills could be refined again if they were gone. But if his daughter-in-law ran away, it would be hard to find one so satisfactory again!

"Mo'er, you really broke through to Sixth-Grade Martial Artist?"

Although the facts were right before her eyes, He Yuzhi still found it hard to believe.

What did a twenty-year-old Sixth-Grade Martial Artist represent?

It was enough to place him in the top ten of the Azure Cloud Ranking—a peerless prodigy!

First, his saber arts had reached mastery. Then, his cultivation had broken through. One surprise after another made everything feel unreal.

"As they say, without destruction, there can be no establishment. That battle at the brink of life and death benefited your son greatly and gave me a deeper understanding of my cultivation technique."

"With Uncle Fu's help, I was fortunate enough to make the breakthrough."

At this point, Chen Mo paused, a smile tugging at his lips. "Oh, right. I also have to thank Miss Shen for helping me unblock my qi and blood and expel the remaining medicinal power..."

"Cough, cough!"

Shen Zhixia nearly choked, her little face flushing crimson.

"I-I am full. Please continue..."

After saying that, she set down her bowl and chopsticks and fled in disarray.

He Yuzhi watched her retreating figure and shook her head. "Everything about this girl is good, except that she is too thin-skinned."

Chen Zhuo gave a cold snort. "Has it occurred to you that this brat's skin is simply too thick?"

Chen Mo: "..."

This man seemed to feel uncomfortable all over if he went a day without taking a jab at him...

Just then, the steward Chen Fu hurried in. "Master, Madam, someone has arrived from the palace!"

"Hm?"

None of them dared delay. They rose and left the dining hall, heading to the front gate.

A purple sedan chair stood before the Chen Estate gates, while a female official dressed in white robes stood there with her hands lowered.

Upon seeing Chen Mo emerge, the female official reached out and lifted the sedan curtain.

"Young Master Chen, Highness summons you."

"Highness wants to see me?"

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat.

It was finally here!

He took a deep breath and stepped into the sedan chair.

The female official turned and left. The sedan chair rose into the air from nowhere and followed behind her. As though using Earth-Shrinking, it vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

"Highness summoned Mo'er into the palace. She should be planning to reward him, but..."

He Yuzhi's brows were tightly furrowed.

This matched her original expectations.

Yet for some reason, her heart pounded uneasily, and she faintly sensed that something bad was about to happen.

The sedan chair sped smoothly and swiftly toward the Imperial Palace.

Chen Mo sat on the cushioned seat, rapidly reviewing the plot in his mind:

The Great Yuan Kingdom had endured for seven hundred and fifty years.

Emperor Wulie was plagued by a grave illness, and his lifespan was nearing its end.

The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace was still young and incapable of overseeing the affairs of state.

At present, the Barbarian Race invaded the borders in the south, while demons and monsters watched hungrily in the north. The Three Sages held their own territories, sects stood everywhere, and bizarre horrors and strange phenomena flooded the land.

The Great Yuan Kingdom suffered from troubles within and enemies without, its national fate hanging by a thread.

At the moment when the realm was in turmoil, Imperial Empress Jiang Yuchan stepped forward and announced that she would govern from behind the curtain, assisting the Crown Prince in supervising state affairs.

At the same time, Imperial Noble Consort Yu Youhan rose abruptly to prominence.

The moment she acted, she displayed terrifying power. With an iron-blooded hand, she first suppressed the major sects and brought most forces under her command.

Through coercion or inducement, she gathered officials to her side, formed factions, and struck down dissidents.

In just two years, she was able to stand toe-to-toe with the Imperial Empress Faction!

Because her methods were too ruthless and brutal, she was called the Great Yuan Disaster Dog—her name alone could stop children from crying at night!

The Chen Family belonged to the Consort Faction.

Chen Mo was Imperial Concubine Yu's lackey.

"Although I escaped one calamity this time, it definitely will not be the last."

"Since I have become a villain, then I will be a villain to the bitter end and cling tightly to Noble Consort's thigh!"

"With Noble Consort's strength, plus my knowledge of the plot... the advantage is mine!"

Chen Mo's gaze was resolute.

At that moment, the sedan chair stopped, and the female official's cold voice drifted in:

"We have arrived."

He stepped out of the sedan chair.

Before him stood a palace of vermilion eaves and jade-green tiles, luxurious beyond compare. Above its gates hung a plaque with golden characters on a black background.

Cold Firmament Palace!

In his previous life, Chen Mo had tormented "Yu Youhan" hundreds of times. Now, however, he had to face this female demon for real.

It would be a lie to say he was not nervous.

After all, games could be restarted, but life only came once.

"A noblewoman seeks fortune amid peril..."

Chen Mo stepped into the great hall.

The hall was somewhat dim. Beyond the curtains, he saw a figure in a crimson, gold-woven dragon court gown seated upon the Phoenix Throne.

Her face was like dawn clouds, her lips held Jade Shatterer, and her dark hair was pinned up with a seven-tailed phoenix hairpin. A speck of cinnabar adorned the corner of her right eye.

Noble, coldly beautiful, and overwhelmingly oppressive.

Yet in stark contrast were the pair of exquisitely sculpted bare feet beneath her skirt.

"This subordinate, Chen Mo, pays respects to Your Highness."

Chen Mo did not dare look another moment and lowered his head in salute.

"A Sixth-Grade Martial Artist? Your talent is not bad. Speak. What reward do you want?"

"A cultivation technique, or martial arts?"

Yu Youhan said indifferently, her voice slightly lower than that of most women.

She went straight to the point without a single wasted word.

"This subordinate wishes for..."

Seen through with only one glance, Chen Mo grew even more awed. Just as he was about to give the answer he had prepared—

A line of prompt text suddenly flashed before his eyes:

[Hidden event triggered: "Jade Lock Deep Palace · Spring-Dyed Phoenix Couch".]

Chen Mo: "???"

Boom!

Boundless pressure surged forth, and the air in the great hall nearly froze solid!

Chen Mo's body flew into the air beyond his control. In an instant, he appeared before Yu Youhan. A pair of phoenix eyes, sharp as blades, fixed on him without mercy!

"You!"