The Living Yama, Chen Mo, and Her Highness's Jade Feet

The atmosphere inside the hall was deathly silent.

Yan Peizhi wore a look of utter astonishment, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Barbarian" was a taboo word in the Great Yuan.

Years ago, when demons and monsters wreaked havoc and the world was in turmoil, the foundation of the empire had been shaken to its core.

The Southern Frontier barbarians had seized the opportunity to invade, the borders had collapsed, and the flames of war had once reached as far as Qing Province!

They had burned, killed, and plundered at will, leaving the common people in agony; blood flowed and corpses littered the land for a thousand miles, painting a picture of hell on earth.

In that moment of national crisis, the Three Sages stepped in to expel the demons and monsters, restoring order to the world and firmly establishing their own unshakeable status.

Afterward, the Eldest Princess proved her path through martial might, wielding the nation's supreme treasure, the Heavenly Edict Seal, and personally led troops to suppress the Southern Barbarians.

She slaughtered them for a thousand miles, beheading over ten thousand, and built a monument of skulls to mark her victory!

To this day, the Eldest Princess remains in the Southern Frontier, guarding the nation's territory!

It could be said that the hatred between the Great Yuan and the barbarians was as deep as the sea—an irreconcilable blood feud!

"Your Highness, why would you say such a thing?"

"This old minister loathes the barbarians to the bone and would sooner feast on their flesh than collude with them. How could I possibly be involved with them?"

Yan Peizhi spoke with earnest sincerity, then seemed to realize something, his expression shifting to one of sudden clarity. "It must be that my thorough investigation into the corruption within the Ministry of Revenue has touched upon the interests of certain people, leading them to frame me in this way. Your Highness, I implore you not to believe such slanderous lies!"

"Framed?"

From behind the screen, the Imperial Empress let out a faint chuckle, her tone cold and distant. "But how is it that I heard your own nephew has been keeping a Barbarian Slave and engaging in secret trades, only to be caught red-handed and currently detained in the Imperial Prison?"

Boom!

It was as if he had been struck by lightning; Yan Peizhi's pupils dilated in shock!

He had known nothing of this matter, but since the Imperial Empress herself had spoken of it, it could hardly be a mere jest!

"That bastard!"

As members of a side branch of the Yan Family, Yan Liang and his companion often used his name to abuse their power for personal gain.

Yan Peizhi had usually turned a blind eye to this, as he still needed them to keep track of the movements of the Heavenly Qilin Guard.

He never imagined they would be bold enough to involve themselves with the barbarians!

And at such a critical juncture, no less!

"This old minister knows nothing of this. I beg Your Highness to investigate thoroughly!"

Yan Peizhi steadied his mind and spoke in a deep voice.

"Lord Yan, are you certain you can withstand an investigation?"

The Imperial Empress said flatly.

"I..."

Yan Peizhi was momentarily at a loss for words.

Indeed, could he withstand an investigation?

Having served as an official for so many years and occupying a high position, who could guarantee their hands were truly clean?

He knew the methods of the Imperial Prison better than anyone... Just like the corruption case in the Ministry of Revenue, if those three Secretaries could implicate five high-ranking ministers, how many more could Yan Liang and Yan Xun drag down with them?

No one cared about the process; the results were what mattered most!

He could foresee that if he dared to dig any deeper, he would undoubtedly face the fierce retaliation of the Consort Faction!

But since the confession had already been handed over to the Imperial Empress, he could hardly admit to having committed perjury...

Yan Peizhi was now caught in a dilemma, as if being roasted over a fire, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead.

The Imperial Empress seemed to have seen through his thoughts and said coldly:

"The crime of corruption is supported by conclusive evidence."

"As for the other implicated ministers... I believe this confession is far-fetched and insufficient to convict."

"Perhaps Lord Yan should return and interrogate them again to see if those three deliberately fabricated their accusations to reduce their own sentences."

Swish!

The confession was thrown from behind the screen, fluttering as it landed on the floor.

"This humble minister obeys your decree."

Yan Peizhi trembled all over and bowed deeply until his head touched the floor.

The Imperial Empress's meaning was clear: the overall situation was paramount!

If he wanted to keep his official cap, the investigation had to end here!

"I am tired. You may withdraw."

The Imperial Empress said in a cold tone.

"This humble minister takes his leave."

Yan Peizhi picked up the confession and bowed as he retreated, his figure appearing somewhat disheveled.

It was supposed to be a brilliant move, but he hadn't expected such complications to arise. After this, his standing in the Imperial Empress's heart would likely plummet.

He could never have imagined that the blowback would arrive so quickly...

"Yan Peizhi was too impatient. He wanted to win big with a small stake, but in the end, he underestimated Yu Youhan."

The Imperial Empress sighed softly.

"Your Highness, the timing is far too coincidental, happening exactly last night... Is Imperial Concubine Yu really that lucky?"

To the side, an old eunuch dressed in python robes asked suspiciously.

"It is not luck, but rather that she has capable people by her side."

"Chen Mo... go and investigate him."

The Imperial Empress mused.

"As you command."

The old eunuch replied.

Heavenly Qilin Guard, Imperial Prison.

The cells were buried deep underground, cold, damp, and devoid of sunlight.

The security here was extremely tight, and the entire area was shrouded in a Magic-Breaking Array, rendering both True Essence and sorcery completely ineffective.

Inside a cell, Yan Liang wore prison garb, his shoulder blades pierced by iron chains as he was hoisted high, resembling a slab of cured meat drying in the wind.

"Why?"

Yan Liang racked his brains but could not figure it out.

He had always acted with extreme caution, even handling the deliveries himself and never letting them pass through another's hands.

Why had he been exposed so suddenly?

It was as if Chen Mo had possessed the gift of foresight, waiting patiently for him to walk right into the trap...

"My lord."

At that moment, the voice of a jailer came from outside the cell.

Footsteps approached from afar, and a tall, upright figure walked into the cell.

"Flag Chief Yan, we meet again."

"Chen Mo!!"

Looking at that handsome face, Yan Liang's eyes spat fire, his hatred reaching such an extreme that all the water in the world could not wash it away!

The jailer brought over a chair and placed it six feet in front of Yan Liang.

Chen Mo adjusted his robes and sat down, crossing his legs as he admired the man's twisted expression.

"You plotted against me!"

"From beginning to end, you were the one plotting against me!"

Yan Liang rasped, his voice hoarse.

Chen Mo dug at his ear and said, "Flag Chief Yan, your voice is too loud. It wouldn't be good if you disturbed the inmates next door..."

The moment he finished speaking, a jailer nearby grabbed an iron rod and smashed it hard against Yan Liang's mouth!

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Blood sprayed from Yan Liang's mouth and nose as his teeth fell to the ground.

"Don't litter."

Chen Mo frowned.

The jailer understood the implication; he scooped up the teeth from the floor, shoved them back into Yan Liang's mouth, and rammed them in with the iron rod!

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Yan Liang glared at Chen Mo, wishing he could tear him apart and swallow him whole.

Chen Mo remained calm and composed.

He knew clearly that if he had fallen into the other man's hands, his fate would likely have been a hundred times more miserable than this.

"Don't be anxious, this is just the appetizer."

Chen Mo snapped his fingers.

Two jailers walked in carrying dozens of torture instruments, laying them out one by one in front of Yan Liang.

Finger presses, files, branding irons, the Iron Lotus... they were still stained with dried blood, enough to make one's blood run cold.

Besides that, there was a large clay urn.

"As for the methods used in our Magistrate Office, Flag Chief Yan must be well aware. Finger-crushing, tongue-severing, spine-breaking, heart-piercing... I won't bore you by listing these old-fashioned punishments."

"What I'd like to introduce today is my latest invention: Please Sir Enter the Urn."

Chen Mo patted the large urn and said with a beaming smile, "First, we stack firewood at the bottom and heat the urn up. Then, we stuff the prisoner inside. Their flesh will roast and sizzle, and when we pull them out while it's still hot... heh, guess what happens? The person comes out, but their skin stays in the urn."

Hiss!

The jailers exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines.

This man was surely a living Yama...

Yan Liang's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat soaked through his prison garb.

Pervert!

A total pervert!

In his eyes, Chen Mo was nothing short of a demon!

"Since Flag Chief Yan is unwilling to confess, I have no other choice. Guards, invite Flag Chief Yan into the urn!"

"Yes!"

Two jailers stepped forward.

"Wait!"

Yan Liang gulped, his voice trembling. "You haven't even asked yet; how do you know I'm unwilling to confess?"

Chen Mo paused and looked at the jailers. "Didn't I just ask?"

The jailers shook their heads. "My lord, you didn't."

"Look at my brain."

"I was so focused on the experiment that I forgot to follow the procedure."

"Ahem, Flag Chief Yan, if you have anything you'd like to confess, feel free to speak."

Chen Mo straightened his posture and asked with composure.

Yan Liang hesitated for a moment.

The matter of keeping a Barbarian Slave could be minor or grave.

If they dug deep and implicated those high-ranking officials and nobles, he feared he wouldn't even know how he died!

But in his current situation, he didn't seem to have a choice...

Just then, Chen Mo said nonchalantly, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—your brother has already confessed everything. He said you did it all, and he was only coerced by you, forced against his will."

"Impossible!"

"Yan Xun would never do that!"

Yan Liang retorted sharply.

Chen Mo smiled, stood up, walked over to him, and whispered, "He also said that the master behind you is Prince Yu..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Liang was struck as if by lightning, his entire being seemingly drained of its soul.

Chen Mo said nothing, watching him quietly.

After a long while, Yan Liang's voice turned hoarse. "Can you guarantee that I'll stay alive?"

Chen Mo shrugged. "That depends on you."

Yan Liang hung his head powerlessly and said:

"I have an account book that records all the transaction details."

"Besides that, I also used an Image Recording Stone to secretly record the process of the transactions, just in case."

"The items are hidden in..."

Half an incense stick later.

Chen Mo walked out of the cell with his hands behind his back.

The jailers looked at him with expressions of pure admiration.

He had secured a confession without even needing to use torture. What a talent—it would be a real pity not to keep him in the Imperial Prison!

"My lord, should we interrogate the other two?"

"No need."

Chen Mo said calmly, "Also, untie Yan Liang later."

The jailers scratched their heads.

Was the lord showing mercy?

Immediately after, they heard Chen Mo add: "Then, lock him in the same cell as Yan Xun."

"..."

As expected, he is still that living Yama!

The jailers could already imagine the scene of the two of them alone in a room...

As for that Bamboo Hat Man.

Chen Mo had long since known who was behind him.

There were not many people in the entire Heaven Capital City capable of ordering a Grade Six Occultist to run errands.

However, he had no desire to wade into these muddy waters.

Quit while you're ahead; too much is as bad as too little. Once he took the credit he was due, the rest was none of his business.

"Time to go find Her Highness and farm some gold!"

Cold Firmament Palace.

On the terrace, Yu Youhan stood leaning against the railing, gazing at the magnificent Imperial Palace with deep, dark eyes.

Lately, she had been in a foul mood.

The Imperial Imperial Empress Faction was pressing step by step, and she had suffered one heavy blow after another in the imperial court.

Moreover, she was being controlled by others, having even revealed such an unsightly side of herself before a man...

"Huu."

Yu Youhan practiced her breathing, running the Heart-Clearing Mantra to crush her stray thoughts into dust.

Yet, when she saw the "Red String" wrapped around her wrist, her just-calmed state of mind surged with waves once again.

"Damned Inner Demon..."

"Your Highness."

At this moment, Xu Qingyi walked over quickly. "This subordinate has an urgent matter to report!"

Yu Youhan sighed silently.

What urgent matter could there be at a time like this? It was nothing more than the Ministry of Revenue embezzlement case.

She already had the answer to that in her heart.

"Yan Peizhi cannot possibly give in; he will absolutely bite down and refuse to let go. In the end, how many people were implicated?"

"No one was implicated."

The female official spoke firmly, "Not only that, but Yan Peizhi also agreed to let the Three Judicial Offices intervene in this case and conduct a joint trial!"

"Hmm?"

Yu Youhan raised her moth-like brows, her expression stunned.

With such a good opportunity, the Imperial Empress had no reason to let it go... unless there was an unavoidable reason.

"You must have other things to report, right?"

"Your Highness's eyes are like torches."

Xu Qingyi's eyes held a smile as she said, "Last night, the Heavenly Qilin Guard's Water Bureau uncovered a case of 'keeping Barbarian Slaves.' They caught them red-handed with the evidence; the suspect is none other than Yan Peizhi's own nephew!"

"Keeping Barbarian Slaves?"

Yu Youhan was stunned upon hearing this, then the corners of her mouth curled up. "It seems the one with a headache now should be the Imperial Empress... The Water Bureau Centurion is Shen Shuchou, right? Well done, he should be rewarded!"

It was simply a timely rain!

Not only did it resolve the crisis, but it also dealt a counter-blow to the Imperial Empress!

Xu Qingyi's expression was somewhat strange as she shook her head. "This case was led by Water Bureau Flag Officer Chen Mo. The gathering of intelligence and the planning of the operation were all accomplished by him alone."

Once these words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly went quiet.

A moment later, Yu Youhan's slightly surprised voice rang out:

"Chen Mo?!"

Chen Mo stood before the Ganqing Gate.

With the Purple Luan Token in his possession, he could enter and exit the Imperial Palace freely.

But to enter the Inner Court, he still needed to report his arrival; after all, hundreds of harem concubines lived there.

"What a waste of heaven's gifts."

Chen Mo shook his head inwardly.

The Emperor was already at death's door, naturally having neither the heart nor the strength. Leaving these concubines to keep an empty room alone, they were probably covered in spiderwebs by now, right?

But looking at it from another angle, if the Emperor never came to the harem, couldn't they play however they wanted?

Perhaps they were holding orgies every single day...

At this moment, Xu Qingyi, dressed in a white robe with delicate, pale features, walked over.

"Chief Xu."

Chen Mo waved to greet her.

Xu Qingyi did not speak; she merely tilted her chin, signaling for him to follow.

The two entered Ganqing Gate and headed toward Cold Firmament Palace.

On the way, Chen Mo asked, "Chief Xu, does the Noble Consort know about what happened last night?"

Xu Qingyi remained silent.

Chen Mo asked again, "How is the Noble Consort's mood today?"

Xu Qingyi still did not respond.

Chen Mo frowned and said, "Could it be that Chief Xu is still angry about what happened last time?"

Xu Qingyi glanced at him and finally spoke, her voice cold. "Flag Chief Chen, you certainly have a wide reach. Whether I am angry or not, what does that have to do with you?"

"That's not the right way to put it, Chief Xu."

Chen Mo stopped in his tracks and said with a straight face, "Although we have only met a few times, we can still be considered acquaintances. Besides, as a refined gentleman who respects women, how could I let you sulk all by yourself?"

Just as Xu Qingyi's expression softened slightly, she saw him pull out the Purple Luan Token and thrust it right in front of her.

"I order you not to be angry."

"..."

Xu Qingyi's fair face flushed red instantly. She gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Chen Mo!

This guy...

He was truly detestable!

Arriving before the gates of Cold Firmament Palace, Xu Qingyi turned and walked away quickly without looking back.

She was afraid that if she stayed with this guy for a moment longer, she wouldn't be able to resist slapping him to death!

Looking at the deep, dark palace doors, Chen Mo's heart rate accelerated slightly.

He took a deep breath, lifted his leg, and walked into the main hall.

Passing through the curtains, he saw Yu Youhan reclining on a chaise longue.

Her plain, casual attire could not hide her exquisite, curvaceous waist.

The hem of her garment was slightly short, revealing snow-white, delicate calves and a pair of exquisitely carved jade feet.

Her ankles were slender and delicate, and her toes were as translucent as pearls—so white and tender that they made one uncontrollably want to hold them and play with them.

"Have you seen enough?"

A crisp, cold voice rang out.

Chen Mo hurriedly withdrew his gaze, bowing his head and daring not to look again.

"Come here."

Yu Youhan said.

Chen Mo walked to the front, and Yu Youhan drew back her legs, making space for him.

"Sit."

"This subordinate dares not."

"I told you to sit, so sit."

"..."

Chen Mo hesitated for a moment before carefully sitting on the edge of the chaise longue.

He only dared to perch on half of his seat, his back straight as a board, eyes fixed forward.

Seeing his nervous appearance, Yu Youhan found it inexplicably amusing. She stretched out her legs and rested her jade feet on his thighs.

Her vermilion lips parted slightly:

"Massage my feet."

Chen Mo: "???"