Zhou Jing'an's Spiritual Victory Method

The night was as dark as ink, devoid of stars or moon.

Heaven Capital City was shrouded in heavy rain, the lights of ten thousand homes appearing dim and lackluster.

Chen Mo leaned his back against a wall as beads of rain fell like strings from the eaves.

Once the black sedan chair departed, he leaped into motion, stepping across the rooftops to follow far behind Zhou Jing'an.

Though he was curious about the person inside the sedan, his keen intuition sensed a trace of danger, so he did not act rashly, prioritizing the completion of the Highness's mission instead.

[This Palace has heard whispers that the Zhou family may be privately mining ore outside the city. Go and investigate; it would be best if you could obtain evidence.]

The Great Yuan maintained strict control over mineral veins. Whether common metal ores or rare spirit ores, they were jointly managed by the Ministry of Works and the Metallurgy Bureau; private mining was equivalent to the crime of treason.

If he could uncover even a shred of evidence, it would deal a devastating blow to the Zhou family!

The events of today made Chen Mo sense something amiss. Regardless of whether it was related to the private mining, Zhou Jing'an was definitely plotting something.

Following him all the way to the East City, Zhou Jing'an walked into a large, three-courtyard residence.

Chen Mo stood in the shadows at the corner of the alley, compressing his divine sense into a thin thread that crept along the wall seams and entered the Zhou residence.

Having gained experience last time, he was exceptionally cautious, ready to sever his divine sense and flee at any moment.

Fortunately, the security of the Zhou mansion was far less rigorous than the Imperial Palace, and he did not alert any experts along the way.

He drifted deep into the residence, dodging several powerful auras, and after searching for a long time, he finally heard Zhou Jing'an's voice beside the window of a bedroom.

As his divine sense snaked through the lattice of the window, the scene before him nearly made him lose his composure.

The bed was shaking violently; Zhou Jing'an was engaged in a vigorous act with a woman dressed in black, her attire styled to look exactly like a Heavenly Qilin Guard.

"Kneel! I told you to kneel!"

"You dog, you think you can humiliate me just because you have a golden badge?"

"You want to write a memorial to frame me? I'll let you write, I'll let you write... go on, write!"

Chen Mo: "..."

So this is his mental victory method? He's actually playing out a roleplay...

Never in his life had Chen Mo imagined that he would end up being the "heroine."

As Zhou Jing'an's breathing grew ragged and his pace quickened, Chen Mo could no longer bear to watch and withdrew from the room.

He wandered around the Zhou mansion, memorizing several locations with peculiar auras, then hunkered down in the dark to wait patiently.

Dong!—Dong! Dong!

Even when the third watch drum sounded, there was still no movement from the Zhou mansion.

Inside the bedroom, the breathing was steady; Zhou Jing'an, having "avenged his grievances," had fallen into a deep sleep.

"It seems I won't find anything tonight."

"With the city on high alert lately, he has become even more cautious."

"All I can do now is keep an eye on him and wait for him to slip up..."

Chen Mo retracted his divine sense, his figure leaping into the air as he tapped his toes lightly on the eaves, flying off like a hawk.

Music Bureau, Qingya Pavilion.

The tavern was packed with guests, and dancing girls with slender figures swayed gracefully.

A woman in a pale pink gauze dress sat on the stage, her delicate fingers lightly plucking the strings. The clear, resonant notes flowed like high mountains and running water, leaving the audience spellbound.

When the song ended, they remained immersed in the lingering melody, unable to return to their senses for a long time.

Clap, clap—

After a long while, applause broke out, gradually growing fervent.

"Bravo! What a magnificent Spring Courtyard Moon! It was truly moving, capturing the sorrow of a woman's boudoir to perfection!"

"It made my eyes moist without me even realizing it."

"Lady Yu'er's zither skills have improved significantly!"

"I fear this skill is no less than that of Gu Manzhi herself, is it?"

The guests sighed in admiration, their flowery praises endless.

Yu'er stood up, offered a graceful bow, and turned to walk into the inner chamber.

The young maid following beside her frowned and said, "Can't you practice the zither properly? Having me control it every time is truly exhausting."

Yu'er replied with a wronged expression, "I'm just slow-witted, I can't learn it~"

For her, handling daily social interactions was manageable, but something as difficult as playing the zither was beyond her.

"The consumption has been a bit high lately; my body is almost at its limit."

Yu'er extended her left hand, where a faint black line was visible at her fingertip. "Counting the days, it's about time. Surely the Master hasn't forgotten about the two of us, has he?"

The little maid rolled her eyes at her, "Get this straight, I am your master! I gave you your life!"

Yu'er pouted her small mouth and said, "But without Master's vital essence, my body would have rotted away long ago..."

"..."

The little maid was so angry she could barely breathe.

She didn't know if it was the effect of the vital essence, but this creature was becoming increasingly rebellious; she had even learned how to talk back now!

Pushing open the door and walking into the bedroom, the two of them froze in unison.

They saw the window wide open, with a man in black sitting at the table, pouring himself tea as if he were alone.

"This tea isn't very good; the quality is too low..."

"Master!"

Yu'er's expression turned to one of pleasant surprise; she lifted her legs and sprinted over, kicking off her embroidered shoes and throwing herself into Chen Mo's arms with bare feet.

Chen Mo grabbed her by the arms and tossed her straight out the window.

Splash!

There happened to be a pond outside, and Yu'er landed right in it, getting soaked through from head to toe.

"Wuwuwu, Master is so mean~"

Chen Mo frowned slightly, "How did she end up like this?"

The little maid sat down opposite him and shook her head, "This remnant soul's brain might not be quite right..."

As she spoke, a green light flashed between her brows, and her features blurred for a moment, revealing that stunning, peerless face.

"Has the Heir been active lately?" Chen Mo asked.

Gu Manzhi nodded, "He sent someone over the day before yesterday to find Yu'er, telling her to work hard on her seduction arts and make sure to keep you firmly leashed."

Chen Mo asked curiously, "Seduction arts?"

"I took a rough look at it; it's just bedroom techniques for Yin-Yang union. You don't need a foundation in cultivation; even ordinary people can practice it." Gu Manzhi's expression looked somewhat unnatural.

She had read through that "manual" once, and the various moves described within were detailed to the extreme—things like Goat Against Tree, Vermilion Cave Phoenix Roam, Howling Ape Embracing Tree...

It even came with illustrations; it was absolutely outrageous!

"What have you been doing lately? I feel like the Heir is placing even more importance on you," Gu Manzhi said.

"Lately?"

Chen Mo's eyes flickered.

Could the affairs of the Demon Race be related to the Heir as well?

Thinking of that mysterious black sedan chair, he pondered silently in his heart.

"Right, how many paper dolls can you control at the same time at most?" Chen Mo inquired.

Gu Manzhi replied, "If it's just for basic information synchronization, about ten or so, but if you need precise control, two is already the limit."

She blinked her eyes, "What, do you need my help?"

Chen Mo nodded, "I am secretly monitoring someone, and I might not be able to handle it alone."

Gu Manzhi smiled sweetly, "Why should I help you? When it comes down to it, the two of us are still enemies."

"Naturally, I won't let you help for nothing. It's a fair trade: you help me keep watch, and I can help you get the Azure Underworld Seal back," Chen Mo said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Manzhi stood up abruptly, her almond eyes wide, the curve of her chest heaving.

"The Azure Underworld Seal?!"