Is the person you're talking about you?

Queen Medusa narrowed her eyes. "Do you know something?"

Chen Mo was taken aback. He had no idea what Queen Medusa meant and could only remain silent.

Queen Medusa took his silence as an admission. A flicker of panic flashed through her eyes, and she quickly changed the subject. "Where did you go wrong?"

Chen Mo had already prepared his words on the way over. He slowly said, "I shouldn't have talked back to Your Majesty. I shouldn't have made Your Majesty angry. When Your Majesty hit me, I shouldn't have fought back."

Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 2 Favorability Coins.

Hearing Chen Mo's words, the gloom in Queen Medusa's heart vanished at once. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, carrying the smug satisfaction of This Queen has finally conquered you.

Chen Mo was also slightly stunned that this had earned him Favorability. Had Queen Medusa changed her nature? Didn't she usually have to beat him up viciously before she was happy?

But seeing that he could earn Favorability, Chen Mo naturally had to say a few more things. "I shouldn't have offended Your Majesty. I shouldn't have—"

Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained the duration of one Epiphany Incense.

"Enough, enough. Why did you come to see This Queen? It can't be just to apologize, can it?"

Although she felt a trace of excitement at having tamed Chen Mo, she was somewhat unaccustomed to someone who had always opposed her constantly admitting fault now.

This...

Chen Mo did not reveal his purpose for the moment. He had just apologized, and if he immediately asked her for a drop of blood essence, she would inevitably think he had come with an ulterior motive.

Then, not only might he fail to get the blood essence for free, he might even lose Favorability.

His eyes shifted, and Chen Mo said, "Didn't Your Majesty say before that I still had to serve you? I've been your punching bag these past few days. How about I massage Your Majesty's shoulders now? You look tired too. Why not relax a little?"

While currying favor with Queen Medusa, Chen Mo also took the chance to test the new wool-gathering plan he had recently come up with.

Queen Medusa heard the honorifics in Chen Mo's tone and furrowed her delicate brows slightly. She said coolly, "No need."

"Your Majesty, there's no need to be polite. This is what I should do."

Chen Mo gathered his courage and headed toward the throne above.

He thought that if Queen Medusa got angry and beat him up, he could earn Favorability from that too.

No loss there.

Queen Medusa's lovely face froze. She sat upright at once and stared at Chen Mo as he approached her step by step. She said angrily, "Insolence!"

Perhaps because she had just healed Chen Mo earlier, and then had more than half her Dou Qi drained away by the mysterious cultivation technique within him, Queen Medusa was somewhat weak.

At this moment, even her rebuke sounded rather feeble.

And Chen Mo saw that the system had not deducted any Favorability.

That meant Queen Medusa was not truly angry.

From what Chen Mo had learned of her personality these past few days, she only gained Favorability toward people even more domineering than herself.

So at a time like this, Chen Mo should be even tougher.

Chen Mo quickened his pace and strode straight up the steps. Under Queen Medusa's stunned gaze, he placed both hands on her fair shoulders and began kneading them gently.

"Human, you dare—"

Queen Medusa's body stiffened. The next moment, she was about to rise and erupt. She had already lifted herself partway when Chen Mo pressed her back down with one hand and ordered, "Don't move. Sit properly."

"Human, you actually dare to use force—"

Halfway through her words, Queen Medusa suddenly felt her shoulders being gently kneaded. Those large hands were steady and strong, making her shoulders feel exceptionally comfortable. She felt her entire mind become refreshed.

Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 2 Favorability Coins. Intimate contact triggered. Obtained skill—Concealment Technique.

Chen Mo raised his brows.

Damn, this was working.

Queen Medusa's body relaxed as well, and she lazily reclined again.

At that moment, she inexplicably overlooked the fact that this human was touching her body.

Even Queen Medusa found it strange. If she had not killed this human before, that had been because of her younger sister.

But as their battles continued, Queen Medusa discovered that beating him up viciously actually brought her pleasure.

Especially when she beat Chen Mo's face—the kind that could make countless young girls' hearts flutter—until it swelled up like a pig's head, she found her mood inexplicably improving.

Later, when he struck back in anger, that soft, feeble strength of his even made her laugh, making her unable to resist teasing him.

Then came his offenses against her. Though she was furious and annoyed, she did not dislike it. Instead, she enjoyed the process of taming him.

Every time she beat him unconscious, she felt a particular sense of accomplishment.

As time passed, she gradually became immune to his flirtatious remarks and offenses.

Later, when he said he hated her—hated her so badly he wanted to...—Queen Medusa had truly become angry. At the same time, she felt an indescribable sensation in her heart, so she had failed to restrain herself and struck too heavily.

The damage to the meridians in his body had been severe. Fortunately, they had not been severed.

She had spent three days and gone to great lengths to repair them.

When Chen Mo came to apologize today, Medusa suddenly felt as though her work had finally reached completion, as if she had finally tamed this wild horse that had always opposed her.

The comfort on her shoulders made her long eyelashes tremble slightly.

Very soft.

That was Chen Mo's most direct impression. The sensation of his touch, his current angle, and that faint fragrance made it hard for Chen Mo to keep himself under control.

But did he dare make a move?

He did not.

After one incense stick's worth of time, Chen Mo's hands had grown a little sore. Though the feel was quite nice—his hands were tired but his heart was not—he could not gain even a trace of Favorability.

That made it rather dull.

Chen Mo no longer hesitated and got to the point. "Your Majesty, do you have any wishes?"

Queen Medusa enjoyed Chen Mo's massage. Without even raising her head, she said lazily, "For you humans to become slaves to our Snake-People Clan."

Chen Mo coughed twice.

Was it really okay to say that right in front of me?

Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 2 Favorability Coins. Intimacy bonus triggered. Obtained Critical Hit.

"???"

Chen Mo checked after claiming it and discovered that this so-called Critical Hit would trigger a critical reward the next time he gained Favorability.

Another strange thing had been added.

Chen Mo asked again, "Then, Your Majesty, is there anything you like?"

"This Queen wants a Heavenly Flame."

Chen Mo: "..."

Chen Mo stopped beating around the bush and asked, "Would losing a drop of blood essence be a serious matter for a magical beast?"

"Why do you have so many questions?" Queen Medusa lifted her eyes and glanced at Chen Mo.

"I'm just curious, that's all."

Seeing that his kneading was quite good, Queen Medusa said, "Blood essence is the essence of both humans and magical beasts alike—the purest part of them. Of course it matters."

"Your Majesty, if someone asked you for a drop of blood essence, what would you do?"

"Is the person you're talking about you?"