I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon-Chapter 993 - 369: The Chen Mo Defense Battle! Empress: A Man Must Be Won with His Own Hands! (Part 2)
"That’s not what I’m here to discuss," the Empress said.
She sat down at the table and gestured for Chu Yanli to take the seat opposite, getting straight to the point: "I plan to go to the Southern Border, you’re quite familiar with the situation there, would you be willing to accompany me?"
?
Upon hearing this, Chu Yanli paused for a moment.
But she quickly recovered and frowned, "Has something happened to Chen Mo?"
The Empress nodded, "Indeed, something has happened, but it’s not what you think..."
She succinctly recounted the main events, and after pondering for a while, Chu Yanli finally understood, murmuring: "So Consort Yu has eloped with Chen Mo, and now you, the Empress, are planning to chase love across the Southern Border? That’s too outrageous!"
"Well summarized, next time don’t summarize," the Empress cleared her throat, "I’m not acting solely out of personal desire, my decision is based on the broader picture..."
"Really?"
Facing Chu Yanli’s scrutinizing gaze tinged with disdain, the Empress’s eyes shifted slightly as she looked away, "I admit a large part is personal desire, but there are sufficient reasons as well."
Chu Yanli replied amusedly, "Then do tell, what reasons would lead you to such a risky undertaking?"
The Empress’s gaze deepened as she spoke in a low tone: "Over the years, I have openly and covertly competed with Yu Youhan, and I’m well-acquainted with her character."
"She isn’t interested in power, she merely seeks to use Da Yuan’s Destiny to surpass her limitations and fully transcend into eternal life."
"And now, Chen Mo carries the Dragon Qi, making him an ideal target. If that Dragon Qi falls into her hands, the consequences could be dire, and you should understand this better than I do."
Chu Yanli’s smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression.
She was well aware of what this meant.
Dragon Qi itself is one of the most fundamental energies in existence, capable of altering the course of the world.
With Yu Youhan’s power, along with the support of Dragon Qi, would it not be effortless to destroy Great Yuan?
"However..."
Chu Yanli frowned, "If Yu Youhan had such plans, she would’ve acted already, why wait until now?"
The Empress shook her head, "The reasons are only known to her, perhaps the timing wasn’t right, or she was wary of the nation’s destiny’s backlash... but regardless, I cannot take this risk."
"Why not just send someone, why personally risk it?" Chu Yanli asked.
The Empress replied helplessly, "I did send Zhong Lihe, but Yu Youhan almost scared him to death with just a look; do you think he can bring Chen Mo back?"
Chu Yanli replied awkwardly, "The problem is, I’m also no match for that woman..."
"You don’t need to fight, just get me to Nantu, and I have my own methods to deal with her!" the Empress replied confidently.
Besides, Chen Mo can control Yu Youhan, and last time he promised me, if there’s another conflict with Consort Yu, he’d surely stand by my side!
"Well..."
Chu Yanli still hesitated.
This is no trivial matter; if anything goes wrong, no one can bear the consequences.
But the Empress’s points weren’t without reason; being an Imperial Concubine yet humbling herself and masquerading indeed felt odd.
"I know what you’re worried about," the Empress said, "I’ve notified the State Mansion under your name to prepare for the arrival, making things considerably smoother; the Southern Border is your territory, and with the strong forces of Xuan Huang and Heavenly Phoenix stationed there, no one can stir up trouble."
"If you don’t want to go, that’s fine, I’ll just have the Divine Strategy Camp accompany me..."
"Alright, I’ll go with you,"
The situation had been explained thoroughly, making it difficult for Chu Yanli to refuse.
"Then a few conditions—you cannot reveal your identity, outside, we follow my arrangements, and if danger arises, prioritize your own safety first," she carefully instructed, "Our main goal this time is to ensure Chen Mo’s safety, avoid conflict with Yu Youhan as much as possible..."
"I understand," the Empress agreed readily, "It’s settled then; the sooner the better, I’ll make the arrangements, and we depart tomorrow morning."
"With the Dragon Pattern Flying Boat, we should reach Nantu State in about two days."
"Let’s leave the marriage proposal matter for when we return from the Southern Border."
"Alright,"
Chu Yanli nodded.
Once they agreed on their plans, the Empress left the bedchamber. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Standing on the steps, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, her eyes showed a hint of complexity, but soon settled into determination.
Last time, Yu Youhan called her hypocritical and weak, saying she liked someone yet dared not pursue, only watching helplessly as her beloved was taken away... those words indeed stung.
"This time, I won’t evade anymore,"
"Yu Youhan, you wait, I will fight you to the end!"
...
...
The dim morning light pierced through the night, painting the clouds with a reddish hue.
Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains of the Southern Border, Chen Mo emerged from the dense forest, his clothes immaculate.
This was where the battle against the Blood Demon had taken place, transforming the surrounding hundred miles into a blood swamp; such a gruesome, filthy location is most suitable for cultivating Gu Poison Worms, establishing a base here is unsurprising.
Li Yuan followed behind, flicking the blood from her Stray Blade, and said, "I’ve completed the count, a total of 537 people, all slain. The corpses have been entirely destroyed to prevent the spread of Gu Poisoning."
"Hmm, well done," Chen Mo nodded.
Lowering his gaze, he saw a thumb-sized red Gu Poison Worm wriggling in his palm, emitting a sweet and sticky aroma.
This was found in the base, where there was a blood pool filled with thousands of eggs, most of which hadn’t hatched.
