Chapter 31: Her Ladyship Can't Hold It In Anymore!

True heartache isn't loud quarrels and shouting...

Chen Mo stood with his head lowered, silent.

Seeing his pitiful, wronged look, Yu Youhan found it inexplicably amusing — he looked just like a little wife who'd been bullied.

After examining him closely, her moth-brow brows gradually furrowed.

"You used up all your vital essence?"

The Nine-Turn Green Origin Pill was a holy-grade pill, containing vast life vital essence — under normal circumstances, it would have been enough for Chen Mo to use all the way to the Heavenly Human Realm.

It had only been two days, yet it was completely drained?

"This subordinate went on a mission yesterday..."

Chen Mo gave a rough account of what had happened.

Hearing that he had been trapped in the Blood Prison and his physical body utterly destroyed, Yu Youhan's eyes filled with cold intent.

Just one mission, and he nearly lost his life?

As for things like Heavenly Demon evil ghosts — she didn't care at all. Whether they slaughtered people like flies or brought calamity to the world, what did it have to do with her?

But until she completely shook off the Red Silk, Chen Mo absolutely could not die!

"Transfer him to another post?"

"No — the Tianlin Guard operates independently of the Three Courts and Six Ministries. Without that identity, he'd actually be more vulnerable to scheming."

"Then how about..."

"Simply geld him and send him into the palace, so this consort can keep an eye on him personally?"

After thinking it over seriously, Yu Youhan still abandoned the idea.

Setting aside whether the Chen family would turn against her, this dog of a servant was always hovering right before her eyes — what if it triggered the Red Silk...

That feeling of losing all her power and being at others' mercy — she didn't want to experience it a second time.

Chen Mo gazed at the Noble Consort with eager, hopeful eyes.

He had no idea he had just walked a round past the gates of the underworld.

"Enough. Open your mouth."

Yu Youhan sighed.

"Ah~"

Chen Mo obediently opened his mouth.

Yu Youhan flicked a finger, and a green pill flew into his mouth.

Vast life vital essence exploded within his body; scalding liquid scoured his meridians, then continuously poured into his acupoints.

Chen Mo let out a soft, comfortable hum.

"Your Ladyship's..."

"?"

Yu Youhan felt something was a little odd, but couldn't quite put her finger on what.

"This Nine-Turn Green Origin Pill isn't some common street-stall good. After this consort wiped out the Jin Dan Sect, I only managed to scrounge up three in total... you'd better use them sparingly."

The main reason was that the pill's refining method had already been lost — it was no exaggeration to say each one used was one less.

Even with the Noble Consort's deep reserves, it still stung a bit.

Chen Mo had experienced it firsthand, so he naturally knew how powerful this thing was.

As long as it wasn't a one-shot kill or the soul being destroyed, it was practically like having an undying body!

"Although Her Ladyship won't admit it, she actually does care about me."

Chen Mo felt secretly delighted, and began chanting slogans out loud, bowing: "Her Ladyship's great kindness — this subordinate will engrave it on his heart, willing to wade through fire and water for Her Ladyship, ten thousand deaths without refusal!"

Yu Youhan waved a hand dismissively, impatient: "No need. Just stay alive."

"Oh right, this subordinate still has a treasure to offer Her Ladyship."

Chen Mo pulled a scroll from his bosom.

After removing the spindle cap, he drew out a red banner from within.

"That Qin Wuxiang schemed for years just for this magic treasure. This subordinate thought it might be useful to Her Ladyship..."

"A Soul-Summoning Banner?"

"The grade's not bad, but it's a ghost-cultivator's item — unorthodox, not fit for the table."

Yu Youhan glanced at it, her expression somewhat disdainful.

Chen Mo awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He hadn't expected this Heaven-grade magic treasure to be regarded so poorly in Her Ladyship's eyes.

"But the soul-devouring arcane script engraved on it is rather interesting..."

Green light bloomed in Yu Youhan's eyes, enveloping the Soul-Summoning Banner.

The banner instantly came alive like a living thing, violently rolling and struggling.

Streams of black smoke poured out, bearing hideous, terrifying ghost faces that kept slamming against the green-light barrier, emitting piercing wails!

Chen Mo's face went slightly pale at the sight.

He hadn't expected this thing to be so terrifying — and he'd just been carrying it on his person...

The Soul-Summoning Banner's resistance was naturally futile.

In no time at all, all the vengeful spirits were utterly obliterated, completely still. The flag's color also changed from deep red to ashen gray.

Yu Youhan extended a slender jade finger and, through the air, "grabbed" one character from a line of black ancient script on the banner's surface. Wrapped in green light, she pressed it onto the back of Chen Mo's hand.

The instant they touched, the ancient script twisted and warped; its strokes pierced through the skin and burrowed straight into flesh and blood.

Immediately after, a prompt flashed before his eyes:

【Obtained Beginner Divine Ability: Soul Capture.】

【Can absorb soul power to strengthen the divine soul.】

The description was simple and clear, and at this moment Chen Mo suddenly understood the complex characters on the back of his hand.

It was unmistakably the character "Soul"!

In the span of a moment, he had refined a Heaven-rank magic treasure that already recognized a master, and even extracted a law inscription from it, granting it to himself in the form of a divine ability…

Such unfathomably god-like methods were simply like the work of creation itself!

Apart from in the game, this was the first time Chen Mo had directly felt how powerful Her Ladyship the Imperial Consort was.

Overpowered! Way too overpowered!

However…

He liked it so much!

"With the Nine-Turn Green Origin Pill protecting the body, plus the law inscription strengthening the divine soul, this dog of a servant shouldn't die so easily, right?"

Yu Youhan pondered to herself.

Seeing Chen Mo still standing there like a fool, she said coolly:

"If there's nothing else, you may withdraw."

"This subordinate…"

Chen Mo hesitated, wanting to speak.

Yu Youhan raised an eyebrow and said, "If you have something to say, then say it. Why the stammering?"

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Mo mustered his courage and said, "Her Ladyship has rewarded me so generously, this subordinate has no way to repay you. How about… how about I massage Her Ladyship's feet again?"

"…"

Yu Youhan was momentarily stunned.

After a pause, she nodded and said, "Permission granted."

Desensitization therapy must proceed step by step.

With the experience from last time, she felt she should be able to last longer this time.

……

Chen Mo sat sideways in front of Yu Youhan.

Her slender legs were crossed, resting on his knees.

His palms gently held her jade-like, rounded feet, his gaze gradually traveling upward, sweeping past Bai Xi's smooth, fair calves, and faintly catching a glimpse of a patch of snowy, creamy skin—

Beneath Her Ladyship's everyday clothes was actually nothing…

Chen Mo hurriedly shifted his gaze, focusing his attention on her feet.

Touching the delicate, silky skin, the cute toes curled slightly, like a meticulously crafted work of art.

Recalling the foot massage from last time, Chen Mo didn't hesitate. While pressing the arch of her foot, he concentrated his life essence at his fingertip and gently scratched the sole.

The jade feet trembled, and the legs resting on his knees suddenly straightened rigidly.

"Her Ladyship…"

Bang!

Before Chen Mo could finish speaking, he was kicked straight out of the palace.

He traced a graceful parabola through the air, then with a "plop" landed in the pool outside the hall, sending up a large spray of water.

Xu Qingyi happened to be passing by.

Seeing Chen Mo looking like Lin Wanru a drowned rat, she was briefly taken aback.

Then the corners of her mouth curled up, her brows and eyes curving like crescents, revealing a smile from the heart.

"Hehe, serves you right!"

Chen Mo leaped up from the pool, circulated his true essence, and quickly evaporated the moisture.

Looking at the tightly shut palace doors, his expression was somewhat puzzled.

"I felt like Her Ladyship should have liked it… so why such a big reaction?"

……

Inside the palace hall.

Yu Youhan's breathing was slightly rapid, her legs rubbing together faintly, her dewy eyes seeming as if they could draw out silk.

Her expression seemed a mix of shy annoyance and a hint of helplessness.

"How could I not hold out right at the start…"

"This Palace truly is useless…"