CHAPTER 457: CHAPTER 186: LITTLE THIEF, DON’T MESS AROUND! THE EMPRESS BABY’S SPECIAL REWARD!

Feeling the sharp gaze as if needles on his back, Chen Mo’s eyebrows twitched, and he transmitted sound into ears: "Your Highness, please allow me to explain..."

How could the Empress listen to him?

"Zhu’er, let’s go!"

With her bosom heaving, she stood up abruptly.

Chen Mo knew well that with the Empress’s petty nature, letting her leave at such a moment would only make things harder to explain later!

"Wait, Your Highness, please stay!"

In a moment of urgency, he reached out to grab the Empress’s little foot.

?!

The Empress immediately stiffened in place, her apricot eyes glaring at Chen Mo, signaling for him to let go.

Chen Mo transmitted sound: "Your Highness, you wouldn’t want your identity exposed, would you?"

"..."

The Empress’s cheeks reddened, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.

This little thief is brazen; if he really acts out in public and is discovered by these sect disciples, it would be a disgrace to the Imperial Family!

After hesitating for a moment, she slowly sat back down.

Lin Jingzhu asked suspiciously: "Auntie, are we not leaving?"

The Empress cleared her throat: "Cough cough, let’s wait for a moment..."

Fortunately, there was a desk blocking, and their small actions went unnoticed.

However, Shen Zhixia, leaning against Chen Mo, noticed something unusual, glancing at the figure wrapped in a black robe with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Your Highness, you’ve really misunderstood."

"I was temporarily tasked with maintaining order in the lecture hall. As you know, these sect disciples are unruly; to get them to cooperate, I came up with this method to build relations... otherwise, how would today’s matters have been so easily resolved?"

Chen Mo quietly took off his shoes, gently kneading the dainty toes while explaining through sound transmission.

The Empress’s expression slightly softened, yet she still eyed him suspiciously.

Chen Mo said solemnly: "Rest assured, Your Highness. I have conducted myself well without doing anything inappropriate."

The Empress rolled her eyes at him.

She wouldn’t believe such nonsense!

With this guy’s nature, surely he wouldn’t be honest!

But truthfully, today’s affair couldn’t have gone through without Chen Mo’s help.

"Your Highness, please don’t be angry with me, alright?" Chen Mo lightly tickled her sole.

"Hmm~"

The Empress shivered, nearly letting out a sound.

Shen Zhixia looked at Chen Mo sitting properly, then at the slightly trembling figure in the black robe, feeling something wasn’t quite right.

...

The sect disciples around them looked over, their gazes filled with confusion and shock.

"Isn’t that the Netherworld Sect’s Holy Daughter, Yu Hongyin? She seems to be quite familiar with Mr. Chen?"

"The chief of Tianshu Pavilion, Martial Saint Mountain’s direct disciple, Netherworld Sect’s Holy Daughter... all top beauties on the Rouge List, and they all seem close to Mr. Chen..."

"A role model for our generation, a role model indeed!"

"Brother Chen, start the lecture, I’ll listen on my knees."

"Sob sob sob, my Fairy Qingxuan, why has she turned out like this? No!!"

"Damn it, kill Chen, steal the Fairy!"

"You’ve got a problem with that? He’s ranked first on the Cloud Top Ranking and can twist your dog head off with one hand..."

"Ahem, just kidding, wishing them a hundred years of prosperity, lots of descendants, eight chubby sons in a single birth."

"..."

"Mr. Chen."

At this moment, a clear voice rang out, halting the noisy chatter.

Zi Lianji walked up to Chen Mo, his expression calm, his tone steady: "Last night in the Imperial Music Bureau, Mr. Chen promised me that if given a chance, he would spar with me. No time like the present, I hope Mr. Chen would generously guide me."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.

Seems this guy is still unconvinced.

At this moment, Ling Ningzhi frowned and spoke: "You are no match for Mr. Chen, be careful not to lose your life."

She was speaking the truth.

Last time in the Cangyun Mountain Secret Realm, despite being a major stage apart, Zi Lianji couldn’t withstand a single slash from Chen Mo and was seriously injured on the spot.

Now that Chen Mo has already broken through to the Fourth-Level Divine Sea Stage, his strength is incomparable to before, and Zi Lianji stands no chance at all.

Zi Lianji looked at Ling Ningzhi, a trace of eagerness in his eyes.

Fairy, is she worried about him?

"Rest assured, Fairy, I know my limits..."

Ling Ningzhi saw he was stubborn and said in a low voice to Chen Mo: "Mr. Chen, you absolutely mustn’t agree. If you accidentally kill or cripple him, Martial Saint Mountain will come looking for trouble."

Zi Lianji: "..."

Chen Mo shook his head.

With this pretentious character, if he can’t be taught a lesson, he may continue to entangle in the future; better to settle it once and for all...

He pondered for a moment, then said: "Sparring is fine, but just fighting dryly is too dull. How about we set some stakes?"

Zi Lianji raised an eyebrow: "Alright then, magical treasures, gold or Spiritual Marrow, you name it."

Chen Mo shook his head: "These are meaningless. If you lose, I want you to sign the Sect Practical Rules and leave a Divine Soul imprint."

Zi Lianji’s brow furrowed upon hearing that.

The Sect Practical Rules are the government’s new regulations for sects. Signing it allows one to serve as an ’operative’ for the court, thereby earning contribution value to exchange for rare treasures and gain various privileges.

These operatives, backed by the government, naturally blur the lines between sects.

A just and open ploy.

"These sect disciples, having come to the capital, have no choice but to eventually sign the rules."

"But volunteering and being forced are essentially different."

"Moreover, if the chief of the Martial Saint Sect takes the lead in signing, it’s greatly beneficial for subsequent plan execution."

The Empress clearly understood Chen Mo’s intentions; he seemed quite invested in this matter, rubbing her foot against his calf in approval.