"What is the Purple Peak Master doing?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Mr. Chen, you need not worry. When you were preaching the Dao, I was listening from below, and indeed benefited greatly. This is my way of returning the favor."

"Just for that reason?"

"Uh..."

Faced with those amused eyes, Zi Wenzhong's expression appeared slightly awkward. He rubbed his hands and said sheepishly, "Also, regarding the previous matters, it was inconsiderate of me. I hope you don't take it to heart. Actually, Lianji does have great respect for you."

Chen Mo felt a clarity in his mind.

The other party was concerned he might hold a grudge against Zi Lianji, which was why he was being so agreeable.

After all, that Secret Realm is isolated from the world. If he harbored resentment and acted on it, even Jiang Zhiyun might not be able to protect him.

"Purple Peak Master, rest assured, I am not one to hold grudges. I usually settle them on the spot." Chen Mo said with a smile, "Besides, I don't have any real conflicts with Chief Zi. Young people are prone to impulsive behavior; let's not dwell on past incidents."

Truth be told, although Zi Lianji likes to show off, his character isn't a problem. He puts everything out in the open and never secretly plots against others.

Even though he's been fond of Ling Ningzhi for a long time, he has always exercised restraint and never overstepped, making him quite the gentleman.

Moreover, he is now a Tributor at Martial Saint Mountain. There will be many chances to interact in the future, and even if they don't become friends, there's no need to sever ties completely.

"Chen, your magnanimity puts me to shame."

Zi Wenzhong sighed with relief and bowed deeply.

"You overestimate me, Purple Peak Master. I will accept this martial arts book and perhaps seek your guidance in the future."

Chen Mo waved the book in his hand and turned to leave.

Watching the gradually departing figure, Zi Wenzhong's cheeks felt uncomfortably warm.

Some might say their first clash resulted in defeat because of suppressed cultivation, but yesterday, Chen Mo's punch undeniably shattered his flesh body!

Although it ties to the unhealed old injury, it also clearly shows the other side's capability!

Despite his flamboyant nature, Zi Wenzhong has self-awareness; he's been stuck at First Grade for many years. There's no hope to prove as Ultimate Venerable, and with Chen Mo's talent and fortunes, he'll eventually be outdone!

"It seems the Sect Master's decision was not wrong. Compared to such a monstrous talent, a mere Sword Washing Pool means nothing. To make enemies here would definitely not be a wise choice..."

…

…

Chen Mo left Qionghua Palace, with Shen Zhixia following close behind.

The two remained silent the entire way.

Upon reaching the courtyard gate, Shen Zhixia tugged at his sleeve and stammered, "Brother, I want to talk to you about yesterday..."

Chen Mo nodded, saying, "Good timing, I also want to talk to you... And you two, stop hiding and come over."

Rustle—

Ling Ningzhi and Ji Hongxiu emerged from behind the fence, showing evading eyes and slightly embarrassed expressions.

Chen Mo sighed quietly.

With things as they were, there was no point in hiding anything further, so he decided to speak frankly.

"Let's go inside first."

He stepped into the courtyard, and the three exchanged glances before silently following.

…

…

Inside the chamber.

The four sat in chairs, facing each other in silence.

Chen Mo broke the stillness first, saying, "Zhixia, feel free to ask anything you want."

Shen Zhixia hesitated slightly, saying, "So, what exactly happened last night? Apart from the Daoist, I—I also think I heard the Daoist Venerable's voice?"

At that time, she had taken in the most emotional impurities, leaving her mind a bit dazed. She only vaguely remembered the constant interruptions ahead were driving her to tears...

"I..."

Ji Hongxiu clenched her delicate hands, not knowing how to respond.

As Ling Ningzhi's master, she was not of the same generation as them, making it difficult to speak up.

Chen Mo candidly said, "That's right. At that moment, the Daoist Venerable and the Empress were present as well. They were similarly affected by distracting thoughts, rendering their actions uncontrollable."

Shen Zhixia gulped, "Then you all..."

Chen Mo said, "This matter is a bit lengthy to explain..."

He seemed to understand that the more he tried to hide, the more bizarre the Peach Blossom Tribulation became. Besides, he was unwilling to deceive Zhixia any longer, so he took this opportunity to directly clarify everything.

After hearing the backstory, Shen Zhixia couldn't help but be a little stunned.

That was one of the Three Saints, the Sect Leader of Tianshu Pavilion, an existence revered as supreme in the eyes of Taoist practitioners. He actually broke his own rules and developed a private affair with Chen Mo?

And it was with her disciple's man?!

After realizing, she turned to look at Ling Ningzhi, "Daoist, did you know about this?"

Ling Ningzhi said softly, "I only had vague suspicions before, and it wasn't until yesterday that I completely confirmed it."

"You don't mind at all?" Shen Zhixia asked incredulously.

Ling Ningzhi's cheeks blushed slightly, her fingers twisted together, and she said in a low voice, "Master needs Chen Mo to suppress the cost, which is the only way to escape the Heavenly Dao's punishment. I don't want to see Master suffer; there is no other choice... As long as Master doesn't mind, I won't mind either..."

With these words, everything was out in the open.

Master and disciple serving a man together, it certainly doesn't sound good when spread around.

But in her opinion, compared to Master's life, so-called reputation is insignificant.

"Besides Her Majesty the Consort, even the Daoist Venerable..."

Shen Zhixia bit her lip as she looked at Chen Mo with accusingly clear eyes, "Brother, what exactly are you hiding from me? Could it be that even Her Majesty the Empress is involved with you?"

"..."

Chen Mo silently lowered his head.

?!

Shen Zhixia realized, her lips parted slightly, her expression stunned, "I just said that casually, did I actually guess right?!"

Ling Ningzhi and Ji Hongxiu also looked at Chen Mo with complete disbelief.

The Empress, the Imperial Consort, the Princess...

The three most powerful women in Great Yuan were all ambiguously involved with him; did this guy establish a harem in the Imperial Palace?

"No wonder the Shen Family's plea for marriage was rejected, and the Lin Family hasn't made any moves. Is this the reason?" Shen Zhixia finally understood at this moment, with the Empress and Consort Yu acting as imposing guardians, who would dare to invade their territory?

"This is a long story, we'll talk about it slowly when there's an opportunity in the future..." Chen Mo felt a bit embarrassed, his old face turning somewhat red.

Although both the Empress and Imperial Consort were unwed, and their relationship with the Emperor was "cooperative," nominally they were still someone's wives, making him seem like the Cao Thief, stealing others' wives...

"Even the Empress…"

Ji Hongxiu stared blankly at Chen Mo.

Come to think of it, even the Great Yuan Holy Empress, regarded as the mother of all citizens, had fallen to him; what was there for a Jianghu person like her to be ashamed of?

The so-called "Daoist Venerable" refers to the Dao of the Great Dao, not the Dao of morality. Moreover, even the disciple has admitted it; dragging her feet would seem too pretentious.

Reflecting on this, the cloudiness in Ji Hongxiu's heart dissipated considerably, although it wasn't to the point of immediate acceptance, it was much less tormenting than before.

Chen Mo looked at Shen Zhixia, and said gravely, "Zhixia, rest assured, regardless of what the Empress or Consort thinks, there will always be a place for you in the Chen Family. I'll definitely marry you with honor."

Shen Zhixia initially felt a bit sour inside, but on reflection, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.

With Her Majesty the Empress around, Consort Yu wouldn't be the sole power, at least they could balance each other to some extent. Besides, with so many women around Chen Mo, one more wouldn't matter...

"But no matter what, you are still an Imperial Official. If things get exposed, aren't you afraid the Emperor will give you trouble? This would constitute treason, wouldn't it warrant beheading?" She worried, still concerned for Chen Mo even at such a moment.

Chen Mo chuckled bitterly, "Situation as it is, I can only take it one step at a time."

No one knows what the Emperor is thinking.

His intuition tells him that the explosion during the sacrificial ceremony is just the beginning, the entire Capital City is like a seemingly dormant volcano, with molten magma stirring beneath, unsure when it will erupt.

The only solution is to improve his strength as much as possible before disaster strikes to avoid being burned to ashes.

Shen Zhixia hesitated for a moment, tentatively asking, "Have you ever been… intimate… with the Consort or Empress?"

"No." Chen Mo shook his head.

Shen Zhixia's expression eased a bit.

Fortunately, it seems her progress isn't the most lagging.

As Chen Mo's childhood sweetheart, and his titular fiancé, seeing others constantly cutting ahead was not a pleasant feeling.

Yet she clearly understood, these so-called statuses are meaningless; unless the Empress and Imperial Consort relent, no one can truly enter the Chen Family's doors.

With this thought, Shen Zhixia's eyes gradually became determined, saying, "Daoist, I might need your help later."

Ling Ningzhi nodded, "What do you need? Just say it freely."

Shen Zhixia's cheeks flushed slightly, seriously saying, "The meal yesterday wasn't cooked well, I need to cook it again."

Ling Ningzhi: ?

Ji Hongxiu: ??

Chen Mo: ???