The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 405 - 338, Night Talks

Thump!

Upon realizing this, Zhao Douan instinctively swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Truly, it was a subconscious act, devoid of any other thoughts; after all, he had just drunk so much, it was a natural reflex to soothe his emotions in response to surprise.

However, this gesture caught in the eyes of Xu Zhenguan, and the Empress seemed to harbor a hint of disdain.

"Your... Your Majesty... I...," Zhao Douan, with his sharp mind, realized that his actions might be misconstrued and attempted to explain, but found that the mood and situation weren't quite right.

In the past, when they met, they also had their private moments, but aside from that time in the palace bath when the Empress personally performed ablutions on him,

on all other occasions, they were fully clothed and the atmosphere was solemn.

A sovereign is a sovereign, and a subject is a subject.

The distinction was clear.

But now, it was the dead of night.

He was only wearing "pajamas," speaking with the Empress in her chamber, and she did not hold a demeanor of dignity, but rather, she had the languid posture of someone who had just been awakened from sleep.

It just...

Felt quite odd.

"Alright, no need to explain anything, it was I who ordered someone to bring you here."

Xu Zhenguan looked at the person before her, who was usually eloquent and articulate but was now flustered and stammering, and she couldn't help but smile.

Her initially indifferent demeanor melted away like ice in the sun.

She stepped up to the door, kicked off her shoes in a natural manner, and tossed them at the entrance.

Zhao Douan only caught a brief glimpse of two patches of lotus-white feet pressing against the knitted carpet, followed by the dragging hem of her robe that concealed them, with a fleeting glimpse of a red sole.

She wasn't wearing socks... The first thought that popped into his confused mind was actually this.

Somehow, after having just drunk a full pot of water, his mouth became dry again, and his brain seemed swollen, leading Zhao Douan to find his thinking particularly slow tonight.

He wasn't as quick-witted as he normally was when dealing with female leaders, and his response time was also significantly duller.

It was as if he had suddenly regressed to the clumsiness of his college graduation and early days on the job.

"Sit down. You took a risk and made great achievements tonight. I am far from rewarding you, so how could I mind a slight impropriety from a meritorious subject?"

Xu Zhenguan said in a casual tone as she approached and motioned for him to sit down as well.

When the Empress exhibited such natural behavior, the awkward atmosphere eased, and Zhao Douan felt a burden lifted from his shoulders, his whole body much lighter.

He busily expressed his thanks and then, indeed, sat across from her by the coffee table.

Zhao Douan sat cross-legged.

Xu Zhenguan, being a woman and considering it unseemly to sit cross-legged before a subordinate, tucked one leg to the side, her calves peeking out from under her robe before disappearing under the coffee table.

"Tell me, what exactly happened tonight?" Xu Zhenguan asked seriously.

"Ma Yan told me some of it, but since he wasn't present, I want to hear the complete account, without missing any details."

"Yes!"

Zhao Douan, upon broaching serious matters, took a deep breath, cleared his distracting thoughts, and said:

"This matter begins during the day, when the Demon Path puppet controlled by the rebels came to see me..."

The Empress wanted details, and Zhao Douan indeed recounted them meticulously.

He started from his preparations to act against the rebels, the arrival of the Demon Path, his concerns about delaying his actions, leading to a premature roundup...

And went on to the part where he was forcefully drawn into a dream.

He didn't conceal any part of the story, except for his experience within the dream, which he altered:

"At that time, my consciousness was still fairly clear. The Demon Path was still in the dream, trying to further bewitch me, saying that it was their influence that led me to find him, in an effort to instill fear in me.

As I had never experienced such strange Magic, I feared falling under their spell, so I didn't dare to talk to him much, and instead I did as Your Majesty advised, meditating on the Six Chapters Scripture.

Afterward, the dream world spun wildly, and my memory is unclear, but I only remember the Demon Path roaring repeatedly, before exploding into a burst of white light..."

This was an explanation he had prepared in advance.

Xu Zhenguan raised an eyebrow and nodded:

"If you meditated on the Six Chapters Scripture, it's akin to entering a meditation state. If the Demon Path invaded your dream, they would be enveloped by you and collide into it together. Only those who practice this lineage can enter the picture scroll left by the Grand Ancestor Emperor.

An outsider who breaks in would be resisted by the power within the scroll... The spinning you mentioned must be the result of their collision."

As she spoke, she furrowed her delicate brows:

"Nevertheless, I have never experienced it myself and am unaware of the specifics. Hmm, Ma Yan mentioned that in the Six Chapters Scripture, you encountered a female sorcerer in red? Was it she who descended and shattered the Demon Path's Divine Soul?"

Not... Little Ma, why is your mouth so loose? What are you blabbing... Zhao Douan complained inwardly but did not hesitate to nod:

"I looked into the archives in the armory and tentatively guessed that the female sorcerer's name might be Pei Niannu."

He had never expected to keep this matter secret; firstly, because Ma Yan knew, and secondly, because the fact that he came to the palace to consult the archives could not be concealed.

Since the Empress had asked, he might as well be frank.

"Pei Niannu..." Xu Zhenguan's eyes revealed surprise, then she said with a dawning realization:

"The female sorcerer from six hundred years ago, the first among those in Jianghu? My ancestors indeed had some interactions with her, yet I was unaware, and even the Six Chapters Scripture has such a person mentioned in it."

Those words were somewhat enigmatic.

Zhao Douan could only respond with an awkward laugh, yet he had already laid his cards on the table with the Empress, admitting that he was chosen by the "Dragon Essence" as its new master.

Therefore, some special aspects in the cultivation of the Six Chapters Scripture made sense.

Moreover, this made it even easier to explain the killing of the Demon Path practitioner.

Since the Empress was unaware of the circumstances regarding Pei Niannu in the Six Chapters Scripture, she could not estimate their strength, which became a matter that could not be confirmed as long as Zhao Douan kept silent about it.

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Anyway, that female sorcerer, who loved to listen to cultivation stories, couldn't come out to clarify...

"Does Your Majesty know the extent of this person's prowess? I have tried to do some research, but the information is very limited." Zhao Douan smoothly shifted the topic.

Xu Zhenguan indeed got sidetracked and, after thinking for a moment, said,

"I'm not too clear either. Six hundred years ago, the mortal world faced troubled times, beset with endless wars and battles. Many historical records, including their heritages, were lost, and it is very difficult for later generations to investigate, especially since people from Jianghu lack official court historians to record events. Many things are completely buried in the mists of time once a generation passes.

However, I vaguely remember reading in some ancient text that Pei Niannu was an assumed name, her real identity suspected to be a noble from the ancient Xiliang country..."

Ancient Xiliang?

Zhao Douan was stunned for a moment.

He knew that during the chaos six hundred years ago, many large and small nations were destroyed. This country of Xiliang seemed to be a small nation in the Western Regions.

Its old site would probably be beyond Yumen Pass or Yang Pass, quite far from the Capital.

A noblewoman from a small nation in the Western Regions?

How prestigious?

Could she possibly be a princess or something... Zhao Douan's thoughts wandered as he pondered quietly, considering researching the history of this ancient country when he had the time.

"Let's set that aside for now, continue," Xu Zhenguan interrupted him, nearly going off-topic.

"Oh, right... So, the Demon Path practitioner's Divine Soul blew up, and then I caught a glimpse of something. Before those memory fragments completely vanished, I saw two scenes."

Zhao Douan continued to narrate, first recounting the entire conversation between Master Gu Huo and Zhuang Xiaocheng.

Then he mentioned catching a hurried glimpse of the Demon Path practitioner in a room that looked like a treasury, taking out a divine statue and some candles.

He didn't mention the piece of jade leaf because he wanted to keep some private funds in front of the Empress.

Also, he feared that if the leaf truly could resist the 'Martial God Temple meditation,' then his lie would have a huge flaw.

"Is this it?" Xu Zhenguan asked after listening, waving her sleeve, and an ominous black statue the size of a palm appeared on the table between them, along with three extinguished purple candles.

"Yes, yes, exactly!" Zhao Douan nodded eagerly like a pecking chicken, curiously asking:

"What is this? Did that Demon Path practitioner use this to control puppets?"

Xu Zhenguan nodded lightly, with frost on her jade-like face: "This is the Netherworld Sect's Suppressing Magic Artifact."

"The Netherworld Sect? The evil magicians' organization in Jianghu?" Zhao Douan was greatly surprised.

Having lived through to this day, he was no longer the naive newcomer from before. He would often read some materials.

Although there were still many gaps in his knowledge, he had heard about several Evil Path organizations.

"En," Xu Zhenguan affirmed, seeing his thirst for knowledge, she felt compelled to explain:

"The three major Evil Path organizations—Five Demons Sect, Netherworld Sect, and White Clothes Sect—each worship the Sorrow God, Death God, and Sorrow God respectively... This Demon Path follower is a devotee of the Five Demons Sect, and this faction is different from the other two.

The people from Netherworld Sect and White Clothes Sect often appear in groups, similar to sect or gang organizations. But the Five Demons Sect is very loose, whose members only share a common belief in the Sorrow God and indulging in their desires, lacking any concept of hierarchy, mostly acting alone..."

After briefly explaining the differences, she seriously continued:

"It seems that the Demon Path practitioner has cooperated with the people of Netherworld Sect, or at least received their help, to have this object. This also explains why he died in the palace three years ago and was able to return now."

Zhao Douan voiced his most worrying question:

"Your Majesty thinks, is this Demon Path practitioner really dead this time? Or is there still a possibility of resurrection? If he's not fully dead and comes back to life, will he remember me?"

Xu Zhenguan looked at him, thinking he was worried, and consoled him:

"Although I am not certain whether this person is dead, even if he could live again, it would surely come at a great cost. He may fall into a long state of weakness. If Netherworld Sect helped him, then even if he does come back to life, he won't remember being killed by you.

He might not even remember any of his memories after coming to the Capital.

Hmph, his knowledge of whom to seek revenge from upon entering the Capital must have been the result of subsequent investigations."

Eh, it sounds like you, my wife Zhenbao, are quite familiar with the Netherworld Sect's resurrection method... such a firm tone...

Surprised by this, Zhao Douan was also much reassured.

Though he wasn't overly concerned about the exposure of his dream... after all, who would believe a mad Taoist's words?

But the loss of this memory was still the safest outcome for him.

And even...

If Master Gu Huo could come back to life without knowing how he died, and once he had recovered, wouldn't Zhao Douan be able to repeat the process and reap the benefits again?

It's like fattening up leeks to harvest them repeatedly... hiss, suddenly he was quite hopeful that the man hadn't died—what was this feeling...

——

Next chapter around midnight