Chapter 43

The gauzy window, reflecting the shadows of the bamboo, faintly glowed with the dim starlight.

At the peak of Yushan, the air was clear and the land pure. There was no noxious miasma like that in the mountains of the Nine Underworld, and even the night sky was vast and clear, stretching endlessly.

Liuyu rested her head on the scattered silk ribbons, nestled within the soft brocade quilt. The warmth from the jade stone seeped into her skin, and the ethereal energy emanating from it soothed her back. Amid the rolling waves of sensation, she was sometimes alert, sometimes dazed.

The starlight fell on her eyes, which were veiled in mist.

From the sky full of stars to the approaching dawn.

The joy from last night’s battle slowly dissolved the remaining tension, though it also left her body feeling more fatigued.

Liuyu, half-awake, suddenly remembered why she had set the rule of once a month.

— Given this demon’s intense desires, he was only worthy of once a month.

Otherwise, nothing productive would ever get done.

As the sky gradually brightened, the demons stationed at Yushan began to stir.

When Dan Sui, the Lord of Xiling City, arrived with the other city lords of the Nine Underworld, the demon lord, draped in a raven-blue robe with large sleeves, was crouching by a stream outside his residence, washing jade.

His arm, pale to the point of being bloodless, was covered in faint green veins. His sleeves revealed wild, dark demon markings, which contrasted sharply with the translucent, soft jade he was rubbing and cleaning.

After last night’s chaotic events, these jades had inevitably been soiled.

So, early this morning, Liuyu had kicked him out to wash them.

The cleaned jades were tossed carelessly into a lacquered black box behind him. The sound of jade striking jade echoed clearly and coldly, like a melodic chime.

But what echoed in Mo Lin’s mind was the girl’s gentle voice from last night.

The Lord of Xuanli City, Xuan Li, first greeted Mo Lin and then teasingly said:

“When we first took down the Extreme Night Palace, I didn’t see the Lord so fond of his spoils of war. A mere Yushan, yet you’ve gone so far as to inspect each piece first thing in the morning?”

Dan Sui, one hand on her hip, her black obsidian horns shimmering in the sunlight, glanced at the bamboo-shadowed residence and laughed:

“This is all the divine jade from the Yushan treasury, which is going to be sent to our esteemed Empress. Naturally, it must be cleaned and prepared before it’s sent to her.”

Xuan Li, who had been busy chasing a few of the city lord’s deputies who had fled amidst the chaos, only now heard the news and couldn’t help but whistle:

“Lord, you really do things differently.”

This entire box was filled with divine jade.

It was worth far more than a box of gold.

Mo Lin slowly looked up, and both Dan Sui and Xuan Li were somewhat surprised.

The demon rituals and the expedition to quell the Yushan rebellion had worn everyone out in the past few days. Even the Twelve Nuo Gods were heavily wounded and had undergone a complete transformation.

“Why does the Lord seem so… so refreshed?”

“Has the catalog been compiled?”

This was directed at Dan Sui.

She immediately presented a scroll of documents detailing the land, assets, servants, and affiliated demon and ghost sects currently under Yu Mountain’s control.

“When we first entered the Nine Underworlds, the Jade-faced Spider, relying on the many demons and ghosts who followed him, took the opportunity to seize this rich land, Yu Mountain. After several years, the internal affairs developed into a small nation. He had become a local emperor, living comfortably, while those demons and ghosts who followed him suffered immensely.”

“The capable ones were taken into his personal forces, while the less capable ones were forced to mine jade for him, working from the morning rooster crow to the midnight hour. They had less than one hour of rest per day. There were over a thousand jade-mining demons and ghosts like this.”

Xuan Li couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

“One hour! That’s too harsh! Even when we were in Wuse City, despite the hardships, the city regulations mandated that demons and ghosts had four hours of rest every day!”

Demons and ghosts, with their demonic bloodline, had far superior physical strength than humans and even ate less than humans.

Back in Wuse City, aside from the demons used in the hunting grounds for gladiatorial games to attract nobles’ bets, most of the demons with lower cultivation levels were borrowed by the noble families to build bridges, roads, and houses.

The noble families didn’t need to pay the demons wages, they only had to give tributes to Wuse City.

It was largely thanks to this that Wuse City became a treasure trove.

Cold stream water trickled through his fingers as Mo Lin washed the divine jade in his hands.

“Everyone hates the noble families for enslaving demons and ghosts, but when they themselves sit in the noble families’ positions, they might be even more ruthless. It’s not surprising.”

Dan Sui’s expression was complex.

After hesitating for a while, she couldn’t help but ask:

“Since the Lord understands the cruelty of the noble families, then why are you still giving away all these divine jades…”

Cough, cough, cough!

Xuan Li suddenly coughed several times, interrupting Dan Sui.

Dan Sui glanced at him, understanding his hint but seemingly not planning to stop speaking.

At that moment, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind.

“Greetings, Lord.”

Dan Sui and Xuan Li turned around to see an elderly woman with graying hair leading the group.

She was dressed in coarse cloth and holding a staff. Although in the twilight of her years, she was still vigorous, and her attire from head to toe was impeccably clean. Her calm demeanor made her seem far from an ordinary elderly person.

This person was Mu Cangshui, who had previously taught Liuyu the demonic language at the Ghost Dao Academy.

Mo Lin knew her, and with a slight nod of respect, he said:

“Liuyu is inside. Please, go ahead.”

Mu Cangshui smiled slightly.

As she passed by Dan Sui and Xuan Li, she suddenly spoke to Mo Lin:

“Are these divine jades to be given to the Empress?”

Mo Lin nodded.

Mu Cangshui’s smile deepened: “Thankfully, the Empress has received the heavenly mandate and united the hearts of the Nine Underworlds. Otherwise, the demons and ghosts of Yu Mountain wouldn’t know how much longer they’d continue to wreak havoc. The Empress has great grace in the Nine Underworlds, and this reward is deserved.”

Dan Sui detected the implication in her words and raised an eyebrow.

Mu Cangshui didn’t look at Dan Sui’s reaction and walked straight into the inner room.

In the separate residence, the female attendants who had been busy after the battle had tidied up the place, while giving orders for the servants to finish arranging the residence. They also led Mu Cangshui inside.

Upon opening the door, they saw the young woman lying in the brocade blanket, looking satisfied and slightly lazy. Her eyes, half-lidded, carried an unconscious charm as she yawned and said:

“Mu Granny, you’ve come so early.”

Mu Cangshui’s expression turned slightly stern:

“Those who are destined for great things cannot indulge in excessive desires. How can one lie in bed at the third hour of the day? Such frivolousness must not persist. Empress, it’s time to get up.”

Liuyu agreed with the first half of her statement but felt that this advice was more suited for Mo Lin.

“The Nine Underworlds’ rulers are already secretly advising the Lord about you. If I were the Empress, could I sleep peacefully in bed?”

Upon hearing this, Liuyu finally stirred a little.

At that moment, the ghostly bird, Chaoyuan, suddenly flipped over from outside the window and landed, whispering a few words in Liuyu’s ear.

When the topic of Xiling City Lord, Dan Sui, came up, Liuyu’s expression shifted slightly.

Ah, it’s her.

That’s not surprising.

Liuyu broke into a smile:

“Thank you, Mu Granny, for speaking up for me. By the way, do you prefer drinking Kunshan Tiger Plum or Penglai Cloud Peak tea?”

“I haven’t had Kunshan Tiger Plum in many years, but the weather this year has been poor, so I fear the harvest may be scarce.”

Mu Cangshui slowly sat down, her manner graceful and composed, but not stiff. She exuded the demeanor of a scholar with a refined charm.

Liuyu adjusted her slightly disheveled collar, leaning on a small pillow as she said:

“There may not be much, but good tea should be enjoyed by those who appreciate it. Those with dull taste buds who think all teas taste the same should be given some loose tea to quench their thirst.”

The female attendants serving the tea smiled lightly.

The maids inside the room all knew who Liuyu was referring to.

“Still not congratulating the Empress? This victory has been a great success, and now the Nine Underworlds are completely under your and the Lord’s control.”

“There’s nothing to congratulate,” Liuyu smiled and said, “Without external threats, there are still internal troubles. The land of Nine Underworlds, and the demons and ghosts within it, are a useful weapon, but if not used properly, they can also backfire. I am still waiting for Mu Granny to help me resolve this.”

Liuyu looked thoughtfully at the elderly woman before her.

Mu Cangshui was skilled in more than just the demonic language.

Last time, she said that the world had been in turmoil for too long, and the chaotic era was coming to an end. Liuyu knew that her ambitions were not focused on the Nine Underworlds, but on something far greater—the Da Chao.

Liuyu had encountered many people like Mu Cangshui.

In this world, controlled by the immortal families, countless scholars with a desire to save the world found their ambitions stifled due to their humble origins. They were unable to fulfill their aspirations.

Some withdrew from the world and hid in the mountains, while others spent their entire lives waiting for an opportunity or a wise ruler.

Mu Cangshui was clearly of the latter type.

She took the tea offered by the maid, and amidst the swirling smoke, her cloudy eyes remained calm and composed.

“What internal worries do you have?”

Was this meant to test her?

If it had been in the past, with Liuyu’s pride, she likely wouldn’t have been affected by this at all.

But after the trials she endured in her previous life, even the proudest of hearts had to lower their head to reality.

Who would refuse to have more talented people around them?

If someone was truly talented, wouldn’t a little pride be normal?

So, Liuyu didn’t bring up the trivial details and went straight to the point:

“Now, while Jiuyou seems able to divide the world with Dazhao, in reality, its foundation is unstable. Setting aside the military strength and public intelligence, just the flow of goods and food is unequal.”

“Jiuyou has many mines and salt pits, but not enough grain. If Dazhao decides to strike Jiuyou, the first step would be to cut off Jiuyou’s food supply. Even if the demons can endure hunger, their strength and the people’s support will decline significantly over the years.”

Before Liuyu married into Jiuyou, she was from a great family in Dazhao. She knew well enough the purpose of her family’s peace talks with Jiuyou.

They had never considered Jiuyou as a significant threat from the beginning.

The Demon Wall was a natural barrier to Jiuyou’s external expansion. Whether they let it stand or not, it was all about using the smallest cost and least manpower to eliminate the Jiuyou demons.

Mu Cangshui took a sip of strong tea:

“As for the world’s food supply, the Xiangli family controls half of it. They hold the ‘Xian Nong Quan Shu’ and not only excel at growing rice, wheat, and fodder but also produce pills like the Wuliang Hai.”

The great families that stood strong in these chaotic times had to have a solid foundation.

The Jiufang family is a master of military strategy, with unique martial skills; the Zhongli family is a master of crafting, holding the ‘Xian Gong Kai Wu’ and controlling the most powerful weapons; and the Xiangli family is wealthy due to their ‘Xian Nong Quan Shu,’ which is the cornerstone of their success.

Liuyu smiled.

How coincidental, she was already thinking about how to deal with the Xiangli family next.

“Are you suggesting that we take action against the Xiangli family, seize the ‘Xian Nong Quan Shu,’ and find a way to make Jiuyou self-sufficient in this barren land?”

But Mu Cangshui raised his gaze at that moment.

His cloudy, grayish eyes suddenly sparked with an unusual light.

“Not only that, but only by eliminating the Xiangli family can we seize the grain and pill supplies of the Jiufang family, which will give us a chance to shake the foundations of the Jiufang family!”

The teacup lightly tapped the table, making a muffled sound.

Liuyu’s smile faded slightly.

“…The Jiufang family?”

“Your Majesty, as a member of the Yinshan family, you should be well aware of the Jiufang family’s covetous eyes on the Yinshan family.”

Mu Cangshui’s cracked, aged fingers gripped the corner of the table as he fixed his gaze on Liuyu.

“The Jiufang family is ambitious and has been scheming for a long time. Do you think they are so keen to disrupt Jiuyou’s situation because they are concerned about the world?”

“No, it’s not that. The Jiufang family doesn’t have the wealth of the Yinshan family, nor the powerful weapons like the Zhongli family. What they are best at is war!”

“The stronger Jiuyou gets, the more the people of Dazhao will need the Jiufang family. The Jiufang family’s position will become more stable. But Jiuyou can’t truly grow strong, because the Jiufang family won’t weaken their own strength to send troops to Jiuyou.”

Once the enemy of Jiuyou is established, the Jiufang family can claim they are protecting Dazhao, using it as an excuse to raise taxes on the people and merchants.

To resist the Jiuyou demons, they could promote more powerful cultivators into the court as officials and have the Emperor grant them more land, making everything seem justified.

“It won’t take long, Your Majesty, just wait and see,” Mu Cangshui returned to his calm demeanor, “Once Jiuyou is unified, the Jiufang family will definitely seize this opportunity to profit.”

Liuyu could see such insight in Mu Cangshui’s eyes, and also her own shock.

What Mu Cangshui had said, Liuyu knew very well.

But that was because she had lived through it once before, which allowed her to anticipate the Jiufang family’s next moves.

To outsiders, the Jiufang family appeared to be doing nothing at the moment, with only rumors of dealings with the Jade-faced Spider.

However, Mu Cangshui had already seen through the Jiufang family’s plans.

“You… seem to know a lot about the Jiufang family?”

The old man, whose face was covered in wrinkles, smiled lightly.

“After all, I come from a noble family and know a little bit.”

This was definitely not just a little bit.

“I thought you would be surprised by these revelations, but your reaction seems different from what I expected.”

Mu Cangshui fixed his gaze on Liuyu, probing:

“Could it be that you had already anticipated all this?”

Liuyu snapped out of her thoughts.

She had intended to ask Mu Cangshui about his identity, but after thinking for a moment, she decided against it.

No matter his origins, someone who understood the Jiufang family’s thinking so clearly had to be kept close.

“Pretty much,” Liuyu answered nonchalantly, her fingers tapping her knee in succession, “As you said, the fundamental issue lies with the Xiangli family and their ‘Xian Nong Quan Shu.'”

Mu Cangshui didn’t know that Liuyu had been reincarnated and thus had this foresight. Hearing this, he thought more highly of her.

A family’s prosperity truly depends on the abilities of its descendants.

The Yinshan family was once just a small horse-breeding clan, but now it had become such a powerful family, all because of the abilities of this young lady.

“Has Your Majesty already made plans?”

Liuyu thought for a moment and said to Chaoyuan:

“Send a message to the Lord of Xiling City, Dan Sui.”

Mo Lin’s chest of divine jade had finally been cleaned.

“Your Majesty.”

Chaoyuan appeared silently behind Dan Sui and Xuan Li, startling both so much that they almost drew their weapons.

Mo Lin saw that Chaoyuan’s gaze was on Dan Sui and thought for a moment:

“Did your lady ask for you?”

Having spent time with the twin siblings Chaoming and Chaoyuan, Mo Lin could roughly guess what the quiet sister meant.

Chaoyuan, with no expression, nodded seriously.

Dan Sui looked at the young woman in black before him. When she nodded, looking harmless, it was hard to imagine that she was the personal guard known among demons for “chopping people like cutting melons.”

Xuan Li chuckled maliciously: “Someone’s badmouthing behind her back, and the Empress Dowager has found out.”

Dan Sui, however, remained calm: “I would dare to say it to her face as well—please lead the way, Miss.”

Zhaoyuan turned and led Dan Sui through the corridor.

She admitted that the success in eradicating the Demon-Hunting Sect’s evil spirits was largely due to the Empress Dowager’s efforts.

If it weren’t for her enduring an assassination attempt at the Ghost Play Immortal Festival, chanting demonic incantations through the Nine Hells and several major cities, and her subordinate Chaoming publicly exposing the Jade-faced Spider’s crimes in Yedu, even if they had killed the Jade-faced Spider, the Demon-Hunting Sect would still have selected a new leader.

But she still didn’t fully trust this Empress Dowager, who hailed from the Yinshan clan.

Especially after seeing how much the Sect Master trusted her.

For the Empress Dowager, these divine jades were probably no different from ordinary spoils of war, casually given away as gifts.

But when Dan Sui saw these jades, she thought of the hardships of the jade-collecting demons.

Turning around the corner, Dan Sui entered a half-open room where several female servants were dressing the Empress Dowager and arranging her hair.

Even though she had seen the Empress Dowager’s appearance before in Wuse City, when the figure behind the screen slowly turned to face her, Dan Sui still felt a powerful sense of awe from her exquisite beauty.

“Are you the City Lord of Xiling City?”

“…Yes.”

Dan Sui regained her composure, standing with grace as she faced Liuyu.

“I wonder what business the Empress Dowager has with me?”

The female servants gently worked through Liuyu’s hair, quickly arranging it into a complex but elegant style.

Liuyu was also observing Dan Sui.

Her figure was nearly identical to a man’s, tall and lean, with powerful limbs. Every movement was graceful and heroic, with no awkwardness or affectation, yet she was not crude like a man.

Her appearance was strikingly beautiful, with features that could not be clearly classified as either masculine or feminine, especially her demonic horns, which added a certain sharpness to her already delicate features.

She was a very unique woman.

Liuyu smiled slightly.

“It seems the City Lord of Dan Sui has some objections to me?”

Seeing Liuyu directly address the matter, Dan Sui felt a bit embarrassed, scratching her face, but soon broke into a hearty smile.

“Well, just a little.”

Liuyu personally poured her a cup of tea, and as she handed it to her, Dan Sui caught a faint fragrance of incense.

It smelled wonderful.

“Is it because Mo Lin gave me all the divine jades taken from Yushan? You are worried that I will waste these treasures, squander the hard work of the demons and ghosts?”

Dan Sui was a bit surprised.

She lifted her gaze and met Liuyu’s eyes, which were filled with an unreadable expression.

Her heart beat a little faster, but after a moment’s hesitation, she answered calmly:

“You are correct, Empress Dowager. I do have such concerns. The demons and ghosts labor hard to collect jade, and if these divine jades are used to make weapons, I have no objections. But I’ve heard that the aristocracy of Da Chao lives lavishly and often consumes jade dust. If these divine jades are ground into dust and eaten, it would be such a waste. I hope the Empress Dowager will reconsider.”

Truly, she was speaking without any ulterior motive.

Liuyu was quietly impressed.

Then, she thought to herself, if it weren’t for Dan Sui’s straightforward character, this person wouldn’t have spent a century researching immortal plants capable of growing in the Nine Hells land.

But Liuyu remembered her not just for that.

Not knowing what prompted it, Liuyu’s gaze shifted, and she blinked, saying:

“So that’s why… I thought you disliked me because of Mo Lin.”

Dan Sui, who had been drinking tea, paused.

In the next moment, the tea shot out of her mouth.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Outside the corridor, Mu Cangshui, who had learned of Liuyu’s plan, was about to leave Yushan. But at the corner, he unexpectedly ran into Mo Lin, who was heading toward the inner room.

As they brushed past each other, Mu Cangshui suddenly called out to him.

“Sect Master, there’s something I know may sound abrupt, but I must still advise you.”

Mo Lin stopped, turned, and silently regarded her.

“I know you and the Empress Dowager are still young, but both of you have great aspirations. You shouldn’t waste your youth entirely in bed—”

Mo Lin’s calm expression slightly shifted.

Mu Cangshui maintained a composed demeanor, as though this wasn’t a personal matter but a state affair, and said sternly:

“Too frequent indulgence is not good for the Empress Dowager’s health. You must also be mindful of her well-being.”

Mo Lin lightly clicked his tongue.

“What does that have to do with you…”

“Once a week should suffice. When I have time, I will also advise the Empress Dowager on this matter. Farewell.”

Mo Lin paused for a moment, then slowly closed his mouth.

When he spoke again, his tone had softened.

“You’re right. I’ll consider it.”