I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon-Chapter 102 - 79 Empress: Chen Mo is Mine!

"Your face-changing speed was impressive!"

Qiu Longgang glared at the man in green, *wondering how this person could have two faces*.

*As there’s a saying that one doesn’t hit the smiling face,* seeing the other’s politeness, Chen Mo’s expression softened a bit.

"Who might you be?"

"I am Li Siya, third-class Tributor of the Demon Suppression Department,"

The man in green, Li Siya, with a delicate appearance and a gentle scholar’s aura, said with a smile, "The name of Hundred Households Chen is known far and wide. You’ve just solved a Demon Clan case, and slain a Blood Dragon Shapeshifter! Truly, your might is unrivaled and awe-inspiring..."

*Another round of nauseating praise.*

*Chen Mo considered himself an elite in the art of flattery, but compared to this Li Gongfeng, he seemed like a rookie.*

Actually, Chen Mo was unaware that he had indeed become quite the talk of the town in the Demon Suppression Department.

In the case of the Zhou Family, the court had blocked the news, leaving many unaware of the details. But the Demon Suppression Department was involved throughout.

They searched day and night within the city but could find no trace of the Demon Clan, while Chen Mo had slain the demon and smashed the Zhou Family’s plot within just a few days!

If the Eightfold Exorcism Array had been destroyed, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

"Although he’s from the Sky Scale Guard, he seems to have done all the work of the Demon Suppression Department,"

Li Siya was filled with curiosity and admiration for Mr. Chen, the god-like sleuth.

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "Slaying the Demon Python was not my solo effort; the brothers from both departments deserve equal credit."

"Did you hear that? Apologize!"

Qiu Longgang put his hands on his hips, standing tall and straight.

Li Siya responded straightforwardly, cupping his hands, "My earlier behavior was offensive; I hope you, Mr. Chen, won’t hold it against me."

"Hmph!"

"Next time, keep your eyes open, I’m..."

Before Qiu Longgang finished, Li Siya directly ignored him and pulled Chen Mo aside for a chat, leaving Qiu Longgang fanning himself furiously with a folding fan.

Li Siya routinely inquired about the general course of events.

Chen Mo recounted the matter but did not mention the purple qi.

*His intuition told him that if it were discovered he possessed Dragon Qi, it would absolutely bring big trouble!*

Li Siya listened, and his expression grew serious. He mused, "It seems the Demon Clan came for the Dragon Vein."

"Dragon Vein? Does that really exist?"

Chen Mo was a bit curious.

Li Siya nodded and said, "It’s not a secret, so I don’t mind telling you... The Dragon Vein is linked to a nation’s destiny, mysterious and unfathomable, yet it truly exists."

"Beneath the earth, veins crisscross like roots intertwined, maintaining the stability of Jiu Zhou."

"And the Dragon Vein is the main trunk, through which True Dragon Qi flows, symbolizing the nation’s fortune. If there’s a change, it signifies the nation is going to..."

Pausing for a moment, Li Siya continued, "It’s said that in the past, the Heavenly Decree Seal held by the Princess leveraged the power of Dragon Qi to defeat the Barbarian Tribe."

Chen Mo’s eyes gleamed.

*Could the Dragon Qi possess such formidable power?*

*Yet he could only faintly feel a surge of energy within himself and didn’t know how to harness it.*

Li Siya stroked his chin and said, "That Demon Python must have absorbed a thread of Dragon Qi, causing an anomaly, but as its own level wasn’t sufficient, the transformation failed and left it looking like this."

Though he hadn’t seen it firsthand, the analysis was very close to the truth.

Chen Mo nodded, asking, "How should the Demon Corpse be handled?"

Li Siya replied, "Its blood and flesh will be completely incinerated with ’Yang Flame,’ but its spine is quite extraordinary. It’s a superb material for Artifact Refining. It can be taken to the department to craft a Magical Treasure."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo became interested, "Oh? Mr. Li knows about Artifact Refining?"

Li Siya said, "I was mentored by Refining Master Elder Yin, and my department has a dedicated ’Artifact Refining Department’..."

Seeing Chen Mo’s eyes light up, Li Siya smiled and said, "That backbone is a hundred feet long; quite a number of Magic Artifacts can be crafted from it. If Mr. Chen needs anything, just let me know, and I’ll arrange a few pieces for you."

*Such a clever young man!*

Chen Mo patted his shoulder, smiling brightly, "Don’t call me Mr. Chen, call me Brother Chen. From now on, we’re brothers."

"..."

Li Siya silently calculated that he seemed a decade or so older than Chen Mo... but he obediently called out "Brother Chen."

*In learning, there is no concern for age; the accomplished one is the elder.*

Regarding collecting clues, tracking demon creatures... and so forth, there were many things he wanted to learn from Chen Mo.

"Brother Chen, I will go handle the Demon Corpse now. When you return to Tiandu City, remember to come to the Demon Suppression Department to find me." Li Siya cupped his hands.

"Rest assured, I will definitely come," Chen Mo said seriously.

"See you in Tiandu City."

Li Siya cast a spell, and as the breeze swept over him, his figure drifted away like smoke.

"That Zi was a decent man,"

*Chen Mo couldn’t help but admire.*

Qiu Longgang spat, gritting his teeth, "Damn rascal, always gauging people to manipulate their emotions..."

Dong—

A dark glow flashed, and the Qilin Token was thrown far away.

Chen Mo said indifferently, "Gangzi, go pick it up."

Qiu Longgang: "..."

*He calls me big brother, and you call him a turtle grandson... Are you insulting me?*

At this moment, County Magistrate Fu approached Chen Mo and presented a jade box, saying, "This is the reward for solving the case. Please, sirs, kindly accept it."

Chen Mo opened the jade box and took a look.

A thick stack, all with a hundred-tael denomination, at least more than thirty bills.

"It’s too much," Chen Mo frowned and said.

"Not too much."

County Magistrate Fu said with a smile, "Two thousand taels were originally set as the reward, regardless of life or death, but since more than seventy people were saved, the families are grateful and raised another five hundred taels."

"For the demon slaying, everyone fought hard and endured injuries. The county treasury allocated eight hundred taels as treatment fees for the brothers."

Fu Nansong paid willingly.

If that Demon Python had gone on a rampage in the city, he, as the County Magistrate, might not have even kept his head, let alone his hat!

Besides, this money was nothing to the very wealthy Linglan County.

Chen Mo did not refuse.

Everyone paid such a price, and they deserved this money. Declining it would seem hypocritical.

"Gangzi, come over."

Chen Mo beckoned with his finger.

Qiu Longgang rolled his eyes at him, twisting his waist as he walked over.

Chen Mo pulled out ten silver notes and handed them to him, "I’ll take seven, you take three; any objections?"

Qiu Longgang was stunned for a moment, not expecting Chen Mo to take the initiative to share the money with him.

And it was a thousand taels!

After all, Chen Mo was the one who found the clues and slayed the Demon Python. From start to finish, he seemed to have done nothing but receive blows...

But looking at the more than a dozen brothers, each with injuries, he gritted his teeth and reached out to take the silver notes.

Clutching them tightly, they felt somewhat burning hot to the touch.

...

Tiandu City, Imperial Palace.

In Zhao Hua Palace, sitting on the Phoenix Throne in bright yellow zhai clothing, she said in a deep voice, "Zhou Chuanbing still refuses to confess?"

Next to her, Eunuch Jin replied, "The Three Departments have interrogated for six days, but Zhou Chuanbing continues to insist on knowing nothing, and his son Zhou Jing’an won’t reveal the mastermind nor the whereabouts of the excavated Red Sand..."

Eunuch Jin was quite puzzled.

Zhou Jing’an was beaten to the point that there wasn’t a sound bone in his body, almost turned into mush, yet he stubbornly refused to confess, incredibly tight-lipped.

The Empress frowned and asked, "He said nothing at all?"

Eunuch Jin shook his head and said, "He said nothing, just kept murmuring Chen Mo’s name."

"..."

The Empress slightly raised her Emei eyebrows, "By the way, Chen Mo has joined the Ding Fire Department, has he not?"

Eunuch Jin nodded and said with a smile, "The Ding Fire Department is quite a mess; he’s got a lot to worry about lately."

The Empress’s Phoenix Eyes flickered slightly.

She had deliberately arranged for Chen Mo to be at the Ding Fire Department.

It was to divide the Imperial Consort Faction’s power within the Sky Scale Guard, and also to estrange Chen Mo from his connection with the Imperial Consort.

"With so many unsolved cases, he won’t be able to handle them."

"With the capital inspection approaching, when he faces punishment, I will magnanimously pardon him."

"Even if he doesn’t appreciate the imperial favor, Yu Youhan will start to doubt him... With that Demoness’s skeptical nature, her trust in Chen Mo will further decrease."

"I will continuously show goodwill, slowly persuading him to come over..."

Thump, thump, thump—

At this time, Sun Senior Palace Lady briskly walked in and bowed, "Empress, news from the Demon Suppression Department states that a demon has appeared in Linglan County, a Blood Dragon Shapeshifter suspected of devouring Dragon Qi!"

Dragon Qi was crucial to the stability of the nation, considered a top-tier issue.

Especially when devoured by the Demon Clan, which if not addressed promptly, could lead to disaster!

The Empress’s expression turned serious, frowning, "What is the current situation?"

Sun Senior Palace Lady said, "Chen Mo led a team to Linglan County yesterday, has already slain the demon, saving seventy-two lives."

Chen Mo again?

The Empress was momentarily stunned.

At every critical moment, he always stepped forward... Could he really be the Great Yuan’s lucky star?

Her red lips curved into a clear arc, her Phoenix Eyes seemed to blossom with brilliance.

"This person, I must secure!"

"As long as I can win Chen Mo over, I am willing to give up anything!"