Bitter Realm: Otherworldly Gods and Demons

20. Empress

Upon hearing this, Jiu Huo put down the book in his hand and looked at Teng Xie with a gaze that lacked the aura of a king, but instead contained a deep concern and care.

She smiled slightly, pointed to the chair opposite her, and said, "Sit down. Let's talk privately, no need for formalities."

"good."

Teng Xie didn't stand on ceremony; he was respectful to the Demon Lord, but being polite to the Empress would be too distant.

"We are fighting on the front lines, but it is entirely thanks to the Empress's tireless logistical and logistical support that we have been able to focus on our duties without any worries. The Empress has worked so hard."

Upon hearing this, Jiu Huo was slightly taken aback. In her memory, her eldest son was arrogant, domineering, and ruthless. He was also cold-hearted on the outside but warm on the inside. He cared about his younger brother She Sheng, but never said a kind word to him. Although he was respectful to her, he was also distant. He could never say such heartfelt words.

Jiu Huo couldn't help but laugh, "Teng Xie, you've really changed a lot since you woke up this time..."

As she spoke, her voice became somewhat worried, "You're saying you were already conscious before you woke up?"

"Indeed, it wasn't a pleasant experience, but Your Majesty needn't worry. I've actually benefited from this misfortune, as my strength has improved, and most importantly, I've gained a completely new perspective on observation and thought."

"Um."

Jiu Huo nodded. Her eldest son was quick-witted, but he was just like her second son—single-mindedly competitive, with his mind filled with thoughts of conquest and military exploits. These two sons were neither like her nor their father; instead, they resembled Yama Hanba. The eldest son had Hanba's cunning, and the second son had Hanba's ferocity. Together, they were a mini-Hanba, which was truly something else.

After her eldest son woke up this time, he seemed to have become a completely different person. He was sharp-minded and had a unique perspective. He listened to Chen Fu's reports and offered his advice to Yama Hanba. All of his advice was insightful. Moreover, he was calm and composed in his work and used his brain to do things instead of fighting with others.

"Tengxie, you have done very well during this period. However, the current situation in the Demon Realm is the darkness before dawn. I do not object to you and Shesheng insisting on following the Demon Lord to guard the Demon City, but you need to take better care of Shesheng and remain calm and composed so that you can better serve the Demon Lord."

As soon as Jiu Huo said this, Teng Xie understood what she meant. She was probably a little frightened by Teng Xie's sudden fierceness, pulling his little brother to block Lian Emei's ultimate move.

Seeing that Teng Xie and She Sheng were both going to be live targets with Yama Hanba, Teng Xie's calm mind was afraid that it would become hot and bothered again, and that he would only think about fighting with people.

Teng Xie smiled and said, "I will remember the Empress's teachings, and I will take good care of myself and She Sheng."

Jiu Huo nodded, feeling gratified that her eldest son had become so sensible. "If you need anything, just tell me. After the Demon Realm took control of Xiao Penglai, it also gained control of a lot of resources through Xiao Penglai's channels."

Teng Xie thought for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, learning has no end. Ever since I refined the Black Mist Demon Dragon, I've felt a lack of knowledge about magic and would like to read some books on the subject."

Jiu Huo thought to herself, "This is exactly what I excel at!" She immediately smiled and said, "You may read any of the books in my study. If you have any questions, you may ask me for answers."

"Then I'll have to trouble the Empress afterwards. Oh, by the way, I've heard that the Five-Colored Enchantress who oversees all affairs of Laughing Penglai is none other than one of the Three Mysterious Sounds of the Northern Martial World, Bone Flute Fan Qiliang?"

There were once three legends in the Northern Martial Arts World: Bone Flute Master Fan Qiliang, Leather Drum Master He Changling, and Qin Juexian, the Qin Girl with Broken Strings. The relationship between these three was very complicated and dramatic.

After a series of entanglements and conflicts among the three, Qin Juexian died, and the Drum Master captured the Bone Flute and took it to his lair, the Vast Primitive Forest, where he tortured it relentlessly until the Demon Realm took notice of the place, drove away the Drum Master, and took the Bone Flute back to the Demon Realm for modification.

Later, in order to seek revenge, the drummer investigated Xiao Penglai, which had been infiltrated by the demon realm, but was instead controlled by the bone flute and disappeared without a trace.

"Hmm, Teng Xie, you're interested in her?"

"I've heard that the Three Mysterious Sounds possess remarkable musical skills, and their sonic martial arts are quite formidable?"

"That's right. Jin Bazhen was hypnotized by Wen Pipa and the Five-Colored Enchantress, so that he was completely normal and Lian Emei, Tan Wuyu and others could not detect it."

"And what about the drummer? I heard he was once the Grand Preceptor of the Northern Yu Dynasty, who set up ten Yuan-annihilating formations for Northern Yu to withstand the attacks of powerful figures such as the Geomancer, Deng Jiuwu, and Dongfang Dingli?"

Upon hearing this, Jiu Huo's heart stirred, and he nodded, saying, "That is indeed the case. Teng Xie, are you saying that the Demon Realm can use the Drum Master to strengthen its defenses? This is something I overlooked. After the Drum Master was controlled by the Five-Colored Demoness, he became her prisoner and has been ignored all along."

"I only thought of it by chance; whether it succeeds or not is up to the Queen to decide."

Jiu Huo smiled and said, "Then you'll need more inspiration in the future, so I can save myself a lot of effort."

I will definitely continue to work hard.

The two exchanged a few more words, and Jiu Huo was about to recommend some magic manuals to Teng Xie when Ren Chenfu suddenly requested an audience, having come to see Teng Xie.

"Teng Xie, your spy in the Central Plains has received a message from Lu Wang Bo Hanbo. He wants to see you for a while."

Teng Xie's heart stirred. The most likely reason for Bo Hanbo's search for him was the matter of Yu Ren Fei Jing.

He immediately bid farewell to the Queen, changed into his alternate identity as Purple Dragon Star, and left the Demon Realm to find Bo Hanbo.

Instead of going to Wuming Peak, he went directly to the place where Bo Hanbo had asked him to meet. It wasn't a famous scenic spot or a well-known location, but just a canyon path with a rather unique terrain.

"Senior Deer King, Heroine West Wind, and Warrior Yan, you're all here."

Seeing that Duan Yan Xi Feng and Yan Gui Ren had arrived, and noticing the worry on Bo Han Bo's face and the anxiety on Duan Yan Xi Feng's face, Zi Long Xing confirmed some of his guesses. "I've also heard about what happened to Yu Ren, the great hero. It's truly unbelievable."

"Eh..."

Bo Hanbo also sighed, but was interrupted by Duan Yan Xifeng, who said quickly, "Enough with the small talk. After Yu Zai's accident, that scoundrel Kuanglong Yishengxiao killed his master, Gu Duque, and used Gu Duque's head to provoke him. Yu Zai has lost his mind. We need to intercept him here. Big Brother insisted on calling you. Are you really capable?"

Huh? Is loneliness killing you?

Zi Shaoxia thought to himself, "The Mad Dragon failed to kill Dugu Que. He can only say that Dugu Que's fate is unknown... Oh, fate unknown means he's dead."

Well, whether Lonely Soul is dead or not is actually not important. Kuanglong can easily create a fake human head and drive the already broken Yu Renfeijing to complete madness.

Young Master Zi glanced at Yan Guiren, whose expression was clear and whose eyes were calm. Moreover, it seemed that he got along well with Duan Yan Xifeng.

He then surveyed the surrounding terrain and said slowly, "Do the three of you intend to use this terrain to limit the speed of the Feathered Hero, capture him alive, and preferably without harming him?"

Bo Hanbo nodded and said, "Yes, Yu Zai is now only thinking about avenging Kuang Long. He's running headlong towards the Sin Pit. This is the best place to intercept him, and it's our only chance. I'm going to have Yan Guiren intercept him from the front, while my little sister, Brother Zi, and I will flank him from the side. What do you think?"

Young Master Zi then said, "Senior Deer King has considered things thoroughly. However, if Lord Gui Liang happens to be in cahoots with you and sends someone to wait for the bird to pounce, things will become even more complicated."

"Well... I understand Gui Liang's feelings, but... but... there's always a chance for things to turn around."

"Senior Deer King, to avoid this situation, why don't you first investigate the possible forces of the Ghost Liang Army and try to delay them?"

"That's certainly possible, but the three of you..."

Bo Hanbo didn't dare look at the West Wind Heroine, fearing she would get angry, but those who know, know. There might be someone who drags them down, but that person definitely won't be Young Hero Zi.