"Where am I?"
In a daze, Chen Mo only felt a warm current surging through his body, nourishing his dry meridians and Qi Sea.
As his consciousness gradually cleared, he slowly opened his eyes.
He found himself lying on a bed, a beautiful middle-aged woman sitting beside him, holding his wrist and constantly transferring True Qi to him, her worried eyes fixed on him.
"Mo'er, you're awake?"
The beautiful woman said softly.
"Mother?"
Chen Mo instinctively called out.
Scanning the room, he saw two other figures standing by the bed.
A well-dressed man with a goatee, exuding an extraordinary presence, was likely his cheap old father.
As for the girl with a serious face gnawing on the Ginger Braised Pork Trotters... he seemed to have seen that face before he lost consciousness; it looked like she was the one who brought him back.
"Finally safe."
At this point, Chen Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mo'er, what exactly happened?"
"Miss Shen said she found you at the door of the Imperial Music Bureau... How did your body become so exhausted?"
He Yuzhi asked with concern.
"Humph, living recklessly, caring even less about your life! I think you'll eventually die in a woman's arms!"
Chen Zhuo looked as if he was angry over his failure to meet expectations.
"No, Mo'er clearly had a confrontation with someone..."
"Was it a fight over a woman?"
"..."
Chen Mo shook his head secretly.
It seemed this cheap old father's prejudice against him ran deep.
He interrupted their conversation, speaking succinctly, "Gu Manzhi is the Holy Daughter of the Moon Brilliance Sect, a Sixth-rank Mage, who has been lurking in the Imperial Music Bureau. After I uncovered her identity, I left her gravely injured..."
"It's probably too late to catch her now."
Upon this statement, the room instantly fell silent.
The information was too overwhelming for them to react immediately.
Chen Zhuo's narrow eyes slightly squinted. This rebel son, despite his usual absurd behavior, wouldn't joke about such matters.
The sect's influence had already reached Tiandu City?
"Wait a moment..."
"You mean she's a Sixth-rank Mage, and you left her gravely injured?"
He Yuzhi felt a bit dazed, wondering if she had misheard.
Martial Artists typically had simpler methods, and until reaching the Heavenly Human Realm, they usually couldn't compete with Mages of the same rank.
Let alone one that was a whole major rank above them.
Chen Mo nodded, downplaying it, "I caught her off guard with a well-planned move and my mastery of the sword technique."
Mastery of the sword technique?
He Yuzhi looked incredulously.
The Blazing Eight Slashes was something she had taught Chen Mo, naturally aware of its intricacies.
If not for the lack of some Daoist Charm, it could well be a formidable Martial Arts skill at the Heaven Rank!
How easy is it to achieve mastery?
Many Heavenly Pride individuals stagnated at the final step, never advancing, just like herself, who only comprehended the essence after Transcending Mortality.
And Chen Mo was just of the Seventh-rank Mortal Body...
"Mo'er, though talented, wasn't exaggerated to such a degree."
*Was it perhaps a desperate breakthrough under life-or-death circumstances? Hmm, such occurrences did happen from time to time... No wonder his body was so overdrawn; that would indeed explain it.*
He Yuzhi pondered thoughtfully.
"Someone come."
At this moment, Chen Zhuo spoke up.
The butler opened the door and entered, "Master."
Chen Zhuo instructed, "Have Cen Long proceed immediately to the Imperial Music Bureau..."
Cen Long was the Chen Family's Guard Commander, a Fourth-Level Martial Master.
This matter was of great significance; even if they couldn't capture anyone, they could verify whether what Chen Mo said was true.
"Yes."
The butler quickly exited.
The room fell silent once again.
Chen Mo leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes to rest.
Shen Zhixia quietly gnawed on the pork trotter, her dark eyes curiously observing him.
...
An hour later.
A burly man entered the room, a grim scar stretching across his left cheek, adding a touch of Evil Qi to his presence.
Chen Zhuo asked, "What is the situation?"
Cen Long replied, "By the time I arrived, the place was deserted. The room showed signs of a struggle, with traces of Daoist Skill and Blazing Blade Energy remaining."
As he spoke, he glanced at Chen Mo, a hint of astonishment and curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Apart from that, I discovered this item."
Cen Long presented a wooden box.
Inside was a mangled mass of blood and flesh, nearly crushed into a pulp, unrecognizable.
However, the crescent moon emblem imprinted on the box said it all.
"They truly are remnants of the Moon Brilliance Sect."
Chen Zhuo furrowed his brow, looking at Chen Mo, and asked, "So you realized early on that the woman was suspicious, which is why you approached her intentionally?"
"That's right."
"At first, I was only somewhat suspicious but not certain of her identity. To avoid alerting the enemy, I didn't tell anyone."
"I planned to make a full act. Tearing up the marriage contract in front of everyone today was a way to further test her, never expecting she would attempt to harm me, forcing me to act..."
"In the end, it was my impatience and clever tricks that backfired. Catching her again will be even more difficult..."
Chen Mo sighed, looking regretful.
This explanation was half true and half false, and even if they had suspicions, they could attribute it to "greed and recklessness."
Chen Zhuo was silent for a moment, then coldly snorted, his voice hard, "Reckless! You dared to conceal it from both me and your mother; your courage is growing!"
"Lucky for you, Zhixia was there; otherwise, you'd have lost your life!"
"You'll be grounded for a month. Stay put in the mansion and don't go anywhere!"
After saying this, he waved his sleeve and turned to leave the room.
"Mo'er, don't overthink it. Your father is concerned for you."
"The situation is chaotic now. Rest and recuperate at home; let us handle the rest."
He Yuzhi comforted him softly.
She then took out Purple Cloud Powder, which could replenish Qi and vitality, and only after seeing Chen Mo consume it did she leave with peace of mind.
In the courtyard, Chen Zhuo's expression was somber as he said to Cen Long, "Notify the Sky Scale Guard to immediately seal off the Imperial Music Bureau. Dig three feet deep; don't miss a single clue!"
"Anyone who has interacted with Gu Manzhi, capture them all. I want to interrogate them personally!"
"Anyone who dares to resist, execute them on the spot!"
Regardless of who it was, daring to reach for the Chen Family had thoroughly touched his reverse scale!
"Yes."
Cen Long replied and left.
He Yuzhi approached and said, "This matter must also be reported to the Empress. As for Mo'er... though a bit reckless, he did eliminate a potential threat."
"Never noticed he had such courage and foresight before..."
Chen Zhuo coldly retorted, "It's merely a calculated risk-taking! Acting on the bravery of a common man, his accomplishments won't amount to much!"
He Yuzhi cast him a sidelong glance, "Enough, there's no one else here; your mouth is almost smiling from ear to ear, stop pretending!"
Chen Zhuo instinctively touched his cheek upon hearing this.
Noticing He Yuzhi's amused look, his expression became slightly awkward, he snorted, and walked away with his hands behind his back.
He Yuzhi shook her head helplessly.
"Tch, a guy who says one thing and feels another... Afu."
"Old servant is here."
"Prepare the carriage, to the palace!"
...
Chen Mo had no objections to the grounding.
Gu Manzhi must hate him to the core now, and it was uncertain when she might pop up to bite him back; it was safer to keep a low profile at home.
Just then, a flash appeared before his eyes, and several lines of prompt text emerged:
["Gu Manzhi" Favorability Rating increased.]
[Favorability Rating threshold exceeded, progress lock released.]
[Current progress: 45/100 (Regret meeting too late).]
Chen Mo: "¿"