After her bath, the Myriad Snake Queen summoned palace maids to serve dinner. She filled the table with dishes to entertain Yan Zhen.
To call it “entertaining” wasn’t quite right, though. She didn’t treat him like a guest; she simply wanted to share a casual dinner.
Once they were sated with food and drink, the Myriad Snake Queen planned to review a few memorials before bed. Curious about what she looked like while working, Yan Zhen tagged along to watch.
By all rights, this broke protocol, but she didn’t see him as an outsider. So she led him to her study.
“Sit there.”
The Myriad Snake Queen pointed to the chair behind the desk. Yan Zhen blinked.
“Isn’t that your seat?”
“There are no other chairs.”
“I’ll stand, then.”
“Standing there would be an eyesore.”
She casually grabbed Yan Zhen by the collar and tossed him lightly onto the spacious Snake Carved Throne. Then she sat beside him, picked up the stack of memorials, and began reading them with focus.
Yan Zhen glanced around, marveling at the room’s strikingly unique decor. At last, his gaze settled on the pile of memorials crowding the desk.
“Can I take a look?”
Without raising her head, the Myriad Snake Queen replied, “Go ahead. Just put them back where they belong when you’re done.”
Yan Zhen nodded and pulled one at random from the stack. He began to read.
With the recent sand scorpion unrest, most of the memorials consisted of military reports. Right now, military matters took top priority; everything else would have to wait.
More than half came from the Southern Bastion. The scorpions had their eyes fixed on it, launching three large-scale assaults like the ones before and countless smaller harassments without pause.
From what Yan Zhen knew, the Southern Bastion lay the farthest from the City of Water among the Four Directions Fortresses. When it came under attack, reinforcements from the City of Water arrived slowly. Moreover, Commander Ye Mei’s strength was relatively weaker, which was why the scorpions targeted it—intending to claim one fortress first, then use it as a wedge to crack the rest.
Such military tactics were something only humans would employ. Mystic beasts like sand scorpions, with their low intelligence, could never conceive of them.
Even after the Red Sand Scorpion Lord had advanced to the Mystic Ancestor realm and gained intelligence rivaling a human’s, it was only at the level of an ordinary person.
This had to be the work of schemers from the Demon Domain pulling strings from behind the scenes.
They were aiding the Red Sand Scorpion Lord’s assaults on the City of Water, forcing it into an existential crisis, while dispatching envoys to persuade the Myriad Snake Queen. If the City of Water submitted to the Demon Domain, they promised to help wipe out the Sand Scorpion Army.
The Demon Domain’s goal was to infiltrate the City of Water silently, turning it into a vital outpost—part of their larger scheme against the Jialan Holy Land.
Yan Zhen hesitated briefly but decided to give her a hint, lest she fall for the Demon Domain’s ploy.
“There might be someone helping the sand scorpions from the shadows.”
“You saw through it too?”
Too?
“Uh, you already knew?”
“What, do you think This Queen is that brainless?”
“No, that’s not what I—”
“No need to worry. This Queen has it all figured out, and the plan is already in motion.”
“What plan?”
The Myriad Snake Queen fished out a memorial bound in snake-scale covers from the bottom of the stack and placed it in front of Yan Zhen, gesturing for him to open it. Inside was a description of her “Line-Releasing Plan.”
Yan Zhen read it carefully. Shock rippled through him; he almost didn’t recognize this woman.
With her proud temperament, she was opting for a defensive retreat?
In the script from his past life, she had ordered the fortresses held to the death, allowing not a single sand scorpion through. Her soldiers shared that same unyielding temper, following her commands and refusing to yield an inch.
They had ruled this desert for so long that arrogance had clouded their judgment. They simply couldn’t accept defeat at the hands of mere sand scorpions.
Only when the Sand Scorpion Army reached the city gates did the Myriad Snake Queen and her ministers awaken to reality. A head-on clash offered no chance of victory, so they turned to cunning instead—ultimately devising a plan to circle behind and steal the fire.
“There’s actually a tactic like this. It’s risky, but success would catch them completely off guard.”
“The Red Sand Scorpion Lord hasn’t refined the Great Crimson Heaven Flame yet, which is why it’s feasible. In the end, it all hinges on whether This Queen can successfully evolve her bloodline. Otherwise, it’s all for nothing.”
“Then take me with you. I have a way to suppress the Extreme Flame’s ferocity. I can help.”
“Mm.”
In his past life, it had been Yan Zhen who stepped in at the critical moment, using the Emperor Flame Technique and the Fire Refining Starry Sky to help her contain the Great Crimson Heaven Flame. Without that, she would have been reduced to ashes long ago.
This time, though, their daughter could assist with Fire Control. Even without Yan Zhen’s help, it should be fine.
She planned to bring him along because he needed the Great Crimson Heaven Flame himself. This time, she intended to return the favor.
One reviewed memorials while the other flipped through them like idle reading material. It grew late into the night before a palace maid entered to remind the Myriad Snake Queen it was time to rest.
She set the memorials down and turned to Yan Zhen. In a flat tone, she said, “Yan’er made some requests, and This Queen will do her best to fulfill them. I hope you’ll do the same.”
With that, she rose and withdrew into the bedroom.
“. . .”
Yan Zhen blinked, hesitating for a long moment before following her in.
The Myriad Snake Queen favored red, and her bedroom reflected that in its warm crimson tones. A round bed sat in the center, draped with translucent red gauze curtains that hinted at a alluring silhouette within.
Remembering that he had only just released himself earlier—with lingering traces of Sage Power still in his body—Yan Zhen felt a spark of confidence. He mustered his courage and parted the curtains.
She Ji was already tucked under the covers, her long hair coiled up and draped over her chest. The style was a bit risky but prevented it from splaying out while she slept.
Their eyes met. Both their faces warmed with a faint blush, like an aging married couple preparing for some anniversary intimacy.
Yan Zhen’s mind blanked for a second. He blurted out, “C-can I get on the bed?”
The Myriad Snake Queen let out a shy hum of agreement.
“Thanks.”
Yan Zhen’s own face flushed as he kicked off his shoes, slipped under the covers, and lay flat on his back, not daring to move a muscle.
Soon, the Myriad Snake Queen rolled over to face him. One hand emerged from under the covers to caress his cheek. Her red lips drew close to his ear, and in a murmuring whisper, she said, “Yan’er told me that the future you likes having This Queen bite your ear before bed. Is that right?”
Yan Zhen’s ears turned scarlet. He thought, Yan’er even knows about this? A live ASMR session might feel incredible, but he hurriedly denied it. “No, that’s not me! I don’t do that. I close my eyes and sleep, open them and wake—no sleep aids needed at all.”
“Really?”
“True as gold and silver!”
“Then why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“Uh, it’s a new bed. I’m a little nervous.”
“Hmph. How about This Queen helps you ease that little tension?”
“No, no—mmph~”
Yan Zhen felt his ear enveloped by the warm, soft, wet cavern of her mouth. Her slender snake tongue probed straight into his ear canal, drilling until his brain went blank and all thought ground to a halt.
—Pinned down by her again!
