The whisper, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, left a cold, sticky sensation in Su Nian's ear. She turned abruptly, her sharp gaze sweeping across the shadowy corner of the wall. There was no one there, only a few withered leaves swirling in the night wind.

Is it a hallucination? Or is it auditory hallucination caused by excessive stress?

No. The voice was too real, carrying Modo's unique, chilling laugh that seemed to indicate he had everything under control. Especially that "Your Highness"—in this world, very few people knew her identity as the princess of a destroyed kingdom, and only Modo would address her in such a tone!

How could he possibly be here? The royal court is heavily guarded, especially during this sensitive period when Helian Jue is about to personally lead an expedition; patrols and vigilance have been raised to the highest level. How could he have infiltrated the core area, found her precisely, and whispered those words in her ear?

A chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Su Nian felt as if the darkness around her had come alive, hiding countless prying eyes.

[Host, host! That was...] 088's voice crackled with shock. [Was it Modo?! How...how did he get in?! Is this royal court a sieve?!]

Su Nian forced herself to calm down and didn't make a sound immediately. She quickened her pace without showing any emotion, almost rushing back to her stone hall, slamming the door shut. Leaning against the cold stone door, her heart was still pounding.

"088, scan the area where I was standing just now. Are there any traces left? Energy residue? Or... something like eavesdropping?" she commanded urgently in her mind.

[Scanning... Scan complete! No abnormal energy fluctuations detected, no physical listening devices detected.] 088's report gave her a slight sense of relief, but her doubts deepened.

What was Modo's purpose in doing this? Was it merely to scare her? To demonstrate his power? Or was there a deeper scheme at play? His infiltration of the royal court was definitely not just to whisper a threatening word in her ear.

Did Helian Jue know? If not, it meant a huge security vulnerability within the royal court. If he did know… why did he remain inactive?

Countless questions swirled in Su Nian's mind, making her restless.

That night, Su Nian slept very restlessly. Her dreams were bizarre and fantastical. One moment, she saw Helian Jue's blood-stained figure charging through thousands of troops; the next, she saw Mo Duo's sinister smile appearing in the darkness; and then she seemed to hear the intertwined voices of Xie Chen, the Immortal Lord, the Prince, and others from other worlds calling her name.

The next morning, she got up with faint dark circles under her eyes, determined to tell Helian Jue about what had happened the night before. Regardless of whether he knew or not, and regardless of his reaction, she had to let him know that Modo's tentacles might have already reached into the royal court.

However, before she could even leave the house, Helian Jue arrived first.

He still had that cold and aloof demeanor, a hint of weariness from working through the night in his eyes, but his aura was... somewhat calmer than when he was in the council hall last night. He didn't even bring any attendants, entering alone.

Su Nian's heart tightened, and she subconsciously became on guard.

Helian Jue's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "Didn't sleep well?"

His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Su Nian carefully considered her words, about to mention Mo Duo, when she saw Helian Jue walk past her to the small desk where she usually handled documents, and casually pick up a few drafts of suggestions on the promotion of new plows and spring crop rotation and look at them.

"These things are indeed well-made." He put down the draft, his tone unreadable, whether it was praise or something else.

Su Nian pursed her lips, deciding to get straight to the point: "Your Majesty, when I returned last night..."

"Hmm." Helian Jue interrupted her, turned around, and looked at her with deep, dark eyes. "I know."

Su Nian was taken aback: "You know?"

"Within the royal court, nothing can completely escape my eyes." Helian Jue walked to the window, looking at the gradually brightening sky outside, his voice low, "Last night, rats did indeed sneak in. Not only there, but also near the granary and armory, suspicious traces were found. The method was very clean, leaving no clues."

Su Nian's heart sank. Sure enough! Mo Duo had indeed infiltrated, and his area of ​​activity was quite large!

"Is it Modo?" she pressed.

“Most likely.” Helian Jue’s profile appeared cold and hard in the morning light. “He is demonstrating to me that even as a stray dog, he still has the ability to stir up trouble in the royal court.”

“Then why not…” Su Nian wanted to say why not intensify the search and arrest, or even impose martial law on the entire city.

Helian Jue sneered, turned around, and a bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes: "Instead of stirring up trouble, let's lure him into a trap. If he wants to play, I'll play along to the end. Let's see if he's better at hiding or if my blade is faster."

He walked up to Su Nian, looking down at her: "He went to find you specifically to disturb your peace of mind, or... to use you to convey something. Are you afraid?"

The last sentence carries a hint of inquiry.

Su Nian raised her head, met his gaze, and shook her head: "I'm a little scared, but more than that, I feel... we must find him as soon as possible."

Her answer seemed to please Helian Jue, and the coldness in his eyes eased slightly.

“Don’t worry,” he said, reaching out his hand. This time he didn’t use force, but just lightly brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. The gesture carried a strange, almost clumsy, reassuring meaning. “With me here, he can’t touch you.”

The sudden contact made Su Nian stiffen, and the skin on her cheek seemed to become sensitive instantly.

[Ding! Target's favorability has slightly increased! Host, is he... comforting you?] 088 exclaimed in surprise, [Although the method is still very much like Helian Jue's, the improvement is huge!]

Helian Jue seemed to realize that his actions were somewhat unusual, and quickly withdrew his hand, his expression returning to its usual cold and hard state: "The army will set off tomorrow. During my absence from the court, you and the elders will jointly discuss and decide on matters of state. If there is any emergency, you can use the carrier falcon to send a message."

He placed a small bronze token engraved with a ferocious wolf's head into her hand: "With this token, you can mobilize three hundred royal guards to protect your safety."

Is this...trust? Or just another form of surveillance?

Su Nian held the token, which still carried his body heat, her feelings complicated.

News of Helian Jue's personal campaign spread like wildfire throughout the royal court and inevitably reached the northwest. The entire royal court, like a massive war machine, began to operate at high speed. Troops were mobilized, supplies and provisions were gathered, and an atmosphere of grim tension permeated the air.

Su Nian forced herself to shift her attention away from Mo Duo's shadow and Helian Jue's complex attitude, and focused on the political arrangements after Helian Jue's departure. She knew that this was a test from Helian Jue, but also an opportunity for her to build prestige and promote her ideas.

She held a meeting with several elders who remained (mainly those who favored a more lenient policy) to discuss spring plowing matters. Despite opposition, she insisted on prioritizing the promotion of new plows and seed distribution, even using some of the authority left by Helian Jue to allocate iron materials to ensure the production of plows.

At the same time, she did not forget Helian Jue's strategy of "luring the enemy into a trap." On the surface, she maintained the normal operation of the royal court, but in secret, she maintained close contact with a deputy left behind by Batu, keeping a close eye on any movement within the royal court.

Time passed amidst busyness and lingering worries. On the third night after Helian Jue left, Su Nian finished processing the last document approving the slave redemption application, and it was already late at night.

The candlelight flickered in the hall, illuminating her tired yet still clear eyes. Without Helian Jue's omnipresent oppressive aura, the royal court seemed much more spacious, but it also made her more acutely aware of the responsibility on her shoulders and the lurking dangers.

She blew out most of the candles, leaving only a small lamp by the bedside, and lay down fully clothed. However, she couldn't sleep at all. The political affairs she had handled during the day, her worries about the frontline battle with Helian Jue, and the ever-present threat from Modo all intertwined, leaving her restless.

Just as she was tossing and turning, an extremely faint, almost imperceptible sound came from outside the palace. It wasn't the sound of wind, but more like... the sound of something gently rubbing against the ground.

Su Nian instantly held her breath, her entire body tensing up.

[Host! Something's up!] 088 also instantly went on alert.

The voice was extremely cautious, moving slowly and deliberately, as if it were approaching her palace gate.

Is it Mo Duo? Is he finally going to make his move? Or is it a trap set by Helian Jue to test her loyalty?

Su Nian's hand stealthily reached under her pillow, where a sharp dagger, left to her by Helian Jue, lay hidden. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her palms were sweating profusely.

However, the figure paused for a moment outside the palace gate, without attempting to force its way in. Then, a very soft, suppressed groan was heard, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

Silence returned.

Su Nian waited for a while, but there was no further movement outside. She took a deep breath, gripped the dagger tightly, carefully got up, tiptoed to the door, and peered out through the crack.

Under the moonlight, two guards who had been standing watch outside her palace lay motionless on the ground, their fate unknown. A blurry black shadow was rapidly disappearing around the corner of the palace in the distance.

If it wasn't Modo, then who could it be? He killed the guards, but didn't come in to harm her?

Just as she was filled with doubt and uncertainty, a series of rapid and orderly footsteps approached from afar. A patrol of soldiers happened to pass by and discovered the fallen guard. Immediately, alarms blared everywhere!

"An assassin!"

"Protect Senator Su!"

The royal court was instantly awakened; torchlight illuminated the area, and a cacophony of voices filled the air.

Su Nian opened the palace door and looked at the chaotic scene outside. A growing unease filled her heart. This didn't seem like an assassination attempt; it was more like… a diversionary tactic? Or perhaps, it was sending a message to her, or someone else?

The commotion lasted until midnight, but ultimately yielded nothing. Apart from two unconscious guards (who were later revived and claimed to have been knocked unconscious with lightning speed), no trace of the assassins was found, and no important items were lost.

Su Nian stood at the palace gate, watching the chaos gradually subside, her heart turning cold. She was almost certain that this was inextricably linked to Mo Duo. He was like a chess player, and the royal court was the chessboard on which he casually placed his pieces.

In the latter half of the night, she could no longer fall asleep. The empty stone hall seemed especially desolate and fraught with danger in the darkness. She sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, feeling for the first time in this world a profound loneliness and chill that penetrated to the bone.

Just then, the palace door was gently pushed open.

A tall figure, carrying the scent of night dew and a faint smell of blood, walked in, bringing with it the chill of the outside.

It's Helian Jue!

What is he doing here? Shouldn't he be on his way to the northwest?

Su Nian looked up in surprise, meeting his bloodshot yet still sharp eyes in the dim morning light. He was wearing the military uniform he wore when he went to war, his armor still stained with dust and dark marks, as if he had just rushed back from the battlefield.

"Your Majesty? What brings you here..." Su Nian stood up, her question unfinished.

Helian Jue offered no explanation. He strode to the bedside, took off his chill-stained outer robe and heavy armor, tossed them to the ground, and then, before Su Nian could react, lay down on her bed, reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

His embrace carried the weariness of a journey, his arms strong and powerful, with an irresistible force that trapped her entirely in his scent. That scent was a mixture of leather, dust, a faint stench of blood, and something else... his unique, domineering, and fiery body temperature.

Su Nian froze completely, her mind going blank.

【！！！】088 sent a string of gibberish and completely crashed.

"Don't move." Helian Jue rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice hoarse and tired, carrying an almost exhausting relaxation, yet containing a bottomless obsession, "Let me hold you for a while."

He tightened his grip, as if he wanted to crush her and embed her into his very bones.

"Upon hearing the news of the attack on the royal court..." he murmured softly, the rest of his words muffled, but Su Nian seemed to hear the lingering echo—he rushed back overnight because he was worried about her.

This realization struck her like a thunderbolt.

He held her like that, without making any further moves, just holding her tightly, as if she were the only piece of driftwood in the storm, a balm to soothe all the violence and unease deep within his heart.

Su Nian's stiff body softened little by little with his steady and gradually deepening breathing. She could feel the strong heartbeat beneath his chest, and she could sense the vulnerability and dependence that perhaps even he himself was unaware of beneath his seemingly strong exterior.

At this moment, all the mission, calculations, and fears seemed to temporarily fade away.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening.

As Su Nian listened to He Lianjue's gradually even breathing in his unprecedented, weary, and dependent embrace, a chaotic roar reverberated in her heart.

He's back.

Because he was worried about her, he returned from his long journey.

(End of Chapter 119)