Shu Yun nodded, thinking that she needed to summon Siming again and ask him to give her a safe route. Otherwise, with so many bandits and outlaws along the way, she would easily be exposed if she intervened too many times.

She glanced at Jiang Yan, who had smiled and then fallen silent, and assumed that as a merchant he was worried about the impending doom of the country. She reached out and briefly ruffled Jiang Yan's soft, dark hair.

Her movements were swift; her fingertips brushed across the side of his face, leaving a warm touch.

Jiang Yan looked at her with his dark eyes and saw that she softened her expression and voice as she said to him, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

The person, who was originally aloof and easygoing, now had a gentle look in her eyes and comforted him in a soft voice. The invisible wall between them seemed to disappear at this moment, drawing him closer and closer.

Jiang Yan suddenly lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, concealing the thoughts in her eyes.

The dark side that she had been trying so hard to hide was brought to the surface again by her words.

Yes, he was jealous because she was close to others, he was anxious because she didn't have a place for him in her heart, and subconsciously he was even more violent and uneasy because of the thoughts that had quietly grown up in his mind.

He had to admit that his feelings for her had slowly changed.

The person in front of her seemed like a vulnerable child whose vulnerability had been exposed. Shu Yun was at a loss for words in response to his reaction and could only gently comfort him, "It's alright, don't be afraid. There are just a lot of bandits along the way. Just bring more guards. If all else fails, I'll take care of you. I'm pretty good at martial arts too."

Not only is she good, but she is also a high god. There are only a handful of people in the entire world who can rival her.

Jiang Yan concealed her emotions, looked up and met her gaze, and said, "I'm fine."

He shook his head. "How can we let Wan Yang, a young woman, take action? Yan has some capable people under her command."

Shu Yun carefully examined him for a while, and only looked away after confirming that there was nothing wrong with him.

"The wine is a bit cold," Jiang Yan said, holding out his hand to test the temperature with the back of his hand before handing the glass to Shu Yun. "Try it quickly."

Shu Yun hurriedly took the cup and took a small sip. It was mellow and not greasy, with a hint of sweetness. "Delicious."

Jiang Yan poured her another cup and left it to cool. After she slowly finished this cup, the other cup had cooled down by the time she finished it.

"I'm glad you like it."

Inside the inner chamber of Jingren Palace, layers upon layers of red curtains were lowered, obscuring what lay behind them.

Empress Wang leaned weakly against the bed. Her once delicate face was now ashen and withered, even exuding a deathly aura.

She sat leaning against the edge of the bed, one hand hanging down, a gold-inlaid jade nail guard on her hand, shimmering and contrasting with her pale, withered hand.

The nail guards were starting to slip down her shriveled fingers, and the Empress bent her fingers to prevent them from falling off.

A spider the size of a human head crawled in through the carved window lattice, carrying a jade box on its head.

Empress Wang kept her eyes closed, seemingly unaware of the commotion by the window.

The spider landed steadily on the carpet-covered floor without making a sound.

The spider carrying the jade box transformed into human form, becoming Peiju, who held the jade box in her hands. She opened the lid of the jade box and presented it to the Queen.

At this moment, Empress Wang slowly opened her eyes and looked at Peiju beside her.

Inside the jade box that Peiju was holding was a bright red heart, which must have been taken out recently, as the remaining nerves were still controlling the heart's contractions.

Peiju handed over the jade box, saying, "This time, I took the heart of a noble family's daughter. The heart of a pampered noble family's daughter is the most tender and delicious. This time, it will definitely last longer."

Empress Wang looked at the still-beating red heart, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes, but in order to maintain her beauty, she still reached out and picked up a piece of heart that Peiju had thoughtfully cut and put it into her mouth.

Her withered, pale body visibly plumped up after she ate a human heart; her skin gradually regained its tenderness, and her body was no longer dry, as if flesh and blood were rapidly growing inside her.

Empress Wang sat up straight, took the handkerchief handed to her by Peiju, and slowly and gracefully wiped the bloodstains from her hands. "From now on, take the hearts of noble families. It will save them from bothering A-Tan. It's better to kill them and be done with it."

Peiju put away the jade box, carefully wiped away the remaining bloodstains inside, and placed the jade box in the cabinet under the dressing table.

"Ah Tan worries about politics day and night. It's just a war, what is he so concerned about?" Empress Wang didn't quite understand Ah Tan's worries. "If this country is lost, wouldn't it be better for me to accompany him to retire to the mortal world and live a carefree life?"

Peiju's cultivation level was lower than that of Empress Wang, and she had been in the mortal world for a shorter time. How could she understand the affairs of this world? She could only shake her head, indicating that she couldn't understand it either.

But she still comforted Empress Wang, "Even so, Wei Tan still often comes to accompany Your Majesty. Because of his busy political affairs, whenever he enters the inner palace, he comes to see Your Majesty. Those lowly women in the inner palace never get to see the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Empress Wang finally smiled, and a blush rose on her elegant and delicate face as she recalled how kind that person had been to her.

"That's true."

Seeing Empress Wang's smile, Peiju also covered her mouth and laughed, and some bristles involuntarily sprouted from her hands, black and long.

Empress Wang frowned deeply. "Keep it hidden, don't let anyone see it."

Peiju quickly controlled her hair to retract and maintain her human form. She thought of the women in the harem and said angrily, "How can those women compare to you in terms of looks or figure? If it weren't for Your Majesty's concern for the Emperor and the potential for gossip in the palace, I would have eaten them long ago."

The thought that some people in the harem had also been lovers with Wei Tanhuan made Empress Wang's expression suddenly turn cold. A terrifying pressure swept through the entire Jingren Palace, and her facial features also showed some fluctuation.

Peiju quickly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Don't let those Taoist priests find out."

Empress Wang withdrew her demonic power. "Am I afraid of them? If they dare to disturb me, I'll rip out their hearts."

“That’s true, but their visit still disturbed Her Majesty and Wei Tan,” Pei Ju said, glancing at the pink sea of ​​flowers outside. “These flowers die quickly in this freezing weather. Wei Tan should have the greenhouse cultivate peonies that Her Majesty likes and send them to us every day.”

Empress Wang stood up and looked out in the direction Peiju was looking. She saw palace servants busily removing withered flowers and replacing them with fresh, vibrant ones.

Ah Tan truly cared about her.

Thinking of that person, Empress Wang lost all trace of her previous stern and impatient demeanor. Her expression softened, and she waited patiently for him to finish his official duties and come to be with her. Her delicate face was filled with the expectation and shyness of an ordinary woman longing for her lover.

Looking at Empress Wang, Peiju, who was usually dull-witted, suddenly felt a sense of envy.

However, if Empress Wang was happy, she was happy too. She followed Empress Wang to watch the busy palace servants outside the palace, her face beaming with smiles, like two innocent little demons curiously observing the world.