I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon-Chapter 945 - 352: Empress: I’m Actually Easy to Please~ Her Majesty the Consort Is Missing? (3)
Chen Mo frowned, deep in thought.
If the Empress truly is upset with him, she wouldn’t need to leave the Imperial Palace to avoid him.
Moreover, judging by the wording, she won’t be back for a while; it must be something sudden and urgent.
"Could it be that she’s discovered my relationship with Daoist Venerable and rushed to Tianshu Pavilion?"
Just thinking of this made Chen Mo’s back feel a bit cold.
However, the World Gate Key is still cooling down, and he can’t contact Daoist Venerable—he’ll have to wait seven days before doing anything.
"Mr. Chen, are you really going to the Southern Border?" Xu Qingyi asked at this time.
"Since it’s a directive from above, I can’t refuse. I’ll likely depart in the next couple of days," Chen Mo replied.
Xu Qingyi hesitated before remaining silent, her head lowered, and she said nothing more.
Chen Mo retrieved a stack of rice paper from the Heavenly Profound Ring and said, "I’ve written ten episodes of ’Silver Bottle Plum’ in advance, which can be periodically published to avoid discontinuation while I’m away. I certainly don’t want to be cursed as a eunuch."
"Alright, I understand," Xu Qingyi nodded.
"And there’s this." Chen Mo took out several sheets of hard Chengxin Hall paper and said, "Please have Director Xu bind these into a collection and find some reliable publishing houses to print and distribute them."
"This is..."
Xu Qingyi flipped through it, her cheeks suddenly turned red and hot, stammering, "You, you want me to publish this stuff?!"
The hard paper was adorned with exquisite illustrations of various women in glamorous poses, even faintly revealing certain lines!
Unlike the traditional "elegant and delicate" portrayals of maidens, these artworks are extremely detailed and vivid. At a quick glance, they look almost lifelike, with every strand of hair meticulously depicted!
The most notable aspect is the peculiar styling of the women: black silk, fishnet stockings, high heels, tight clothes, long lashes, bright eyes, and hair color with five or six variations!
Combined with seductive expressions and suggestive attire, they exude subtle hints that made even Xu Qingyi’s heart race and cheeks flush!
Additionally, there were plenty of short stories inside, the titles alone were provocatively engaging.
"Madam, Please Behave", "The Fox I Raised Became a Spirit", "The Severely Injured Heroine I Brought Home", "As a Cattle Boy, I Stole the Fairy’s Scented Skirt"...
The content was equally captivating, presented in serialized format, with cliffhangers that kept readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.
"This collection is neither purely art nor solely written works—what exactly does it classify as?" Xu Qingyi asked puzzledly.
"I call it a magazine," Chen Mo replied. "This is the debut issue; primarily aimed at gaining market traction. Pricing can be set low as an initial loss leader."
Xu Qingyi suddenly realized, understanding his strategy.
First, use low pricing to expand reach and gauge responses. Once the market matures, large-scale profit-taking begins.
With the reputation of the "Whip Hero", coupled with these exquisite illustrations and gripping stories... it’s anticipated that this so-called ’magazine’ will cause a sensation like the underwear line in Jinxiu Workshop, becoming a city-wide craze!
"Where does he get all these peculiar ideas..."
Xu Qingyi muttered to herself, unable to deny Chen Mo’s knack for making money.
While Jinxiu Workshop’s underwear targeted upscale women, this collection precisely targets men, exemplifying not just the art of profit, but his understanding of human nature.
"Shouldn’t this magazine have a name?" Xu Qingyi asked.
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Let’s call it ’Playboy’."
"That seems quite fitting." Xu Qingyi collected the manuscript and glanced at him, "You’re the Households Commander of the Sky Scale Guard, spending all day studying these things... Are you running short on money lately?"
"Given my age, isn’t it necessary to save up for marriage?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. "I can’t let Director Xu suffer with me, can I?"
"What kind of talk is that? I’m not concerned about whether you have money..."
Halfway through the sentence, noticing his mischievous grin, Xu Qingyi realized, her cheeks turning red like a ripe apple, she stammered, "Wait, who, who said they’re marrying you? What nonsense are you spewing again?!"
"Ignoring you!"
She stomped her feet, about to turn away, but paused.
After a moment of hesitance, she mustered up courage and said, "Regardless, be careful when you go to the Southern Border. As for other matters, we can discuss them after you return..."
She finished speaking without daring to look at Chen Mo, and ran off by herself.
Watching her skirt flutter with the breeze, Chen Mo shook his head in admiration, "Young female feelings are always tender... Director Xu truly is becoming more adorable..."
Since the Empress wasn’t present, he didn’t linger in the palace.
After leaving the Imperial City, he first went to Qilin Pavilion, intending to discuss the southward journey with Ye Zi’e.
Three tasks awaited him on this trip.
The first was naturally to eliminate the remnants of the Gu God Sect, then visit Shen Zhixia at Martial Saint Mountain, and finally prepare for the upcoming Taoist Secret Realm in Qing Province.
According to the original storyline of ’Unmatched Immortal’, Ling Ningzhi is one of the "keys" to opening the Taoist Collection, so she must be present.
However, he needed to travel with Ye Zi’e initially, believing her presence might be inconvenient. Chen Mo planned to contact her via message after the first two tasks were complete, allowing them to meet directly in Qing Province.
Arriving at Qilin Pavilion.
Chen Mo stepped through the main entrance and past the front hall, where every official bowed respectfully upon seeing him.
"Mr. Chen."
"Greetings, Mr. Chen."
Since the last assembly concluded, his name had become widely known.
Having influential connections was one thing, but hardly scarce within Qilin Pavilion. Any agent picked randomly might be a scion of a prominent family.
However, the issue is not only his strong connections but also his astonishing capabilities. His record book surpassed that of all households combined, becoming Great Yuan’s youngest Grandmaster in history!
Now that’s starting to sound exaggerated!
Chen Mo returned the greeting individually, maintaining a courteous demeanor.
Having climbed the ranks from General, he understood well; a dam’s thousand-mile stretch can be ruined by ant holes, as field agents are the government’s eyes and ears, holding significant intelligence.
It’s these seemingly insignificant "minor characters", that frequently deliver critical blows to those "major figures"!
Reaching the entrance of the Water Department Book Pavilion on the second floor, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Households Commander Ye, are you inside?"
After a while, there was no response.
Chen Mo’s brow furrowed tightly, "Strange, where has everyone gone?"
