The Simp’s Heart is Sealed in Cement; The Demon Lord Falls Hard! - Chapter 8

The entire room fell into an eerie silence. Yan Yichen looked at the indifferent Su Mo with eyes full of sympathy, while Wen Muli stood with a cold expression, saying nothing.

“I didn’t… she’s lying, Your Majesty, you must seek justice for me…” Zhou Yanyu wept, crawling toward Wen Muli and attempting to touch his shoes with her cheek.

Wen Muli’s expression remained frozen. He bent down slightly, gently seized her jaw, and opened his thin, pale lips to utter: “Yanyu, have I spoiled you too much?”

The single sentence left Zhou Yanyu feeling as though she had plummeted into an icy abyss.

“Someone, strip Zhou Yanyu of her cultivation and send her back to the Shuiyun Sect. Tell their Sect Leader that Zhou Yanyu committed insubordination and offended the Empress. In consideration of my past ties with the Shuiyun Sect, I will spare her life. But if anyone dares to be disrespectful to the Empress again, I will pursue it to the end!”

“No… please spare me, I was wrong, I was wrong, Your Majesty! Let me go, I don’t want to leave…”

The wailing Zhou Yanyu and the three palace maids were quickly dragged away by the guards. If Zhou Yanyu was not to have a good end, the fate of the other three was easy to imagine. By the end of today, news of the Human Emperor acting in anger for the sake of a “fair-faced one” would surely spread through every street and alley.

Was it genuine love or personal motives? Outsiders might not know, but Su Mo saw it more clearly than anyone. You have to consider the master before beating the dog; Zhou Yanyu’s actions were a slap in Wen Muli’s face and an attempt to undermine him in public. Furthermore, imperial authority most fears officials who become too powerful to control. Years ago, the Shuiyun Sect was the first to stand up and support Wen Muli’s ascension, helping him purge many opposing forces—they were major contributors. In return, he had granted them many privileges. In recent years, the Shuiyun Sect had become increasingly excessive, and Wen Muli had long intended to suppress them. Zhou Yanyu’s insubordination provided him with the perfect opportunity. And this was only the beginning; in the near future, the Shuiyun Sect would surely disappear from the ranks of the Four Great Sects.

“Your Majesty, the Imperial Seal currently in Zhou Yanyu’s possession… should it be handed to the Empress…” Song Zhi, the Captain of the Imperial Guard and Wen Muli’s personal shadow guard, asked hesitantly.

Wen Muli pondered for a moment before turning to ask Yan Yichen, who was watching the scene like a spectator: “Chen-er, would you be willing to manage the Imperial Seal?”

Yan Yichen was startled and hurriedly waved his hands in refusal: “No, no, that would be improper… I have no name or status…”

“So, you are blaming me for not giving you a title? It is my fault. Issue my decree: take Yan Yichen of the Yan clan as Imperial Noble Consort, with the title ‘Xian’! Select an auspicious date for the wedding, and conduct the marriage ceremony according to the standards of an Empress!” Wen Muli, in high spirits, laughed loudly and gave the order.

“As you command!”

“Congratulations to Your Majesty on taking a new consort! Long live the Emperor, may the Emperor live ten thousand years, and may the Consort live one thousand years…” The palace servants and guards inside and outside the room knelt in succession, kowtowing to offer their congratulations.

Yan Yichen’s face turned from red to white, and he looked at Su Mo with cowardly unease.

“Congratulations to you, Chen-er.” Su Mo revealed an expression of heartfelt emotion, offering his sincere blessings. He then looked at Wen Muli, waiting a long moment before saying in a hoarse voice: “Congratulations, Your Majesty… may your wishes come true!”

Wen Muli said nothing and turned to leave.

“Your Majesty, since the Consort’s body is currently in poor health, this servant daringly requests Your Majesty to allow the Consort to leave the palace and go to the summer villa for recuperation!” Ye Lin fell to her knees, kowtowing repeatedly.

She hated this heartless, ungrateful man to the core. She desperately wanted to take Su Mo and fly far away, not wanting him to witness the wedding banquet of this pair of scoundrels it was simply too laughable and too ironic. After all, when Su Mo married Wen Muli back then, there was no grand banquet; he was carried into the Fengxin Palace through a side gate in a tattered sedan, quietly and without a sound. Not to mention a bridal night her master had kept a lonely vigil in an empty room for nearly a hundred years!

“Do you want to go, Su Mo? I see… what you least want to see is me marrying him. But… what can be done? The more you don’t want it, the more I insist on making you watch! I will not only make you watch, I will make you host this wedding banquet. I will make you realize profoundly: even if you schemed for a hundred years and harmed countless people, in the end, I will still get exactly what I wish for!”

Wen Muli ignored the kowtowing Ye Lin and stared intensely at Su Mo, revealing a meaningful smile as he spoke each word clearly, dripping with resentment.

“As you wish.”

Su Mo did not offer any objections; instead, he smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. His demeanor made it seem as though he were truly proud and offering blessings that he had finally found his true love to spend his life with.

The fact that Su Mo was so eager to agree made Wen Muli feel as though he had swallowed a fly it was incredibly repulsive! Why was it like this? He clearly loved him deeply; he should be sad and pained because he was marrying someone else. Why did he look as happy as if he had finally gotten rid of a massive burden?

Wen Muli’s face gradually turned gloomy.

“Now that Consort Xian has recovered his health, Your Majesty should spend more time by his side. I will not disturb the two of you any longer; I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.” Su Mo offered a sincere smile, cupped his hands in blessing, and then called for Ye Lin to leave.

“Su Mo!” Wen Muli roared in anger behind him, having lost all composure.

But what he received was not Su Mo looking back, but his departure without even a glance.

Yan Yichen, standing to the side, found it hard to watch. He didn’t understand. Wen Muli clearly had Su Mo in his heart, so why couldn’t he treat him better? Why insist on this sort of intense, sadomasochistic romance, which only ended up torturing himself? What was the point?

“Your Majesty, Brother Su is the best man in the whole world; you should treat him better… life is so short, don’t wait until you’ve lost him to regret it…” he urged with earnest advice.

“I will not regret it. Without loss, how can there be appreciation? Without appreciation, how can there be loss? Chen-er, you are always taking his side. Could it be that you have developed special feelings for him?” Wen Muli sneered, his expression indifferent.

“What nonsense are you spouting? My feelings for Brother Su are absolutely not romantic. I respect him and honor him, and I think of him as my family… Your Majesty, I beg you, for my sake, treat him better, don’t torture him anymore. Don’t you feel a pang of heartache when you see his condition?” Yan Yichen pouted, acting affectionately to continue his persuasion.

“I’ll consider it,” the latter replied non-committally.

“What do you mean ‘consider it’? You’re too mean…”

On the way back to the Fengxin Palace, Ye Lin asked hesitantly, “Your Highness, are you alright?”

“What could possibly be wrong with me? Don’t worry, I’m just fine,” Su Mo answered with a wry smile.

“Wuu-wuu-wuu… you don’t have to put on a brave face. If you want to cry, you can use my shoulder!” Ye Lin felt even more heartache, thinking he was forcing a smile, and patted her own shoulder gallantly.

Su Mo found himself unable to argue. He truly didn’t feel that their wedding was anything worth crying over. After all, he was finally going to be liberated! When he met the System again, he would definitely tell it to just pick a completely ordinary modern society for him. He didn’t want to experience these high-stakes dramas ever again. A few hundred years was too long… too agonizing, and too lonely. He just wanted to find a partner he loved, who loved him back, and live out a simple, ordinary, and happy life!