Poisonous Goddess: I'm just lazing around in the mortal realm.

"You hugged her???" Hao Jing exclaimed in surprise. He quickly stood up and took a few steps back.

Seeing his exaggerated reaction, Shen Mu frowned and said...

"If you speak any louder, you might as well become the watchman's gong tomorrow."

What's the big deal?

Shen Mu composed himself. He had actually recognized Thirteen's identity from the very beginning. When was it? Probably when he first fell into the water and saved her.

At that time, there was something unusual about Thirteen. When he grabbed her, he felt the presence of divine power in her.

Although that divine power dissipated very quickly, he could still sense it. It was exactly the same as hers when she was covered in blood in the canyon!

Initially, Shen Mu, like Zhou Jinghuai, kept trying to verify Thirteen's true identity.

He even sent someone to Cangqiong Mountain.

But he suddenly realized that perhaps Thirteen was now unable to speak out, or perhaps he had forgotten that fragmented memory.

This might be a good thing for Thirteen.

He stopped obsessively seeking the truth and instead focused on protecting her as best he could, hoping to make up for what he hadn't said back then if the opportunity arose.

Hao Jing looked at Shen Mu with a hint of tenderness in his eyes, the first time he had seen Shen Mu like this in all the time he had known him. He lowered his voice and said...

"Sir, what are you thinking? She's a man!"

Hao Jing had checked Thirteen's pulse before; she was clearly a man, not a woman disguised as a man. He looked at the sudden smile that appeared on Shen Mu's lips and couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.

"My goodness, sir, you actually have a taste for this."

No wonder he was so arrogant. He followed Shen Mu around, and Shen Mu never had a woman by his side. Now it seemed that in Hao Jing's mind, everything could be explained.

"There's no need to say that anymore. Just tell me, why are you looking for me so late?"

Shen Mu straightened his expression, as if he had noticed that the two of them were getting further and further off-topic.

Reminded by Shen Mu, Hao Jing quickly stood up straight and said...

"They are the Second Prince's men, and they want to leave the city."

"Leaving the city at this hour? Did you let them pass?"

"They've already been released, but I've sent men to follow them. We'll know what the Second Prince does by tomorrow morning."

Hao Jing nodded. As early as after the Emperor's birthday celebration, Shen Mu had already instructed him to have his subordinates pay close attention to Duan Yumou.

Now that the curfew has passed, the Second Prince has unexpectedly made a move.

“I suspected this was going to happen when this scheme was collaborating with Herlian Nash, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.” Shen Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if a dangerous aura was faintly emanating from them.

"Isn't Helian Nash still in the capital? Isn't he afraid that there might be a rebellion in the Western Regions? I heard from Xie Qiao that the people in the Western Regions have been quite active lately."

Hao Jing recalled that he and Xie Qiao had mentioned the Western Regions before. It was because the Demon Lord Chongming had disappeared without a trace in Nanyang that they had paid more attention to the small border countries that bordered Nanyang.

Unexpectedly, I learned something truly extraordinary.

"A priest from the Western Regions?"

"You've heard of it?" Hao Jing then realized that nothing could be hidden from Shen Mu.

“The priest Alashan from the Western Regions served three Khans of the Western Regions. When the previous Khan died, he suddenly turned against him and supported the Khan’s illegitimate son, Helian Nashi, to become king. He killed Helian Nashi’s elder brother, Helian Cangyang.”

Shen Mu raised his hand and took out a letter hidden in his sleeve. The letter was yellowed and looked quite old.

"Why would Alashan support an illegitimate child?" Hao Jing frowned, wondering if the mortal realm was the same as their divine realm.

Does everyone follow the principle of succession to the throne based on the order of legitimate and illegitimate children?

Unless, like the previous Heavenly Emperor, he killed the previous emperor and became king.

Having supported three Khans of the Western Regions, he was undoubtedly a person of utmost loyalty to the Western Regions.

Shen Mu suddenly sneered and said

"If he were truly an honest man, how could he have allowed news to start circulating in the Western Regions that they were planning a rebellion?"

"You mean they deliberately took advantage of the opportunity when Helian Nash came to Nanyang to pay tribute?"

Haojing couldn't help but recall that Helian Nash had been a hostage in the Western Regions when he was a child, and had been a hostage in Nanyang for several years.

Those days of ridicule and sarcasm in Nanyang must have left some shadows on a child.

Later, he didn't know what methods Helian Nash used to get Duan Yuan to agree, and even sent people to escort him back to the Western Regions.

Not long after, Helian Nash became the new Khan of the Western Regions and switched his half-sister with his younger sister on their way to Nanyang for a marriage alliance.

In other words, the sister of Helian Cangyang, the former heir of the Western Regions, was sent to the Nanyang Palace and falsely claimed to be his biological sister.

Shen Mu paused, then suddenly remembered something and slowly said...

"Why don't you think even bolder? I guess Helian Cangyang is probably not dead."

"Not dead?" Hao Jing was shocked. Fifteen years had passed since Helian Nash became king.

Could it be that these people from the Western Regions are so patient? They've endured it for a full fifteen years!

Shen Mu handed the letter to Hao Jingdao.

"Deliver this letter to Helian Nash's residence first thing tomorrow morning. Inform him that you are one of my men, and his subordinates will let you in."

His expression was somewhat cold, suggesting that he intended to start the plan ahead of schedule.

"You have a deal with Herlian Nash?" Hao Jing couldn't help but sigh. How come he knew nothing about Shen Mu, who was with him every day?

Shen Mu chuckled lightly

"What? All you think about all day is those courtesans from Drunken Immortal Pavilion? You can't even handle important matters. Why did that Western Region priest suddenly turn against us? Don't you remember we investigated suspicious individuals in the Western Regions before?"

Even if Haojing doesn't remember, he still does.

These people who appeared in the Western Regions were suspected to be from the divine realm, and they killed his adoptive father's subordinates.

It's likely that this Western Region priest Alashan has a powerful backer, and this powerful backer is very likely the escaped Demon Lord Chongming.

Haojing, however, was caught red-handed by Shen Mu, and grinned sheepishly.

"That's because the adults are considerate of me. They know I work hard for them every day, so they want me to rest more so I can continue to serve them, right?"

His arrogant bureaucracy is unparalleled; if Hao Jing claims to be second, no one dares to claim to be first!

"Stop with the empty talk, just remember to deliver it. Also, remember to deliver it to Zhou Jinghuai." Shen Mu frowned slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

Ultimately, he also needed to ensure that Zhou Jinghuai wouldn't have time to look for Thirteen.

"Lord Zhou? What happened to him?" Hao Jing didn't see the mockery in Shen Mu's eyes.

"Go to the neighboring counties and capture some vagrants and beggars, give them food and arrange accommodations for them. The only purpose is to keep that Zhou Jinghuai occupied."

"Huh?" Hao Jing was taken aback, not expecting Shen Mu to make such an arrangement.

Shen Mu glanced at him, her cold gaze sending a chill down Hao Jing's spine, and he hurriedly replied...

"Yes, I'll do it right away."

Haojing suddenly realized that Shen Mu was jealous.