Chapter 1321: Not Qualified

The Demon Empress inwardly groaned. It turned out that Qiao Xueying, whose medicine had just taken effect, was no longer satisfied with mere kisses. She began to grope around, and her hand inadvertently slipped inside the empress's robe.

When a hot, burning hand seized her chest, the Demon Empress's first thought was that Zu'an was taking advantage of her. Startled and enraged, she cried out.

However, she quickly realized it was Princess Xue's hand.

But it was too late for regrets. Niu Dao and the other Golden Crow Guards had already turned their heads, casting suspicious glances at the bed.

Just as the Demon Empress was about to speak, Qiao Xueying squeezed again, making her gasp. *Is this person kneading dough?* she wondered.

"Your Majesty, what happened?" Niu Dao secretly signaled his subordinates, and they fanned out, cautiously approaching the bed.

"It's nothing, I just thought of something that made me choke," the Demon Empress replied, feigning composure. *Will Princess Xue never stop?* she fumed inwardly.

At that moment, Zu'an's voice, conveyed through internal energy, reached her ear, full of apology: "I'm sorry, I'll remove her hand."

As he spoke, another hand reached inside. The Demon Empress instantly tensed. *Is this guy deliberately taking advantage of me?* she thought.

That had been Zu'an's subconscious reaction. He quickly realized it was inappropriate, but retreating now was pointless. The urgent task was to retrieve Xue'er's hand.

So, he gritted his teeth, seized Xue'er's hand, and pulled it out.

Throughout the process, the Demon Empress's nerves were taut. Fortunately, she noticed that his hand was relatively proper, avoiding contact with her body from beginning to end.

Despite this, his arm still brushed her skin unintentionally a few times. She trembled slightly, then bit her lip tightly, enduring the sensation.

Zu'an was also startled. *Why is the Demon Empress's body so boneless?* he wondered.

Little did he know, the Demon Empress had a secret condition: whenever a man touched her body, she would become as soft as cotton.

At that moment, the Demon Empress was both worried and nervous, making her body's reactions even more acute. She was on the verge of giving in.

Thankfully, she knew the consequences of exposing herself. With immense willpower, she suppressed the tremor in her voice: "Why are you still here?"

Niu Dao's gaze fell on the slightly bulging comforter, and a flicker of suspicion crossed his eyes. "Is Your Majesty feeling unwell?"

He didn't move an inch as he spoke, clearly showing no intention of leaving.

The Demon Empress knew he was suspicious and that continually answering his questions would put her at a disadvantage. So, she shifted from defense to offense: "What, are you staying here to watch me sleep, or do you suspect I have someone hidden under my covers?"

"This subordinate would not dare!" A bead of sweat trickled down Niu Dao's forehead. Although he did harbor such suspicions, he wouldn't dare voice them.

This was the Demon Empress; though alluringly beautiful, everyone in the palace knew she was ruthless. Few officials who had crossed her over the years had met good ends.

Unless he had concrete evidence, his suspicions would be dismissed as groundless rumors, and she would have a myriad of ways to retaliate.

"I think you're quite daring," the Demon Empress sneered. "What, do you want to use 'catching an assassin' as an excuse to pull back my comforter and look? I'm not afraid to tell you, I'm not wearing any clothes right now. If you're not scared, then go ahead and pull it back."

Niu Dao's large face instantly flushed red, and the breathing of his Golden Crow Guards quickened.

If they were honest with themselves, they genuinely wanted to lift the comforter and see what the Demon Empress looked like beneath, especially since she had just said she wasn't wearing any clothes.

But thoughts aside, no one dared to gamble. If the Demon Empress truly was naked under the comforter, they would all be subjected to eye-gouging, slow dismemberment, and the execution of their entire clans.

"This subordinate would not dare!" Niu Dao repeated, yet still showed no intention of leaving.

"Since you don't dare to do it yourself, then I'll show you." The Demon Empress's eyes sparkled, conveying a silent smile and invitation. As she spoke, she gently pulled down a corner of the comforter.

Seeing her exquisite, rounded shoulder, dazzlingly white, Niu Dao's peripheral vision also caught sight of the discarded skirt on the nearby screen. He quickly said, "We won't disturb Your Majesty's rest any further. This subordinate bids farewell."

With that, he covered his eyes and rushed out, terrified that if he moved too slowly, she might actually pull the comforter down, which would spell the ruin of his entire clan.

The other Golden Crow Guards hastily followed him out, making sure to close the door behind them.

The Golden Crow Guards outside quickly asked what had happened, but Niu Dao and his men did not reply, merely hurrying away.

This left the remaining Golden Crow Guards puzzled. "Why are they all hunched over?"

Meanwhile, when Niu Dao and his men reached a secluded spot, a subordinate asked, "General Niu, are we just leaving like this?"

"What else can we do? Do you actually dare to pull back the Demon Empress's comforter?" As Niu Dao spoke, the image of her making a motion to lift it, her fragrant shoulder half-exposed, flashed through his mind. *Incendiary, truly incendiary!* he thought.

If it weren't for the presence of others, he couldn't guarantee he would have kept his composure if they had been alone.

The Demon Empress's bone-deep allure and seductive power provoked an eager, almost reckless impulse, even knowing that touching her could lead to utter ruin.

"But what if the Demon Empress really hid an assassin in her comforter?" one Golden Crow Guard questioned.

"Are you an idiot?" Niu Dao slapped him on the back of the head. "Even if the assassin was sent by the Demon Empress, would she make such a huge sacrifice to hide them in her comforter, and even take off her clothes for it?"

"But she only showed half a shoulder just now, and a skirt was lying outside; she might not have actually undressed," the Golden Crow Guard mumbled.

"Heh, you really want to see the Demon Empress's body, don't you? Aren't you afraid of being slowly dismembered?" Niu Dao snorted. "Do you think I hadn't considered what you're saying? I specifically used my spiritual energy to sense if there was anyone else in her comforter. There wasn't. Otherwise, why do you think I would have left?"

"But the Demon Empress suddenly cried out just now; it seemed like something unexpected happened under the comforter," the Golden Crow Guard still persisted.

Niu Dao's expression was strange. "Use your head for a moment. The Demon Empress was alone in her room, undressed and hiding under the comforter, not letting anyone see her. What do you think she was doing?"

"Could it be..." A group of Golden Crow Guards swallowed hard, feeling their bodies stiffen considerably.

No wonder the Demon Empress's eyes seemed to be watering earlier; so she was entertaining herself.

The group secretly regretted it. If they hadn't been there in such numbers, if one of them had encountered her alone, there might have been a chance for intimacy.

Thinking of the Demon Empress's soft, boneless appearance from earlier, they all hunched their bodies, trying to conceal their physical embarrassment.

They shared Niu Dao's sentiment: she was truly incendiary, too incendiary!

Meanwhile, back in the Demon Empress's bedchamber, as soon as the others had left, the Demon Empress sprang from the bed. The clothes on the screen seemed to be pulled by an invisible hand, instantly wrapping around her body.

Zu'an was astonished. This was probably the fastest he had ever seen anyone get dressed. The way women in TV dramas slowly slipped their hands into sleeves was simply ridiculous.

"You brat, I was almost ruined because of you!" the Demon Empress glared at him fiercely. However, her beauty was so captivating that her glare held no real malice; instead, it only added to her allure.

"I'm truly sorry. I will certainly repay this life-saving kindness," Zu'an said, knowing he was in the wrong and only able to apologize.

The Demon Empress scoffed, "Oh, and how do you intend to repay me?"

"If Your Majesty doesn't disdain my humble appearance, I could offer myself to you," Zu'an said, smiling at her.

The Demon Empress froze for a moment, then quickly burst into laughter, her body shaking. "Is that repaying me, or repaying yourself?"

Zu'an was secretly alarmed. This woman was indeed deeply calculating; she didn't even get angry when he deliberately tested her like that. So, he spoke seriously: "Your Majesty rescued us this time, presumably because of the Golden Crow Crown Prince issue. His ascension would be detrimental to both of us, so we could form an alliance."

The Demon Empress's expression turned cold. "Firstly, I am the Empress. Even if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he must address me as the Empress Dowager. What conflict could there be between us? Secondly, even if I genuinely needed to form an alliance for other matters, you are not qualified."