Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

The reason the term "demonic" is included in the title of the future Empress Yuanzhen is that, by the standards of modern society's morality, she possessed substantial psychological flaws.

Firstly, she bullied the weak and feared the strong; secondly, she was cunning and mistrustful; thirdly, her moods were unpredictable.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong referred to how she regarded ordinary human lives as worthless, yet she feared Mei Yingxue as one would fear a tiger or a wolf.

In history, Zhao Yuanzhen, to avoid the official manhunt, fled from Jiangnan Province all the way to Nanjiang Province. Along the way, to prevent her whereabouts from being exposed, she killed the innocent in numbers that could be counted in the thousands, causing an extremely adverse societal impact.

Being cunning and mistrustful meant that she never trusted anyone else, only valuing her own strength.

Even after later accepting the government's offer of amnesty and dividing the governance of the nation's internal and external affairs with Mei Yingxue, Zhao Yuanzhen never considered forming her own faction or support base.

She established no faction, took no disciples, passed on no teachings—her one hobby was to write her autobiography and make documentary films, boasting about how formidable she was.

Her unpredictable moods were what she was most criticized for.

Before Zhao Yuanzhen got angry, she would often pretend to speak gently; when she was pleased, she often deliberately showed anger.

Perhaps she did not want to let others see through her thoughts, but such unpredictable behavior undeniably made those around her feel like they were "on thin ice," making it very hard to have any good feelings toward her.

Of course, at this time, Zhao Yuanzhen was not yet the reclusive and odd Demonic Empress of the future, but that didn't mean Yan Yu could take her lightly.

It was now about one o'clock in the morning, and there were not many pedestrians on the road.

Although Zhao Yuanzhen's clothing was somewhat eye-catching, at first glance, passersby would only think she was a young lady from the Hanfu circle and would not actually associate her with cultivation.

The only thing to avoid was the ubiquitous street surveillance cameras—after all, once the authorities and Mei Yingxue communicated and reached a preliminary cooperation, they would soon start looking for Zhao Yuanzhen, the Demonic Sect Enchantress, so she absolutely could not be caught on camera.

Yan Yu was a high school senior who commuted from a rented room nearby and had lived there for nearly three years. He had long become familiar with the arrangement of the street cameras. At this moment, he was leading Zhao Yuanzhen through a complex path, sometimes crossing over bridges, sometimes taking small riverside paths, and sometimes even passing through bushes...

In short, he was doing his best to avoid the main roads to stay out of the public surveillance cameras' range.

If there was no way to avoid a particular area, he would turn around and instruct her to cast the Invisibility Technique, transforming into a black mist to drift past unseen.

Zhao Yuanzhen was oblivious to the existence of cameras but noticed that Yan Yu's route was exceedingly peculiar; there were many places where she even needed to become invisible to comply... Could this be some kind of profound formation?

That's right, since the mastermind behind him was intent on saving me, he naturally wouldn't forget to set up corresponding high-level formations to block the paths of the pursuers behind me.

But why were the steps to disengage the formation so strange?

They didn't conform to the Nine Palaces, resembled not the Bagua, didn't fit into the Seven Absolutes, and were unlike the Liu Ren... It looked like a child wandering around aimlessly.

No, no, Zhao Yuanzhen, don't be foolish!

How could you easily decipher the thought patterns behind the formation steps set by a master tactician? Who do you think you are?

Just memorize them properly! There will be plenty of time later to study this profound formation. Don't be distracted by needless concerns right now!

Yan Yu, however, was unaware of Zhao Yuanzhen's thoughts. Seeing her looking around and desperately trying to remember the route, he couldn't help but feel amused inside.

While he didn't explain the concept of "surveillance cameras" to her, had she already sensed that the public environment was not safe enough?

Indeed, in the original timeline, she managed to escape over 1800 kilometers upstream along the Yangtze River from Jiangnan Province, managing to evade capture for a continuous ten years—her wariness and sense of crisis were far beyond her peers.

Arriving at the door of the rental, Yan Yu took out his key from his pocket and silently opened the door.

"Come in," he said.

Zhao Yuanzhen carefully stepped over the threshold, while glancing at the security door from the corner of her eye.

The door was actually made of metal, how strange.

But to a Cultivator, even if it were forged from fine steel, it could not withstand a single spell... No, this residence couldn't possibly be so unprotected. There must be some powerful prohibitions hidden inside!

Once back home, Yan Yu carelessly patted the nearby chair:

"Take a seat."

Zhao Yuanzhen cautiously sat down, only half of her rear touching the chair, appearing quite tentative, her gaze not daring to wander.

Seeing her so proper and well-behaved, Yan Yu felt a sudden urge to laugh.

The Demonic Empress Yuanzhen naturally bullied the weak and feared the strong. At this moment, misled by the disparity in information, she thought she had the support of a mastermind behind her, so she did not dare to act rashly.

As time passed, she would soon realize something was amiss and begin to test Yan Yu's true identity incessantly.

However, the degree of cunning and suspicion characteristic of the Empress Yuanzhen was almost unparalleled.

As long as she couldn't confirm that the alleged tactician "absolutely did not exist," she would not dare to take the risk of offending him by making a move on Yan Yu.

Combining the above information, the answer to how he should interact with her in the future became clear:

Endurance.

The more you suppress and trample her, the more she will believe you are acting boldly, and the more she will dread the possibility of a "great power" behind you;

But if you are excessively polite and attentive to her throughout, it will only make her more suspicious of your identity... As the Empress Yuanzhen herself said in her autobiography documentary, "The Demonic Sect does not value gentleness, respect, thrift, and yield; it's all about the merciless law of the jungle."

If you're not weaker than me, why would you show me kindness?

Therefore, the logic of a Demonic Sect Enchantress who responds to toughness and not to gentleness, referring to her as a masochist also wouldn't be too far off.

With his plan set in mind, Yan Yu nonchalantly crossed his legs, looked at the cowering, trembling, helpless Demonic Sect Enchantress opposite him, and arrogantly instructed:

"Since you've chosen to seek refuge with me, don't you even understand basic etiquette? Go get a bunch of grapes from that fridge, wash them, and bring them to me."

Zhao Yuanzhen was taken aback by his words, biting down on her silver teeth in secret, thinking, "Could it be that he's treating me like a servant?"

Having grown up in the Demonic Sect, she was accustomed to all manner of sycophantic ugliness and knew well the principle of survival through bending or standing firm when necessary.

Perhaps the reason this person was ordering me around was on the orders of his master, deliberating testing to see if I was obedient enough.

If I showed the slightest hint of rebellion, I would be deemed "a useless chess piece" and discarded without mercy!

Consequently, she held back her displeasure and crisply responded, walking over to the iron chest that Yan Yu had pointed out.

Upon opening the chest, a cold draft rushed out. Zhao Yuanzhen clicked her tongue in wonder, thinking this must be some sort of a Storage Magical Treasure for ice, intended for storing fine wines and dishes, but why is it so unwieldy and difficult to carry?

She had just taken out the grapes when Yan Yu spoke again:

"The kitchen is over there. Turn on the tap in the sink, and wash the grapes thoroughly. Gently rub them with your hands, make sure there's not a speck of dust on them, nor any damage to the skin."

I'll rub your dog head clean off! Zhao Yuanzhen cursed silently to herself but turned the tap as instructed and saw the tap water gush out, causing her another shock:

Such an ingeniously designed water pipe! If a channel were to be dug here, turning it into a stream with twists and turns, it would indeed add a touch of Jiangnan elegance.

Yet Yan Yu, unaware of Zhao Yuanzhen's intentions to rip up his home's flooring, simply urged her on:

"Are you done yet? Why are you so slow?"

"Done, done." Zhao Yuanzhen, having carefully washed the grapes and plated them on a porcelain dish, presented them to Yan Yu with the respect of a maid.

Yan Yu lay lazily on the sofa, not even bothering to get up, but simply gestured towards his mouth with his hand.

Hateful little thief, do you actually want me to feed you? Zhao Yuanzhen was livid.

But upon reflection, his daring arrogance was surely because he had the support of a powerful spellcaster as his master, right?

Detestable. It's not that I'm willing to kneel to you—it's only out of respect for your powerful master that I'm temporarily yielding.

Suppressing the anger at being humiliated, Zhao Yuanzhen patiently picked a grape and lightly placed it in his mouth.

Yan Yu watched her seemingly submissive yet humiliated expression as he ate the washed grapes, finding it increasingly amusing and entertaining.

However, just like tempering a hawk, he knew there had to be a degree to which he pushed her—knowing when to tighten and loosen his grip. If he pressured her too much, it might drive her to desperation and provoke a violent reaction, which would backfire on him.

Having wielded the big stick, naturally, it was time for a carrot, so he smiled slowly and said:

"Don't bear a grudge because of this. In the art of divination, the most important thing is the cycle of cause, effect, and retribution. Your respectful conduct towards me today—who knows if I won't be the one to help you out in the future?"

Zhao Yuanzhen's eyes instantly lit up, and she asked:

"How will you help?"

The enchantress can't seem to keep her composure, still unable to change her nature of seeking quick success... Yan Yu then leisurely said:

"Tell me, do you wish to defeat Mei Yingxue?"

Of course, I do! If not for the vast gap in innate talent and strength, I would have already flayed that wretched woman, ground her bones to dust, seized her soul, and trapped her to torture day and night!

Thinking of how she had been harmed by Mei Yingxue and ended up in this strange world made Zhao Yuanzhen burn with rage, though her face showed only docility and sweetness as she said:

"Now, as a humble girl under the protection of your sect, I simply follow the host's lead. Whatever your master orders me to do, I shall do, only wishing to preserve my life and daring not to think of anything else..."

Before her words were finished, her chin was lifted by someone.

Yan Yu gently took hold of her chin, forcing Zhao Yuanzhen to look directly at him as he said arrogantly:

"Don't try to be clever with me, it won't work."

"Seeing as how you've been so obedient in serving me, I can reveal some of your future fortunes to you. Listen well."

"Within ten years, you'll stand no chance against Mei Yingxue; a decade later, your strengths should be closely matched."

"Twenty years from now, the tables will turn in terms of offense and defense. Whether you wish to kill or flay her, she'll have no choice but to take it! But this is premised on your acting according to destiny, not on your own whims. Otherwise, if you should perish mid-way, there will be no power to turn back time. Do you understand?"

Yan Yu's tone was profound, his face bearing the mystic smile typical of fortune tellers, which suggested he had revealed as much of destiny as he dared.

Whether you believe it or not, I'll paint you a big picture here, sustaining hope within you.

Zhao Yuanzhen was stunned for a moment, her body trembling violently, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she said in her delicate voice:

"Is it really as you say, honorable master?"

"Of course." Yan Yu nodded nonchalantly.

Zhao Yuanzhen quickly put her imagination to work: Could this be the implied suggestion of taking me as a disciple?

If I comply with the commands of the powerful divinator behind him, he's willing to nurture me, or even accept me as his disciple, help advance my cultivation bravely and powerfully, teach me art of moving mountains and filling seas, and ultimately have the overwhelming power to easily crush Mei Yingxue!

In that moment, beneath the layers of caution, defense, and apprehension in Zhao Yuanzhen's eyes towards Yan Yu, there finally emerged a hint of dependence, greed, and longing.

Yan Yu could see it, but he had no idea about her "disciple imagination"; he simply thought her obsession with killing Mei Yingxue had driven her mad, so he smiled enigmatically and said nothing more.

Of course, he spoke the truth. In her previous life, Zhao Yuanzhen, even with her constant fleeing and hiding as Zhao Running, eventually became a figure on par with Mei Yingxue.

In this life with his assistance, how could she possibly fail to win against Mei Yingxue?