The Empress Becomes a Servant

Early the next morning.

Sunlight spilled into the corridor through the portholes, yet it could not warm Wu Lingxiao's riddled, broken heart.

Creak!

The door opened.

Ye Xuan walked out looking refreshed, wearing a loose sleeping robe, with the satisfied appearance of someone who had slept well.

Outside the door.

At this moment, the Embroidery Maid was slumped on the ground like a puddle of mud.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot and sunken, and her originally rosy lips were bitten raw and bloody.

She looked so haggard that it was as if she had aged ten years overnight, her entire spirit drained away.

Hearing the door open, Wu Lingxiao slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were hollow and full of despair, yet the moment she saw Ye Xuan, a humble glimmer of light ignited within them.

Ye Xuan looked down at her, secretly clicking his tongue in his heart.

Tsk tsk, this crazy woman, it seems she was really tormented quite a bit last night.

However, this was exactly the effect he wanted.

If I don't grind away your arrogance and crush your bottom line, how can I comfortably control you, a peerless female emperor?

Ye Xuan's face showed no trace of pity; instead, he wore an indifferent expression that seemed to say, "Why are you still here?"

But he didn't drive her away.

Instead, he casually took out a steaming hot meat bun from his storage ring.

It was bought in Fengdu City last night, mortal food, two copper coins each.

"Here."

Ye Xuan crouched down and handed the ordinary meat bun to Wu Lingxiao, suddenly revealing an innocent smile on his face:

"You must be hungry, right? For you."

Wu Lingxiao froze.

She stared blankly at the bun, then looked at Ye Xuan's pure smile.

The hell of last night and the warmth of this moment formed an extremely absurd yet fatal contrast.

Trembling, she reached out both hands and took the bun as if she were holding some rare treasure.

The bun was still hot.

The warmth spread through her palms to her entire body, miraculously causing her heart, which had been freezing all night, to regain a trace of a beat.

He... he actually remembered that I was hungry.

He gave me food...

He didn't chase me away.

Holding the bun, Wu Lingxiao's tears flowed uncontrollably once again. Only this time, it was the rejoicing of surviving a calamity.

Ye Xuan looked at her miserable state, stood up, clapped his hands, and said casually:

"What's wrong? Crying like this?"

"I merely favored a personal maid, is there a need for you to be so agitated?"

Wu Lingxiao took a bite of the bun; it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.

She swallowed the food, gathered her courage, and asked the question that had tortured her all night:

"Young... Young Master..."

"That lady Ying'er... is she... is she your Dao Companion?"

When she asked this, Wu Lingxiao's heart leaped into her throat.

If Ye Xuan said yes.

She really didn't know if she would lose control on the spot, blow up this flying ship, and perish together with everyone.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan let out a scoff.

He turned his head and looked at Wu Lingxiao with the gaze of looking at an idiot:

"Dao Companion?"

"What kind of joke are you making?"

"Who do you think I, Ye Xuan, am? Even if I am down and out right now, my standards wouldn't be that low."

Saying this, Ye Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window at the vast sea of clouds. His eyes were deep and distant, and his voice became solemn and affectionate:

"Ying'er is just my maid, taking care of my daily life, that's all."

"As for a Dao Companion..."

Ye Xuan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Wu Lingxiao with profound meaning, and said softly:

"What I pursue is one couple for a whole lifetime."

"My Dao Companion must be the person at the tip of my heart, a unique existence in this world. If it is not true love, I would rather never marry in my entire life."

These words, like divine thunder from the nine heavens, directly split open the haze in Wu Lingxiao's heart.

One couple for a whole lifetime!

If not true love, never marry!

Ying'er is just a maid! Not a Dao Companion!

Wu Lingxiao's eyes instantly lit up, terrifyingly bright. It was the ecstasy of finding a way out of a dead end, the madness of a gambler turning the tables.

Hahahaha!

I knew it! I knew Consort Xuan had extremely high standards!

How could that little girl be worthy of him?

He is waiting for true love... He is waiting for that unique person...

Who is that? Who else could it be?

Other than me, who else in this world is worthy of being his one and only for a lifetime?

The opportunity has come!

At this moment, the resentment, killing intent, and jealousy in Wu Lingxiao's heart all vanished into thin air. They were replaced by unprecedented excitement and fighting spirit.

She wanted to become Ye Xuan's only Dao Companion.

For this, she was willing to pay any price, even if it meant playing dumb or acting lowly and subservient!

"Eat quickly, and get to work when you're done."

Ye Xuan looked at Wu Lingxiao, who had instantly revived with full health and had a wolf-like gleam in her eyes, sneering continuously in his heart.

Stupid woman.

Eight hundred years have passed, and she is still so easy to fool.

So what if she is a dignified female emperor?

In a relationship, isn't she still obediently eating the empty promises I draw for her?

After eating the bun, Wu Lingxiao's mental state experienced a qualitative leap.

On the deck of the flying ship.

Ye Xuan lay on a rocking chair basking in the sun, with a pile of fine silk and needles and threads placed next to him.

"Since you are an Embroidery Maid, you have to show me a thing or two, right?"

Ye Xuan pointed to the pile of things: "Embroider a pouch for me. As for the pattern... just embroider this sea of clouds."

"Yes, Young Master."

Wu Lingxiao was now as obedient as a newlywed little wife.

She picked up the needle and thread, her expression instantly becoming incredibly focused. She had truly practiced this craft of embroidery.

Moreover, she had practiced it for a full eight hundred years.

Ever since she forced Ye Xuan to his death eight hundred years ago, whenever the dead of night came and longing surged like a tide making her wish for death, she would pick up a needle and thread to embroider.

She embroidered Ye Xuan's facial features, embroidered his back, embroidered the bits and pieces of their past.

Every stitch was lovesickness.

Every thread was remorse.

Wu Lingxiao's fingers flew, the silver needle moving like a dragon, the silk threads like a rainbow.

She did not use any spiritual energy, embroidering entirely by relying on her extremely exquisite technique and her comprehension of heaven, earth, and nature.

In just the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

An exquisitely peerless pouch appeared in her hands.

On the pouch, the sea of clouds churned as if it were truly flowing, revealing an indescribable charm of the Great Dao.

"Young Master, it's done." Wu Lingxiao offered it with both hands, looking at Ye Xuan with an expectant gaze, like a child waiting for praise.

Ye Xuan took the pouch, his pupils shrinking slightly.

Good heavens.

This is too strong.

How is this embroidery? This is clearly carving Dao patterns onto silk!

Every stitch and thread on it contains an extremely profound power of laws.

If a mortal wore this pouch, they would likely be immune to all diseases and prolong their life; if a cultivator wore it, they could calm their mind and spirit, and resist inner demons.

It seems that over these eight hundred years, you really haven't spared any effort.

Just how many must she have embroidered to develop such skill?

Although Ye Xuan was shocked in his heart, on the surface he merely nodded faintly, casually hanging the pouch at his waist:

"Mhm, it'll make do."

"From now on, all my clothes, shoes, and socks will be made by you."

Hearing the words "it'll make do," Wu Lingxiao felt slightly disappointed, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, her heart instantly bloomed with joy.

All his personal clothing would be made by her!

Didn't that mean Ye Xuan's entire body would be wrapped in things she had sewn with her own hands?

Rounding it up, that was equivalent to her hugging Ye Xuan every single day!

"Yes! Your servant obeys! Your servant will definitely do a good job!" Wu Lingxiao was so excited that her face turned red.

At this moment, Ying'er walked out yawning. Seeing Wu Lingxiao, she immediately went up to her without a care in the world.

"Wow! Sister Ling'er, your embroidery is so beautiful! Can you teach me?"

Ying'er had absolutely no idea that she had walked back and forth through the gates of hell hundreds of times last night.

Looking at the approaching Ying'er, a trace of instinctive killing intent flashed through the depths of Wu Lingxiao's eyes, but it was instantly and forcefully suppressed.

No, she couldn't kill her.

She was Ye Xuan's maid; if she killed her, Ye Xuan would be angry.

Furthermore, Ye Xuan had said that she was just a maid, not a Dao Companion.

I am the supreme ruler, the future main wife. Why should I lower myself to get angry at a mere bed-warming maid? That would be too degrading.

As for serving him in bed...

Wu Lingxiao sneered in her heart: Hmph, in the future, I will fill up Consort Xuan's time completely. You little brat, don't even think about having another chance to climb into his bed!

Having figured this out, a kind smile appeared on Wu Lingxiao's face.

"Alright, since little sister Ying'er wants to learn, I will teach you."

Over the next few days, life on the Emperor Boat entered an extremely bizarre yet unusually harmonious pattern.

Ye Xuan began to cultivate like crazy.

He knew very well that playing with a female emperor, although satisfying, carried immense risks.

It was like walking on a tightrope.

Although Wu Lingxiao was currently fooled by his empty promises, there was no guarantee that this crazy woman wouldn't suddenly have a stroke of madness one day, or discover some flaw in his act.

Only having formidable personal strength was the absolute truth.

Relying on the massive amount of resources extorted from Wu Lingxiao, coupled with the heavenly treasures in the Nine Dragons Supreme Ring, Ye Xuan's cultivation base skyrocketed like a rocket.

These past few days, he had been in secluded cultivation in the quiet room, attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Meanwhile, life outside was handled by Wu Lingxiao and Ying'er.

Wu Lingxiao completely immersed herself in the role of a virtuous wife, loving mother, and perfect maid.

Washing her hands to make soup was no longer just an idiom; it became her daily routine.

In the kitchen.

The peerless female emperor who once annihilated tens of millions of demonic cultivators with a wave of her hand was currently wearing an apron, holding a spatula, and brewing soup with a serious expression.

"I'll put in three stalks of this Nine Turns Soul Return Grass... No, the medicinal effect is too strong. Consort Xuan's current body won't be able to handle it. Better just use half a stalk."

"This Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Dragon Meat must be sliced thinly and stewed over a slow fire for three hours so it melts in the mouth."

The ingredients Wu Lingxiao used were all peerless divine medicines and primordial relics she pulled out from her bottomless private treasury.

Taking any single item outside would cause the entire cultivation world to fight over it until their heads bled.

But here, they were merely a piece of meat or a mouthful of soup in Ye Xuan's bowl.

Ying'er acted as her assistant on the side, responsible for washing vegetables and tending the fire.

"Sister Ling'er, where did this meat come from? Why is it glowing?" Ying'er asked curiously.

Wu Lingxiao lied without changing her expression, "Oh, this is cured meat I brought from my hometown. It was marinated using a special process, which is why it glows."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Ying'er looked at her with admiration.

When it was time to eat.

Ye Xuan came out of the quiet room, looking exhausted.

Wu Lingxiao immediately went up to greet him, handing over a hot towel with eyes so gentle they seemed capable of dripping water.

"Young Master, you must be tired, right? Come eat quickly, I made your favorite dragon bone soup today."

Ying'er also ran over, "Master, Master, I helped too!"

Ye Xuan sat down and took a sip of the soup.

A terrifying surge of pure energy instantly exploded, nourishing his limbs and bones. He felt his recently broken-through cultivation realm instantly stabilize, with signs of further advancement.

Tsk tsk, is this the joy of being a kept man while acting tough?

Although the female emperor was a yandere, he had to admit that her professional skills as a nanny were absolutely top-notch.

Especially her cooking, the taste was superb. It seemed that over these eight hundred years, she had truly been learning how to be a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Ye Xuan put down his bowl and looked at the two beauties, one older and one younger, in front of him.

One was pretty, cute, and completely carefree.

The other appeared gentle and virtuous, but was actually domineering and paranoid.

Ye Xuan suddenly felt that this kind of life wasn't too bad.

As long as he didn't court death, as long as he could maintain this delicate balance and keep Wu Lingxiao hanging on...

He, Ye Xuan, would be the happiest man in this world.

"Ling'er, this soup is pretty good," Ye Xuan gave a rare compliment.

Just this one sentence.

Wu Lingxiao was so happy that the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears. In her heart, she was already calculating which divine beast she should hunt tomorrow to nourish Ye Xuan's body.

As long as you capture a man's stomach, you capture his heart.

The books really didn't lie to me!