Chapter 847: Confused Old Demonic Emperor

Only Zhuoyin would do something so underhanded.

Queen Jiomeng's expression became complicated. She sighed deeply. "Old Demon King, you... sigh!" She was at a loss for words. Knowing that Demon King Zhuoyin was good for nothing, why would he entrust him with something so important? Luckily, opening the giant clam required Nascent Soul level power. Otherwise, Zhuoyin would have long since stolen the top-grade protective pearl and sold it for money. She leaned against the giant clam, feeling a wave of exhaustion.

Jiang Fan, however, saw things clearly and offered comfort. "No matter how useless Zhuoyin is, he is still his son. If he didn't leave good things to his son, would he leave them to outsiders? Everyone is selfish. It's understandable. Besides, Zhuoyin has already been expelled from the royal family. You won't have to worry about him anymore."

Queen Jiomeng's mood improved slightly. She murmured, "Thank you. I'm just a bit weary. I might have a husband, but I'm worse off than that old widow. No matter how tired she is, at least she doesn't have anyone holding her back or any lingering concerns."

Jiang Fan felt a degree of sympathy for Queen Jiomeng. She was indeed in a much more difficult position than Queen Yizhu. However, he found it inappropriate to interfere much in another's family affairs. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your generosity, Queen Jiomeng. Bring the incomplete pill formula, and I will complete it for you."

Queen Jiomeng's worries immediately vanished, and she produced the pill formula with a joyful smile. Just as she was about to step forward, she noticed Jiang Fan backing away again. She became a little exasperated. "What is wrong with you? Are you guarding against me? Do you have to keep a distance of three zhang?"

Seeing her annoyance, Jiang Fan was bewildered. "Is there a problem with that? Isn't it good for both of us?" He certainly didn't want a repeat of the absurd events in the East Sea. It was better to maintain some distance from Queen Jiomeng.

Queen Jiomeng frowned. "There's no problem with that, but... shouldn't I be the one guarding against *you*? You're making it seem as if I have some designs on you!"

So that's why she was angry. Jiang Fan was speechless. "Alright, let me confirm something first. You don't have any sons or daughters who look exactly like you, do you?"

Queen Jiomeng's pretty face stiffened. "I have no children with that person." Immediately, she realized something and scrutinized Jiang Fan with a puzzled expression. "By asking that, don't tell me you've met the old widow's two older children who look exactly like her? And because of that, some misunderstanding occurred between you and the old widow? Is that why you're wary of me, to avoid a similar misunderstanding?" After all, she had been a demon king for decades. Her mind was quite sharp, and she instantly guessed the truth.

Jiang Fan's old face flushed, and he quickly changed the subject. "Do you want this pill formula or not? If not, I'm leaving!"

Queen Jiomeng took a long stride, walked quickly to him, and glared at him with her phoenix eyes. She shoved the pill formula into his arms. "Don't worry about a thing! This is my South Sea Royal Palace, not the Thunder Pond! It's not so easy for misunderstandings to happen here!"

Jiang Fan felt helpless. *You're the one who came closer. If anything happens, I'm not responsible.* He unfolded the pill formula and completed the missing ingredient proportions.

"Alright, our transaction is complete. Farewell." Jiang Fan returned the pill formula to her and began to walk out of the formation.

Queen Jiomeng quickly glanced at the formula, her eyes also showing joy, and started to move towards the formation's exit. But suddenly, as if sensing something, she swiftly darted forward. Before Jiang Fan could step out of the formation, she grabbed his arm and urgently exclaimed, "Don't go out!"

Caught off guard, Jiang Fan was pulled backward, stumbling until his head fell into something soft and warm. He turned his head to see it was Queen Jiomeng's chest. Her loose, elegant black dress obscured her exact figure, but from the touch of the collision, it perfectly matched the 'scale' he had witnessed in the Thunder Pond that day.

Queen Jiomeng's face flushed, and she quickly pushed him away. Jiang Fan mumbled, "I told you to keep your distance. But no, you wouldn't listen." While saying this, his gaze shifted beyond the formation. Suspiciously, he asked, "Why did you pull me back? Did you discover something?"

Queen Jiomeng rubbed her slightly sore chest. She fixed her gaze outside the formation and sharply called out, "Come out!" The air outside the formation immediately distorted, and a tall figure slowly materialized. He was handsome, but his eyes were unusually sharp, currently filled with malevolence. Who else could it be but Demon King Zhuoyin, who had been expelled from the South Sea Royal Palace?

"I knew it was you!" Queen Jiomeng's powerful senses had detected someone hiding outside the formation, which is why she had pulled Jiang Fan back in time. Looking now, Demon King Zhuoyin held a sharp dagger in his left hand. In his right, he clutched a palm-sized, iridescent fish scale, which shimmered faintly, clearly providing him with invisibility. "The Old Demon King's invisibility Kun Scale? Wasn't it lost long ago?" Queen Jiomeng was slightly surprised, her expression immediately becoming complicated. It came back to Jiang Fan's words: Zhuoyin was, after all, his own son. However, seeing the sharp weapon in Zhuoyin's left hand, Queen Jiomeng's beautiful face turned cold. "You still intend to assassinate Young Master Jiang?" She had detected the anomaly because she had vaguely sensed a killing intent. Otherwise, she wouldn't have noticed anyone outside.

"What, you'd feel bad if he died?" Demon King Zhuoyin sneered. "What Thunder Pond, what misunderstanding? I heard everything just now! You keep saying you have nothing with this pretty boy? And yet? You shameless hussy!"

Queen Jiomeng disdained explaining. She scoffed, "You snuck back just to assassinate Young Master Jiang? Perfect, I'll lock you up first. I'll deal with you after Young Master Jiang safely leaves the South Sea!" If Jiang Fan were to die in the South Sea, she wouldn't be able to answer to the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. This persistent Zhuoyin, roaming outside, was a menace waiting to happen. It was better to capture him!

*Whoosh—* She immediately darted towards the outside of the formation. "For a pretty boy, you want to capture me?" Zhuoyin roared. He instantly pulled out a glistening golden royal talisman from his pocket. He raised his hand and pressed it onto the formation. The formation, which had a gap, immediately sealed shut. Queen Jiomeng crashed into the edge of the formation, blocked by a layer of translucent blue light.

"The Old Demon King's royal talisman is indeed in your hands. But can this formation trap me?" She took out her own royal talisman and pressed it onto the formation. What made her expression change was that the formation remained completely still, unaffected by her royal talisman.

Demon King Zhuoyin, outside the formation, finally burst into laughter. "Why can't you open it? My old man trusted you so much, didn't he tell you that the royal talisman held by the Demon King is the true royal talisman? The royal talismans of the eight clan elders are merely auxiliary talismans. With the true royal talisman present, your auxiliary talisman is completely useless."

"What?" Queen Jiomeng was stunned. She tried to activate the royal talisman in her hand several times, but just as Demon King Zhuoyin had said, her talisman had no effect whatsoever. The formation was completely unresponsive to her control!