Chapter 1779 - 839: A Mother’s Love for Her Daughter

Chapter 1779: Chapter 839: A Mother’s Love for Her Daughter

Along the way, Ye Lingyue indeed saw quite a few alchemists from Beiyu Palace.

They were busy until night fell, but neither Ye Lingyue nor Hunyuan Ancestor were exposed. Both of them breathed a slight sigh of relief, and Ye Lingyue planned to find a way to leave the camp early the next morning.

They returned to the tent, and the tiger-striped cat went out for a bit, then hurried back looking noticeably worried.

"Sir, there’s something I have to tell you. While patrolling, I saw the team leader taking two hundred elite troops out, and among them, there was a girl looking very much like Little Princess Chi Chi. I found it strange and went to inquire about it. It turned out that their mission this time was indeed to negotiate with Empress Dowager Chi."

Ye Lingyue was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Negotiation? Do they intend to..."

Ye Lingyue and the tiger-striped cat both wore grave expressions, as they both already guessed what the War Wolf Army’s team leader’s secret mission entailed.

As it turns out, Empress Dowager Chi was also quite the formidable woman.

Despite Beiyu Palace’s dwindling strength, she relied on solid defenses and Beiyu Palace’s army to hold most of its territory.

Zhan Hen was in a quandary after prolonged attacks, and upon learning from his subordinates that Little Princess Chi Chi had been spotted fleeing near the Demon World entrance, but she unfortunately slipped away.

Zhan Hen then played along, capturing a girl similar in stature and age to Chi Chi, dressing her as Chi Chi, and dispatched people to Qianyu City for negotiations.

During these days, Empress Dowager Chi was overwhelmed with the successive disappearance of her son and daughter.

Especially her daughter Chi Chi, who had just recently taken form and was not yet adept at sorcery, had Empress Dowager Chi deeply worried.

Upon hearing that her "daughter" was captured, Empress Dowager Chi panicked, demanding Zhan Hen release Chi Chi.

Zhan Hen used strategic cities of Beiyu Palace as leverage, and Empress Dowager Chi agreed to exchange cities for Chi Chi.

Beiyu Palace was in an uproar.

Yet Empress Dowager Chi persisted, tonight intending to bring her subordinates to exchange for Little Princess Chi Chi.

"How despicable Zhan Hen is. My mother will surely fall for it. Sister Ling Yue, what should we do? It’s all my fault. If I’d been more careful and not got caught, Emperor Zhan Hen wouldn’t have had this opportunity."

Once Chi Chi and Jiunian were released and learned the news, they were fraught with worry.

"Chi Chi, it’s already happened, and besides, it’s not your fault. You were only trying to find your brother. Zhan Hen is the real culprit. If Moonflower hadn’t used a demon talisman on your brother, he wouldn’t have gone missing. Besides, the situation isn’t entirely hopeless, as Zhan Hen didn’t come personally, and with your mother’s cultivation, she shouldn’t fall into any crisis."

Due to Di Shen, Ye Lingyue held great disdain for the Zhan Hen couple.

This pair exemplified ungrateful scum and hypocritical white lotus.

Since Di Shen couldn’t come to Beiyu Palace, she decided to avenge him.

"There’s no time to lose. Let’s immediately pursue the War Wolf Captain and hope everything’s in time."

The matter involving Empress Dowager Chi’s safety, and the survival of Beiyu Palace, compelled Ye Lingyue to act without delay. She had the tiger-striped cat lead the way so she, the Hunyuan Ancestor, and others could rescue Empress Dowager Chi.

Outside Qianyu City in Beiyu Palace, Empress Dowager Chi’s beast chariot rumbled along.

In just a few months, the once-radiant Empress Dowager Chi appeared haggard.

There were streaks of grey in her phoenix-styled hair, and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked more than ten years older, like a flickering candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

Behind her chariot were two hundred trusted aides.

This had been requested in the other party’s letter. Empress Dowager Chi had verified that Zhan Hen wouldn’t show up in person, only demanding cities in exchange. Furthermore, the place for the exchange was chosen at the border between the Beiyu Army and the Southern Nether Army.

If any unexpected situation arose, Empress Dowager Chi could retreat.

Her current concern was mostly for Chi Chi.

After Chi Chi and Little Jiunian sneaked out of Qianyu City, Empress Dowager Chi immediately sent people to chase them.

However, these two little ones were as slippery as eels, especially Little Jiunian, who had learned a lot of tricks from Empress Dowager Chi, and applied them all this time.

Empress Dowager Chi’s people were unable to catch them.

Afterwards, with Zhan Hen deploying his forces, Beiyu Palace found itself in a dire situation, forcing Empress Dowager Chi to focus on warfare and defenses, leaving her no mental power to search for them.

Unexpectedly, Chi Chi fell into Zhan Hen’s hands. Just thinking of the hardships her daughter hadn’t experienced since birth made Empress Dowager Chi’s heart ache.

Despite her toughness, she was ultimately just a woman.

Chi Ye had been gone so long without a sign, so Empress Dowager Chi had prepared herself for the worst.

During these days, she had been suppressing grief, barely holding on.

After weighing everything, she gritted her teeth and decided to sacrifice the cities for her daughter’s sake.

She knew well that her decision was undoubtedly exacerbating Beiyu Palace’s current plight, and even if Chi Chi was rescued, the dissension and loss of morale among Qianyu City’s people would be inevitable. But as a mother who had already lost her son, she couldn’t bear losing her only daughter as well.

"To the ancestors of the Chi Clan, I ask for your forgiveness for my selfishness."

Empress Dowager Chi silently prayed in her heart.

"Your Highness, the people from South Nether City have arrived—a brigade of two hundred War Wolf soldiers!"

The beast chariot halted, stirred by the uneasy tone of the South Nether City soldiers outside.

Two hundred War Wolf soldiers!

Empress Dowager Chi’s expression shifted as she pulled the curtain aside, seeing the War Wolf Captain leading two hundred elites.

Two hundred War Wolf soldiers equated to two thousand normal demon soldiers. Although Zhan Hen didn’t show up personally, dispatching the War Wolf soldiers made his intent crystal clear.

It was then Empress Dowager Chi’s breath caught, as she saw, standing next to the War Wolf Captain, a girl.

The girl was bound tightly, draped in a fiery red cloak, with large eyes beneath her red hair, resembling Chi Chi from afar.

"Mother..."

The girl cried out, but before she could finish, the War Wolf Captain clamped a hand over her mouth.

"You insolent fool, release Chi Chi immediately!"

Empress Dowager Chi shouted in anger.

"Empress Dowager Chi, if you want us to release her, you must first hand over the city seals for those cities."

The War Wolf Captain gloated.

This woman, previously several times, had forced back the Southern Nether Army.

He had sent out many assassins, all in vain, losing substantial manpower.

Fortunately, Lord Zhan Hen devised a plan to trick her with a "fake princess."

Empress Dowager Chi fell for it as expected; women, after all, let emotions rule them. This time, she was inviting disaster upon herself.

Once he killed this woman, Lord Zhan Hen would surely elevate him to the rank of Demon King, with endless wealth and glory awaiting.

Greed flickered in the War Wolf Captain’s eyes.

"If you want the city seals, you must release Chi Chi first, and your troops should pull back by a hundred feet."

Empress Dowager Chi bargained.

The War Wolf Captain hesitated for a moment, then nodded, waving his hand. The War Wolf soldiers retreated a hundred feet.