in the village, the Chen household was full of laughter once again yao ying and bao ying sat on the floor completely focused on chen ming one waved small wooden toy while the other made funny face chen ming watched them closely—then burst into a soft happy laugh.
"see! he likes me more" bao ying said proudly.
"what? no way he laughing at my face" yao ying argued.
at that moment chen linger walked in arms crossed though her eyes were smiling "you two skipped work again didn't you?".
yao ying grinned shamelessly "well... yeah look at his small face! we decided playing with him is more important that work"
bao ying nodded seriously "yes sister chen we like playing with him".
chen linger let out a small sigh "if granny find out you two skipped your work you're both finished"
yao ying waved her hand dismissively "Ah that old—" she stopped mid sentence. chen linger's expression suddenly changed her eyes widened slightly as she looked behind them she gulped and bao ying blinked and asked "sis Chen... whhat happened?"
then Chen linger slowly raised her hand and pointed behind them and both bao ying and yao ying turned and froze, granny stood there and holding stick her face was calm too calm "you two..." she said slowly "what did you just call me?"
both girls broke into cold sweat and yao ying stammered "W-well... i—" before she could finish—
WHACK!
"Aiyaaa!"
granny's stick came down without mercy "you think i'm old and useless?!" she scolded ,chasing them around the room bao ying cried out, "we were wrong! Granny, please!"
Yao Ying ran in circles. "it was her idea!"
"Liar! it was yours!"
Chen Ming watched the chaos—and laughed even louder and his small giggles filled the room and Chen Linger quickly picked him up smiling helplessly. "Ming'er, are you hungry?" she said gently, turning away and behind her—
"SIS CHEN HELP US!" Yao yin and Bao Ying shouted together and granny voice followed firm and unstoppable "Linger, don't interfere! I need to teach these two a lesson!"
Chen Linger glanced back once, then shook her head with a soft smile "I'm sorry," she said And walked away.
Leaving the two girls to face Granny's "discipline." Their cries echoed through the house—While Chen Mingshe 's laughter continued, bright and innocent.
---
On the Road – Far Away
A modest carriage rolled steadily along the dusty road, accompanied by a small group of travelers.
Inside, a woman wearing a dark cloak sat quietly in the corner, trying to hide her presence. Her name was Chen Wei. A small trail of tears ran down her cheek as she stared out at the passing scenery.
*I never thought you would betray us, Chen Mu… Why did you try to sell Linger? She is our own daughter…*
She wiped her tears away quickly and touched the wound on her side, wincing from the sharp pain.
"Tch… it still hurts."
She looked at the old woman sitting across from her. "Where is this carriage headed?"
The old lady smiled kindly. "Oh, we're going to Foosha Village."
Chen Wei frowned slightly. "Foosha Village? I've never heard of it."
"That's because it's a small, quiet place. Not many people know about it," the cart driver replied with a friendly laugh. He turned his head slightly. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Choi Ping, the owner of this carriage."
Chen Wei nodded politely and looked at the other passengers. A young girl with bright eyes came closer and asked gently, "Miss, are you okay?"
Chen Wei gave her a gentle smile and softly rubbed the girl's head. "I'm fine, thank you."
She turned back to Choi Ping. "How long until we reach Foosha Village?"
"About two or three days, depending on the weather," he answered.
The old woman introduced herself warmly, "I'm Wei Lou. This is my granddaughter Wei Pang, and this is Wei Ping."
Chen Wei looked at the two children staring at her curiously. She smiled and gently rubbed both their heads. "Good names. I'm Wei."
The two children beamed at her.
As the carriage continued moving, Chen Wei gazed outside. Beautiful spring flowers drifted down from the trees like pink snow. Her heart, however, remained heavy with worry for her daughter.
*No matter what… I can't let them touch her. Not until I'm dead.*
The sight of little Wei Pang reminded her of Linger when she was young — playing together as a happy family. Those memories felt like a distant dream now. Everything had changed when *he* entered their lives. The once-glorious Chen Clan was now serving that ambitious fool who wanted everything.
With a tired sigh, Chen Wei slowly closed her eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
---
Southern Continent – Heavenly Phoenix Continent
Inside the grand Phoenix Palace, the Phoenix Empress sat upon her majestic throne, radiating power and authority.
"It seems the Dark Emperor of the Northern Continent has already begun to move," one of the clan leaders reported.
Another elder added, "My Empress, the Southern Emperor has still not emerged from his chambers."
The Phoenix Empress narrowed her eyes. "Regardless, my sources say they have already started taking action. I will not sit and wait for rumors to be proven."
A nervous servant suggested, "Perhaps they are just false rumors—"
The Empress glared at him, silencing him instantly.
She turned to a tall figure standing nearby. "Divine General."
The man bowed deeply. "Greetings, My Empress."
"Any news about the Heavenly Demon Sect?"
The Divine General shook his head. "No, My Empress. They have gone completely silent. It appears they are hiding."
The Empress pondered for a moment. "Continue searching. Be extremely careful. We don't know what they are planning. They may have already planted spies within your clans."
The elders and leaders bowed. "We understand, Your Majesty. We will remain vigilant."
Once everyone had left the hall, the Phoenix Empress let out a long breath. After bathing, she returned to her private chambers. A servant brought her dinner and quickly left.
Alone, she carefully inspected the food for any signs of poison before finally eating.
*Every single time… I have to check if my food is poisoned.*
After finishing her meal, she placed protective talismans in each corner of the room, creating a strong barrier. Only then did she lie down to rest.
---
Northern Continent – Chen Clan
In the main hall of the Chen Clan, Chen Mu sat with a cold, imposing aura.
A group of Shadow Hunters appeared before him, kneeling.
"Greetings, My Lord."
Chen Mu's voice was icy. "Did you kill her?"
One of the hunters trembled violently. "M-My Lord… she escaped. We… we cannot track her anymore."
Disappointment and fury flashed across Chen Mu's face. "Pathetic. You can't even complete such a simple task."
A terrifying aura exploded from him. The Shadow Hunters shook in fear.
"Get lost before I kill you all."
After they fled, Chen Lan entered the hall.
"They failed," she said.
Chen Mu nodded silently.
Chen Lan continued, "Chen Mu, we cannot waste any more time. The Dark Emperor wants both Chen Ting and your daughter. We must deliver them."
Chen Mu's eyes darkened. "Understood."
---