She paused for a moment. “Don’t worry, I will do my best to assist her.” When facing a powerful opponent like the King of Yan, the Queen would naturally bring along her State Preceptor.

Chen Dachang reached out to caress her cheek, his voice low: “Do you think I’m only worried about her?”

Yu Haizhen stopped smiling, staring at him for a long while before asking: “Who else are you worried about? Me, or the child in my belly?”

Chen Dachang didn’t understand the distinction. The child was in her belly—weren’t they one entity? Why differentiate between them? But seeing the hidden expectation in his wife’s beautiful eyes, he answered without hesitation:

“You.”

Yu Haizhen buried her delicate face against his sturdy chest, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned: “At least you’re not completely hopeless.”

“Please,” bitterness welled up from the depths of his heart, “return safely.” His cultivation level was far inferior to Yu Haizhen’s; otherwise, why would his beloved wife need to go to the battlefield?

As State Preceptor, it was her duty to go. Yu Haizhen smiled and said: “Don’t worry, I’ll bring your daughter back safely.”

Chen Dachang was stunned: “Daughter?”

“Yes, daughter.” She snorted, “I prefer a daughter, is that not allowed?”

“Of course, of course.” Chen Dachang imagined a soft, adorable little girl standing beside his beautiful wife, and couldn’t stop grinning, “A daughter would be wonderful!”

Yu Haizhen glanced up at him with mock disapproval, then buried her head against him again, chiding: “You just know how to grin foolishly!”

Chen Dachang smiled for a while, then remembered the Queen’s parting instructions: to give the box to Yun Ya if she didn’t return…

Pah, pah! Such thoughts were too inauspicious. The Queen’s cultivation was profound, she was surrounded by elite troops and had the State Preceptor’s protection. By all accounts, she should be safe.

He inadvertently glanced outside the window and saw a dark cloud drifting across the sky, obscuring the moon’s brilliance.

Suddenly, he felt uneasy.

In the blink of an eye, it was the hour of Hai (9-11 PM).

The palace attendants thought the Queen would be buried in official business until she forgot to eat, just like yesterday. They had even prepared to persuade her to rest. To their surprise, Feng Miaojun yawned and called for someone to prepare her bed.

The Queen was finally retiring for the night; everyone withdrew on their own accord.

The temporary palace, shrouded in darkness, quietly sank into silence.

Feng Miaojun pushed open the door. Looking up, she saw the dark clouds in the sky. Looking ahead, Yingshui City’s desolation was hidden in darkness, leaving only the silhouettes of towering buildings and high platforms.

Against the pitch-black background, the city still maintained its imposing dignity.

Feng Miaojun gazed intently for quite some time before softly saying: “Just as I thought.”

She had already changed into night-moving attire. She lightly tapped her toes and flew over the high gate like a swallow, heading north.

Yingshui City was not quiet at night.

This abandoned city had been temporarily converted into a refugee shelter and was hosting the Queen of New Xia. The streets were constantly patrolled by guards in bright armor, ensuring no blind spots remained.

After nightfall, a curfew was imposed. Any civilians still walking on the main streets would be apprehended and thoroughly questioned. Strangely though, no matter what unusual noises came from the houses along the streets, the patrolling guards paid no attention.

Feng Miaojun slipped past a row of civilian houses and heard heart-rending screams and cries for help from below.

Several tiles on the roof were broken. She lowered herself to look through the gap and saw the ground rumbling and splitting open, forming a mouth that widened to over ten feet in less than a few breaths.

A man was sprawled at the edge of the chasm, his feet dangling over bottomless depths, his hands desperately clinging to the ground as he shouted for help.

A woman lay on the other side of the opening, holding a child, weeping incessantly.

The ground trembled relentlessly. Objects in the house toppled chaotically, with more than half falling into the suddenly appeared abyss, but no echo was heard—the crack was just too deep.

From their clothing, Feng Miaojun could tell they were a family of three. Disaster had struck suddenly, with wife and child isolated on the other side of the abyss. As the chasm widened, the distance between her and her husband grew: she couldn’t jump across to save him.

More violent tremors came.

This time, the ground the man clung to suddenly collapsed, and he fell along with the debris. Only a piercing scream was heard, echoing long and lingering in the depths.

The wife on the ground let out a shrill cry but held her child close, closing her eyes as tears flowed more urgently.

Feng Miaojun, on the rooftop, sighed softly at the sight but did not reveal herself. She simply stood up and continued forward.

She avoided the main streets, so along the way, she witnessed strange situations. House after house was not as normal as it appeared on the surface. In several dwellings, there were even monsters roaming about, whose appearances had some resemblance to the celestial demons she had seen in Yun Ya’s sea of consciousness.

Before long, she left the southern district where civilians were gathered and headed directly north.

The Queen had brought four thousand troops, but in the vast expanse of Yingshui City, they were like drops in a lake. They only patrolled the southern corner where residents had settled; other areas remained unwatched.

This was exactly the path Feng Miaojun was now taking. Without torch illumination and with thick clouds overhead, the alleys here were pitch dark. Abandoned gardens and derelict houses lined the way as if monsters might leap out at any moment.

She paid no heed, casually eliminating two wandering monsters on her path. Then she released her aura, ensuring the rest of her journey was peaceful, with nothing daring to challenge her.

Before long, a massive black silhouette appeared ahead, like a towering platform reaching the sky. The closer she got, the more she sensed its majestic presence soaring into the clouds, exuding an extraordinary aura.

This was the only temple in Yingshui City.

Feng Miaojun arrived at the main entrance and saw yellow leaves rustling in the night wind, creating a scene of desolation.

Beyond this, the temple exterior was empty.

This must be the place. Despite her thorough preparation, she instinctively took a deep breath before stepping across the threshold and entering.

These were paths she had walked before.

Passing through one corridor and courtyard after another, she reached the main shrine of the celestial deity.

As expected, there was light inside.

Feng Miaojun’s gaze darkened, and with a flash, she stood in the hall.

Everything here was the same as during her last visit, with ruins all around, except now there was a figure in the center of the shrine.

He was tall, standing like a half-iron tower, with eagle-like eyes filled with sharpness.

Feng Miaojun had never seen such eyes on anyone else.

The King of Yan!

She exhaled softly and spoke: “So you are here, as I expected!”

The King of Yan faced the entrance, and as soon as she entered, his aura firmly locked onto her. Feng Miaojun sensed his malevolence and clenched her fists, yet dared not act rashly, fearing she might not control the impulse to strike.

The feeling of being watched by a hungry tiger was not pleasant.

Her appointment with the King of Yan to exchange the person was set for tomorrow evening. But Feng Miaojun knew this man would plan and arrive early. After all, Yingshui City was the location he had specifically named; if there was anything suspicious, he would make arrangements in advance.