The next day.
Soft sunlight streamed into the room.
Feng Ninghe was awakened by the light.
Si Xin Xin and Xiao Zhao were nowhere to be seen in the room.
She pushed the door open, and Zhen Zhu, who was guarding the entrance, hurried forward, her pretty face filled with a smile. "Empress, good news! The human puppets have all been eliminated."
The Jin Ling Sect had dispatched many cultivators. As long as the human puppets did not continue to fall through the black hole, their elimination was only a matter of time.
This outcome was within Feng Ninghe's expectations. A smile unconsciously appeared on her cheeks, and she gently instructed, "Everyone has been exhausted these past few days. Take good care of them and don't let the soldiers feel disheartened."
Zhen Zhu nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Empress, rest assured, these arrangements have already been made. Both the soldiers and the Jin Ling cultivators are being well taken care of."
Feng Ninghe subconsciously turned her gaze towards a certain house.
Axi stood with his arms crossed, guarding the house.
With the human puppets completely eliminated, Si Jian Ye would soon leave the Lin Kingdom and head to the Dragon Domain.
"Mother."
Si Xin Xin, who was playing in the courtyard, stopped. Her small face was filled with a smile. "Today's pumpkin porridge is especially delicious. You should eat more."
The maid also brought the meal into the room at this moment.
Feng Ninghe gently stroked her cheek. "Okay."
Feng Linyuan walked towards them, the sunlight falling freely on his handsome face. "Little sister, you must have heard about the elimination of the human puppets."
She nodded frankly. "Indeed. Since the human puppets have been eliminated, I still need to go to the Canyon Forest to arrange for the cleanup."
Countless human puppet corpses were piled on the ground, emitting an unbearable stench that needed to be dealt with.
Feng Linyuan praised slightly. "As the Empress, you should go and see."
As he turned his gaze, he noticed the food on the table. "I haven't eaten yet either. Shall we eat together?"
Feng Ninghe smiled and strode into the room.
Even the morning meal was exceptionally sumptuous.
Feng Linyuan casually picked up a bowl of soup and stirred it gently. "Little sister, if you are going to the Dragon Domain, take me with you."
Mentioning the Dragon Domain, Feng Ninghe couldn't help but glance at Feng Linyuan. "Brother, we know nothing about the Dragon Domain, and you know it's fraught with danger."
Her implication was that she did not want Feng Linyuan to go to the Dragon Domain.
She could venture into dangerous places alone; there was no need to bring another person along.
Understanding her intentions, Feng Linyuan smiled, his deep, ink-like eyes harboring hidden meaning. "I have been secretly investigating Lin Yu Ran and Ji Bin Yu for a long time. The reason I'm targeting them is to avenge a young lady."
His words instantly captured Feng Ninghe's attention. A hint of interest flickered in her eyes. "A young lady?"
Feng Linyuan's expression became tinged with a touch of emotion, vastly different from her curiosity. "I was cautious during that battle years ago. Although I narrowly survived, I was also seriously injured. Fortunately, a passing farmer rescued me."
From then on, he recuperated at the farmer's home.
The farmer had only one daughter, and he treated this young lady as his own sister, repaying the life-saving kindness.
Later, the young lady met with misfortune. Her soul completely left her body. It was then that he investigated Lin Yu Ran and Ji Bin Yu.
Supported by elixirs, the young lady held on for a full month, but her soul did not return. The young lady eventually passed away.
Upon learning the entire story, Feng Ninghe's eyes narrowed, and a trace of emotion appeared in them.
She bit her lip, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Feng Linyuan slightly raised his eyelids, his eyes filled with sadness. "For them, this was an undeserved disaster. I want to avenge the young lady with my own hands."
The kindness of saving a life would never be forgotten.
Lin Yu Ran and Ji Bin Yu had committed countless wicked deeds. Why were they still at large?
"Okay."
This time, Feng Ninghe no longer objected. "Brother, I will support whatever you do. It would be good for us to go to the Dragon Domain together and look out for each other."
The meal was quickly finished.
The Grand Tutor, along with several ministers, arrived, their faces beaming with smiles.
With the human puppets eliminated, the crisis in the Lin Kingdom was resolved, and they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Greetings, Empress!"
Seeing Feng Ninghe, the ministers bowed.
Feng Ninghe lightly raised her hand, signaling the ministers that no excessive formality was needed. "No need for such courtesies. Rise."
The Grand Tutor could not hide the smile on his face. "Your Majesty, this battle was arduous, but fortunately, we achieved victory. It was not in vain for the soldiers' sacrifices."
To defeat the human puppets, the soldiers of the Lin Kingdom fought bravely, suffering heavy casualties.
Mentioning the soldiers, Feng Ninghe specifically instructed, "Ensure that the wounded and fallen soldiers are properly cared for. They are all warriors of our Lin Kingdom."
The Grand Tutor nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Empress, rest assured, the arrangements for comforting the soldiers have been made. The compensation will be more than generous."
Feng Ninghe then put her worries aside and changed the subject. "I still need to go to the Canyon Forest. I will personally burn these damnable human puppets."
"The Empress is wise."
A look of admiration and respect appeared in the Grand Tutor's eyes. "Empress, you are more rational than before. With your leadership, the Lin Kingdom will surely prosper and flourish!"
The Empress personally burning the human puppet corpses was a trivial matter for Feng Ninghe.
However, for the people of the Lin Kingdom, such an act served to boost their morale.
As the Empress, she bore the responsibility for the entire Lin Kingdom.
She had condensed her heart's blood into a blood phoenix, continuously spewing phoenix fire to block the human puppets within the black hole. The Empress had disregarded her own safety and poured all her heart and soul into protecting them, thus winning their hearts.
As the words of praise entered her ears, Feng Ninghe's expression did not change much. Her clear, feminine voice slowly descended. "In the future, the Lin Kingdom will rely on the Grand Tutor and all the ministers for support."
"Empress, the carriage is ready and can depart for the Canyon Forest at any time."
A maid hurried forward and quickly reported to Feng Ninghe.
Si Xin Xin raised her tender face, her bright eyes blinking. "Mother, I want to go to the Canyon Forest too."
Feng Ninghe gently hooked Si Xin Xin's nose, her soft, feminine voice slowly falling. "Xin Xin, aren't you afraid of the stench in the Canyon Forest?"
The crisis in the Canyon Forest had been resolved, leaving only the stench of human puppets everywhere.
The smell of the human puppets was like that of a corpse left for a hundred years, a pervasive stench of decay and rot.
In response to the question, Si Xin Xin pointed to her nose and touched it gently. A slight fluctuation of spiritual power passed through her palm.
A breath-holding spell was cast.
She blinked her bright, grape-like eyes and chuckled. "Mother, this is the breath-holding formation that Uncle Xi taught me. I learned it after seeing it once. If I can't stand the smell, I just need to cast a small formation."
Not far away.
Axi clicked his tongue, a hint of emotion on his face.
His young lady was indeed the offspring of two exceptionally talented prodigies. Whatever she learned, she picked up with ease and mastery.