C20 Saving Mother

Aware that his mother had been abducted within the palace walls, Lee Cann was determined to turn the palace upside down to find her.

He gave no heed to the threats of the Fiend Sect's master.

The Second Imperial Consort, witnessing Lee Cann slay the sect master, appeared utterly deranged.

"Lee Cann, I will kill you! It wasn't enough for you to kill my son, now you've taken my husband too. Are you a demon? Ahhh... I will have your life!"

Lee Cann, watching the Second Imperial Consort charge at him, felt a headache coming on; he had never struck a woman.

The Second Imperial Consort reached him and frantically tore at his clothes, her hands clawing incessantly at his body.

Lee Cann felt helpless in the face of the situation.

Yet, repulsed by the Second Imperial Consort's actions, he shoved the frenzied woman away.

The frail Second Imperial Consort stood no chance against Lee Cann's strength and tumbled to the ground.

Realizing she was no match for Lee Cann, the Second Imperial Consort simply collapsed there, defeated.

Meanwhile, Lee Feng charged forward, delivering a resounding slap to the Second Imperial Consort's face. Pointing at her, he began a tirade.

"You... Have I, Lee Feng, ever treated you poorly? To think you'd be unfaithful! The child you bore isn't even mine. To have been cuckolded for over a decade without realizing it, kept in the dark – I truly..."

Overcome with rage, Lee Feng found himself at a loss for words.

"Are you responsible for the First Imperial Consort's demise as well?"

At the mention of the First Imperial Consort, the Second Imperial Consort let out a crazed laugh.

"Hahaha, my husband and son are dead, but that accursed woman will join us. Hehehe, you'll never know the extent of her suffering over the years. You probably wouldn't recognize her even if she stood right before you. But you'll never see her again."

"Ahahaha, after over a decade of plotting, how could the throne pass to my son if she and the Crown Prince lived? Once he ascends as emperor and sacrifices all of Spiritspire, ahahaha, the riches and splendor will be ours. Hehehe, so much for your 'foolproof' plan – in the end, you're all doomed."

The Second Imperial Consort appeared to have succumbed to madness, her head bowed as she murmured incessantly, her eyes devoid of any luster.

Martial Generals Lee Cann and Lee Feng possessed keen hearing, so despite the consort's low muttering, they could clearly make out her words.

Disgust for the Second Imperial Consort reached a boiling point, and with a mere wave of his hand, Lee Cann caused her to burst and perish.

Lee Feng witnessed the grim scene in silence.

Approaching, Lee Cann placed a comforting hand on Lee Feng's shoulder, empathizing with the hardships he had endured.

"Cann, I'm alright. Go quickly and find your mother. There are still commoners and ministers trapped in the palace. I'll look for them. Let's split up," Lee Feng urged.

Lee Cann's respect for Lee Feng grew. He admired Lee Feng's ability to swiftly regain composure and put the welfare of the people and ministers first. Lee Cann doubted he could have managed the same under such circumstances.

With a subtle nod, Lee Cann vanished in the blink of an eye.

The Southern Tang palace was vast, a remnant from the kingdom's golden age. Despite its size, many areas lay unused.

Lee Cann darted through the palace, having scoured over half of it without any sign of his mother.

"This is taking too long," he realized, anxious about the time slipping away and the possibility of being too late.

Propelled by a forceful step, Lee Cann soared into the air, his piercing gaze scanning the unsearched areas of the palace.

A flicker of firelight caught his eye in the distance.

There it was!

Lee Cann descended and swiftly exchanged for several dash talismans at the Merchant Shop.

Once the talismans were activated, he vanished in an instant, leaving a trail of afterimages.

In no time, Lee Cann reached the source of the fire. The inferno had engulfed the entire palace, threatening to bring it to ruin.

Lee Cann's heart raced to his throat. The Fiend Sect's master had warned that his mother was gravely ill; the fierce blaze threatened to suffocate her if it hadn't already claimed her life.

Lee Cann's heart was heavy with silent prayers for his mother's safety.

As he faced the towering inferno before him, Lee Cann racked his brain for a way to douse the flames. Then, a faint memory surfaced—he had seen a Water Talisman in the Merchant Shop. Without hesitation, he opened the shop interface and began his frantic search for the talisman.

Fortune favored the determined, and sure enough, the Merchant Shop had the Water Talisman he desperately needed. Lee Cann wasted no time, exchanging for the talisman with a fervor.

"Ding! Water Talisman exchange successful!"

"Ding! Water Talisman exchange successful!"

"Ding! Exchange for Water..."

"Ding..."

The relentless pings of the system notifications echoed in Lee Cann's ears.

With the Water Talisman in hand, Lee Cann repeated the motions of drawing, activating, and hurling it into the blaze with urgency. Time was slipping away, and even as a fifth-rank Martial General, he was pushed to his limits.

Eventually, the fire was quelled, leaving the palace charred and partially in ruins. Plumes of thick white smoke billowed towards the heavens. After catching his breath, Lee Cann dashed into the palace.

Inside, the palace was a landscape of ash that sent a shiver through Lee Cann. A single cough captured his attention. He turned to find a frail, sickly woman lying on a bed. Tears welled up in his eyes; despite her emaciated appearance, he recognized her immediately—his mother.

It was a stroke of luck that Lee Cann had extinguished the fire in time; it hadn't reached the bed, sparing the woman from the flames. Lee Cann sprinted to her side, cradling her in his arms.

The woman was barely clinging to life. Lee Cann channeled his Genuine Qi into her to assess her condition.

"Mother, please wake up. It's me, Cann. I've come to save you. Open your eyes and see me," he whispered, careful not to disturb her fragile state.

Upon hearing her son's voice, the woman's eyes fluttered open, and the sight of a beloved figure brought a flood of emotions. Unsure if she was dreaming, she longed to reach out and touch the face of the son who filled her thoughts. But her illness had taken its toll, and her arm barely lifted before falling back helplessly.

Understanding her desire, Lee Cann gently guided her hand to his face, allowing her the tender contact she yearned for.

Lee Cann discerned the woman's thoughts and placed her hand against his face, allowing her to gently caress it. "Mother, it's me, Cann. You're not dreaming. I've come to rescue you. All the bad guys have been taken care of by me. Everything's going to be alright now." After softly speaking these words, Lee Cann lifted the woman into his arms. He had already examined her and found her to be gravely ill; a delay of a few more days and she might not have survived.

He brought the woman to his palace and tenderly laid her on his bed. In the marketplace, he had procured a Detoxification Pill, which he now gave to the woman to ingest. Staying close by her side, he held her hand in his and channeled his Genuine Qi into her body, aiding in the dissolution of the pill.

As an ordinary person, the woman lacked the Genuine Qi necessary to break down the Detoxification Pill or to shield her vital organs. Lee Cann's Genuine Qi painstakingly purged the poison and impurities from her system.

Time passed, and eventually, the woman's complexion returned to normal, though her body was coated with a black, viscous substance. Lee Cann summoned a palace maid to attend to the First Princess, helping her bathe and change into fresh clothes. He then stepped out, closing the door softly behind him.

​