After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 97 - "Heh, The Empresss Lapdog"

Tonight, the City Lord of Dragon Capital sat in his basement, eagerly awaiting his subordinates to bring in their captive for interrogation.

As the City Lord, he was the highest authority in the capital. He could easily fabricate a thousand charges against He Ange if he wished.

Once He Ange was detained in the Li residence, the City Lord could openly confront the An family. Even if An Luo Yi was the “Destined Heroine,” she couldn’t possibly oppose the entire Li family and the capital. She would have no choice but to watch helplessly as He Ange was captured and tortured.

Tomorrow, even if the heavens themselves descended, they would have to kneel before the City Lord and apologize before negotiating for He Ange’s release!

The thought made the City Lord chuckle coldly.

However, the basement was indeed quite chilly.

Despite his subordinates bringing him hot tea, the City Lord shivered from the cold, the damp air seeping into his bones.

“Why are they taking so long? Catching a Foundation Establishment boy shouldn’t be this difficult,” he muttered, standing up to check on the situation.

Just as he reached the door, it was suddenly flung open from the outside, slamming into his nose and sending him sprawling to the ground in pain.

Three black-clad figures entered, looking momentarily confused.

“Are you blind? You nearly killed me!” the City Lord shouted, clutching his nose in agony.

The black-clad figures exchanged glances, then one of them spoke up apologetically.

“Sorry, City Lord. We didn’t know you were behind the door.”

“Stop wasting time and help me up! Can’t you see I’m hurt?” the City Lord barked.

Two of the figures hurried forward, lifting him to his feet and guiding him to the interrogation chair.

Still nursing his throbbing nose, the City Lord glanced at the third figure, who was carrying a large sack.

“Did you catch him?” he demanded.

“Yes, City Lord. He Ange is in this sack,” the figure replied.

“Good,” the City Lord said, rubbing his hands together. “Open it up.”

The figure complied, untying the sack and dumping its contents onto the floor.

Bound and gagged, a man tumbled out, writhing in pain.

The City Lord leaned forward, peering down at the man with a sinister grin.

“Excellent. Give him twenty lashes to start,” he ordered.

“Yes, City Lord,” the two figures replied, grabbing wooden sticks and beginning to beat the man mercilessly.

The City Lord laughed heartily, enjoying the spectacle.

But as the beating continued, the gag fell from the man’s mouth, and he began to scream for mercy.

“Help! City Lord, it’s me! Zhang Mazi! You’ve got the wrong person! Please, stop! Don’t hit me anymore!”

“???” The City Lord froze, his laughter dying in his throat.

But the black-clad figures showed no mercy, their blows only growing fiercer.

Zhang Mazi curled into a ball, pleading desperately.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Finally, the City Lord couldn’t take it any longer.

“Wait! Stop! You’ve got the wrong person! This is Zhang Mazi! Isn’t he one of the three I sent out? Why are there still three of you?”

As he spoke, the City Lord looked up, realizing something was terribly wrong.

One of the figures, slender and sinister, met his gaze with cold, malevolent eyes.

Years of experience in the immortal world told the City Lord that this person was dangerous.

He tried to activate his cultivation, but the two figures beside him pinned him to the interrogation chair, binding him with sealing talismans.

Snap—

The chair’s spirit lock activated, binding the City Lord with chains. The talismans suppressed his cultivation, leaving him powerless.

“Impressive. This interrogation chair is made of secret silver and equipped with spirit locks to suppress high-level cultivators. I imagine you’ve detained quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators here over the years,” the sinister figure said, stepping forward with a cold smile.

The City Lord, pale and trembling, realized he was trapped.

“Who are you? Have you all betrayed me?” he demanded, fear gripping his heart.

The interrogation chair was designed to restrain Nascent Soul cultivators, making it more than sufficient to hold him, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

But the most terrifying part was that his three subordinates, all Core Formation cultivators raised by the Li family, had betrayed him so easily.

How was this possible?

“City Lord, there’s no need to be so hasty,” He Ange said, removing his mask to reveal his true identity.

He stepped forward, bowing politely.

“I heard you were looking for me, so I came to pay my respects.”

“You... you...” The City Lord stared at He Ange, his eyes wide with disbelief and fear.

“Are you a rogue cultivator?”

The City Lord, with his years of experience, recognized He Ange’s true nature immediately.

“You’re insane! Do you know where you are? This is the capital, a city under the direct control of the Dragon Dynasty. If you reveal your rogue cultivation here, you’ll be hunted down by thousands of immortal attendants!” he threatened.

He Ange merely smiled, unfazed.

“You’re right. I am a rogue cultivator.”

“And I suppose you recognize this?” he said, revealing the Abyss Orb in his hand, its dark energy glowing ominously.

The City Lord’s face turned ashen.

“The Abyss Orb...”

“You... you’re the one who killed the Demon Sect’s Holy Son in Yong’an City! If this gets out, the Empress will hunt you down!”

The City Lord’s voice trembled with terror, but He Ange remained calm.

“The Empress?” he scoffed. “By the time she takes notice of me, I’ll be long gone from the immortal sects. Why should I fear her?”

“You have no idea how terrifying the True Dragon Empress can be! You and your rogue ways will be purged by her wrath!” the City Lord shouted, clinging to his belief in the Empress’s power.

In a way, as the City Lord of a city directly under the Dragon Dynasty, his loyalty to the Dragon Dynasty was unwavering.

But unfortunately...

He Ange’s loyalty to his master, Feng Yuan, was just as strong.

“You talk a lot, but do you understand the true power of the Abyss Orb?” He Ange said, stepping closer.

“No, stay back! Noooo—!!!”

That night, the basement echoed with the City Lord’s screams.

…

It was unclear how much time had passed.

In the interrogation room, the City Lord sat dazed in the chair, his eyes vacant.

Before him, He Ange stood with a satisfied smile.

“City Lord, about the certification for direct disciples... there shouldn’t be any issues, right?”

…

Fox Clan, Cherry Blossom Secret Realm.

Under the full moon, the Sacred Maiden’s palace welcomed several elegantly dressed immortal attendants.

At the end of the opulent palace, the noble Nine-Tailed Fox Immortal lay on her side behind a curtain, her gaze cold as she regarded the visitors.

“Oh my, has the sun risen in the west today?”

“I never expected the high and mighty immortal attendants to visit our demon-infested fox clan.”

The Sacred Maiden’s voice was sultry and mocking.

One of the attendants, angered by her words, began to release his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. But in an instant, the overwhelming demonic energy from the end of the palace pressed down on them, forcing the attendants to their knees, drenched in sweat.

In the dim candlelight, the nine tails of the fox immortal flickered like hellhounds, each one radiating power equal to the attendants.

And this fox maiden had nine such tails!

The Sacred Maiden stepped out from behind the curtain, her bare feet gliding across the floor.

Her nine white tails trailed behind her, her face partially veiled. The attendants couldn’t see her full beauty, but her enchanting eyes alone were enough to captivate any man.

As she walked, she flicked her fingers, lifting the three kneeling attendants into the air like balloons.

The attendants were terrified.

Reaching the center of the palace, the Sacred Maiden clapped her hands, and a flower pavilion and several exquisite cherry wood chairs appeared out of thin air.

She pulled out a chair and sat down, then gestured for the attendants to sit.

“Sit.”

At her command, the three attendants floated down, landing in the chairs opposite her. They sat upright, their fear palpable.

This was the power of the late-stage Nascent Soul fox maiden, Xia Zhiyue.

She didn’t need to use any spells. A mere thought was enough to control the three late-stage Nascent Soul attendants like toys.

“You’re quite obedient, aren’t you?”

“No wonder the True Dragon Empress trained you so well, like little lapdogs.”

The Sacred Maiden’s laugh was mocking and ethereal.

The attendants felt their dignity being trampled. They, the proud immortal attendants of the Dragon Dynasty, were being called the Empress’s lapdogs by this fox demon?!

The Sacred Maiden flicked her fingers again, and a wine jug floated into the air, pouring three cups of wine.

She pushed the cups toward the attendants.

The attendants hesitated, unsure whether to drink. But the Sacred Maiden’s fingers pressed down, and their hands moved involuntarily, lifting the cups to their lips and drinking.

Once they had finished, the Sacred Maiden released her hold, her laugh light and playful.

“Now, tell me, why have you come to the fox clan’s secret realm tonight?”

“We... we are here on behalf of the Dragon Dynasty’s immortal sects to negotiate peace with the fox clan,” one of the attendants said, his body moving against his will.

The Sacred Maiden’s nine tails swayed behind her, her interest piqued.

“Peace?”

“Yes.”

“But don’t the immortal sects consider the fox clan to be demons?”

“No, no, the fox clan is different... You, Sacred Maiden, are a noble fox immortal, not to be compared with those demonic sects.”

“Heh, when you want to curry favor with the fox clan, you call us fox immortals. But when we’re down, you label us as demons.”

The Sacred Maiden’s laugh was cold and disdainful. She took a sip of her wine, her fingers tapping lightly.

“Tell me, what’s your real agenda?”

“We hope that this year’s certification trial for direct disciples can be held in the Cherry Blossom Secret Realm behind the fox clan. As a gesture of goodwill, we would like you, Sacred Maiden, to host the trial. Additionally, you will have the authority to select any disciples you favor, bypassing the usual certification process.”

The attendants spoke earnestly, their anxiety clear.

The Dragon Dynasty’s intentions were simple. The fox clan was growing stronger, and the immortal sects wanted to ally with them rather than face them as enemies.

The special privileges offered to the Sacred Maiden were a way to show their sincerity.

If Xia Zhiyue wished, she could send fox clan disciples to hold positions in the Dragon Dynasty, enjoying luxurious cultivation resources. She could also select favored disciples from other sects to become direct disciples, giving her significant influence over the certification process.

The authority of the certification examiner might seem minor, but the underlying benefits were immense.

When the trial began, sects would seek to curry favor with the fox clan. Without the fox clan’s crucial vote, even unanimous support from other sects wouldn’t guarantee certification.

At that point, the fox clan could demand exorbitant prices, and sects would compete to offer them treasures, all for the sake of that one vote.

“Interesting...”

Xia Zhiyue’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing with possibilities.

The fox clan’s position had always been precarious. The immortal sects didn’t accept demons, and the demonic sects were wary of them.

This wasn’t just a matter of sect rivalry; it was an ancient issue rooted in the history of human-demon coexistence.

If the fox clan could ally with the Dragon Dynasty, the threat from the demonic sects would be negligible. The Dragon Dynasty’s influence could also help improve the fox clan’s image among humans.

Moreover, Xia Zhiyue thought of her sister, Xia Ranyue, who was in the immortal sects.

An alliance with the Dragon Dynasty would make it easier for Xia Ranyue to pursue her cultivation, leveraging her sister’s connections.

“Hmm...”

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Zhiyue smiled, her expression enchanting.

“Very well. Inform the True Dragon Empress that the fox clan will give their response in three days.”