"Are you leaving so soon?" Lilia muttered to herself, feeling a sense of disappointment as she watched Iris gradually disappear into the distance.

There was an undeniable trace of disappointment on her face, as she wished she could spend more time with Iris.

Sitting on the chair, Ling could clearly sense the deep disappointment in her mother's heart. She also realized that the relationship between her older sister and her mother was very poor, to the point where it seemed irreparable.

"Mother, may I have a chat with you?" Ling walked up to Lilia, smiling brightly.

Lilia looked up at Ling, her face filled with confusion. She shook her head and said, "I don't know what to say to you. All I have in my mind are memories of Iris. I don't know anything else."

"It's okay, let's get to know each other again. I'm Ling, your youngest daughter." Ling held Lilia's hand and earnestly said, "I will be with you every day from now on, whether you recognize me or not."

Lilia looked at Ling's sincere and serious expression, slightly taken aback, and then nodded gently.

"Xiao Ling, would you like to have some cookies I made?" Lilia suddenly asked.

"Yes, please." Ling immediately responded with joy. "I like anything made by you, Mother."

Immediately, Lilia began preparing the ingredients to make the cookies, while Ling watched her mother's skilled movements with a heart filled with deep emotion.

After a while, Lilia took out the chocolate chip cookies from the oven and handed them to Ling, saying, "Here, Xiao Ling, please try my cooking skill."

"Okay." Ling nodded and took the cookies.

"Crunch, crunch..."

"It tastes great!" Ling silently gave a thumbs up, praising the cookies.

In reality, the chocolate chip cookies were quite bitter, but Ling didn't want to disappoint her mother, so she pretended they were delicious.

Seeing Ling's expression, Lilia's face lit up with a radiant smile. She took out another cookie and said, "Here's another one."

Lilia looked at Ling's expression, her face beaming with a bright smile. She put the cookies from the oven into a plate and placed it in front of Ling, saying, "There are many more."

Ling looked at the chocolate chip cookies in the plate and unceremoniously started eating them. As she ate, she mumbled, "Mmm, they're really delicious and fragrant!"

Hearing Ling's praise, Lilia smiled happily. She reached out and gently stroked Ling's head, saying cheerfully, "If you like them, eat more. There's plenty."

"Okay!" Ling replied immediately.

Watching Ling's adorable appearance, Lilia couldn't help but laugh. She then took out two boxes of milk and handed them to Ling, saying with a smile, "Xiao Ling, eat slowly. No one is going to snatch them from you." "Mmm, mmm." Ling nodded repeatedly, then took the milk and drank it eagerly.

Ling didn't want her mother to know that the cookies she made were difficult to eat, so she pretended they were delicious. Only in this way could her mother avoid feeling sad.

After Ling finished eating, Lilia made another batch of cookies using the same method as before. She then put them in a paper bag and handed it to Ling, saying, "Can you give Iris a piece of the cookie I made? Just one piece."

Ling looked at the paper bag in front of her, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally took the bag with a resolute tone, saying, "Sister Iris will definitely taste the cookie you made."

"Thank you, Xiao Ling," Lilia smiled sweetly.

"You are my Empress, and I am your daughter. It's natural, no need to be so polite," Ling replied, putting the paper bag into her pocket and walking out of the room.

...

After Iris left, Ling found Dugu.

"Dugu, tomorrow you will go to the prison and select a group of death row inmates who have shown signs of reform. Train them to become the new Shadow Guards. These guards only need to serve for two hundred years before they can choose to retire or continue serving. Retired guards will regain their citizenship and receive a reward of two million Bella, but they cannot reveal what they learned and practiced in the Shadow Guard Camp, nor the tasks they carried out. Any violation will be punishable by death. Serving guards will have their families' living expenses covered by the government, and their children will attend Shuowang Empire's top Red Moon Academy, receiving the best education. The state will also provide additional resources for their cultivation until they reach adulthood," Iris informed Dugu about her well-thought-out plan.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will obey," Dugu nodded.

"These Shadow Guards must be trained in secret. No one must know of their existence. If they need any resources for cultivation, they can apply to me. It is crucial that these guards remain loyal and strong, with no traitors or spies. Do you understand?" Ling reiterated.

"Understood," Dugu responded.

"As for the training methods, as the first generation Shadow Guard, you should know better than me. I need you to double the training from what Lilia's group went through. They must be even stronger," Iris added, "And regarding Lilia, go find my sister. She will take you to see Lilia."

"Yes," Dugu respectfully answered and then left.

...

Dugu planned to first have His Majesty personally take him to see the Empress Dowager and confirm her health, and then prepare to train a new group of Shadow Guards.

Once this matter was finished, he could focus on training the new Shadow Guards without worries.

In the afternoon, around two o'clock, Dugu found Ling, who was also looking for him. During the New Year's Eve reunion dinner, Ling had sensed an untapped dual power in Dugu's body, and Oblivion had also mentioned that she needed to awaken these Terminators.

When they met, Dugu spoke first, "Your Highness, may I be allowed to see the Empress Dowager?" Dugu bowed to Ling.

"Yes. After seeing my mother, I need your help with something," Ling replied.

"Please command, Your Highness. I will do my best to complete it," Dugu respectfully said.

"After seeing my mother, we can discuss it further," Ling nodded slightly and then led Dugu towards Lilia's residence.

They stopped in front of Lilia's courtyard. "Do you want me to call the Empress Dowager out?" Dugu asked.

"No need," Dugu shook his head. He walked to a window and watched Lilia reading and practicing her pronunciation.

After confirming the Empress Dowager's safety, he quietly left without disturbing Lilia, so as not to draw her attention and affect her reading.

"Dugu, don't you want to go inside and talk to the Empress Dowager?" Ling asked with confusion, looking at Dugu near a tree in the courtyard.

"There's no need for that. Besides, the Empress Dowager probably doesn't remember me. I only need to confirm her emotional state and physical condition," Dugu replied nonchalantly, shaking his head.

"Oh..." Ling nodded in realization, and the two continued walking towards a pavilion.

"Dugu, you have been with Her Majesty the longest. Do you know why the relationship between Lady and Her Majesty has deteriorated so much?" Ling suddenly asked as they walked.

"Does Your Majesty really want to know the whole story?" Dugu stopped and looked at Ling.

"Of course, only by knowing the root of the conflict can I find a solution." Ling answered confidently.

"Alright." Dugu sighed and began to explain, "Your Majesty, you should know that the predecessor of the Shuowang Empire was the Crimson Empire. At that time, Her Majesty was still a princess, and the ruler of the Crimson Empire was Lilia, your mother. The conflict between Lady and Her Majesty was caused by the death of the Empress Dowager."

"Empress Dowager?" Ling looked at Dugu with some confusion. She had heard this name more than once.

"Yes, the Empress Dowager was your grandmother, a very gentle woman. She had a gentle and virtuous personality and treated her subordinates very well. When the Empress Dowager suddenly died, Her Majesty discovered a piece of dark red crystal with the magic aura of Lady on her body when she examined the cause of her death."

"Dark red crystal? Lady's magic aura? Are you saying Lady is the culprit?" Ling furrowed her brows, asking incredulously.

Dugu did not directly answer Ling's question, but continued, "Magic aura cannot be forged. It was an undeniable fact that Lady had killed the Empress Dowager. So, Her Majesty directly captured Lady and imprisoned her in the dungeons, subjecting her to various cruel tortures. Your Majesty, you may have noticed that no matter how Lady dressed, she always wore a black silk sleeve on her right arm that covered her entire arm without revealing the skin."

Ling recalled the scenes of sleeping with Lady. Whether it was sleeping or working, Lady would always cover her right arm carefully, as if afraid of being seen.

Ling nodded, "Is there something wrong with that? Perhaps that sleeve has a special meaning to Lady."

"No, I can say that the sleeve is only covering her right arm to hide the appearance of her right hand." Dugu said seriously. "During the punishment, Her Majesty directly cut off Lady's right arm and burned the severed limb into ashes with a flame. As you know, as long as the severed arm is found, it can be reattached with magic. Her Majesty's action meant that Lady would forever be missing a limb."

Ling couldn't help but gasp, a hint of surprise flashing across her face. She didn't expect Her Majesty to be so ruthless towards Lady.

"If Lady doesn't confess the truth, Her Majesty will continue to torture her until she does. That night, Lady's summoning beast Baixi used her massive body to break through the prison and rescue Lady. After a chase, Lady successfully escaped, and Her Majesty began to post wanted posters everywhere to capture Lady. Anyone who provided information on her whereabouts would receive a huge reward. In the end, wanted posters for Lady were posted in every country." Dugu continued, "Since Her Majesty believed that Lady killed the Empress Dowager and thus was not qualified to inherit the position of Empress, she gave birth to a new heir through self-fertilization, and that heir is you, Your Majesty. In other words, if it weren't for this misunderstanding, Your Majesty would not have been born."

"What is the final result? Is Elder Sister the culprit?" Ling continued to ask.

"No, she is not," Dugu answered firmly. "After years of sedimentation, Your Majesty personally apprehended the Crown Princess, who is your aunt. After examining her, we discovered that the Crown Princess has a demon emperor named Chaos residing within her body. The dark red edges were inserted into the Empress Dowager's body by the demon emperor. At that time, the Empress Dowager was suffering from organ failure, and the dark red edges could alleviate her pain when she departed from this world. So, it was all a misunderstanding, and the harm caused to the Crown Princess by Her Majesty cannot be undone."

Ling's eyes sparkled with light. She did not expect that this misunderstanding would lead to such a tragic outcome, and she also knew that Elder Sister's true identity was the demon emperor.

"Dugu, I have something to ask you." Ling looked at Dugu, speaking seriously.

"Please speak, Your Majesty," Dugu replied, his expression becoming unusually serious.

"Is it not only natural for a younger sister to help her elder sister?" Ling looked at Dugu earnestly, her eyes filled with hope.

"Of course, it is only natural. Moreover, you and the Empress are blood-related sisters, and that is something that cannot be changed by anyone." Dugu answered without hesitation.

"Hearing that, I am relieved then." Ling smiled at Dugu.

Dugu was puzzled; he did not understand why Ling would ask such a question.

Ling then drew a small amount of combined power from within her body, creating magical symbols in the air. She then infused these symbols into Dugu's forehead. Afterward, she retrieved her hand and said, "Remember to help Elder Sister, or I will not be happy."

Dugu did not reply, but he felt a deep-seated power slowly awakening within him.

Dukryst will also clearly sense this power residing within her brother's body, and it seems she can also manipulate this power.

Deep-seated memories were constantly awakening, and fragments of memories appeared in their minds.

Within these memories were everything about demons, angels, and the Endbringers. The person before them was oblivion, their sovereign.

Dugu dropped to one knee and respectfully saluted Ling, saying, "I am Dugu, kneeling before Your Majesty." At the same time, Dukryst's voice blended with his own, as she had regained her memories as an Endbringer.

"You are Dugu, not a combined soul. And I am not oblivion, but Ling, the good younger sister of the current Empress of the Shuowang Empire. Everything remains the same."

"I shall obediently follow Your Majesty's orders!"

"Well, you may withdraw for now." Ling gently waved her hand, signaling Dugu to leave.

After Dugu left, Ling whispered to herself, "I never thought Elder Sister was the Your Majesty of the demons, but it doesn't matter. I will forever be your good younger sister."

Ling did not care about oblivion or Chaos. What she cared about were her loved ones. Her greatest wish was for her mother to regain her memory, for Elder Sister and her mother to reconcile, and to be able to sit together every day, enjoying a lively dinner and chatting. That would be enough.

A warm family is what she longs for.