My Celestial Ascension - Chapter 852: Emma’s Mother
Chapter 852: Emma’s Mother
“Huh…?” Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief, her lips parted but no sound came out.
Yet, as Nyx’s arms wrapped around her, a strange warmth spread through her chest — a feeling so familiar it almost hurt. She couldn’t explain it, but deep inside, she knew this embrace. It was the embrace of a mother. Her mother.
“M-Mom…?” Emma whispered, her voice trembling, the word foreign on her tongue yet somehow right.
“Yes… it’s me, my dear Emma. It’s Mom…” Nyx said softly, nodding as tears spilled down her cheeks, her smile tender but trembling.
When Emma slowly pulled back, her face was a mix of shock and confusion. She stared at Nyx, struggling to believe that the mother she thought dead was standing alive before her eyes.
“But… how? That day… I saw you get stabbed. I thought you died before those scum dragged me away from you…” Emma’s voice cracked, shrinking with every word until it became a whisper.
Memories long buried clawed their way back. She could still see the nightmare clearly — the slave traders ambushing them on the road, blades plunging into her mother right before her terrified eyes. She had been seized, gagged, and thrown aboard a filthy ship bound for the Human Continent with other captives.
Somehow, she had managed to escape that hell… only to be caught again by another band of slave traders who planned to sell her to a noble household. But fate changed that day — Anna Grace had appeared and saved her, cutting down her captors and offering safety.
Since then, Emma had chosen to stay with Anna Grace’s family, burying her painful past and building a new life. She had long accepted that her real mother was gone forever.
But now — here she was. Alive. Standing right before her.
Emma’s vision blurred with tears. Joy and grief twisted together inside her as she suddenly threw her arms around Nyx and clung to her tightly.
“I missed you so much, Mom!” Emma sobbed, voice shaking with years of longing.
“I missed you too, Emma…” Nyx whispered back, crying openly as she held her daughter as if afraid to let go again.
Yuan and his wives looked on in stunned silence. Even Vrasha — who knew nothing of Emma’s past — was wide-eyed with shock, unable to believe the scene unfolding before them.
“I never thought we’d run into something like this when we came here… this is so completely unexpected,” Yuan murmured in a daze, eyes fixed on the tender scene of mother and daughter embracing after so many years apart.
“It’s hard to believe that the woman we came to confront turned out to be Emma’s long-lost mother,” Anna Grace said softly, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. “It seems we’ll have to rethink our plan.”
“Absolutely. We can’t destroy Emma’s happiness,” Yuan agreed, nodding firmly.
“But I trust Lady Nyx will tell us who ordered the bounty on Mireya’s head.” His voice softened as he glanced at Emma, clearly happy for her reunion.
Mireya chuckled lightly. “Of course she will. After all… she’s your mother-in-law now.”
“Indeed,” Rose added with a small, amused smile. “It turns out the Green Viper Organization is run by your mother-in-law. That’s quite the surprise for me too.”
After a short while, Nyx composed herself, then ordered tea for everyone. They moved to a more comfortable sitting room where a wide, plush sofa awaited. Nyx pulled Emma close, settling her lovingly on her lap as though afraid to let her go again.
Once everyone was seated, Nyx glanced first at Emma, then at the group — Mireya, Sylvia, Vrasha, Kitsura, and the others — her smile gentle but curious.
“By the way, Emma… why don’t you introduce these wonderful people to me? I’m very curious about them,” Nyx said warmly, kissing her daughter’s cheek.
Emma flushed a deep shade of red but nodded shyly. “They’re my family,” she said softly.
She pointed toward Yuan. “This is my husband, Yuan. I’ve been with him ever since he was a baby. Back then, he’d always run after me and cling to me wherever I went.”
Then she gestured to Anna Grace with a tender smile. “And this is Anna Grace — my mother-in-law. She’s the one who saved me when I was being transported to the Human Continent by slave traders.”
Emma’s voice softened, full of gratitude. “Not only that… she’s cared for me like her own daughter ever since the day she rescued me.”
Nyx’s eyes widened in shock as the truth sank in — her daughter not only had a new family, but a husband… and he was sitting right in front of her.
’I can’t believe I have a son-in-law I never even knew existed… This is simply unbelievable!’ Nyx thought, astonishment flashing across her face before her expression slowly hardened into something more serious.
’To think those hypocritical bastards dragged my beloved daughter to the Human Continent just to sell her as a slave… Unforgivable!’ Nyx seethed inwardly, fury burning behind her calm face.
She inhaled deeply to steady herself. When she finally spoke again, she began asking about the others in the room — and Emma’s answers shocked her so deeply that her eyes widened in disbelief.
It turned out that every single woman here was Yuan’s wife. The revelation struck Nyx so hard she could only stare at Yuan in speechless astonishment.
’I know he’s handsome… but to win the hearts of so many extraordinary women? That’s simply unbelievable! How did he manage to make all of them choose him?’ Nyx screamed inside, too stunned to speak.
’He even married the Queen of the Elves — Mireya, the Matriarch of the Misty Fox Tribe — Lady Kitsura, the Champion of the Ogres — Vrasha, and Sylvia… This is beyond unreal!’
’No wonder my Emma fell for him. Now it all makes sense…’ Nyx sighed inwardly, finally understanding.
Some time later, the tea arrived, and the round of introductions came to an end. Yet Nyx still couldn’t fully accept how many wives Yuan had — and that each one was breathtakingly beautiful and powerful.
Nyx turned to Yuan and the others with a gentle yet emotional look. “Yuan, Lady Anna Grace, and everyone here… I’m deeply thankful to you all for taking such good care of my daughter all these years.”
“I don’t know how to repay you for what you’ve done — especially you, Lady Anna Grace. You not only saved my daughter from those vile slave traders, but you also sheltered her and treated her as your own.”
“I will forever be indebted to such kindness.” Nyx bowed her head toward Anna Grace with a soft, heartfelt smile — a rare show of gratitude from the feared leader of the Green Viper Organization.
“There’s no need to thank me, Lady Nyx. I only did what any decent person would do — and besides, Emma is now my daughter-in-law. We’re family,” Anna Grace replied warmly, her smile gentle and sincere.
“You’re right… we’re in-laws now,” Nyx said with a quiet laugh and a soft smile. “I’m still so surprised to discover that my little girl is married — and that I now have such a handsome young man as my son-in-law.”
Anna Grace then began recounting the story of how she had found Emma and rescued her from the slave traders years ago. She told Nyx about the desperate scene that day, how frightened Emma had been, and how she had taken her in and raised her like her own child.
She even shared lighthearted memories — how young Emma would often tease Yuan when he was just a small boy, and how she had taken care of him tenderly as he grew up.
Everyone burst into laughter as Anna Grace finished retelling Yuan’s childhood antics. Yuan’s face flushed crimson, clearly embarrassed as his mother shared stories he wished had stayed secret.
When the laughter faded, Nyx’s gaze softened but quickly turned serious.
“Since we’ve spoken of the past,” she said, folding her hands gracefully, “I’d like to know why you’ve come to such a dangerous place. What business brings you here?”
Her eyes gleamed with curiosity. “I have my guesses, but I’d rather hear it directly from you.”
“You must have already guessed our reason for coming, Mother-in-law,” Yuan replied with a soft chuckle, though his eyes sharpened with purpose.
“I do have a few guesses…” Nyx said, smiling faintly as she cast a side glance toward Mireya. “It’s related to Queen Mireya, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely,” Yuan said with a firm nod. “We came to find out who placed the bounty on my wife’s head — nothing more.”
His tone grew heavier. “Originally, our plan was to destroy your organization entirely.” Yuan paused for a heartbeat, letting his words sink in before continuing. “But after discovering that you are my dear Emma’s mother, we abandoned that idea immediately.”
Nyx’s eyes widened, shock flickering across her face at Yuan’s fearless admission. For a brief moment, she was speechless — impressed and unsettled at once.
’This young man… my son-in-law… he isn’t afraid of me at all. The way he speaks — when his eyes turn serious like that, even I feel a chill down my spine!’ Nyx thought, stunned.
“I’d appreciate it if you could tell us who put that bounty on her head, Mom,” Emma said gently, holding her mother’s hand with pleading eyes.
Nyx hesitated, taking a deep breath.
“Normally, we never betray the identity of our clients — our reputation depends on that. But…” Her voice softened, her eyes landing on Emma, then Yuan. “This time, I’ll make an exception. Because you are my beloved daughter’s husband… my one and only son-in-law.”
“Excellent.” Mireya’s lips curled into a wide grin, excitement gleaming in her sharp eyes. “I’m eager to learn who dared to target me.”
Nyx’s gaze turned solemn as she finally spoke. “It was Princess Lindsey of the Golden Lion Empire.”
The name dropped into the room like a thunderclap, making everyone’s brows rise sharply.
After another deep breath, Nyx continued, “She came to one of our secret branches in person and posted a bounty on Her Majesty’s head. In fact…”
Nyx’s eyes darkened with shame as she admitted, “…I was the one who officially sealed and issued that bounty.”
“You can’t blame me for that,” Nyx said calmly, though her eyes softened with a trace of regret. “This is my business. People come to me with bounty requests — we accept them without asking questions.”
She exhaled slowly and continued, “After all, the organization must survive. We need gold to keep it running, so I issued the bounty without hesitation.”
As Nyx finished, the room grew tense. Mireya’s jaw clenched, fury flashing like lightning in her emerald eyes.
“So it really was her… My suspicions were right. That arrogant little brat!” Mireya snarled, her voice dripping with rage. “I’ll skin her alive for daring to target me!”
At once, the air turned icy cold. A crushing pressure rolled out from Mireya without her realizing it, thick enough to make breathing difficult. Nyx felt her heart seize, instinct screaming at her to flee.
’What… what is this terrifying feeling?! I’ve never felt fear like this — not even the day I lost my daughter!’ Nyx thought, shocked as dread crawled through her veins.
“Mireya, calm yourself,” Anna Grace whispered softly, her voice gentle yet steady as she placed a hand on Mireya’s arm. “You’re making Lady Nyx uncomfortable. Withdraw your pressure.”
“A-Ahh… I’m sorry,” Mireya muttered, blinking as if waking from a trance. She immediately reined in her cultivation and pulled back the suffocating aura.
The moment her power receded, the air in the room lightened. Everyone could breathe again, and the tense, freezing atmosphere slowly returned to normal.
