Lin Zhaoyue.
She stood at the gate, her presence casual yet suffocating, as if she had been waiting there for hours.
Her eyes lit up like stars when she spotted them.
"There you two!" she called out, her tone airy, almost playful. "Good timing there, now follow ."
She gave no explanation, no chance to refuse.
She simply turned and began walking away as though it were the most natural thing in the world that they would obey.
And they had. Both of them dare not defy the matriach.
Xiao Pei swallowed, rembering the restless two days that followed.
Lin Zhaoyue led them deep into the Dark Forest, through terrain so wild and dense that even the most hardened rcenaries would have likely avoided.
She spoke little, giving no reason for the summoning.
It was only when they heard the guttural growls and saw the first pair of golden Saberfang eyes gleaming in the dark that Xiao Pei realized what she had been looking for all along.
Now, as he sat atop the beast’s back, with Lin Zhaoyue riding like royalty ahead of him and Du Juan calm as a breeze next to him, Xiao Pei’s gut twisted.
Soon, the dark forest thinned, its oppressive canopy giving way to pale sunlight.
Branches snapped under the heavy steps of the Saberfangs as the group rode out into the open and into the shadow of a ruin.
Crumbling stone walls stretched before them, towers broken and swallowed by vines.
What must once have been a rich city now lay in silence, the bones of its greatness scattered across the earth.
Lin Zhaoyue’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she raised a hand toward the ruins.
"Behold!" she declared, her voice ringing with almost childlike glee. "Phungrei City. Once it dared to rise against my husband, dared to think it could take from his side. Now look at it, reduced to rubble under his might. Tsk. Serves them right."
Xiao Pei’s expression darkened.
He cast a single glance at the fallen city, then forced his gaze away, unwilling to linger on the destruction.
The group pressed on as they continued moving steadily eastward. The land changed as they advanced.
Camps began to appear, one, then two, then dozens. Rows of tents stretched across plains and valleys, soldiers drilling, banners snapping in the wind.
With every mile, the sight grew more oppressive.
More camps, more n. The ground itself seed to tremble beneath the weight of an army gathering.
Xiao Pei’s chest tightened, a sense of dread crawling up his spine.
Every flag bore the sa emblem, the golden dragon crest of the Qin royal family.
And still, no one dared bar their way. Soldiers looked up, hesitated, then stepped back, eyes fixed on the Saberfangs.
Nascent Soul, realm beasts moved like living calamities and no sane man would stand in their path. That was suicide..
Lin Zhaoyue’s smirk widened as she caught Xiao Pei’s unease.
"What’s with that look?" she teased, her voice low and sweet, yet edged with pride.
"Why so shocked? Your sworn brother is the greatest there is. He planned all of this so that he’ll be able to sweep them all away in one clean strike."
Xiao Pei swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking deep.
Behind him, Du Juan spoke softly, her tone unreadable.
"If this is all according to the Patriarch’s design... then it’s terrifying. I heard even the Azure Phoenix Kingdom is involved."
The Saberfangs padded onward, their heavy breaths the only sound against the silence that followed.
Lin Zhaoyue’s smile only deepened, her voice lilting with a mix of amusent and certainty.
"And not just the Azure Phoenix Kingdom," she said lightly, as if sharing a casual secret. "The Amber Heart Monastery has also stepped into the ga."
Du Juan’s eyes widened, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"There’s no way... they swore never to ddle in mortal affairs."
"Hmph." Lin Zhaoyue tilted her chin, golden eyes glimring with pride.
"My husband is very special. Vows or no vows, what force in this world wouldn’t move for him? And besides, so what if they interfere? Husband will take care of it all."
Her gaze softened suddenly, and she pointed ahead, where the familiar rooftops of the Fang estate peeked through the distance.
"Look," she said warmly, "ho is just up ahead."
Then, as though she had only just rembered, Lin Zhaoyue turned toward Du Juan, her smile taking on a playful curve.
"Oh, and you ntioned the Seven Ring Lotus to revive your sister, didn’t you?"
Du Juan’s composure cracked, her eyes alight with renewed hope as she nodded quickly.
Lin Zhaoyue chuckled sweetly.
"Well... I already ate the leftover," she admitted, voice teasing. "But don’t worry. The royal Qin family certainly has one. I’ll fetch it for you."
Du Juan froze, lips parting slightly as she stared at Lin Zhaoyue.
For a mont she didn’t know how to react, was she supposed to be grateful, horrified, or simply impressed by the woman’s audacity?
The promise had been delivered so casually, as though plundering the royal Qin family was no different from plucking flowers in a garden.
Xiao Pei gave her a sidelong glance, silently pleading for her not to press the matter.
Du Juan exhaled slowly, forcing her expression into a faint, unreadable smile, though inwardly her thoughts churned.
The Saberfangs pressed onward, their paws striking the earth with thunderous rhythm until the group crested a hill.
Before them sprawled Coldwind City, the sprawling settlent lying in the Fang family’s sphere of influence.
Beyond its rooftops, the shimring edge of the Fang family barrier rose high, a translucent do of light protecting the estate within.
But what greeted them at its edge was chaos.
The barrier rippled under the bombardnt of spells and spirit weapons. Cultivators clad in azure armor bore banners marked with the sigil of the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, their ranks spread like a sea outside the walls.
Explosions echoed across the sky, shaking the ground beneath the Saberfangs’ claws.
And yet... what made Xiao Pei’s heart twist was not the ferocity of the assault, but the stillness just beyond it.
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