Silence stretched, thick with grief and shock. The wind howled mournfully across the battlefield, carrying the scent of burnt earth and fading blood.
Then—
"This isn't the time to mourn."
Qian Jinglei's voice cut through the silence like a blade. All eyes turned to the woman standing apart from the group, her expression composed where others were shattered.
"Senior Yun is heading straight into Nian Shi's trap," she continued calmly. "We need to find him before it's too late."
Nantian Fengyu snapped out of her daze first. "You're right." She whirled toward Long Qingxuan. "Where did junior brother go?"
Long Qingxuan shook her head helplessly. "I don't know... He wasn't himself when he left. His emotions—they just vanished. It was like looking at a stranger."
"That's not good," Yue Chuntao muttered, stroking Mumu's fur nervously. "Lintian loses control now..."
"We can't track him," Long Niu said anxiously. "Even the compass that woman gave us isn't working."
