The desert wind howled, carrying grains of sand that stung like needles against exposed skin. Shenlian Yingyue's black hair fluttered behind her as she stood beside Shenlian Yinzhu, her sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to choke on.
"Brother, are you sure they weren't targeting you from the beginning?" she asked, her voice low but firm.
Shenlian Yinzhu shook his head, his expression grim. "No, Yue'er. I was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were already in the middle of something when I stumbled upon them." His fingers flexed slightly, as if recalling the fight. "At first, they just wanted to silence me, but when they recognized my purple flames, their intentions changed. They called for reinforcements immediately."
"What exactly were they doing?" Shenlian Yingyue's brows furrowed.
