Tian Lei rose in one fluid motion, the hem of his robe whispering across the stones. He sheathed his blade with a soft click that seemed to punctuate the morning air.
"We leave within the hour," he said, voice like still water—calm, but carrying weight.
Yuxin lounged back against the bench, tilting her head so sunlight pooled like gold along her veil. "Such urgency," she murmured. "One might almost think you enjoy our death-defying schedule."
"I enjoy completing objectives."
"Mm." Her eyes curved with quiet amusement. "Cold efficiency. So comforting."
Tian Lei ignored the jab as he unrolled the next mission slip, a ribbon of crimson paper marked with the Sect's silver seal. The characters gleamed faintly as spiritual light threaded across them.
Mission — The Weeping Vale
Objective: Exorcise the spirit haunting the moonwell shrine.
Hazards: Hostile phantoms, spiritual corrosion, emotional resonance anomalies.
