Leng Yue found himself back in the kingdom of Yunhai, standing in the palace that had once been alive with beauty. Now, it was a scene of horror. Ji Woo's army cut through men and women alike, leaving nothing but blood and smoke in their wake.
He moved through the chaos like a shadow, unseen.
"Where is the gifted child?" Ji Woo's voice thundered through the palace, sharp and merciless. "Find her."
At the center of the carnage, Yuyan knelt in a pool of blood. Her hands clutched her stomach as her body shook.
"My baby…" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Leng Yue's chest tightened.
Then Ji Woo emerged from the inner palace. In her grip was a little girl, no more than three or four years old. The child struggled weakly, her small face pale with fear.
Leng Yue froze.
Prince Rong Yuan has just two sons....
Who is this child?
Ji Woo looked at Yuyan with cold disgust.
"I have what I came for," she said flatly.
She raised her hand pointing at Yuyan.
"Kill her."
She ordered.
The soldiers moved forward, blades gleaming.
"No!" Leng Yue rushed toward them___but his body refused to move. An unseen force held him back, locking him in place. He fought against it, desperate, helpless.
"Nooo!" he screamed.
He jolted awake, gasping for air, his body drenched in sweat.
The room was silent, yet the image of the child__and Ji Woo's cruel smile___lingered in his mind like a dark omen.
-----
The moment the beast vanished, Ji Woo turned back toward her palace.
She arrived in a storm. The doors flew open as she strode inside, fury radiating from her like burning heat. Her eyes swept the hall___and then narrowed sharply, as she sighed Fang Leng.
He sat sprawled among three courtesans, laughter on his lips, wine sloshing in his cup as they clung to him, draping themselves over his shoulders and knees. One fed him drink, another traced idle fingers along his arm, while dancers moved to soft music, their bodies swaying to please him.
For a brief moment, Ji Woo simply stood there, watching.
This isn't the Fang Leng , and she wasn't in the mood for games.
Her expression darkened, the fury in her chest coiling tighter, and sharper. Without a word, she turned away from the scene and headed straight for her inner chamber__already preparing to remind him exactly who held his leash.
In her inner chamber, she lit an incense, watching the smoke coil upward. Her voice was low as she whispered a spell into it.
The smoke thickened and darkened, carrying a sharp, bitter scenl. When Fang Leng breathed it in, something inside him stirred. His pulse quickened, his senses sharpened, and a fierce hunger burned through his veins.
The craving for blood rose uncontrollably.
Before the girl could even realize what was happening, Fang Leng's eyes darkened. His laughter vanished, replaced by a low growl.
Without warning, he lunged with terrifying speed, tearing through the courtesans one by one. Their screams echoed for only a heartbeat before fading into silence as their blood stained the marble floors.
Within seconds, the last body lay lifeless, and a sharp, almost feral cry escaped his lips. His hunger was insatiable now, more ravenous than ever. Perhaps she had pushed him too far.
Ji Woo watched carefully, standing a little distance away, clam and composed. Fang Leng turned toward her, eyes blazing, intent on her blood. He leapt, faster than any human should, claws outstretched. But Ji Woo was faster. With a flick of her hand, he was slammed flat against the floor.
Without waiting for him to recover, she reached out with a surge of her power. Spectral chains__dark and glowing__snaked around his shoulders, pinning him to the ground. Fang Leng struggled, but the force held him fast, his eyes burning with rage.
Ji Woo didn't hesitate. She turned and stormed out of the palace, leapt onto her dragon's back, her grip firm as the creature spread its wings. With a powerful beat, it lifted into the sky, carrying her away from the palace. Fang Leng was left seething on the floor, restrained and powerless, his furious roar swallowed by the distance as Ji Woo soared ahead, cutting an unstoppable line toward Yunhai.
-----
Immediately Leng Yue woke up, he went straight to his sister's residence.
The moment Tian Yu saw his expression, his heart sank. Leng Yue looked as though he had not slept at all__his eyes dark, his presence heavy, as if he had walked out of a nightmare and never fully returned.
"What happened?" Tian Yu asked quietly.
Leng Yue said nothing at first. He sat down, ran a hand through his hair, and then slowly recounted everything, about the vision, the blood-soaked palace of Yunhai, Ji Woo's army, Yuyan kneeling in despair, the little girl dragged from the inner hall, and the helplessness that crushed him as he watched it all unfold.
By the time he finished, the room had gone deathly still.
Leng Yue remained silent for a long moment before finally asking, carefully.
"Is Yuyan… pregnant?"
Tian Yu hesitated, then shook his head. "No. She isn't"
Leng Yue exhaled, relief and fear tangled together in his chest. "Then we still have time. We must find a way to save the child, without Yuyan knowing, we will not let Ji woo have this one."
"And you truly think that's possible?"
The voice came from behind them, making both brothers turned.
Yuyan stepped out from the inner room, her expression calm, but her eyes sharp with understanding. "Do you really believe you can face a mad witch like Ji Woo without me?" she continued. "It's already too late for secrets. I know everything."
Leng Yue stood abruptly. "Yuyan__"
"A corrupted witch like Ji Woo can only be killed by black magic," Yuyan cut in. "Only corrupted magic can destroy her. And now that she possesses the dragon, this is no longer a battle you can fight alone."
Leng Yue's voice trembled. "I saw you die in my vision."
She met his gaze without flinching. "Visions show possibilities__not fate."
She stepped closer, her tone steady but resolute. "I will not let her win. Not this time."
Silence fell again, heavier than before.
Finally, Yuyan turned toward the door. "Yunhai is far. We leave now."
Leng Yue watched her go, his chest tight with dread and determination. Whatever lay ahead, there was no turning back.