The emperor lifted his hand—agreeing to Huo Feng's proposal… or perhaps commanding her to follow it; no one could ever tell what lay behind his masked face.
The advisor turned to him sharply, words tripping over themselves in anger.
"But… but my lord—"
He was silenced by the voice of the masked figure seated upon the throne. A cold sound—thin and sharp, like the sting of a blade:
"Heh…"
The advisor froze where he stood, then let the anger boiling in his chest spill into a hateful glare aimed directly at Huo Feng—one so sharp it nearly betrayed his intentions.
With a calmness completely at odds with the fury inside him, he signaled the servants. Moments later, a giant raven materialized—its feathers black as spilled ink, its eyes two embers sparking with fire. It was massive, terrifying and awe-striking all at once; a single feather from its wings could have carried Wuxin with ease and perfect safety.
Li lifted his unconscious friend with care, placing him gently on the raven's back before turning to Huo Feng. He held her hand briefly and whispered,
"I know you'll be fine. Take care of yourself—and come back quickly. What matters most is…"
He glanced toward his father and the advisor, voice dropping:
"Beware those two… one is deceitful and treacherous, and the other's soul knows no stillness."
Huo Feng touched his shoulder, smiling with quiet warmth and exhaustion.
"I know… but I want you to take care of him. Please."
A flicker of sorrow crossed her eyes before she added,
"Until I return."
She stepped closer to Wuxin, brushing his cheek with gentle fingers. Then she removed her diamond earring and fastened it onto his ear instead. Speaking to her red dragon companion, she commanded softly,
"From this moment on… you will protect him. You will be loyal to him—and obey his every word."
She leaned in until her lips nearly touched Wuxin's ear and whispered,
"Don't be afraid. I'm within you now. No one can hurt you."
A faint, pleading sound escaped him—as though begging her not to leave. She kissed his forehead.
"Rest easy… no one will dare lay a hand on me. Wait for me. I'll return soon."
Her hand slid across the raven's back—an oddly tender touch that made its huge body tremble. It released a cry that shook the palace walls, a sound caught somewhere between the shriek of death and a declaration of absolute loyalty.
What had she told it with that single touch?
The raven strode forward with regal weight, then beat its wings—so powerfully that the air quivered and nearly lifted everyone around it from the ground.
Huo Feng turned sharply toward her two new enemies and spoke without preamble—her voice low, steady, but brimming with a force that could ignite a city:
"Yes… these two are my weaknesses. And if you harm them, I swear I will take everything you cherish… no, I will burn both your kingdoms to the ground."
She then looked at the advisor, smiling as calmly as ever.
"Now… tell me where this trap is. Oh—sorry. I meant, where will I be sleeping tonight?"
The advisor tried one last time to pry into her secrets, to wring information from her before she walked into their snare.
"Why insist on staying here? In the emperor's lair? And why insist on saving Shushu?"
She answered simply, closing the conversation like one closes a weary book:
"For many reasons… and I'm tired. I want to sleep."
At that moment, the emperor tilted his head slowly, lost in thought.
"That fool… he's clearly drawn to her. Perhaps she truly is the bride he has chosen. She must be tested. We must know if she's fit to become the future Queen of Shadows."
The chamber they set aside for her felt more like a trap than a resting place. She sat—cross-legged atop the large, dark wooden bed—immersed in her spiritual cultivation. The bed's polished black frame seemed carved from a forest that had never known sunlight; the ash-colored covers rippled like living smoke. Even the walls felt alive… or so it seemed, for she could swear countless eyes watched her from the carved patterns.
She murmured as she sank deeper into meditation,
"I know this is a trap… maybe a test. But I have no choice. I must begin my mission… then escape. The question is… which of them can I defeat with the least damage?"
A moment passed before her thoughts continued,
"Copying the emperor's powers… easy enough. But facing him will be ferocious. Even so, victory will be mine. And when it is… I'll kill the emperor."
She inhaled sharply as the next thought struck her,
"And then… I'll lose Li forever."
A sigh escaped her. Her concentration unraveled for a heartbeat, then her body stiffened as a terrifying realization crept in:
"I'm strong… perhaps too strong to be defeated."
A shiver coursed through her—not of delight, but of fear.
This feeling… it wasn't new. When had it last consumed her?
She remembered.
It wasn't confidence.
It was arrogance… then tyranny… and perhaps cruelty.
She shook her head violently, like a drenched pup trying to rid itself of unwanted weight.
Then she decided, with cold clarity:
"I won't go near the emperor. The advisor will be my prey."
But before the thought settled, a strange smell seeped into the room. A gas curling through the cracks in the walls—too soft to be lethal, too sharp to be harmless. Something in-between.
"What… is that?"
She didn't finish the sentence. Her body surrendered to sleep, still seated in her meditative posture, as though the room itself had pulled her consciousness away.
Moments later, the advisor stepped inside with calculated steps. In his hand—a long dagger, its blade pale like polished bone, and at its tip… a smear of yellow liquid. A poison unmistakable to the eye.