Chapter Five: The Flames Arrive
The calm did not last.
Hooves thundered against stone—heavy, aggressive, deliberate.
The Yun guards hesitated before opening the gates.
Through the rising dust rode the Ling Clan.
Their armor burned red and orange beneath the sun, sharp angles replacing silk and flow. Flame-shaped pauldrons gleamed, and even their banners seemed to ripple with heat.
At their head rode Ling Hu.
Tall. Smiling. Dangerous.
His sword rested in a scabbard the color of dried blood, its guard shaped like a roaring flame. His eyes swept the courtyard with open disdain.
Beside him rode Ling Rou, her braid swinging like a whip, metal claws glinting at her fingertips.
"They weren't invited," someone whispered.
"They never are."
Wei Liang's hand tightened subtly.
Gu Xiao's smirk faded.
Yun Zhan—standing near the hall's steps—watched without expression.
From her corner seat, Wang Xiao tilted her head, studying Ling Hu with quiet interest.
A wildfire, she thought. Pretty. Stupid. Hungry.
Ling Hu dismounted and strode forward. "So many clans," he drawled. "And yet… none with the courage to greet us."
No one moved.
His gaze landed on the corner.
On the girl who didn't bow.
"And who," he said softly, "is that?"
Wang Xiao looked up slowly, eyes wide and empty. "Oh… were we bowing?"
A ripple of shock ran through the crowd.
Ling Hu smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes.