章 132: Shattered Empires

The night was eerily still, the type of stillness that comes before the storm. Inside the Xiao family estate, tension hung thick in the air. Luo Ting paced the large, dimly lit study, her brow furrowed, eyes sharp with determination. The recent attacks from the Chen family had left the Xiao family bleeding, but she refused to admit defeat. She had fought too long and too hard to keep the family afloat, and she wasn't about to let everything crumble.

But despite her efforts, things were unraveling at an alarming pace. Territory after territory had fallen into the hands of their rivals, and the family's once-mighty empire was collapsing under its own weight. The southern district was gone, their financial assets were in shambles, and the alliances she had tried to forge were failing. Worst of all, the "Masked One" had been watching from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

That moment had come.