บท 336: The Call of War

Xiang Ling was sitting in the backyard of the summer cottage. Her heart heavy with the weight of the betrayal she hadn't anticipated. The shock of seeing the Shadow Lord's face—the face of someone she had been trusting all this time—gnawed at her relentlessly.

She wanted to do anything but believe what her eyes just saw.

She poured another cup of celestial wine, but her trembling hand betrayed the calm she was trying to project. The wine was sweet, but to her, it tasted bitter. Each sip felt like a reminder of the darkness she had uncovered. She wasn't sure how many cups she had drunk already, but it was doing little to numb the sting of the revelation.

The betrayal ran deep, digging into her heart like a poison. She could feel her emotions spiraling, her once-clear sense of purpose clouded by the shock. Who could she trust now, if someone so close to her betrayed her like this?