The gates creaked softly as Feng Yun pushed them open. The familiar courtyard lanterns swayed in the night breeze, their light gentle against the stone path. Yet tonight, the calm air seemed tinged with something different — a faint ripple of restrained qi, elegant rather than threatening, like a perfume that lingered in the air.
Feng Yun's senses sharpened immediately. Before he even stepped inside, his ears caught the sound of voices — laughter, soft and feminine, carried through the quiet night.
He walked forward, his steps unhurried.
Inside the guest hall, four figures sat around a low tea table.
