Author's Note: Do Not Unlock Yet. Chapter Is Still Under Construction.
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Bai Xue spoke first, voice low but clear. "Thank you all for staying after the ceremony. I know this is not the evening any of us planned—" She glanced at Ting Ting, who offered her a trembling nod. "But I believe—no, I know—we must plan for the safety of Lingyun Town."
Bai Yong's brows furrowed. "What news have you brought, daughter?" His usual calm was tempered by a fierce protectiveness.
Bai Xue took a breath. "Across the eastern valleys and the southern plains, small bands of rogue cultivators have risen." She paused, letting the words settle like stones. "They fight for scraps of territory: abandoned villages, mining outposts, river crossings. They pillage the weak, enslave the defenseless, and vanish before any official force can mobilize. They are desperate—hungry for power."
