As the line clicked off, Zi Zhen placed his phone down quietly, his fingers steeped together before his lips.
"Prepare the car tonight," he ordered Xiao Ru without glancing back, "And bring the green dragon seal from the vault."
"Yes, Young Master."
Left alone, Lu Zi Zhen's cold smirk lingered as he stared out into the sunlit garden beyond the tinted glass, the shadows of his childhood ghosts gathering once more, but this time, he held the blade.
He slid the photo back into place behind the glass, its edges worn from years of silent keeping. Closing the cabinet softly, he let out a quiet sigh, rolling his tense shoulders back as the heavy cloak of power settled over him again.
Turning towards Xiao Ru and Lu Shiyan, who stood waiting with lowered gazes, he flicked his wrist dismissively.
"That's enough for now," he murmured, his deep voice low and cool... "I need to rest before tonight."
