After Leng Yue and Tian Yu departed, Lianyi went straight to Mimi's room. He didn't bother knocking, but the moment he stepped inside, he froze. Sitting there with Mimi were his grandparents and his mother. His breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he considered retreating, but it was already too late because they had already seen him.
"Grandma… Grandpa… I...I didn't know you followed her down to the capital," he stammered, his voice unsteady.
"Because you didn't care," his grandmother snapped, rising to her feet. "Come here, you little rascal." She guided him to a chair opposite them, forcing him to face the three stern faces in the room.
"I am very disappointed in you," his grandfather said, his voice heavy with reproach. "How did you hope to lead your people with such poor judgment? A leader must think before acting, must be proactive, not reckless." His eyes narrowed, "Your parents pampered you too much that you still think like a child."
Lianyi lowered his head. His chest tightened with shame. His voice was soft, almost breaking. "Grandfather… you are right. I failed. I only thought of myself, and I hurt her. Am really sorry"
Mimi's cheeks flushed pink. She glanced down, fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve, she was embarrassed by the intensity of the moment but touched by his honesty.
"You think you can bully her, say sorry, and all will be fine just because she loves you?" his grandmother pressed with a sharp tone. "If you do that again, I will hit you myself. Mimi is a good girl. She grew up under this roof. If you cannot trust her, then you do not deserve her."
After more words of advice, the three elders finally left the room, leaving only only Mimi and Lianyi behind.
The moment the door closed, Lianyi exhaled in relief and turned toward Mimi. Without hesitation, he drew her into his arms, holding her tightly.
"How was your night?" he asked, his voice softe. "I hope you slept well."
Mimi leaned against his chest, shyly avoiding his gaze. "I… I slept well," she murmured with a slightly trembling voice that betraying her flustered heart.
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes and whispered, "I'll do better, Mimi. I promise."
Her lips curved into a faint, bashful smile, and in that quiet moment, he press a kiss on her head and said "I have a meeting to attend, I will see you later." With that he left the room.
_____
Inside the chamber, in one of the kingdoms conquered by Hei Xiezhi. Ji Woo sat cross-legged on the cold floor, surrounded by candles of every color. She had been there for hours, repeating the same spell over and over. Each attempt failed, the silence breaking only with her sharp scream of frustration.
"What's so special about this spell? If you can't do it, then just give up and rest," Fang Leng taunted, circling her.
Her head snapped toward him, eyes burning with irritation. "Do you want your dear nephew to tear out your heart?" she hissed. Her voice was sharp, laced with both warning and frustration.
"The spell can make you immortal," she added bitterly, before shoving the candles aside with a violent sweep of her hands. The flames flickered and died as she scattered everything across the floor. With a frustrated cry, Ji Woo stormed out of the chamber, her footsteps echoing against the stone wall. As she match to transformation Hall.
The air inside the transformation hall was thick with smoke and the bitter stench of burned herbs and blood. Soldiers lay scattered across the stone floor, victims of the unfinished rituals. Some had already died from the delay of her attention, their bodies twisted and stiff. The few who remained alive were weak, barely clinging to life.
Ji Woo's eyes swept over them without the slightest trace of pity. To her, they were nothing more than failed attempts.
"General," she called.
A man stepped forward at once. Though still human, his will had long been broken. Ji Woo's spells had bent his mind until nothing remained of him. He had even slaughtered his own family with his own hands with her command.
"Bring me children—ten years old or even younger. Before the sun sets tomorrow," she ordered coldly.
The man bowed without lifting his gaze. Ji Woo turned and left the hall, her robes trailing across the floor
___
Leng Yue and Tian Yu had been riding for hours. By the time the sky darkened, they decided to stop and pass the night in the wood.
"We need to rest," he said.
The soldiers dismounted without complaint. They spread their cloaks on the forest floor, some lying near the warmth of a small fire they made. While others leaning back against the trees. The woods were silent except for the rustle of leaves and the tired sighs of men surrendering to sleep.
Leng Yue lay down as well, immediately sleep took him. His soul was pulled from his body, dragged him toward the unknown.
This time, he found himself standing in a village far from Lianhua. What he saw froze his blood. Soldiers stormed through the narrow streets, dragging children from their homes. Parents who resisted, were slaughtered mercilessly, flames consumed their houses, the air thick with smoke and cries.
Leng Yue moved among them like a spirit, unseen and powerless. His chest tightened as he followed the wailing children all the way to the kingdom where Fang Leng and Ji Woo ruled.
There, in a dim ritual chamber, Ji Woo stood over the children. Her hands dripped with blood, her chants rising higher as she forced the spell again and again. With each failure, another soul flickered and vanished into nothing.
Leng Yue reached forward helplessly trying to help , the next thing his hand was seize by Ji Woo's. Her eyes burned into his as she hissed, "You dare—"
He jolted awake, breathing sharply. Tian Yu tugging at his hand.
"You dare snore on my face?" Tian Yu grumbled, then paused when he saw Leng Yue's paln expression. He lowered his voice. "What did you see?"
Leng Yue recounted the vision in detail, each word weighed with anger.
Tian Yu's eyes hardened. "If we cannot stop Ji Woo outright, then at least we can save the children."
"Do you remember the direction?" Tian Yu asked
"Yes," Leng Yue answered.
"Then there we ride."
With Leng Yue's command, the soldiers rose at once, gathering their horses. Moments later, they rode through the night, the forest swallowing them as they raced toward the darkness Ji Woo had created.