"Brother, it's me… Zhao Yunfei! Where are you? Come out—please come out…"
Her trembling voice carried across the quiet lakeshore, bouncing off the wooden pillars and empty docks. The old fishing nets swayed gently in the breeze, creaking as if responding to her desperation.
Lin Huang and Li Mei arrived silently, their steps light as falling leaves. They stopped a short distance away, watching the blindfolded girl stagger from one dock to another, her hands groping the air, her entire posture trembling like a candle in a storm.
She was terrified.
But neither Lin Huang nor Li Mei said anything. Words at this moment… would only hurt.
Lin Huang exhaled quietly, turning his gaze toward the lake. He forced himself to focus. They had come here for a reason—find the Nine-Petaled Soul Calming Divine Flame and leave before the situation worsened.
Time was running far too quickly.
"Master will be waiting," Lin Huang reminded himself, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the glistening water.
