Shen Clan.
The Grand Hall's celebratory echoes had long since faded into the background of the sprawling Shen Clan Domain, replaced by the rhythmic, peaceful lapping of the lake's crystalline waters against the pillars of the kiosk.
For Xia Mengyao, however, the silence was anything but peaceful.
She sat on the same white sandalwood bench where she had sat just a few nights prior, staring blankly at the exquisite delicacies arranged on her plate.
The food was the work of a master Gourmet Hunter, designed to invigorate the spirit and delight the senses, but to her, it tasted like ash.
She let out a long, heavy sigh, her shoulders slumped in a way she would never allow in the presence of her disciples.
It had been several days since the Heavenly Tribulation, the Shen Clan Heaven's Choice Tournament, and the events that followed in this very kiosk.
