The scroll sat between them like a coiled beast.
Liu Yue took a deep breath. "You haven't told me where this came from. You changed your words earlier—'Emp…'"
Lin Xuan smiled thinly. "Does it matter?"
She stared at him. "If this art turned someone into a monster… then yes."
He looked away. "It was used by someone far stronger than I am. Strong enough to bend realms, to walk between skies. But none of that is written in this scroll. This is only the body. Not the story."
The answer was vague. Purposefully.
But Liu Yue didn't press. Her voice was calm, her heart resolved.
> "I'm not that fragile girl from before, Senior Brother," she said, her eyes steely. "I've seen death. I've felt helpless. I've lost too much to stay weak."
Lin Xuan gazed at her, a quiet approval in his expression.
"Then answer me honestly," he said. "Would you dare walk this path—one that will turn your blood to weapons and your heart into a crystal flame?"
There was no hesitation in her reply.
> "Yes."
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