Hoofbeats left a string of deep pits in the sand. Chen Wuya stood where he was, staring at Tuoba Lie. Wind blew in from the sea, carrying a salty, fishy stench as it struck his face.
He did not move.
The wound on his shoulder was still bleeding, the strip of cloth already soaked through. The misaligned force beneath his feet barely kept him upright, but every breath felt as though a knife were scraping across his ribs.
Tuoba Lie sat astride his horse, the corner of his mouth curling upward, yet he gave no order to attack.
He merely raised a hand and pointed toward the distant coastline.
Chen Wuya looked in that direction.
What should have been a beach was now covered in a layer of black sludge. As if alive, it slowly wriggled across the ground, swallowing reefs, seaweed, and shattered shells alike. The seawater glimmered purple, and when the waves rolled in, even the foam was black.
His heart tightened, and he stepped forward.
His legs gave out, and he nearly dropped to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright and continued onward.
Tuoba Lie did not pursue him.
Neither did the cavalry move.
They seemed to be waiting for something, yet also seemed too afraid to approach that blackened ground.
Chen Wuya stepped onto the beach one pace at a time. The instant his foot touched down, a chill crawled up from the sole of his shoe. Looking down, he saw black fluid already coating his toe and spreading over the upper of his shoe.
He shook his foot, kicking the sludge away, and quickened his pace.
Ahead, amid a heap of jagged rocks, lay a flat reef.
Bai Zhi was lying on it.
Her eyes were closed, her face tinged blue, her