In the small courtyard, wine and dishes were soon laid out.
Li Yun waved the attendants away, leaving only himself and Gu Yin seated across from each other at the stone table.
Moonlight poured over them like water. A light mountain breeze stirred the pines, sending waves of sound through their branches.
"Hall Master Gu, please." Li Yun raised his cup and drained it.
Gu Yin raised his cup and drank as well.
It was fine wine, smooth on the way down but strong afterward.
Yet with so much on his mind, he could not taste it.
After a few cups, Gu Yin set down his wine and fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Chief Lin, I came here under the king's orders to obtain the Dragon Soul. But I can't do it."
He looked at Li Yun, his gaze troubled. "I failed to persuade King Yan to give up the Dragon Soul, and I failed to give you a proper answer. I... broke my word."
His voice was low, tinged with despair.
He was a mighty Martial Emperor, the master of the Great Yan Dynasty's Attendant Hall. Yet despite his lofty status, he looked like a child who had done something wrong.
Li Yun looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Hall Master Gu, there's no need to be like this. When you said you'd give me an answer, I guessed what you intended to do. Even then, I knew you wouldn't succeed."
"The Dragon Soul is a priceless treasure to any dynasty. It would have been strange if King Yan had given it up so easily."
He paused, his gaze deepening. "But what truly hurts isn't that you failed to persuade King Yan. It's that he's grown suspicious of you, isn't it?"
Gu Yin shuddered, shock flashing