Hurrying Away, an Encounter at Night

Inside the City Lord's Estate.

The little girl woke up that morning and immediately clamored to go find her master. She said she'd slacked off for a whole day yesterday, so today she had to make up for the lessons she'd missed.

Who knew Chen Ling'er would grab her hand.

Looking at Chen Xiaoyu and Murong Mingzhu, she let out a quiet sigh.

"There's no need to go. Wang Xian has left!"

"What? Master doesn't want Xiang'er anymore?"

"Boom!" The little girl felt the world spin around her, her ears ringing.

Clutching Chen Ling'er's sleeve, she asked in a trembling voice, "What did you say? Master... Master has left?"

"Yes."

Chen Ling'er lowered her head, not daring to meet her eyes. "He must have broken through the air and left around dawn."

"Impossible!"

Murong Mingzhu sprang to her feet. "All four city gates were sealed shut. How could he have left?"

Chen Xiaoyu sighed softly at her words. "I'm afraid Dragon City can't hold Wang Xian."

Chen Xiang'er's vision went dark. In a daze, she said, "Master promised to teach me swordsmanship. The golden sword is still here. How could he..."

Before she could finish, a stab of pain tore through her chest, as if something had exploded inside her.

Her vision blacked out, and she fell backward.

"Xiang'er!" Murong Mingzhu darted forward and caught her daughter's limp body.

She placed her fingers on her daughter's wrist, her brows drawing tighter and tighter. This pulse... How could it be so erratic?

Sun Xiaoyu stood nearby, her expression grave. "Mother, there's a dragon pearl inside my younger sister. I'm afraid she was so distraught that it stirred. You need to suppress the dragon pearl's aura for her."

"A dragon pearl? Heavens!"

Murong Mingzhu cut her daughter off with a cry. "How