Tie Linglong tilted her head back, gazing at the stars scattered across the sky and the faint crescent moon. She seemed lost in a dreamy daze, as if her soul had long since wandered far away.
Chu Nanping had just finished his first-half-of-the-night watch when he saw the girl standing in front of his tent. He froze, staring for a while before slowly walking over. Snow crunched beneath his feet.
Tie Linglong didn't react to the obvious sound. Only when Chu Nanping came close did she turn to look at him. Her eyes shimmered with starlight and held the moon's chill. "Who do you think you are?"
Chu Nanping was taken aback. "I'm..."
"You told the Dragon King I was going to offer myself to him?"
The blunt question unsettled Chu Nanping. "What did the Dragon King say to you?"
"Ha. Of course the Dragon King wouldn't say anything outright, and he wouldn't betray you. He just told me in a roundabout way that I wasn't among the people he trusted. He said he trusted no one, but I know you're the exception. Of everyone around him, you've followed the Dragon King the longest, you're the most skilled, and you obey him best. Whatever he asks, you do. You're more loyal than a dog raised from a pup."
Tie Linglong's anger, instead, calmed Chu Nanping. "You're mistaken. I wasn't the first to follow the Dragon King. Besides, the Dragon King killed my brother and Immortal Peng. He kept me by his side for the same reason he kept you and Nie Zeng: to stay on his guard. None of us are among those he trusts. The Dragon King is right. He can't trust anyone, and you don't need to seek his trust."
Tie Linglong lifted her head proudly. "That's what