Chen Lin stroked his chin as he watched the woman introduce herself.
A peculiar look crossed his face.
Distant memories surfaced in his mind.
Figure after figure shifted through his thoughts, finally settling on a frail woman.
Xu Ruolan.
He had actually all but forgotten her, and the woman before him looked nothing like the Xu Ruolan of the past. Yet for some reason, seeing her had brought that very woman to mind.
As a Destiny Practitioner, he was sensitive to such inexplicable intuitions, so he had asked.
He had not expected even the name to match.
"Where are you from, and who else is in your family?"
Chen Lin questioned her again.
He was almost certain that this woman was Xu Ruolan's projection in the Nightmare Realm.
But there was one question.
Xu Ruolan should have died back in the Lower Realm. Normally, even if she had a projection, it should not have appeared here.
The Lower Realm corresponded only to ordinary scenarios.
Yet this scenario was at least three-color grade, perhaps even higher. Her level was far too low.
"My lord, I come from Kaiyuan City. My ancestors belonged to an aristocratic clan of sword forgers, but our fortunes declined in my grandfather's generation. To obtain resources for sword forging, I came to Luoxian City to purchase materials. I never imagined I would fall into Chu Fuhu's trap and become his Sword Servant."
"Kaiyuan City?"
Chen Lin narrowed his eyes.
He glanced around, then said to Lin Qingyuan, "You two stand guard outside. If anyone from the Ye Lineage comes, notify me immediately."
Then he beckoned to Xu Ruolan.
"Come inside with me."
"Ah!"
Xu Ruolan froze, two crimson blushes blooming on her cheeks.
Lin Qingyu, standing nearby, also went still. Disappointment entered her gaze as she looked