Thirty-six candles burned in the room, arranged according to the positions of the Heavenly Dipper, while seventy-two mirrors were laid out in accordance with the seventy-two Earthly Branches. It looked brightly lit and dazzlingly bizarre, but it was in fact a profound and mysterious formation. Within it, light and shadows shimmered in every direction, making it impossible to tell where one was.
The door behind her had already vanished. Only that sea of light and shadow enveloped Chi Wanning, making her jade-like features glow all the more brightly—and making the displeasure on her face all the clearer.
"The guest has arrived, yet the host will not show himself. Is that any way to receive a guest?" Chi Wanning asked.
A voice rang out. "If you can find me, then come find me. If not, listen to what I have to say."
"You think I can't?" Chi Wanning's willow brows shot up, and the Azure Wave Sword appeared in her hand.
Just as she was about to strike, the voice said, "I know your strength. This formation cannot trap you, but breaking it will take time—and that will be enough for me to leave."
Chi Wanning's hand paused. "You asked me here just so you could run away?"
"You came as promised, and it wasn't to fight either."
Chi Wanning snorted. "I do not speak with people who hide their heads and show only their tails."
"Then you had best think carefully as well. You are the one asking something of me, not the other way around."
Chi Wanning laughed in fury. "I'm asking something of you? What could I possibly need from you?"
"Far too much. For instance, though you are a favored daughter of your generation, you are in fact a spy for Misty Rain Pavilion."
Chi Wanning's lovely