The night wind swept the damp, fishy stench of the river over Boulder Ferry.
Pale moonlight shone on the jagged black stones strewn across the ground, making them look like Ferocious Beasts lying in wait. A chill seeped from every crack.
Holding Xiao Wu in his arms, Su Chen crept with Xu Tinglan to the cover of a massive boulder at the edge of the ferry crossing. The air was so oppressive it felt as if you could wring water from it.
Xiao Wu shifted restlessly in his embrace, her warm breath brushing his neck, carrying a hint of anxiety and confusion.
"Why aren't we going in yet? If we wait any longer, the people in that carriage will be in danger!"
Su Chen had forced her to stay in his arms all the way here. The ache in her legs had eased considerably, but the fire in her heart had only grown. Especially when she heard the faint sound of children crying in the distance, she could barely hold herself back.
But Su Chen's arm was like an iron clamp, firmly wrapped around her waist, holding her tight against him, his warm chest pressed against her back. He lowered his head, his lips almost brushing her reddened ear as he spoke in a low voice, his magnetic tone leaving no room for argument.
"Don't move."
"Watch the show."
The two words seemed to carry an electric current, making Xiao Wu stiffen slightly.
She instinctively looked up.
In an open area not far away, torches blazed as more than a dozen black-clad Soul Masters besieged a shabby, low-canopied carriage. The light of Soul Rings flashed in turns through the night, and the thunderous crashes of Soul Skills rang out without pause. The scene looked incredibly fierce.
From inside the carriage