"An army of over ten thousand..."
Qian Renxue murmured, lightly tapping her fingertips against the tabletop.
To gather an army of such scale near Heaven Dou City while evading most detection was no feat an ordinary force could accomplish.
A name abruptly surfaced in her mind—Shen Lian.
Other than that flamboyant man who always managed to do the unexpected, who else would make such a huge commotion at a time like this?
A cold smile curled across Qian Renxue's lips as she held the secret letter over the candle flame.
The orange-red fire licked at the paper, swiftly consuming the writing and turning it to ash.
"Guards."
Qian Renxue called out.
Two black-clad guards silently appeared at the doorway, dropping to one knee as they said to Qian Renxue,
"Young Master."
"Investigate it."
Qian Renxue's voice was calm and utterly flat as she told the two,
"Dispose of every scout, patrol soldier, and courier who discovered that army or passed along news of it."
Qian Renxue paused, then added,
"Make it clean. Leave no traces."
"Yes!"
The guards accepted their orders and withdrew, their footsteps soon fading at the end of the corridor.
Qian Renxue walked to the window and pushed open its carved panels.
The evening breeze carried the damp scent of the moat, stirring her long golden hair—she had unconsciously returned to her true appearance.
Her gaze passed beyond the palace walls toward the west of the city, where the sky seemed somewhat darker than elsewhere.
"Shen Lian, if it really is you, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Qian Renxue asked softly, with a trace of curiosity that even she had not noticed.
Was it for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect? Or was his goal, like hers, to seize the Heaven Dou Empire?
Qian Renxue