Shadow Brake's body went rigid.
The hatred, revulsion, and boundless malice lodged deep in her consciousness rapidly dissolved beneath the wash of rainbow light.
A lightness unlike anything she had ever known swept through her.
Her body moved before her mind could catch up.
She reached out and pulled Lin An into her arms.
Resting her chin on his head, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him firmly against her chest.
Lin An frowned slightly.
Before this, Shadow Brake had always received purification in spirit form. This was their first physical contact.
Being held so tightly by a warm, breathing body felt entirely different.
Shadow Brake followed her instincts and kept him locked in her embrace.
The purifying power circulated between them.
She could clearly feel the things that had tormented her being stripped away, little by little, and washed clean.
A warm sense of peace took their place.
It felt wonderful.
So wonderful that she couldn't help tightening her arms.
Her gaze fell on the boy in her arms.
Something flickered through her eyes.
But the next instant, she suppressed it.
Her eyes went vacant again.
The purification lasted about half an hour.
When the last trace of malice was cleansed, Shadow Brake trembled faintly.
A barely audible sigh escaped her lips.
It was as though a crushing weight had been lifted.
Her arms tightened on instinct, pressing Lin An deeper against her chest.
Lin An's face sank into softness.
A cool scent like a pine forest after snow filled his nose.
His ears burned, but he was more wary than embarrassed.
Something was wrong with Shadow Brake.
Usually, she stepped away the moment the purification ended and returned to her cold, unfeeling self.
Today, she held him for too long.
And too tightly.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice muffled.
"No. It feels good."
Shadow Brake shook her head.
Her voice was still clear and cool, but a faint softness had crept into it.
Her fingers curled against Lin An's back.
As though she were holding something back—or asking for something.
"Shadow Brake?" Lin An tried to move.
"Don't move. Just a moment... Just a moment longer."
Her voice was soft.
But the faint plea in it made Lin An stop.
He didn't struggle again.
This woman had once stood at the pinnacle of an era.
She had ruled the Spirit Hall Empire and succeeded the Rakshasa God. An entire continent had once bowed at her feet.
Now her memories had been erased.
Universal Group had given her a new body and taken away all her freedom.
Her core directive was absolute loyalty to him.
But how long could that loyalty last?
She was a god.
Even if all that remained of her was a wisp of soul, her divine nature would not change.
If she remembered everything one day—remembered being controlled, ordered around, and used as a weapon by a group of "mortal insects"—
A chill ran down Lin An's spine.
But he didn't push her away.
He needed the Rakshasa God's authority.
Just as he needed the bloodlines of the Golden Dragon King, the Silver Dragon King, and the Space-Time Dragon.
To truly take control of his fate in this world, he had to gather enough power.
Spirit Pagoda.
Gu Yue had only pretended to faint, figuring Lin An would surely soften if she collapsed.
Then Di Tian had barged in without a shred of sense.
He had ruined the whole act.
She sprang up in fury and kicked him again and again.
She put everything into each kick, driving Di Tian back several steps.
"Bastard! Useless fool! Idiot!"
"I am the Co-Lord of Soul Beasts! Would I faint? Would I?!"
"Couldn't you use your brain? There were so many people there. Why did you come out? You exposed everything!"
The more she kicked, the angrier she got, until her voice cracked from shouting.
Di Tian took the kicks with a wounded look and didn't dare dodge.
He felt miserable—he had only rushed out to protect his liege. How had that made him the one who ruined everything?
But he didn't dare argue.
He could only lower his head and endure it until she wore herself out.
At last, Gu Yue stopped kicking and dropped back into her chair, breathing hard.
Her eyes were still red, with tears clinging to her lashes.
She looked a complete mess.
But she couldn't care less.
Only one thought filled her head.
That woman.
The woman who dared touch her Dragon Queen.
"Investigate her. I want everything on her in three seconds."
Gu Yue's voice turned cold.
A frightening light surged in her violet eyes.
"She dared touch my person... I want her dead."
After Di Tian left to carry out her order, Gu Yue closed her eyes and sank her consciousness into the sensory link with the Reverse Scale.
The next instant, her expression changed drastically.
What the Reverse Scale conveyed was vague.
She could sense only Lin An's general state, not the details.
But that vagueness left endless room for her imagination.
She could feel someone holding Lin An tightly.
They had held him for a long time.
Far too tightly.
And the position... Lin An's face was buried in something soft, leaving him barely able to breathe.
Gu Yue's face flushed, then went pale, and finally turned ashen.
Huge tears spilled from her eyes and struck her knees, leaving dark spots on the fabric.
"Waaah—"
She threw back her head and sobbed, heedless of appearances, struggling to catch her breath.
Her tears poured out no matter how often she wiped them away.
"How could he do this..."
"Even if he's forgotten me... he can't do this..."
"This is too cruel to a dragon... Sob... Far too cruel..."
She shook with sobs, her face smeared with tears and snot.
Her silver-white hair clung messily to her cheeks. Curled up in the chair, she looked like an abandoned little animal.
"I... I tried so hard to make him happy these past few days..."
"I bought him food... fought for him... memorized those stupid books... I even gave him the Reverse Scale..."
She hiccupped through her tears, barely able to get the words out.
"Why would he still do this to me... Why..."
"Lin An... You bastard... You jerk... You're heartless..."
Her hoarse, anguished cries pierced the walls and echoed through the top floor of Spirit Pagoda.
Leng Yaozhu soon heard her and hurried over.
She opened the door to find her usually proud and aloof disciple curled up in a chair, sobbing her heart out.
She cried like a three-year-old whose candy had been stolen.
Leng Yaozhu froze, then quickly stepped forward and drew Gu Yue into her arms.
"What happened?"
She patted Gu Yue's back, her voice gentle as she soothed her.
Her hand passed through Gu Yue's tangled silver hair, smoothing it again and again with practiced patience.
"Waaah... That bastard Lin An... He has another woman..."
Gu Yue buried her face against her, her voice muffled and thick with tears.
"He doesn't want me anymore... He even said we have nothing to do with each other..."
Fresh tears spilled out, soaking a large patch of Leng Yaozhu's pale-blue cheongsam.
"He said we have nothing to do with each other... Teacher, did you hear that? How could he say something like that?"
"He's my wife... He's mine..."
Leng Yaozhu sighed.
She stroked Gu Yue's hair and chose her words carefully.
"It's hardly surprising. Young men from families like his grow up surrounded by women."
"Which wealthy family in Ming Capital doesn't have men with multiple wives and concubines?"
"Yue'er, please listen to me..."
She lowered her voice further.
"Keep your distance from him while you still can. You're getting into something dangerous. If anything happens, even I won't be able to protect you."
She wasn't trying to frighten her.
Leng Yaozhu knew better than anyone how much power Universal Group wielded.
Gu Yue falling in with them could only end badly.
Before you continue