"You should go back and rest," Qian Renxue suddenly said.
Su Chen glanced at her. "You should rest too."
Qian Renxue neither argued nor agreed. She only said softly, "After I finish approving these documents."
Su Chen stood up. When he reached the door, he heard her call him again from behind. "Su Chen."
He looked back.
Qian Renxue's gaze fell on his right arm, her voice betraying no emotion. "You said you'd protect everyone. Your own hand counts as part of everyone too. Don't let it become useless."
Su Chen froze for a moment, then smiled. He raised the right arm held in place by the Soul Tool Brace and waved it. "Don't worry, I have to keep both hands. One to hold a sword, one to make a fist. I need them both."
The corner of Qian Renxue's mouth seemed to move, but she quickly returned to that cool, aloof expression. She lowered her head and went back to reviewing the documents, no longer looking at him. Su Chen gently closed the door. As he walked out, night wind poured in through the window at the end of the corridor, carrying the slight chill of early autumn. He took a deep breath and felt some of the stifling tightness in his chest ease.
At least they were still moving. As long as they were still moving, there was a chance.
Over the next three days, a tense, busy atmosphere filled the Heaven Dou City Spirit Hall Branch Hall. Qian Renxue mobilized every combat force the Branch Hall could spare and sent them in batches in different directions to carry out reconnaissance and node-repair missions. Every day, carrier pigeons flew back from different directions, bringing good news and bad. Two paralyzed nodes were successfully repaired, while three reconnaissance