The city burned. Twisting tongues of flame painted the night sky red, while a bitter wind carried the stench of charred flesh. Boom!
A burning beam fell from the top of the ruined temple, scattering orange sparks. A few landed on the silver-gray edge of the Ritual Dagger.
Buster's teeth chattered. He did not dare breathe. The Lean Priest holding the dagger to his throat paused and glanced toward Xia Lun. A scorching wind swept past, carrying sparks, yet Xia Lun's face was spotless. His dark eyes were another matter: deep and unreadable, like an old well veiled in dust.
The Lean Priest's gaze shifted to the other surviving High Sun Priests.
The Old Priest stood silent in the shadows. Derino's beady eyes, however, brightened.
"Xia Lun, don't say anything yet," the Great Leader of the Tree Herders urged quickly. "This isn't our place to speak. We're Tree Herders. We don't need to get dragged into—"
Xia Lun said nothing. Ignoring the Great Leader's warning, he kept walking forward.
The Lean Priest narrowed his eyes and gave a cold laugh.
The next moment, his wrist moved slightly—
"Gulp."
The cold blade drew away, and Buster immediately swallowed. As his throat bobbed, a shallow line of blood slowly appeared across it. The Lean Priest stepped back and took out the Pocket Watch he had just put in his pocket. He raised it and swung it toward Xia Lun, its silver chain rattling.
"Is this silver ornament yours?" he asked, staring hard into Xia Lun's eyes.
Xia Lun still did not smile. He walked forward slowly. "Yes. Give it to me."
His words were blunt and left no room for refusal. The Lean Priest frowned, almost calling for the Temple Guards to seize this insolent man.
But a moment later, he raised