Misty Cloud Sect, Sect Master's Main Hall.
Yun Yun sat upright in the seat of honor, her plain dress flowing around her, her dark hair gathered beneath an elegant Phoenix Hairpin. A trace of contemplation rested on her serene face.
Below her, Gu He wore an alchemist's robe. The pale Golden Clan Mark between his brows shone brilliantly, its mysterious luster shifting in the sunlight.
He was outlining their next plan of action in a low, steady voice, speaking with easy confidence. Yet the concern and ardor in his gaze as he looked at Yun Yun were impossible to hide.
"Sect Master, for our journey to the Tagor Desert, I have contacted two of the empire's Top Ten Experts-Lion King Yan Shi and Wind Walker Feng Li-as well as several Dou Lings. I promised them generous rewards, and they have agreed to lend me their strength."
He paused, his gaze settling on Yun Yun, a flicker of tenderness passing through his eyes.
"With their help, even if Queen Medusa herself appears, we will not be at a disadvantage."
Yun Yun nodded slightly, but her gaze drifted toward the boundless sky beyond the window, as though her thoughts had already wandered far away.
"Thank you for your efforts, Elder Gu He."
Her voice was cool, carrying a hint of distance.
Gu He's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed again.
He recalled how Yun Yun had looked upon returning wounded from the Magical Beast Mountain Range that day. Her pale face, her torn dress, and that complicated emotion in her eyes, unlike anything he had ever seen before...
"Sect Master, the person who saved you that day..."
He could not help asking, a probing note in his voice, "Just who was that extraordinary figure? If he is from the Jia Ma Empire,