A little earlier, outside the Council Hall, two figures dropped soundlessly into the shadow of a high wall, as nimble as cats.
To skirt the layers of guards Xiao Zhan had posted, Xiao Yi and Xiao Yan had taken a long detour, spending more time than expected. In the end, they chose a secluded stretch of courtyard wall, and not merely for concealment.
Before climbing over the wall, Xiao Yan still heard Yao Lao's grave warning echoing in his mind: "Boy, remember this: under no circumstances should you approach your front gate these next few days, or bloodshed will surely follow."
Xiao Yan had been skeptical, but recalling the "fated love calamity" that had already come to pass, he no longer dared gamble his own head on this unfathomable fate.
The two crept through the courtyard. The closer they drew to the Council Hall, the more palpable its suffocating atmosphere became. Xiao Yan did not need to hear exactly what was being said; the fury lurking within that deathly silence was enough to send his heart plunging to the depths.
As they slipped behind a pillar beside the hall's side entrance, a woman's cool voice drifted clearly outside, carrying a faint air of condescending "benevolence."
"...Breaking off the engagement is best for both our families. It is good for Xiao Yan as well. That way, he will no longer have to bear the immense pressure this engagement brings, a burden that should never have been his."
Those words, spoken "for your own good," were like an ice spike steeped in deadly poison. They pierced Xiao Yan's eardrums in an instant and drove straight into the deepest recesses of his heart.
In that instant, all his anxiety, unease, and anger faded, replaced by a bone-deep chill.
Bam! With a tremendous crash,