After Eldest Princess Zi Ning said the words "returned to its rightful owner," she said nothing more.
She stood where light met shadow at the pavilion entrance, her deep purple eyes resting on Lin Shisan all the while.
Lin Shisan's fingers tightened slightly around the Wordless Fragmentary Sutra.
The weight behind those words might have been far greater than that of the fragmentary sutra itself.
He remembered the blue light that had shone deep within the stone wall when the Hornless Dragon True Spirit resonated with Zi Ning's Dragon Spirit at Prisoner Dragon Ridge.
He remembered the Eldest Princess saying that it was the part that had separated from her during the Dragon Vein Splitting all those years ago.
He remembered her saying that the Dragon Spirit had wandered for a hundred years before finally ending up among humans.
And now she said that this Wordless Fragmentary Sutra had been left behind by its previous owner.
Who was its previous owner? Was it the mortal who had caused Zi Ning to be imprisoned beneath Prisoner Dragon Ridge for two hundred and seventy-two years?
Or was there some connection between this fragmentary sutra and the Hornless Dragon True Spirit, dating back to even earlier ages, that he knew nothing about?
Zi Ning merely turned sideways to clear the doorway, her voice calm. "Come with me."
Lin Shisan frowned and gave Bai Youyou a knowing look.
Standing beside him, Bai Youyou glanced between Zi Ning and him before finally giving a slight nod.
With Eldest Princess Zi Ning's cultivation, if she wanted to harm the two of them, they probably would not even have a chance to fight back.
One slap would smash them straight into pulp.
Zi Ning led them through the long, secluded passage without once looking back or speaking,