Chapter 48: Whisper of Shadows
[Murong Estate – Midnight]
Mei Xiao wandered through the inner garden, wrapped in a light robe, hair messily tied up, thoughts spinning like a broken fan. Zhao Yun had passed out on a bench after eating an entire basket of dumplings, and Murong Jing He was nowhere to be found.
"Great. Love crisis, fire hands, and now a vanishing husband. 10/10 experience," she muttered, tossing a pebble into the koi pond. The fish didn't even flinch. Just like Jing He lately.
Suddenly, a warm pulse flickered through her palms. Faint, but real.
Who are you really? she thought, gazing up at the sky. And… who am I becoming?
[Elsewhere – Obsidian Sect Stronghold]
In a ruined temple swallowed by darkness, a masked figure stood before an inverted altar. Flames danced downward, curling unnaturally into the ground, whispering things no living being should hear.
"The third fragment has awakened," the leader said, voice colder than steel.
A young man in a black robe trimmed with gold smirked. His eyes burned crimson.
"So… she's real."
"She's untrained. Incomplete. We strike before she becomes whole."
Around them, ten shadowed figures knelt in silence. Not a breath. Not a heartbeat.
"Bring me the Phoenix. Or bring me her ashes."
[Murong Estate – Later That Night]
Mei Xiao sat on a stone bench, debating whether to run away, kiss her husband, or ask him if he had a book titled So Your Wife Might Be a Reincarnated Fire Queen.
Before she decided, soft footsteps approached.
Murong Jing He.
"You're still awake," he said quietly, voice softer than usual.
"Technically. Mentally? Debatable."
He stood in silence for a moment, then, "You glowed again tonight."
She froze. "You… saw that?"
"I always see you," he said simply. Then, more softly, "Even when you try to hide."
Something in his tone had changed. Like he knew more than he was letting on.
Mei bit her lip. "Jing He… what if I'm not who you think I am?"
He stepped closer, gently taking her hand in his.
"Then let me find out who you really are. Together."