"Thank you for the invitation, my lord. I'm not feeling well today, and my family is waiting for me at home. I'm afraid I must decline your kindness."
Her voice was as clear as glass and carried through the wind, making everyone shudder. They were all entranced and momentarily lost in a daze.
Seeing this reaction, Xyliana quietly stepped back, planning to leave.
Her soft, delicate voice made Prince Xavion pause for a second.
A glint of light flashed in his eyes. Then he saw her moving back and immediately came to his senses.
"She's trying to escape. Go after her!"
Everyone snapped out of it at once, and the guards reacted. As soon as they heard the order, they started chasing after Xyliana.
Seeing this, Xyliana turned and sprinted toward the city gate.
"Go! Don't hurt her!"
The man's anxious voice echoed behind her, making Xyliana's heart sink. She had clearly stirred up serious trouble.
She used all her strength to run as fast as she could. The rushing wind howled past her, and her heart beat wildly in her chest.
The intense exertion left her breathless. She had already made it out the city gates and was weaving through the forest.
Her soft skin was scratched by dry branches on the ground, but she couldn't care about the pain anymore.
The guards chased her relentlessly. Her thoughts spun in all directions, faster than ever in her entire life.
Prince Xavion followed behind the guards. When he arrived, he saw everyone kneeling on the ground, too scared to make a sound.
"Where is she? I'm asking you, where is she?!"
Prince Xavion roared, his bloodshot eyes glaring at the guards.
"Reporting to my lord, it's our fault. We kept chasing the young lady.
But the terrain here is complex, and it's our first time in this place. We lost track of her... please punish us!"
Cold sweat dripped from everyone as they knelt, not daring to speak.
The silence was suffocating, heavy in the air.
His brow twitched slightly. The man lowered his eyes and spoke slowly.
"You searched the forest already?" His voice was low and cold, like he was suppressing something.
"Yes, my lord, we searched thoroughly. But the girl's trail disappeared by the lake..."
Soldier Zhi knelt and replied, trembling. He looked up slightly and met the man's dark, cold eyes, then quickly lowered his head and said in a shaky voice,
"My lord... this... the Biyue Lake is massive. We're not water-dwelling beasts. We're powerless to search it thoroughly."
"Heh. Interesting. Very interesting."
Prince Xavion narrowed his eyes, lazily rubbing his sharp jaw with his long fingers.
His right hand twitched slightly, and a flash of light appeared.
Suddenly!
One of the kneeling guards nearby let out a scream.
"Ah...!"
His body started convulsing violently. His veins bulged, and he vomited blood.
He clawed desperately at his chest, tearing at his clothes.
The next moment, he collapsed straight to the ground. His eyes were wide open, bleeding from every opening. The scene was terrifying.
A flash of white light passed, and the guard's body turned into a leopard, lying in a pool of blood, lifeless.
Soon after, it faded away completely, leaving only the blood behind, as if to prove what had happened.
The thick smell of blood filled the air.
Prince Xavion smiled playfully. The glint in his eyes grew sharper.
He looked at the blood and said lightly, "I remember. You were the first one to give chase."
His voice was half teasing, half cold. Everyone shuddered and lowered their heads even more.
"Withdraw. It's getting late. Find a painter and have a portrait drawn.
Send word throughout the city… no, across the entire Northern Wing. Issue a notice. Hunt her down. Anyone who provides useful information will be heavily rewarded!"
His deep eyes gleamed with cruelty. His hoarse voice mixed with a dark chuckle, as if trying to suppress some restless beast inside.
"Yes!"
Once Prince Xavion left, the guards finally moved like they had come back to life. Their backs were soaked in cold sweat.
"Let's go. Follow the prince's orders," Soldier Zhi said slowly.
"Yes!"
He looked at the bloodstain on the ground, unable to hide the sorrow on his face.
"This world… might be falling into chaos..." Soldier Zhi thought to himself.
Late at night, a carrier pigeon flew across the dark sky.
Deep in a military camp, slender fingers brushed over a message slip. Long fingers tapped the table idly.
"...tap... tap tap..."
Candlelight flickered over a ruby ring on those fingers. The flame danced, reflecting off the gem in a beautiful, vivid glow.
"Prince Xavion acts like this... how amusing..."
A deep voice came from inside the room, blending with the sounds of drills from the camp and the crackle of fire. It was full of subtle meaning.
Late at night.
Above the vast sky, a crescent moon hung in the air, half-covered, casting cold frost.
The stars dimmed, and the dark night sky covered this dark domain.
"Reporting to the master! The holy spirit stone has reacted!"
A man in black rushed into the hall, nervous.
He clasped his hands at his chest and knelt to report.
"Oh?"
A deep voice sounded in the large hall, rising slightly at the end, sounding like a faint laugh.
The hoarse voice broke the quiet night, making one want to investigate.
"Master, early this morning, the guards watching the holy spirit stone noticed it moved."
"They said they only saw a brief flash of light from the stone. The guard doubted himself and reported it cautiously."
The man grew more anxious as he spoke.
He felt dark eyes scanning him, making his hair stand on end and sweat pour down his face.
"Just now, the holy spirit stone moved again. I sent men to check and confirmed it."
His voice grew weaker, his eyes shifting carefully.
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.
He felt sharp pain rise in his chest, his breathing quickened.
Cold sweat poured from his forehead.
His lips turned pale, and his hoarse voice struggled out broken words:
"Master! The holy spirit stone's seal has been lifted."
At that moment, the terrifying pressure vanished.
The man finally could breathe again.
The empty hall was silent except for his fast-beating heart reminding him he was still alive.
"Yes, yes! This day has finally come."
A dark voice came from above in the hall, mixed with some expectation.
The hoarse voice carried a dangerous signal, as if holding back something, like a beast hiding in the dark night, waiting for a chance.
In the dark hall, a pair of sharp, beautiful eyes gleamed.
Long lashes cast shadows in the bright moonlight.
The slight redness at the eye corners looked like a demon, very seductive.
But the wild and wicked look in those eyes gave a chill.
No one knew how long this person had waited for this day.
Bright moonlight shone on the lake surface.
A light breeze stirred small ripples, shimmering like a silver galaxy in the sky.
Splash.
Among the silver light, a figure suddenly broke through the water.
The bright skin glowed under the moonlight.
Her eyes sparkled like stars.
Water dripped from her dark hair, running down her pointed nose and red lips.
Drops slid down her pale neck and collarbone.
They fell into the water quietly and disappeared.
The clear moonlight bathed her, covering her in a silver glow, sacred and mysterious, keeping others away.
Her glassy eyes shifted slightly.
The world seemed to lose color.
The moon and stars bowed to her spirit.
But the beauty looked unhappy.
"Luckily, I hid in this lake."
Xyliana thought bitterly as she swam toward the shore, feeling afraid inside.
Early today, her good swimming skills saved her.
Otherwise, she didn't know how she would have escaped.
As her thoughts returned, Xyliana reached the shore.
She found a tall tree to rest against, breathing heavily as she sat down.
Moon City is near the sea, and many people there are good at swimming.
When she was young in the orphanage, the headmistress often took the children to the shore to play in the water.
But Xyliana had to hide her face and could not swim freely like the other kids.
Years later, Xyliana worked and studied.
One time, she got a part-time job at a swimming pool.
After closing, she would stay for half an hour when no one else was there.
Strangely, she seemed very talented at swimming.
Her swimming skills were very good.