As the night grew deeper, the bonfire in the valley flickered, casting light upon resolute yet worried faces. Liu Anghai sat in a circle with the leaders of various sects in a solemn and tense atmosphere. Xuan Yuanqing lightly tapped on the table, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"The latest reports from the Shadow Alliance are unsettling," he said in a deep voice. "The Western Shadow Council is far more cautious than we imagined. They seem to have seen through parts of our arrangement, and our 'infighting' act failed to lure them completely into our trap."
Palace Master Biyao furrowed her delicate brows and analyzed softly, "Perhaps our previous actions were too conservative and failed to touch their true weakness. The Shadow Council is cunning and suspicious; unless we offer sufficient 'temptation,' they will never take the bait."
Chapter 71