Inside the study of the Estate of the Marquis Suppressing the North, the crisp and chilling scent of pine smoke ink intertwined with the lingering aura of bloodshed from the aftermath of the lethal showdown at Wangjiang Tower, weighing heavily upon the air.
The candlelight flickered in silence, its dim, yellowish halo pinning Qin Lie's tall, solitary figure against the massive map of the boundless mountains and rivers of the Northern Frontier spread across the wall behind him. His silhouette had edges as sharp as a blade, as though it could tear through the fake prosperity of the Imperial Capital at any moment.
Zhuzi's low report had just faded into the stillness: Qin Xiao had been reduced to a complete cripple—unable to speak, incapable of movement, hanging on by a single breath, wishing for death; Madam Liu, like a frightened bird, was locked tightly in the deepest part of the Prince's Mansion under the strictest "guard," unable even for a stray breeze to penetrate that cage.
Chapter 349