Chapter 231

The night was as thick as ink, utterly shrouding Qingyang City. Su Yao stood on the rooftop of an abandoned factory; the cold wind whipped grit against her face, leaving a dull ache. In the distance, neon lights bled into blurry smudges within the haze, as if the city were fast asleep, unaware of the undercurrents surging in the shadows. Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the Cyan Jade Pendant at her waist. Its icy touch reminded her of her encounter at the school library earlier that day. The Ancient Tome had appeared on her desk as if out of thin air, its cover imprinted with cryptic runes. When opened, the pages were blank, save for a single line of cinnabar-red script on the flyleaf: "At the third quarter of the Zi hour, at the abandoned factory, the truth shall arrive." "Su Yao!" A familiar voice called from behind. Su Yao spun around to see Lin Yu striding toward her through the moonlight. His black windbreaker snapped in the wind, and his bangs were tossed back, revealing sharp, piercing eyes. He clutched a short sword that shimmered with a ghostly blue light, its hilt carved with a dragon motif so lifelike it seemed ready to break free and take flight.