The autumn frost comes early to the Northern Frontier. Shen Mingyue stood atop the newly repaired city walls, her black cloak caught and buffeted by the northern wind, snapping like a cornered beast in a futile struggle. A thin layer of frost coated the masonry; under her boots, it emitted a delicate, crunching sound, as if issuing a warning of the impending crisis.
Below the walls, the synchronized shouts of the new recruits drilling echoed in the air. Yet, as she gazed at the distant village, where wisps of smoke curled from chimneys, she felt only the violent undercurrents hidden beneath the apparent peace. Ever since the main enemy force had been shattered, the border had remained quiet, but the Coiled Dragon Waist Token at her hip—personally bestowed by the late Emperor—was a daily reminder of how fragile this tranquility truly was.
She stroked the token, its icy touch seeping from her fingertips to her heart. She could not help but recall Gu Jinghong’s words from half a month ago: "The most peaceful days are the easiest times for disaster to breed." She had taken it as a joke then; now, it felt like a prophecy fulfilled.
Chapter 117