"Crash!"
A deafening roar shattered the deathly silence of the Side Hall in the Empress's Palace. The heavy vermilion doors were kicked open with violent force, slamming against the walls and rebounding with a teeth-grinding screech.
A dark figure surged in, accompanied by a blast of scorching air and the metallic tang of blood, causing the hanging gauze curtains to snap and flutter wildly. Xiao Yu stood in the center of the threshold, the hem of his dark silk robes stained with mud and dark blood. His jade pendant clattered discordantly against his waist with every jagged movement. The jade crown atop his head sat askew in his disheveled hair, and strands damp with sweat clung to his forehead, only adding to his savage, bedraggled appearance.
Chapter 135