The golden glow in the martial arts arena gradually faded in the pre-dawn light. Ye Fan stood in the center of the shattered formation, his fingertips still lingering with the warmth of Lin Zhaoyue's sword Qi. He gazed at the scorched earth blasted out by the sword array in the distance, and the piercing pain from his downfall in his past life suddenly surged into his heart—back then, it was just like this, when he thought he had dealt with his enemies in the open, only to be stabbed through the back of his heart by his most trusted junior brother as he turned around.
"What are you thinking about?" Lin Zhaoyue's voice came from behind. She had already changed into a moon-white sword dress, the silver bells at her temples chiming softly with her movements, though they lacked last night's biting chill, resembling instead dewy jade pearls.
Ye Fan turned around and saw the unscattered sword Qi still condensed between her brows—a sign of the Taichu Sword Canon driven to its peak. "Zhaoyue," he reached out to tuck a lock of hair blown stray by the night breeze behind her ear, his fingertips brushing the warmth of her earlobe, "do you think... Zhao Wuji's grand display to attack us is really just to suppress my reputation in Cangwu?"
Chapter 166