Palace lanterns swayed in the draft of the thoroughfare, drawing Ye Fan’s shadow into a long streak. He stood at the threshold of the side hall, the warmth of Qín Wǎnshuāng’s palm still lingering on his fingertips—the crescent-shaped impression of her fingernails from when she had pressed the *Essential Techniques of the Earth Veins* into his hand was still burning.
"Young Master Ye." General Lǐ's voice came from behind, the soft clatter of armor mixing with the damp chill of the night dew.
The veteran general, who had served the Emperor of Great Chu for twenty years, wore a sabre at his waist that remained unholstered, the beast carvings on the guard catching a cold glint from the candlelight. "The cultivators of the Cangwu Sword have already secured the back courtyard, and the girl from the Poison Sect has buried ten Golden Silkworm Gu beneath the wine cellar. The matter you wished to discuss..."
Chapter 181