The figure in black left just as he had appeared—silently and without a trace, as if he had never been there at all. He left behind only a cryptic remark that pressed upon my heart like a massive boulder, leaving me gasping for breath. Wu Mengli’s condition was far from optimistic; that single blow had nearly exhausted all her strength. Supporting her, I walked step by step back to the Wu Family estate.
Upon our return, Wu Mengli was immediately sent back to her room to rest, while I was summoned by the head of the family. He questioned me closely about the course of the battle. Daring not to conceal anything, I told him everything just as it had happened. When he finished listening, his brow furrowed deeply. After a long silence, he slowly said, "Thanks to you and Mengli this time, the consequences would have been unimaginable otherwise. Rest assured, the Wu Family will remember your contribution."
I had thought that exposing Lin Yu's conspiracy and protecting the Wu Family would earn me everyone's recognition and praise. Yet, events took an unexpected turn. I began to sense that the way some Wu Family disciples looked at me had changed. They were no longer as friendly as before; in their place was an indescribable, indefinable hostility.
Chapter 22