403: Chapter 403 is broken, it's full of those kinds of images.

Tianlang Delegation quarters.

The sound of the door closing was exceptionally clear in the empty corridor.

King Xuanyin released her grip on Ai Wei and walked steadily toward her own room, as if nothing had happened.

Ai Wei stood in the center of the corridor, her knees weak.

Her cat tail was still puffed up.

She felt as if her bones had been removed, and she could only barely stand by leaning against the wall.

"Revered Master..."

Her voice was dry and hoarse, as if she had been screaming all night.

King Xuanyin had reached her door; with her hand on the handle, she turned her head upon hearing this.

"Go back and get some rest."

"But..."

"Aren't you supposed to go to the Tang Ji Sweet Shop today?"

King Xuanyin's tone was indifferent, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips.

"If you go in this state, I'm afraid you won't even be able to get through the door."

Ai Wei opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but realized that anything she said would be wrong.

She watched her Revered Master push the door open and walk inside, the door closing before her eyes.

She was left alone in the corridor, with only the morning light seeping in from the window.

She stood there for a long while before dragging her weak legs back to her own room.

She pushed the door open, closed it, and slid down to a sitting position with her back against the door panel.

Her cat tail spread out across the floor behind her.

She raised her hands to cover her face, her fingertips feeling the scorching heat of her cheeks.

It's over.

Her mind was filled with those scenes.

The things she shouldn't have seen, shouldn't have remembered, but were now so vivid that they felt etched into her very bones.

The way Fei Xue leaned into Lin Yun's embrace.

The way Feiying's face was flushed as she gasped for air.

Lin Yun's bowing motion, his warm breath, his low voice.

And that pair of hands resting on Fei Xue's waist, long and powerful.

Ai Wei's tail swept across the floor uncontrollably.

She abruptly dropped her hands, as if startled by her own movement, and stared wide-eyed at her tail.

"You... what are you doing!"

She scolded in a hushed voice, as if reprimanding a disobedient pet.

The tip of her tail curled, then uncurled, continuing to sweep gently across the floor.

She closed her eyes in despair and buried her face in her knees.

Ninety-seven years.

She had lived for ninety-seven years and had never lost her composure like she had tonight.

She was the youngest Tier 7 Martial Artist in the Tianlang Empire, a possessor of the Heavenly Spirit Body, and a Disciple personally trained by King Xuanyin.

She had thought her self-control was strong enough, and that losing to Lin Yun in the arena was just a moment of carelessness.

But tonight, she realized.

It wasn't just the competition she had lost.

She wasn't herself anymore.

Ai Wei sat on the floor with her face buried in her knees, her breathing ragged and hot.

In the room next door, King Xuanyin stood by the window, gazing at the brightening sky outside, and let out a soft, heavy sigh.

Her expression was much calmer than Ai Wei's.

But the trace of pink light swirling deep within her eyes only now completely faded away.

She raised her hand, her fingertips pressing gently against the center of her brow.

There remained a trace of a cool aura there, like some kind of mark, or perhaps some kind of connection.

She wasn't sure what it was.

But she knew that after watching all night, not only had she failed to find a way to eliminate the influence, but the bond had actually deepened.

King Xuanyin lowered her hand, tilted her head slightly, and her gaze fell upon the leaves in the courtyard outside, wet with morning dew.

She remained silent for a long time.

Long enough for the morning light to creep in through the window, spreading a pale golden halo across the floor.

Then she smiled faintly.

The smile was faint, lacking her usual charm and calculation; it was a smile of helplessness, self-deprecation, and resignation.

"Lin Yun..."

She murmured these two words.

The trailing sound lingered in the quiet room.

She said nothing more, just stood there quietly, watching the sky outside brighten inch by inch.

Ai Wei didn't know how long she had been sitting on the floor.

Long enough for her legs to go numb, long enough for the morning light to crawl in from under the door gap, stretching her curled-up shadow long.

She finally raised her head, her eyes red, whether from rubbing them or some other reason, she didn't know.

She pushed herself up from the floor, her legs still weak, and leaned against the wall as she walked to the bed, throwing herself into the bedding.

Burying her face in the pillow, she let out a muffled, incoherent whimper.

She knew she should sleep.

She had to go to the Tang Ji Sweet Shop this afternoon for her appointment, eat sweet cakes with Qiao Feifei and the others, drink purple mist fairy pearl honey water, and look at that fat, ball-like orange cat.

But her mind was filled with those scenes.

She turned over and pulled the quilt over her head.

Her cat tail moved restlessly under the quilt.

It moved again.

Finally, as if resigned to her fate, she lifted a corner of the quilt, revealing her furry cat ears and half of her flushed face.

"Forget it..."

She stared at the ceiling, murmuring to herself.

"I can't sleep."

...

Administrative Palace.

King Blood Axe sat in the main seat, holding a cup of tea that had long gone cold.

He had maintained this posture for a while.

When King Feiyun pushed the door open and entered, his eyebrows arched.

Ziyi followed behind, her expression as usual.

"How was it?"

King Blood Axe set down the teacup, his tone inquiring.

King Feiyun did not answer immediately; she walked to the chair nearby and sat down.

Her movement as she sat down was half a beat slower than usual, as if her body had reacted before her brain.

King Blood Axe noticed, but he didn't overthink it.

Ziyi also sat down, picked up the kettle on the table to pour herself a glass of water, took a sip, and set it down.

The entire process was quiet and fluid.

"How was it?"

King Blood Axe asked again, his tone more direct than before.

King Feiyun lifted her gaze to look at him, her expression steady: "She didn't do anything."

"She didn't do anything?"

"She just watched."

"Watched all night?"

"Watched all night."

King Blood Axe's expression became somewhat subtle.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask "What did she watch all night?", but felt that asking the question wasn't quite appropriate.

He ultimately changed his phrasing: "Then you watched her all night, and she really didn't do anything?"

King Feiyun was silent for a moment, as if recalling something, then nodded: "She didn't do anything."

King Blood Axe leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest twice.

He tapped twice more.

"Fine."

He said, "You've worked hard. Go back and rest."

King Feiyun acknowledged this and stood up, her movements still steady.

Ziyi also stood up, bowed to King Blood Axe, and then followed King Feiyun out.

When the two reached the door, King Blood Axe's voice drifted from behind them.

"Oh, right."

King Feiyun stopped and looked back at him.

King Blood Axe's gaze swept back and forth over the two of them, his tone tinged with a hint of confusion:

"You two... why do you seem a bit strange?"

"What's strange?" King Feiyun asked.

"It's just..."

King Blood Axe thought about it, but couldn't find an accurate word.

He waved his hand: "Forget it, pretend I didn't say anything. Go back and get some rest."