Hearing a little rustle outside, Zhou Hanyue stood up from the couch and walked to the door.


    She slightly opened the door and peeked into the hallway to see what was happening.


    There she saw Zhao Tian and Lan Shuqin entering her room and Lan Shuqin is also wearing fancy clothes.


    A trace of annoyance flickered in her eyes...


    She wasn’t entirely sure why she is annoyed, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by a heavy sigh that escaped her lips.


    "Seems like they have finished their small date..."


    She returned to the couch, sinking into its familiar comfort.


    Her fingers absently traced the edge of a small, worn pendant hanging around her neck—a keepsake from a time long gone.


    "He seems like a good guy,"


    Her lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile. "Too good, maybe."


    Her fingers tightened around the pendant, the sharp edges pressing into her skin as memories flooded her mind.


    Faces flashed before her—smiling, vibrant faces that had once brought her joy.


    And then the pain followed, as she remembered how each of them had faded away, leaving her with nothing but guilt and sorrow.


    "It’s better this way," she said, her tone hardening as if trying to convince herself.


    "It’s better if I don’t get close to him. Or else..."


    Her voice faltered, her gaze dropping to the pendant.


    The faint glow of the light reflected off its surface, but she could almost see the bloodstains it had once bore...


    "Or else he’ll die too."


    Zhou Hanyue leaned her head back against the couch, her eyes closing as she tried to push the thoughts away.


    For a brief moment, she allowed herself to wonder what it might feel like to be free from her curse.


    To walk beside someone like Zhao Tian without the fear of losing him.


    To laugh and share moments as Lan Shuqin had done tonight.


    But the thought was fleeting, and she shook her head, as if trying to banish it entirely.


    "No,"


    "It’s not worth the risk. It’s better to stay away."


    And yet, despite her resolve, she couldn’t stop the small, fragile part of her heart from wondering...


    What if?


    ...


    After leaving Lan Shuqin in her room, Zhao Tian stepped outside, walking through the courtyard ’The presence stopped following me when I came near to the palace. So Palace is a safe place...’


    The cloaked woman stood at the edge of this altered reality, her crimson eyes narrowing in curiosity.


    She flexed her fingers, and thin tendrils of blood began to flow from her fingertips.


    "Impressive, but let’s see how well it holds up."


    Without warning, the tendrils of blood, shot forward, twisting and converging toward Zhao Tian like a storm of crimson whips.


    *sleesh* *sleesh*


    Zhao Tian reacted instantly.


    His domain slowed the incoming tendrils, their movements appearing as if they were fighting against time.


    With a swift motion, Zhao Tian sidestepped the first tendril, his sword flashing as he severed it mid-air.


    The tendril dissolved into droplets, which evaporated before touching the ground.


    But more followed.


    The woman’s laughter rang out. "Hahahaha... Not bad... but you’re not fast enough to dodge them all."


    Three more tendrils came at him simultaneously, interweaving through the air in erratic patterns to confuse him.


    Zhao Tian’s eyes glowed faintly as he focused.


    The spatial distortion of his Arcane Enclave enhanced his perception, allowing him to read their trajectories with precision.


    *sleesh* With a sharp movement, he spun his blade in a wide arc, cutting through two tendrils while narrowly avoiding the third, which grazed his shoulder.


    The fabric of his robe tore, and a faint line of blood appeared on his skin.


    His gaze flickered around at the blood technique she just used "I see now. You are... a vampire?"


    The woman smiled, stepping deeper into his domain. "You don’t like vampires?"


    She raised her hand, and the ground beneath them began to tremble.


    Pools of blood seeped up from the cracks in the earth, forming a crimson haze that covered the area.


    Zhao Tian felt the weight of her aura press against his own domain, creating a clash of energies that sent sparks of red and gold crackling through the air.


    *sleesh* Suddenly, spikes of hardened blood erupted from the ground beneath Zhao Tian, aiming to impale him.


    He jumped back, flipping mid-air to avoid the attack, but more spikes followed one after another.


    They seemed to anticipate his movements, forcing him to twist and contort in the air to dodge.


    Landing with a *thud* Zhao Tian drove his sword into the ground, channeling his domain’s energy.


    A pulse of spatial distortion rippled outward, shattering the spikes nearest to him.


    ’Haa... My body is light and I can move much better now. This feels good...’ Read latest chapters at novelhall.Co?m


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    I hope you guys liked this chapter!