The cave's mouth swallowed Yu Bin into a realm of icy silence and shadow. She entered with unwavering determination, her heart pounding with both excitement and hope. This was the place where she would meet her destined sword. Her footsteps echoed along the crystalline stone as she ventured deeper, the cold air biting at her skin like whispers of warning. But there was no blade to greet her—only silence, and the growing sense that something unseen was watching. Suddenly, the sharp sound of footsteps echoed behind her. Yu Bin spun around—only to find herself face to face with... herself. Or rather, a dark reflection. This doppelganger had blood-red eyes that glowed with hatred. A suffocating, murderous aura surrounded her like a storm ready to burst. Yu Bin gasped, the pressure crushing her chest, making it impossible to breathe. Her hands gripped her ribs instinctively, but she had no time to recover. In a flash, the dark version seized her by the throat and lifted her off the groun

Yu Bin sat silently on the edge of her bed, the weight of everything pressing down on her chest like a stone. Her thoughts spun in restless circles, heartache pulsing just beneath her skin. "Yu Bin… please, don’t say that. I’m sorry," Xian Chen said gently, reaching toward her. She flinched back, avoiding his hand like it burned her skin. "Stop saying sorry," she snapped, her voice trembling with hurt. "Please, just listen to me. I—" "Enough!" Yu Bin’s voice cracked with frustration and something deeper—something broken. "Don’t say another word. Just go." The confusion and pain in Xian Chen’s eyes mirrored her own, but she couldn't take it anymore. She turned away, wrapping her arms around herself. Bao Fang entered the room, startled by the tension. "What’s going on in here?" "Nothing," Yu Bin replied quickly, her tone cold. "Just take him out of this room." "But this is—" "It’s fine," Xian Chen interrupted, already moving toward the door. His voice was low, resigned.

The morning sun bathed the castle in gold, its rays warming the ancient stone and slowly stirring life within the walls. Birds called out cheerfully from the trees while servants moved quietly through the corridors, unaware of the tangle of questions and quiet tension blooming just behind one chamber door. Inside, Yu Bin sat with Bao Fang and Xian Chen, her mind still echoing with memories from the cave. Her hand unconsciously stroked the hilt of Yingyue, the blade lying silently beside her, seemingly at peace—for now. "How did you know it was not real?" Bao Fang asked curiously, the question gentle yet laced with suspicion. Yu Bin took a breath, searching her thoughts. "Well, Ming Fang knew about what happened at the lake. The fact that the lake was full of resentful energy." Bao Fang narrowed her eyes. "How did she…?" "Exactly," Yu Bin nodded. "She wasn’t there. She couldn’t have known. Unless—unless she wasn’t really Ming Fang. I remembered what you said, Master. You warned me

The morning air clung to Yu Bin's skin like a lingering sadness, one that refused to lift even as the sun broke over the horizon. Her heart still ached from the argument—no, the hurtful misunderstanding—with Yingyue. Trust was fragile, and hers had wavered in the face of confusion. "She is evil, I felt evil intent, she..." Yingyue had shouted, her voice trembling with something far deeper than rage. It had been fear. Desperation. A need to protect. But Yu Bin hadn't seen that in the moment. All she had felt was betrayal, sharp and cold. "She is evil? So how are you then? Are you good? You are just a sword but you dare to talk like that about my best friend? Yingyue, she is my sister, even if she does not have my parent's blood she will always be my sister." "But..." Yingyue's protest died in her throat. Her eyes filled with tears and her expression broke into a silent sob. Her shoulders trembled, and a single teardrop slid down her cheek before she lowered her gaze. "Yingyue, shif

"What happened to brother Xian? What saving mission? Master, you said Xian Chen is back home, what happens?" "Nothing hap…." "I'm coming with you," Yu Bin interrupted, her heart thudding in her chest. She was already stepping forward, ready to follow, but was stopped by her father's firm grip. "Where do you think you are going?" he asked, eyes narrowing with concern. "Saving brother Xian," she replied without hesitation. I can't just stay here doing nothing. Not when he could be in danger. "You are not going anywhere. Bao Fang and her team will go by themselves." "Father!" Yu Bin shouted, startling everyone with the intensity of her voice. "I need to go and save brother Xian!" "I can't let you go, you are the princess here. What if some—" "That's the point, Father! I am the Princess. I need to save him. I can't just sit still when my people are in danger," she said, desperately trying to reason with him. Her voice cracked slightly. He would do the same for me, I know it. "Darl