The arrogance that had filled his eyes earlier had long since been burned away, replaced by lingering fear that still clung to him like a shadow he couldn't shake off.
"I really thought I was dead just now," he admitted, patting his chest as if confirming his heart was still beating. "When it was above us… that moment… I couldn't even move. If you hadn't shown up, Lord Fu, we wouldn't be standing here."
The man they addressed as "Lord Fu" stood calmly, his figure partially veiled by darkness, his expression unreadable except for the faint tightening of his brows, which hinted at something far less forgiving than relief.
This man—
Was Xiaofu.
The same Xiaofu who, within their covert group, held a position second only to He Anmin, a figure who did not merely relay information but influenced decisions, a shadow that moved behind the curtain yet held more weight than most who stood in the light.
He had come here for a far more… indulgent reason.
