Hong Chen's figure gradually disappeared beyond the bounds of White Cloud City.
Not long after, Hong Lei and Kali arrived with their troops.
When they stood before the city gates, they could hardly believe what they saw…
A row of beastmen heads hung neatly above the gate.
Each face was frozen in its final moment before death:
Shock.
Fear.
Confusion.
As if silently recounting everything that had happened that night.
Hong Lei slowly stepped forward, looking up at the gate.
His fists clenched unconsciously.
After entering the city, the sight became even more horrifying.
The streets lay in ruin, stained with blood.
Weapons were scattered everywhere.
Many beast soldiers lay on the ground,
some not even having drawn their weapons
before their lives were ended.
It all resembled a precise and ruthless large-scale assassination.
And the ones who carried it out…
were only ten people.
Hong Lei's heart sank.
Suppressing the shock within him, he gave his orders in a deep voice:
"Clear the bodies."
"Repair the gates and streets."
"Restore order within the city."
Kali quickly moved to deploy troops, sealing off all exits to prevent chaos from spreading.
White Cloud City slowly began to function again,
amid blood and silence.
On the distant plains,
Hong Chen quietly watched White Cloud City.
A breeze swept across the grassland.
A flicker of blue flame danced at his fingertips, then vanished.
A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.
"Let's go."
"To the wilderness."
One of the Ten Attendants asked softly,
"The wilderness… you mean Blackwind City?"
Hong Chen shook his head.
His gaze was deep, like distant mountains shrouded in stillness.
"No."
"At the edge of the wilderness, there's a human tribe."
"I'm going to visit them."
The attendants were slightly startled.
"The wilderness… is almost entirely beastmen territory."
"There's actually a human tribe there?"
Hong Chen smiled faintly.
His voice was calm and steady.
"That's how they survive."
A fierce wind swept across the plains,
carrying with it the scent of the unknown.
Hong Chen's figure gradually faded from sight,
leaving behind only the boundless grassland
and a storm yet to come.
Several months later.
White Cloud City gradually returned to order.
New residents were settled in.
Soldiers resumed their training.
Civilians once again appeared on the streets.
The city seemed to have returned to peace.
However…
On this day, in the Holy City, something happened that no one expected.
Ning stepped out of her room.
The maids, seeing her walk out, froze in place.
They had never seen the princess leave her chamber of her own accord.
They hurriedly followed behind her.
The guards were equally stunned,
their eyes unable to leave her.
The news quickly reached Faer.
He rushed over,
but did not approach or interrupt.
He simply followed quietly behind Ning,
keeping a measured distance.
Step by step,
Ning walked up the city wall.
She ascended to the highest point.
In the distance…
the direction of White Cloud City.
The wind lifted the hem of her clothes.
Her gaze was calm and far-reaching,
as if softly speaking
to her departed mother,
to Qin Feng.
After a long while,
Ning finally spoke.
Her voice was soft.
"Rest in peace."
The wind passed over the wall.
Silence lingered in the air for a long time.
Then, Ning slowly turned around.
She glanced once at the city below.
In that instant,
a trace of determination—never seen before—
flashed in her eyes.
Then she walked back into the palace.
Like a breeze,
gently settling.
Yet within the Holy City,
it left behind ripples
that no one noticed.
红辰的身影渐渐消失白云城的范围.
不久之后,洪雷与卡里率领士兵赶到白云城.
当他们站在城门前时,几乎不敢相信自己的眼睛...
城门之上,整齐悬挂着一排兽人的头颅.
每一颗头颅的表情,都凝固在死亡前的最后一刻:
惊愕.
恐惧.
不解.
仿佛在无声诉说着,那一夜发生的一切.
洪雷缓缓走近,抬头望着城门.
他的拳头不自觉地握紧.
入城之后,眼前的景象更加骇人.
残败的街道上,血迹斑斑.
武器散落四处.
许多兽兵倒在地上,
甚至还没来得及拔出兵器,
生命便已经终止.
这一切,像是一场精密而冷酷的大规模暗杀.
而执行这一切的...
仅仅只有十个人.
洪雷的心猛然一沉.
他压下心中的震动,沉声下令:
"清理尸体."
"修复城门与街道."
"恢复城内秩序."
卡里迅速带人布控,封锁各个出口,防止混乱扩散.
整座白云城,开始在血腥与沉默中重新运转.
远处的草原之中.
红辰静静注视着白云城.
微风吹过草原,
蓝色的火焰在他指尖微微一闪,随即熄灭.
他的嘴角,缓缓勾起一抹淡淡的笑.
"我们走."
"去荒野."
十待中一人低声问道:
"荒野...你是说黑风城?"
红辰摇了摇头.
他的目光深邃,像远方沉静的山影.
"不."
"荒野边缘,有一座人类部落."
"我要去拜访他."
十待微微一愣.
"荒野...几乎都是兽人的地盘."
"竟然还有人类部落?"
红辰轻轻一笑.
声音低沉而从容.
"那是他们的生存本事."
狂风掠过草原,
带来远方未知的气息.
红辰的身影渐渐隐入.
只留下无边的草原,
以及正在酝酿的风暴.
数月之后.
白云城逐渐恢复秩序.
新的居民被安置进城.
士兵重新开始训练.
街道上再次出现平民的身影.
整座城,似乎重新回到了平静之中.
然而...
今日的圣城,却发生了一件所有人都没想到的事.
宁,走出了自己的房间.
侍女看见她缓缓走出房门,几乎愣在原地.
她们从未见过公主主动离开房间.
侍女连忙小心跟在身后.
护卫们也怔住了.
目光几乎无法从她身上移开.
消息很快传到了法尔耳中.
法尔匆匆赶来.
但他没有上前打扰.
只是默默地跟在宁的身后,
保持着一段不远不近的距离.
宁一步一步走上城墙.
登上高处.
远方...
白云城的方向.
风吹起她的衣襟.
她的目光安静而深远.
仿佛在与远去的母亲.
与琴风.
轻声低语.
良久.
宁轻轻开口.
声音很轻.
"安息吧."
风吹过城墙.
沉默在空气中停留了很久.
随后,宁缓缓转身.
她看了一眼城内.
那一瞬间,
她的眼中闪过一丝从未出现过的坚定.
然后,她重新走回宫中.
像一阵风.
轻轻落下.
却在圣城之中,
留下了一圈无人察觉的涟漪.