Chapter 197: Unbreakable Bonds

By the time the last flames had been extinguished, the courtyard of Ashen Fortress had become almost unrecognizable.

Smoke drifted between the damaged buildings, the stones were blackened with soot, and pools of water covered the ground where soldiers and civilians had spent hours fighting to keep the fire from consuming what remained of their home.

The eastern castle had suffered the worst of the damage, with part of its roof collapsed and several rooms reduced to charred ruins, but the people who had been trapped inside had been brought out alive.

Qingyue refused to rest. Because being idle would mean giving room for unwanted thoughts. She moved through the courtyard long after the other soldiers had begun collapsing onto benches and overturned crates, checking every person they had managed to save.

She stopped beside the wounded soldiers first, asking Officer Liang to tell her which injuries were serious and which could be treated with the supplies they had left.

"Make sure the broken bones are properly bound," she instructed, crouching beside a young soldier whose leg had been wrapped in strips of torn cloth. "And keep him warm. We don’t know whether General Sheng will return, so I want everyone capable of fighting as soon as they recover."

The soldier tried to sit up. "Princess, I can still fight."

Qingyue placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down. "You already fought enough tonight."

He looked at her for a moment before nodding.

Qingyue continued through the courtyard, checking the children next. Most were frightened, exhausted and covered in soot, but they were alive. She stopped beside a little girl who had been rescued from the eastern castle and crouched in front of her.

"Are you hurt?"

The girl shook her head. "My brother is okay too."

Qingyue smiled faintly. "Good."

The girl looked at her with wide eyes. "Are we going to have to leave?"

Qingyue’s heart tightened. "No." She glanced around at the ruined fortress. "This is your home."

"But it burned," the girl replied with a sniff.

Qingyue touched the girl’s hair, brushing away a piece of ash. "Then we’ll build it again."

The girl nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, and leaned against the woman sitting beside her.

Qingyue stood and continued checking the others. She made sure everyone had water, blankets and something to eat before finally allowing herself to breathe. Only then did she realize how exhausted she was.

"Qingyue."

She turned.

Han Shuying stood a short distance away, her clothes stained with smoke and her hair slightly disheveled from the chaos.

Qingyue immediately knew from her expression that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. "What is it?"

Han Shuying looked toward the children. "You saved them."

Qingyue nodded. "We all did."

Han Shuying was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "Why did you let Ru Yi go?"

Qingyue’s expression immediately hardened. "I don’t want to talk about her."

"You need to." Han Shuying was beyond frustrated but there was nothing she could do. To have openly challenged General Sheng would be to declare war. She knew the risks involved.

"No."

Han Shuying stepped closer. "You may not want to hear it, but you need to understand what General Sheng intends to do."

Qingyue looked away. "I understand enough."

"No, you don’t."

Han Shuying’s voice became more urgent. "If Sheng is successful in activating the Eclipse Relic and controlling Ru Yi’s shadow, he won’t simply have a powerful weapon."

Qingyue remained silent.

"He’ll have the power to destroy this entire kingdom."

That finally made Qingyue look at her.

Han Shuying continued. "The Eclipse Relic was never meant to be used by ordinary cultivators. It amplifies whatever power is bound to it, and Ru Yi’s shadow is unlike anything we’ve seen. If Sheng learns how to control it, he could use her shadow to drain spiritual energy from entire formations, destroy barriers protecting cities and possibly cripple armies before they even reach the battlefield."

Qingyue’s jaw tightened.

Han Shuying stepped closer. "Your decision didn’t just put Ru Yi in danger."

"I said I don’t want to talk about her."

"You need to listen."

"I don’t."

Qingyue’s voice finally cracked. "She betrayed us."

Han Shuying’s expression softened. "I’m not talking about this with you. We both know she had no other choice. Yes, she framed the three of you but I’ve done worse and I’m still here with you."

Qingyue’s eyes filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "She should’ve trusted us enough to tell us the truth. So don’t ask me why I let her go."

Han Shuying stared at her. "It’s okay to admit that your feelings were hurt. But let’s be logical here."

Qingyue’s expression hardened. "I’m not having this conversation."

She walked past her.

Han Shuying did not follow. "Qingyue."

She stopped but didn’t turn.

"If Sheng succeeds, you may never get another chance to save her."

Qingyue closed her eyes. For a moment, the image of Ru Yi being dragged toward General Sheng’s carriage flashed through her mind.

Her trembling hands.

Her tear-filled eyes.

The way she had whispered that she loved her.

Qingyue opened her eyes. "I don’t want to talk about Ru Yi." Then she walked away.

She headed toward the eastern castle, intending to inspect the damage herself before deciding what could be salvaged. The courtyard had grown quieter, and most of the soldiers had begun settling the wounded into the remaining rooms.

Qingyue climbed the stone steps carefully.

The Eastern castle looked even worse from this side.

Several sections of the roof had collapsed, leaving holes through which the dark sky was visible. Burned beams lay scattered across the floor, and the walls were stained black from smoke.

She stepped beneath one of the remaining arches. "We’ll have to reinforce this entire section," she murmured. She reached toward one of the damaged beams.

A faint crack sounded above her.

Qingyue looked up.

Her eyes widened.

A large piece of stone had broken loose from the damaged roof. She instinctively raised her hand when the stone came crashing downward.

Pain shot through her finger as the weight struck the ring.

Qingyue gasped and stumbled backward.

The stone fell beside her with a deafening crash. She stared at her hand. The ring had been struck directly.

For several seconds, nothing happened. Then the metal began to glow. Qingyue’s breathing stopped. The ring grew hotter beneath her skin, the light spreading outward until it illuminated the ruined corridor.

"What’s happening?"

Somewhere far beyond the mountains, Ru Yi’s shadow suddenly stirred. And the ring answered by snapping in half.