As the Peak Lords left, Su Xiaobai's gaze drifted, landing on one figure—
Huo Rong.
The Fire Peak Lord.
His open hostility toward Su Xiaobai had been obvious for a while now, but the more Su Xiaobai thought about it, the less sense it made.
Zhu Qing had told him not to overthink it, saying Fire Peak was simply avenging their crippled disciples.
But bullshit.
Those were just Outer Core disciples. Nobodies.
And that was months ago.
How could a Peak Lord—a man who had lived for over a hundred years—bear such a personal grudge over something so minor?
No—this hatred was deeper.
And as Huo Rong returned to Fire Peak, his actions only confirmed it.
________
Inside the silent halls of Fire Peak, a small shadow flickered into existence.
A voice, low and cautious, whispered through the darkness.
"Brother…"
Huo Rong's face lit up with rare relief, his sharp eyes gleaming with expectation.
"Is it done?"
The shadow shifted.
