"..."
"..."
Long Yushen finally stepped forward—still calm, but less prideful than before.
"…You're not from Rising Dusk Academy," he said, not as a question. "Are you here to help us? Are you part of the reinforcements? Where are the others? I need to make contact with my clan—do you have any long-distance transmission talisman?"
Su Xiaobai tilted his head slightly, that same easygoing smile still on his face, but now every pair of eyes read it differently.
"I'm not part of the reinforcements," he said pleasantly. "And no… no communication talisman either."
He paused—just enough for every shred of hope to shrivel.
"But don't worry," he continued. "I won't harm you. Not yet."
Not yet?
"...!"
Su Xiaobai looked at them all with casual disinterest, eyes gliding across each one like examining goods at a market.
