A deathly, oppressive silence filled the air, as if time itself had frozen.
No one spoke. No one moved. Even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves had vanished.
They all knew it in their hearts—Chu Jing wasn't coming back.
But no one was willing to say it out loud.
No one dared to admit it.
Even just mentioning her name was like a knife to the heart.
Time seemed to stand still for ages, the world shrouded in silence.
Finally, Chi Li couldn't bear it any longer and broke the silence, his voice dry and raspy. "That female beast... is she dead?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the air instantly grew taut.
Seven or eight gazes shot toward him in unison—cold, sharp, and filled with hostility, like countless daggers stabbing into his body.
Chi Li shuddered and instinctively shrank back, subconsciously trying to hide behind Lan Jin for protection.
But when he turned his head—
