"Are you… Xiao Fang?"
Before he could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps broke through the forest behind her. Branches snapped, leaves scattered, and a figure emerged from the clearing she had just passed through.
Li Lian.
She slowed to a stop, her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady her breathing, sweat trailing down her brow. Despite the exhaustion, her presence remained composed, her features sharp and striking even in the middle of pursuit.
Her gaze quickly fell on the veiled girl.
'This girl…' Li Lian thought, pausing briefly to catch her breath. 'She's so young… how is she so fast?'
The young veiled girl turned her head away, offering no answer, her silence deliberate.
Xiao Fang didn't press her either. Though the question lingered in his mind, it wasn't important right now.
There were more pressing matters.
"Lian," he said calmly, "Xun Wei needs our help."
Li Lian's expression shifted instantly, the fatigue in her eyes fading as focus replaced it.
