"Senior Brother, a word in private."
Chu Xuan's fingertips trembled slightly, her painted nails nearly smudging his moon-white lapel.
In the shadow cast by a cyan pine, the gentle smile on Ning Wuque's lips froze.
The moment he heard that the Celestial Silkworm Threads were to be given to Xu Yunfan, the knuckles of his sword-hand turned white and the veins on the back of his hand pulsed like worms. This crack in his composure lasted only an instant.
Ning Wuque's gentle expression faltered, then swiftly turned ice-cold as he stared intently at Chu Xuan.
"Is what you're saying... true?"
Chu Xuan nodded repeatedly. "I heard Father say it with my own ears. Senior Brother, you have to go talk to him! With your standing in the Celestial Cicada Sect, there's no way it should be Xu Yunfan's turn to use the Celestial Silkworm Threads."
After a long silence, a smile emerged on Ning Wuque's face as he stood in the shadows. It was a smile that sent a chill down one's spine.
