Location: Qin Estate – Grand Assembly Hall
The assembly hall glowed with lantern light. Every elder of the Qin family was present, their voices rising and clashing like storm waves. At the center stood Fenglan and Meiyue, the air around them shimmering faintly with the Void-Link Bond.
Elder Qin Renshu, his beard trembling with anger, slammed his staff.
> "This bond is too dangerous! If one dies, the other follows. If their power collapses, our entire foundation could be dragged into ruin!"
Elder Qin Lanying, known for her sharp eyes and steady judgment, countered firmly.
> "Or perhaps this bond is what we have long awaited. The Void Path has returned, stronger than ever. If nurtured, they will rise beyond the limits of this era."
The debate raged, elders divided between fear and hope.
---
🌑 A Hidden Listener
Outside the hall, cloaked in shadows, a spy lingered. His identity was masked, but the insignia stitched faintly into his sleeve—an eagle clutching lightning—marked him as a Pei family agent.
He pressed a jade talisman to his lips.
> "The twins have awakened the Void-Link. The Qin elders waver. Now is the time to sow doubt."
The talisman flickered, sending his words across leagues to Pei Zonghan.
---
🌌 The Second Void Wound
As the elders quarreled, Meiyue gasped. Pain rippled through her chest, and Fenglan clutched his heart at the same instant. The void seal flared.
> "The second wound," Yuanhe whispered, his eyes narrowing.
Dark whispers filled the hall, voices only the twins could hear:
"Trust none. Betrayal lurks within blood. Even family can turn dagger against kin."
Fenglan staggered, visions flashing before his eyes: a Qin elder bowing to a rival clan, handing over a void scripture in exchange for wealth. Meiyue saw a different vision: a child crying as their parents sealed away their potential to protect themselves.
Were these illusions? Or buried truths?
The twins' bond pulsed violently, nearly overwhelming them before stabilizing again.
---
🌠 Suspicions Rise
The elders noticed their sudden struggle. Elder Renshu's eyes narrowed.
> "See? The bond poisons them already. Their visions will drive them to madness."
But Elder Lanying spoke softly, her gaze fixed on the twins.
> "No… those are not illusions. They are the Void Wounds. Memories of betrayal carried in the bloodline, surfacing to test them."
The hall grew silent. Even those most skeptical realized: the twins were walking a path no one could guide them through.
---
🌑 In the Shadows of Rivalry
That night, another meeting stirred—this time in the Shaw family estate. Shaw Mingxiu leaned against his throne, sipping wine.
> "The Pei wish to sow doubt? Good. Let the Qin tear themselves apart from within. But when the time comes… we shall strike not at the children, but at the very heart—the Qin patriarch himself."
Beside him, a young figure stood—Shaw Yaling, his daughter, eyes sharp with cunning.
> "If the twins truly embody the Void Emperor's legacy, then their downfall will bring glory to us. Father, allow me to weave my way into their world. I will be their friend, their ally… and their undoing."
Shaw Mingxiu's smirk widened.