Xue Muyao's expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes—regret, perhaps, or resignation.
She looked at Yun Lintian, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of sorrow. "I had no choice. The Lord of Chaos is too powerful. I am but a small figure in this vast world, too weak to resist his will. I do not have the fortune to have someone like you to protect me."
Yun Lintian's gaze softened slightly. He could sense the conflict within her, the struggle between her pride and her survival instincts.
"You could have sought help," he said quietly. "There are always other paths."
Xue Muyao shook her head. "You don't understand. The Lord of Chaos is not someone who can be reasoned with or escaped from. He is... inevitable. For someone like me, and for the Endless Snow Kingdom, survival means submission. I cannot fight against the tide."
