Chapter 238 - Echoes in the Ashes

Jiang Wei leaned against the train window, her gray hair catching the faint glow of passing lights as the bullet train hummed back toward Kyoto, Tokyo's skyline shrinking into the night. Her rifle rested across her lap, its barrel cold now, the weight of Zhao's death settling into her bones. Kyoto lay five hours ahead, a city reclaimed from Chen's soldiers and Xiu's vats, but her sharp eyes scanned the carriage, restless—too many battles taught her peace was a lie. Feng Ruoxi sat across from her, her dark hair tangled with sweat and Yukang's blood, the phoenix tattoo on her wrist glowing faintly, its whisper, "The fire rises…" a soft pulse she barely heeded. Her chest ached from old wounds, her fire simmering low, but her gaze held a weary resolve shaped by the end of Zhao's lab.