Ling Yan frowned as she listened to the commander's explanation, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior.
How could they have entered the ruins so carelessly? Did they have no understanding of what kind of place this was? Of the dangers that lurked?
This wasn't just reckless, it was sheer stupidity. The other commanders, her own people included, had acted without discipline or foresight. Were they always this impulsive, or had their judgment been clouded by ambition and greed?
Just as she was about to speak, a shift in the air sent a ripple of awareness in her sense. There was a presence approaching.
She turned swiftly, her sharp gaze locking onto an elderly figure emerging from the depths of the forest.
His pace was slow, unhurried. His long silver beard flowed past his chest, his hands clasped behind him.
The elder from the Emperor Academy.
