This was it.
The pattern that could cut off the mist-based false Yu Mei from her energy source.
She stared at the intricate diagram, her fingers twitching in anticipation.
................
Back to present.
Back in the ritual room, she slowly opened her eyes.
The circle under her hands wasn't ordinary anymore.
It was a trap—and not just a physical one.
This time, she would cut the tether between Yu Mei and her stolen vessel. Strip away the energy. And finally, bring her soul to justice.
"Let's begin," Yu Holea whispered.
Qiao Jun knelt beside her, watching silently.
Yu Mei, still thrashing within the restraints, suddenly went still. Her eyes closed, and she fainted.
Somewhere Else.
A dimly lit room.
Moonlight slipped through the slats of wooden shutters, casting slivers of pale light across the floor. Fake Yu Mei sat on a grand four-poster bed, her back resting against silken cushions. Her dark eyes were narrowed, and her fingers twitched restlessly on her lap.
