Far from the chaos of the outside world, which was still ablaze with the Andreas family scandal, the atmosphere inside Kara's quiet room was tense in a different way. There was no anger or intrigue, only a thick anticipation and a fragile hope.Rayden sat cross-legged before Kara, who was also seated on a mat. Her eyes were closed, her face serene."Don't think about it," Rayden said softly, his voice the only marker of time in the silent room. "Forget about how to do it. Empty your mind and just feel the flow. Don't force it."For weeks, they had gone through the painful process of 'stitching' her meridians. Now, Rayden's work as a healer is done. All the major ruined pathways in Kara's body had been reconnected, reinforced by the finest spiritual herbs. But those pathways were still empty and silent, like the streets of a dead city.Now the hardest task fell on Kara's shoulders alone. For the first time in ten years, she had to try to reawaken the spiritual energy from her long-dorm
Inside the communications room that had been specially prepared for her, Alesia Hayes no longer looked like a frightened victim. She sat before a bank of monitors, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating light. She was a general in her war room, and her weapons were connections and words.She pressed a button on her communicator, and a video call connected. The face of a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup, the most influential gossip blogger in the provincial capital, appeared on the screen."Darling, I have an exclusive story for you, guaranteed to be explosive. But of course, this stays between us, yes?" Alesia's voice was sweet as honey, but every word had been weighed with the precision of a master poisoner.The blogger was instantly animated. "Of course, Ale! Tell Auntie everything!""It's just a rumor, of course," Alesia continued with an innocent tone. "I heard there's a super-rich heir in Zoho City who recently accused his celebrity wife of being kidnapped. But,
Alesia laughed. It wasn't her usual cheerful laugh, but a sharp, contemptuous sound, completely unintimidated by the official seal of the Andreas family embossed on the scroll before her."Kidnapping?" she repeated, her light brown eyes flashing dangerously. "They're calling a rescue from hell a kidnapping? The Andreas family truly has no shame!"The positive energy from their small victories instantly vanished, replaced by a thick tension. Mireya, having finished reading the scroll's contents, placed it on the table with a grave expression."This is more than just shameless, Alesia. This is a very smart and very dangerous move," Mireya said, her normally calm voice now tinged with worry. She looked at Rayden. "This is no longer just a threat from a single family, Ray. By filing an official petition with the Provincial Cultivator's Council, they've elevated this game to an entirely different level. The Provincial Council doesn't care about the squabbles in Malora. They care about stab
In the main room of the now-livelier subterranean base, Alesia Hayes was furiously channel-surfing with the remote.News of a new fashion launch, a celebrity scandal, political turmoil—it all felt so distant and meaningless. She let out a long sigh and threw a velvet sofa cushion across the room in frustration."I'm going to go mad if I just sit around like this!" she complained to Mireya, who was sitting across the room reviewing some documents.Mireya looked up, a thin, sympathetic smile on her face. "Just be a little more patient, Alesia. It's still not safe for you out there.""I know!" Alesia retorted, throwing herself dramatically onto the sofa. "And I'm grateful to Rayden. Truly. He saved my life. But after being locked in a golden cage in Zoho, I now feel like I'm locked in a safe stone cage in Malora. I'm not a porcelain doll for display, Mireya. I need to do something!"Her restlessness was not without reason. For the past few days, she had watched Rayden and Mireya work non
Kara bit her lower lip until it bled, trying to stifle the groans that threatened to escape her throat. Her body was drenched in a cold sweat, every muscle tensed like a steel wire pulled to its breaking point. Yet, her eyes, staring at the ceiling, showed a burning determination—a silent rebellion against the ocean of agony that was drowning her."Continue," she gasped, her voice hoarse and ragged. "I… can take it."Rayden, sitting behind her in total concentration, gave a short nod. His respect for this woman grew with every passing second. He continued his intricate work. The golden thread of his spiritual energy moved again, seeking out other shattered pieces of her energy pathways, and carefully began to stitch them back together.Every connection he successfully made sent a fresh shockwave of pain through Kara's nervous system. Rayden could feel the subconscious resistance from her body, a natural reaction to reject the torture. He knew that if her mind surrendered to the pain,
Rayden wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand, his sharp gaze fixed on Kara, who was still panting on the mattress. Cold sweat beaded on the woman's temples, but her eyes, usually as calm as a lake, were now filled with the horror of a new realization."Yes," Rayden answered, his voice slightly weary but still firm, confirming Kara's greatest fear. "The seal's energy has a will of its own. It's like a wounded, feral beast. And now that its cage is broken, the remnants of that wild energy will rampage and try to destroy whatever is left inside your body. We have to move fast."He walked to a small table where he had placed several ingredients he had taken from the Moyes family's warehouse. There was a silvery root that looked like a braid of a thousand threads, and a jade jar containing a thick, green ointment that radiated a potent aroma of life."Thousand-Link Root and Growth Jade Ointment," Rayden murmured, remembering the teachings of his dru