THE ORPHAN GIRL IS THE MARTIAL ARTS QUEEN의 모든 챕터: 챕터 41 - 챕터 50

The news broke early the next morning, headlines flashing across every channel by the time Elaine’s phone started ringing. Juliana Barnes, the beloved daughter of the Barnes family found dead outside her own penthouse, a single gunshot wound to the chest; no witnesses, no immediate suspects named. This was the news circulating social media and tv channels. Ray, Elaine, and Mr. Barnes made the drive to the morgue in heavy silence, and confirmation came quickly enough once they arrived. It was her.Elaine stood over the examination table with an expression that gave away almost nothing. She kept studying the precise entry point of the wound, the angle and the signs of a struggle visible in the bruising along Juliana’s arms and the torn strands of hair still tangled in her fingers. . She just knew this wasn’t random. This was Felix and there’d be more if they didn’t take precautions. She had never taken Juliana as a serious opponent although she tried everything against her. Today,

News of a body pulled from the sea near the coastal road spread through R City by the following afternoon. Mr. Barnes and Ray drove to the morgue together, bracing for what they already suspected. Lo and behold upon seeing the body, their suspicions were verified, Felix. There was a single gunshot wound through the heart, his body was recovered at dawn by a farmer who had gone out fishing.The man responsible for tearing their family apart was finally gone, and yet he'd still been their blood. He was still the little brother Richard had grown up beside before jealousy consumed him. Both father and son didn't know whether to be relieved or grief.Ray tried calling Elaine to tell her the news. Ray realized he couldn't reach Elaine at all.Her phone rang out to the same flat, mechanical voice each time he tried, informing him the number was unreachable. He drove to her apartment first, finding it locked and dark with no sign she'd been home. He went to her shop next, where the young woma

The weeks that followed was something Elaine hadn't experienced since her earliest years of training. Master Wu pushed her without mercy, mornings spent on breathing and precision strikes, afternoons devoted to sparring until her muscles screamed and her vision blurred with exhaustion, evenings stretching late into meditation exercises meant to sharpen her instincts. She hadn't realized they'd grown dull over years of ordinary city living.He corrected her stance with the same sharp, unyielding tone he'd used when she was a teenager first learning to hold a blade properly. He never for once softened despite her wound still healing beneath fresh bandages. And he never once offered her more than the barest moment to catch her breath between drills."You'll need this for the dangers ahead," he told her, again and again. He repeated the same seven words without a single further explanation no matter how many times she pressed him for more.She didn't know who she was training to fight. Sh

Master Wu led Elaine through the winding streets of Vaelmoor's downtown district, and though she kept her expression carefully composed, her eyes couldn't help drifting toward everything around her, stalls selling herbs she'd never encountered before, buildings constructed from pale stone and weapons displayed openly in shop windows just like how ordinary cities displayed shoes or clothing. People bowed as Master Wu passed, though their eyes lingered curiously on Elaine trailing beside him. "Ignore the stares," Master Wu said lightly, not bothering to glance back at the crowds parting around them. "Everyone's surprised to see an outsider walking these streets so freely. This is downtown, where most of Vaelmoor's weaker citizens live. Weak by our standards, mind you, any one of them would be considered formidable in the ordinary world you grew up in." He guided her past countless shops and buildings as they walked, describing casually how the land divided itself into four distinct

The great hall of Vaelmoor filled slowly that morning as the Council gathered for its long awaited session. The elite members from every corner of the land settled into seats arranged in hierarchy around the raised dais at the center. Lord Ashworn, the youngest member ever to sit at the head of the Council, occupied the highest seat, watching the room fill with the same unreadable calm he wore in every gathering."Master Wu." Evie spoke first, her voice cutting through the low murmur of conversation. She'd returned from her own extended absence only days ago, and the first piece of news to greet her was the discovery of an outsider brought quietly into their land without a single word to the Council beforehand. Something about the situation made her so uneasy and she couldn't shake it off. "I've heard you brought an ordinary girl into our land without seeking the Council's approval.""Yes." Old Su leaned forward, his weathered face carrying the sharp edge of decades old rivalry. "Duri