She stopped. Because Lin Mei… smiled.
It wasn't the gentle smile everyone knew. It wasn't even the cold smile she'd worn while killing the assassins. This was something else entirely—a smile that spoke of decisions made, of lines crossed, of a girl finally understanding that mercy was weakness in a world that respected only power.
"You're right," Lin Mei said softly. "I am one girl. And you're right that the Burning Sky family has elders, formations, and resources I can't match."
She took a step toward Luo Ying, and space rippled with each footfall.
"But here's what you're wrong about—thinking I need to take on the entire family. I don't. I just need to make killing me more expensive than letting me live. I need to make you afraid. I need to send a message so loud, so brutal, that even your family master thinks twice before coming after my family."
Another step. Luo Ying backed away, stumbling slightly.
