Du Juan flinched back, her shoulders trembling.
"I—I had no other way!" she cried, her voice breaking again.
"I fed the souls of the bandits who attacked me… to her! It was the only way to keep her alive!"
Fang Yuan's sigh came heavy and long. He closed his eyes briefly, then returned the necklace to her trembling hands.
"Her soul is contaminated," he said softly, "beyond repair. Even the Seven-Ring Lotus wouldn't be able to heal her now."
Du Juan froze in her steps, her lips parted, but no sound came out and only a silent shudder ran through her body.
Her tears had all dried, leaving her face pale and hollow. Despair weighed on her like an invisible chain.
Fang Yuan studied her in silence for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
The dim glow of the necklace reflected in his eyes, and for an instant, even the air around them seemed to still.
Finally, he exhaled softly and shook his head.
