The silence in the Khan's private study was so thick it felt heavy, like the air before a desert storm.
Arkan stood beside the table with the border reports spread out in front of him. His eyes moved quickly between the carefully drawn maps and the official documents taken from the scouts. As he followed the lines across the mountains, his breathing grew uneven.
"This..." Arkan whispered, his finger trembling as he traced a mountain pass. "This matches the strange troop movements on the border report. The Hua army shouldn't be here. Not unless they were planning to bypass the main fort entirely."
The Khan did not look at Arkan. He didn't even acknowledge the tactical breakthrough. His silver mask glinted as he stared unblinkingly at Xiao Zhi. Behind that cold metal, his eyes were searching, sharp enough to cut through the silk of her robes.
Xiao Zhi shifted uncomfortably.
"How do you know this much detail?" he asked at last.
