The laughter inside Phoenix Palace slowly faded.
Only moments ago, Fen Yu had been crying while the other two ghosts argued over who had nearly cried first.
Now—
Silence returned.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Lian An sat quietly beside the window.
Her fingers rested lightly on the carved wooden table, but her mind was far away.
A black altar.
Forbidden symbols.
Dark spiritual energy.
The image described by the ghosts refused to leave her thoughts.
She slowly looked toward the three ghosts.
"You truly believe Shin Gu is behind everything?"
Wei Rong answered first.
"I cannot say she is behind every incident."
"But that altar..."
His expression became grave.
"...was built for evil."
Li Shen nodded.
"Everything surrounding it carried resentment."
"It wasn't a place meant for worship."
"It was a place meant for rituals."
Fen Yu hugged herself.
"I didn't even want to stay there for another heartbeat."
Lian An lowered her eyes.
Her thoughts raced.
The lake...
