An Understated Dominance

 After a brief rest, Margaret exhaled softly and turned to the few who had stayed behind. A-Long’s eyes were firm; the two remaining guards, though pale, gripped their weapons tightly. Old Zhang, his arm severed, sat leaning against the cave wall — his eyes hollow yet calm, as though resigned to fate. Qingzhu, meanwhile, watched Margaret with deep worry. Finally, her gaze fell upon Dustin. He still sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation, utterly untouched by the turmoil around him. That profound serenity, somehow, soothed her restless heart. “Let’s go,” Margaret said. Her voice had regained its usual cool composure, but now carried a tone of unwavering resolve — the sound of someone who had already burned all bridges behind her. Dustin opened his eyes at that moment, gave a small nod, and without another word, strode toward the other end of the cavern — down the narrow passage leading into the unknown. The passage was damp and dark, barely wide enough for one person to pass wh...

 Now, all they hoped for was to take a share of the supplies and search for another way out through the cavern. Even if the chances were slim, it was better than walking knowingly toward certain death. Captain A-Long’s face was ashen. His fists clenched tightly as he wanted to shout them down. But when he saw the fear and despair in the eyes of the brothers who had once fought by his side, the words of reprimand caught in his throat and died there. He was afraid too — only duty and loyalty kept him from speaking out. Qingzhu stomped her foot in anger and anxiety. “How can you be like this? Her Highness has treated you well — and now that danger comes, you all want to run away?” Li Qingcheng gazed at the guards before her — men weeping and begging — and her heart felt like a jar of mixed spices, full of sorrow and helplessness. She felt disappointment, coldness, and above all, a deep compassion. She understood their fear. Even Li Yuntian had considered the path ahead a dead end — wh...