Midnight settled over the Azure Dragon Clan like a living breath.
The wind carried laughter, music, the rich aroma of delicacies drifting through the palace halls. Lanterns glowed like fallen stars, casting warm light over the grand gathering of beasts.
Above, the full moon loomed vast and luminous, so close it felt as though it might descend upon the world itself.
Within the grand hall, the banquet was in full bloom.
At the head of it all, upon the elevated throne, Jun Yongrui sat with a smile, his fingers loosely curled around his cup as his gaze rested upon the dancers moving gracefully below.
He was completely elegant, controlled and unbothered ...until his eyes shifted.
Shen Taiyu had entered. Not alone, but with the three partners who had long since distanced themselves from him. Now they stood together again, speaking lightly among themselves, dressed in flawless elegance.
