Gu Luoxin's sharp intake of breath echoed deafeningly amidst the tense silence.
The scene froze for a timeless moment, and even the howling wind, the cawing cuckoos, and swaying trees ceased their movements as though the entire forest was holding its breath along— until Jin Jiuchi chortled, shattering the increasingly strained atmosphere.
"Disobedient? Is it talking about me – us?" he sneered, his gaze brimming with defiance and contempt. "Who gives it the right to control me?"
