Chapter 39 – Traces of the Past
---
The jade phoenix token weighed heavily in Bai Xueqing's hand.
Back in her penthouse, she stood by the window, staring out at the skyline of City A. The faint reflection of the token glinted against the glass. She'd thought she was the only one. The only soul reborn with memories of a life drenched in blood and betrayal. But that gloved man's voice—it carried a truth she hadn't wanted to acknowledge.
Mo Chen watched her silently from the couch, his shirt stained from the scuffle earlier. "You recognized the token."
"I did," she said, voice low. "It was one of the Seven Seals. Gifts bestowed by the Imperial Phoenix Clan to each of the chosen heirs."
He stood and approached her. "You were the Phoenix Empress."
"I was," she admitted, for the first time aloud. "And I burned with the empire when it fell."
He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Then who was he?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her mind flashed to a memory—of a young man kneeling before her throne, gloved hands outstretched, pledging loyalty with a voice as deep and melodic as a lullaby. The Seventh Shadow.
"I don't know," she finally said, though her heart whispered a name she dared not voice.
Mo Chen stepped back, his gaze dark. "Then we dig."
---
By morning, Lin Nuo had run background checks on every employee and former associate in Bai Corp's orbit. Meng Zhihao brought in facial recognition logs. Qiao Lan, now under probation but surprisingly helpful, whispered a single clue:
"He mentioned 'Black Mountain.' Said it was where power sleeps."
Xueqing's eyes sharpened. "Black Mountain?"
Mo Chen frowned. "That's a restricted site near the old city ruins outside Sector B."
"It's also where the last Imperial Tomb was buried," Xueqing added.
A beat passed. They all understood what that meant.
---
By nightfall, Xueqing and Mo Chen arrived at the outskirts of Black Mountain. The area was closed off, shrouded in military silence, but they had their ways in.
Under the cloak of darkness, they scaled the outer wall and entered the ruins. Debris crunched beneath their boots. A faint hum filled the air—electromagnetic pulses, barely contained.
And then they saw it.
A gate, hidden under collapsed stone. On it, the same phoenix emblem.
Mo Chen brushed his hand against the seal. "Locked. We'll need to break through."
Xueqing crouched, inspecting the carvings. "This is where they buried the truth," she murmured.
A distant metallic clang echoed through the ruins.
They weren't alone.
Mo Chen drew his weapon. "It's him."
The gloved man's voice echoed again, not from the shadows—but from a speaker embedded in the wall.
"Welcome back, my Empress. Let's see if you still remember how to survive your own legacy."