Chapter 43 – Reassembling the Phoenix Court
---
Bai Xueqing stared at the image of General Hua Lian on the screen, her heart hammering in her chest. So it wasn't just her and Mo Chen who had returned from that lifetime—others had clawed their way through fate's threads as well.
"She was loyal to you, wasn't she?" Lin Nuo asked, glancing between the two of them. "Back then?"
"She was," Xueqing replied. "Until she wasn't."
Mo Chen folded his arms. "Hua Lian was brilliant, terrifying, and deeply ambitious. She supported the Phoenix Court because it gave her power—but when she thought she could rise higher without it…"
"She betrayed me," Xueqing finished, voice like ice. "And got herself killed in the process."
Now, she was back. And this time, she wasn't hiding in the shadows.
"We'll need to rebuild the Phoenix Court," Mo Chen said. "We can't do this alone."
Xueqing's eyes burned with determination. "Agreed. I already have the first names."
She pulled out a small notebook—an ancient leather-bound journal she'd carried with her since awakening in this life. Within it were the names of the generals, scholars, and strategists who had once stood at her side.
Some were likely lost to time. Others might have been reborn.
"We'll start with Yan Rui," she said. "In the past, he was a brilliant tactician. In this life, he's a political science professor at University B."
Lin Nuo whistled. "From battlefield strategist to bored academic. Fate's got a twisted sense of humor."
"Next is Mei Feng," Xueqing added. "She was our top spy—foxlike, fast, and deadly. If she's still alive, she'll find us before we find her."
Mo Chen smirked. "You always said she was like a shadow. She'll show up the moment she smells blood in the air."
Xueqing's fingers tightened around the notebook. "If Hua Lian has returned, others may have too. Some loyal, some not."
"We're bringing the court back to life," Mo Chen said. "But this time, no more blind loyalty. Only truth and strength."
Xueqing nodded slowly. "We build from the ashes—one flame at a time."
Lin Nuo groaned. "Does this mean I have to start training again? My cardio is tragic."
Mo Chen raised a brow. "You're the court's record keeper, not its swordsman."
"Still," Lin muttered, "I'd rather not get stabbed while trying to file spreadsheets."
Xueqing actually laughed—soft, genuine, and momentary.
It was a spark. Small. Bright.
The beginning of something powerful.
---