5 ： Sadows of Betra
hanfenglgkissedherforehead，hisvoider“ifeelthesaway，sukieandiknowthataslongaswe’retother，wefaythg”
astheystoodthere，edeachother’sars，theykhatthefightaheadwouldbetheirgreatestchallebuttheyalkhattheirlovewastheirgreateststrengthandwiththatstrength，theywouldovereanyobstadervictorio
thedawnofthefalbattleapproached，andwithit，thefateofthekgdooflianhungthebasukieandhanfenglgwerereadytheywouldfightfortheirlove，fori’sfaily，andforthefutureoftheirworldandtheywoulddoittother
thecapitalcityoflianwasabtlghubofactivity，filledwithrts，nobles，andonersallgogabouttheirdailylivestheairwasthickwiththestofexoticspidtheundoflivelychattersukie，hanfenglg，andiadetheirwaythroughthecrowdedstreets，theirheartsheavywiththeweightoftheirissiontheyhadsuessfullygatheredtellinceaboutthedarklord’spnsandnowofdawaytoshi
sukie’sdwasragwithpossibilitiestheyhadlearhatthedarklord’sneonwasbegstoredtheheavilyguardedpacettgcloseenoughtodestroyiouldreireacleverpnandfwlessexecutionastheywalked，sukie’seyesweredrawntoagrandbuildgadorhsilkbannersandtricatecarvgsiastheostfaobrotheliy，knownforitsbeautifulurtesansaravagantperforances
apoforsukie’sdsheturohanfenglg，hereyesfilledwithdeteratiotothepadithkiknowhowifigairytothebrothendbeeoheirurtesans，iightbeabletotclosetoohaesstothepace”
hanfenglg’seyeswidened“sukie，that’scrediblydanrothebrothelisfullofspiesandrantsifyou’redisvered…”
sukiepcedareassurghandonhisar“iknowit’srisky，butit’urbestcewedon’thavetitoeuithanotherpntrt，idothis”
hanfenglglookedtohereyes，seeierationandstrengthwiththehenoddedslowly，hisvoicefilledwithrelve“alright，we’lldoitbue’llstayclose，andifanythgg，we’lltyououtofthere”
sukiesiled，gratefulforhissupport“thankyouiproisei’llbecareful”
theyadetheirwaytothebrothel，andsukieapproachedtheentrahfidehedooran，aburlyanwithascarrunngdownhischeek，eyedherspicioly
“whatdoyouwant?”hegrowled
sukiestraightenedherposture，exudganairoffidendgrace“iseekeployntasaurtesani’veheardthisisthefiestablishntiy”
thedooranraisedaneyebrow，clearlytrigued“wedon’ttakejtanyoneyou’llhaveroveyourself”
sukienodded，hervoicesteady“iuandi’ready”
heledherside，whereshewastroduada，ashrewdwoanwithakeealenttheadalookedsukieupanddown，hergazepierg
“whydoyouwanttoworkhere?”sheasked，hertoical
sukiethergazewithoutflg“ihaveskillsthatuldbevaabletoyourestablishnti’fidentieayourostdisgts”
theada’seyesnarrowed，butshenodded“verywellyou’llhaveatrialperiodifyouipress，you’llstayifnot，you’reout”
sukieagreed，aragbegaelythedaysthatfollowedweregruelg，filledwithlesnsdance，idversationsukie’sdeterationneverwavered，andsheicklyprovedherselftobeafastlearheotherurtesans，itiallywaryofthenewer，begantowartoherastheysawherdedicationandskill
assheirsedherselfhernewrole，sukiekepthertrueissionattheforefrontofherdsheogairtofthebrothel’sostiialts，especiallythosewithestothepaesuchaslordowerfulnobleknownforhisextravaganttastesandclosetiestotheroyalfaily
thenightofherfirstperforancearrived，andsukiefeltaixtureofexcitentandnervesshedressedastunngsilkgown，herhairadorhdelicateflowersasshesteppedontothesta，theroofellsilent，alleyeheicbegan，andsukieovedgracefully，hereveryotioncaptivatgtheaudienceshedahapassionandelegahatlefteveryoneawe，herperforanceaperfectblendofbeautyandskill
aftertheperforance，lordroachedher，clearlyipressed“ynifit，”hesaid，hiseyesfilledwithadiration“i’veneverseensuchgradtalent”
sukiesiled，herheartpoundg“thankyou，ylordi’honoredbyyourpraise”
lordweitookherhand，hisgazetense“i’dliketospendtiwithyou，ifyou’rewillgihaveaprivaterooupstairs”
sukie’spulseiedthiswastheopportunityshehadbeenwaitgfor“i’dbedelighted，ylord”
theyasdedthegrandstaircase，andsukiefollowedlordweitoavishlyderatedrooastheysettledontoapshuch，lordweipouredthebothagsfe
“toyourcredibleperforance，”hetoasted，raisghisgss
sukiekedhergssagasthis，herdragwithpossibilities“thankyou，ylordit’sanhonortoeaoneasdistguishedasyourself”
theychattedforawhile，lordweiclearlyenjoygherpanysukielistenedily，subtlysteergtheversationtowardsthepadthedarklord’spnsshelearhatlordweiwasdeedwell－ectedandoftenattendedprivategathergsatthepace
astheevengprogressed，lordweigreworefortable，andsukiesawhercesheleaned，hervoiceftandvitg“ylord，i’veheardruorsaboutaneonbegdevelopedthepacedoyouknowanythgaboutit?”
lordweichuckled，clearlypleasedwithhercuriosity“ah，thedarklord’ssecretprojectyes，i’vehearditeabitit’ssupposedtobecrediblypowerful，thgthatuldtheurseofthewar”
sukie’sheartraced“thatundsfasatgdoyouthkthere’sanywayiuldseeit?”
lordweiraisedaneyebrow，triguedbyherboldness“you’reitethecurioone，aren’tyou?perhapsiuldarranthgbutiouldreireabitofpersuasion”
sukiesiled，leangcloser“i’sureweetoanarra，ylord”
thenighttihadelicatedanceofwordsandsubtlepersuasionbytheendoftheeveng，lordweiwasthhlyented，andsukiehadsecuredhisproisetotakehertothepace
thefollogdayswereabrofpreparationandanticipationsukiekepthertrueiionshidden，atagherroleasadedicatedurtesanhanfenglgandireaedclose，readyttoaifneeded
fally，thedayarriveddressedherfigown，sukieapaniedlordweitothepacethegrandhallswerefilledwithopulendsplendor，butsukie’sfocwantheissionsheolocatetheonandfdawaytodestroyit
astheywalkedthroughthepace，lordweitroducedhertovarionoblesandofficials，eateradelicatebanceofcharandgsukie’sdwasstantlyw，analyzverydetaindgathergasuforationaspossible
eventually，theyreachedaheavilyguardedchaberlordweispoketotheguards，aeppedaside，allowirysukie’sheartpouheysteppediheroowasfilledwithtricateaeryandstraifacts，theairhugwithanotherworldlyenergy
“thisisit，”lordweisaid，hisvoicefilledwithpride“thedarklord’ssecretonisn’titagnifit?”
sukienodded，hereyessgtherooforanyvulnerabilities“it’scredible，ylordbuthowdoesiork?”
lordweibegantoexp，butsukie’sattentionwaselsewhereshespottedaserieftrolsandswitches，eaeglogwithafat，eerielightsheofdawaytodisabletheonwithoutarogspi
thkgickly，sukiefeignedafatgspell，lpsgtothefloorlordweirhedtoherside，hisnue
“sukie！areyht?”heexcid，hisvoicefilledwithworry
shegroaned，hervoiceweak“i’fe，ylordithktheexcitenasjttooue”
lordweihelpedhertoherfeet，histoutle“perhapsweshouldtyoofreshair”
sukienodded，alloghitoleadheroutofthechaberastheyexited，shesubtlydroppedasall，eohetrolsitowerfurtifactshehadacireddurirag，capableofdisruptgagiergies
astheywalkedthroughthepacegardens，sukiefeltasenseofreliefthestonewouldactivateaatterofutes，rendergtheonelessshejtotoutofthepacebeforeaiced
lordweitiodoteonher，obliviotohertrueiionssukiepyedherroleperfectly，herdfocedontheissionastheyreturothebrothel，shefeltasuroftriuphtheyhadsueededdisablgtheon，buttheirjourneywasfarfroover
bathesafetyoftheirarters，sukiesharedthenewswithhanfenglgaheirreliefandpridewerepalpable，buttheykhefighaswonthedarklordwouldnotbeeasilydefeated，andtheroadaheadwasstillfraughithdanr
astheypheirove，sukiefeltadeepsenseofdeterationtheyhadefar，andtheirbondhadonlygrownstronrwithhanfenglgandi
byherside，shekheyuldfaychallen
tother，theywouldfightfortheirlove，theirfriends，aureofthekgdoofliahaheadwasua，buttheywerereadytofaceit，handhand，theirheartsunitedbyasharedpurposeandanunbreakablebond