Fang Yue lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His gaze was locked on Duke Wei as his powerful body steadily recovered.
Duke Wei, however, had lost all his earlier arrogance. He was half-kneeling, his face pale, and he too seemed to be struggling just to hold on.
The two of them stared at each other like that, neither making the first move.
Time seemed to stand still, and the air grew exceptionally tense.
Suddenly, a rush of hurried footsteps shattered the brief tranquility.
A troop of soldiers charged in from outside the temple, completely surrounding the battlefield.
Their leader was a general clad in armor. His cold, sharp gaze swept across the scene before finally landing on Fang Yue and Duke Wei.
This man was Chen Shimei, Duke Wei's son-in-law.
The moment General Chen saw Duke Wei half-kneeling on the ground, his face deathly pale, he was horrified. He rushed forward a few steps to support the teetering Duke.
