Chapter 75 Did I Do Something Again?

Lie Lang’s gaze remained fixed on the courtyard below.

The evening breeze moved gently through the branches, carrying the soft rustle of leaves across the rooftops. Down by the pond, Xue Yao stood in silence for another moment before wiping the water from her face. She looked at the remaining Dragon Golden Fish one last time, her expression carrying a guilt that had not been there before, then slowly turned and walked back toward her room.

The courtyard became quiet after the door closed behind her.

The Grand Alpha remained quiet, waiting for his answer. He simply stood nearby with his hands clasped behind his back, the corner of his lips into an unreadable smile.

Only after Xue Yao had disappeared inside her room did Lie Lang finally speak. "No."

The Grand Alpha’s smile remained unchanged. "Hm."

The sound had barely left his lips when the air around them suddenly froze.

A crushing pressure fell over the rooftop without warning, and the tiles beneath Lie Lang’s feet cracked apart as if an invisible mountain had landed on them. Broken pieces exploded outward, scattering over the edge of the roof, while every tree within the fortress bent beneath the force.

Thick branches groaned as they were pushed toward the ground, and the birds hiding in the canopy burst into the air in frightened cries, only to fall back moments later when the pressure became too much for them.

Lie Lang’s pupils contracted as every muscle in his body tightened. His instincts screamed at him to kneel, and the force pressing down on his shoulders grew heavier with every passing second. Cold sweat ran down the side of his face, but he clenched his jaw and forced himself to remain standing.

The spiritual energy inside him surged wildly, pushing against the pressure that wanted to crush him into submission, yet the difference between their strength was too great.

The Grand Alpha slowly turned his head and observed him from the corner of one icy-blue eye. "Hm," he repeated, this time with the faintest trace of disappointment in his voice.

Lie Lang’s breathing grew heavier as his legs began to tremble beneath him. His fists tightened until his nails cut into his palms, and another crack spread through the rooftop under his feet. He continued resisting for several more breaths, but the pressure only increased until one knee finally slammed against the broken tiles with a heavy thud.

The crushing force disappeared at once.

Lie Lang remained in place, one knee against the rooftop as he dragged air into his lungs. His chest rose and fell heavily, and for several moments, each breath felt like its own battle. The Grand Alpha looked down at him without sympathy before letting out a quiet, almost bored sigh. "I’ll give you three days," he said calmly. "Think about it."

Lie Lang lifted his head, but before he could respond, the Grand Alpha vanished. There was no burst of light or ripple of spiritual energy to mark his departure. One moment he had been standing there, and the next, nothing remained except the damaged rooftop and the silence of the night.

Lie Lang slowly rose to his feet and inhaled sharply until his heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm. His golden eyes returned to the courtyard below, lingering on the closed doors of Xue Yao’s room. He stood there for a long moment without moving, his expression difficult to read, before his figure disappeared from the rooftop as well.

Xue Yao had only just stepped inside her room when a powerful hand suddenly seized her wrist.

Before she could turn or call out, she was pulled backward, and her back struck the wooden wall hard enough to force the air from her lungs.

"Ahhh." She whimpered.

Her other wrist was caught just as quickly and pinned above her head, leaving her trapped before she had even understood what was happening.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She looked up, and the moment she saw the man standing in front of her, the color drained from her face. "Lie Lang..."

The first thought that entered her mind slipped from her mouth before she could stop it. "I didn’t touch your fish!"

Lie Lang said nothing. His golden eyes remained fixed on her face, and the silence in the room became so heavy that Xue Yao could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. ’Why is he looking at me like that? Did I do something again? No, I only apologized. I didn’t even go near the pond after that.’

He leaned closer, and a low growl rumbled deep inside his chest. Xue Yao pressed herself harder against the wall, even though there was nowhere left for her to move. His gaze lingered on her frightened face for another moment, sharp and unreadable, before he suddenly released both of her wrists.

The next instant, he disappeared.

Xue Yao remained pressed against the wall, staring at the empty space in front of her as if he might return just as suddenly. Several seconds passed before she finally blinked and slowly lowered her arms.

Faint red marks had already formed around her wrists where his fingers had held her, and she rubbed them with a confused frown. "What was that?" she muttered, still staring at the place where he had been.

She looked around the room once more to make sure he had truly left, then hurried to the door and slid the wooden bolt firmly into place.

The room fell quiet again after Xue Yao slid the wooden bolt into place. She stood there for a moment with one hand still resting against the door, listening carefully for any sound outside.

Nothing. Only after she was certain Lie Lang had truly left did she finally let out a slow breath and rub the faint red marks around her wrists. "Honestly..." she muttered as she walked back toward the bed, "if you’re going to barge into someone’s room in the middle of the night, the least you could do is explain yourself before leaving."