A Pawn (2)

Fan Shen's words hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffocating and oppressive. His smile was cold, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and arrogance. He stood there, calm and composed, as if he were merely discussing the weather rather than the fate of Yun Lintian's life.

Yun Lintian's grip on the Heaven Piercing Sword tightened, his knuckles turning white. His expression remained stoic, but his mind raced. Fan Shen's words struck a nerve, not because they were true, but because they were designed to provoke.

Yun Lintian had faced countless enemies, each with their own brand of arrogance, but Fan Shen was different. His arrogance wasn't born of ignorance or overconfidence—it was born of absolute certainty. He truly believed Yun Lintian was nothing more than a pawn, a piece to be moved on a board he controlled.

"A pawn?" Yun Lintian repeated, his voice steady but laced with defiance. "You think I'm just a pawn in your game?"