Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 109 Collapse of Faith
In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through Lin Xuan's mind. He stared intently at the mandala, momentarily unable to react.

Mandala closed the door, walked to the table and sat down, looking at Lin Xuan and asking, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Lin Xuan's body trembled, and he got off the bed, his voice trembling slightly: "My lord, what brings you here?"

Mandala said calmly, "The matter of Nanzhao has been finished. I didn't expect Wenren Yue to bring you to Bozhou, so I came to see you."

She didn't know why she was appearing as Mandala tonight.

Although A'luo and Mandala are clearly the same person, and A'luo has been inseparable from him these days, when she sees him again as Mandala, she still feels like she hasn't seen him for a long time.

Perhaps, she just wanted to see him one last time before she left, in the guise of Mandala.

Unusually, she didn't ask for information, but instead asked, "How have you been lately?"

Lin Xuan calmly replied, "Thank you for your concern, sir. Everything is fine."

Mandala was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "Have you thought it through about what happened last time?"

Lin Xuan knew what she was referring to and nodded, saying, "Your Excellency, I've come to a realization. I am of lowly status and should not have harbored any improper thoughts towards you. Please forgive my offense..."

Mandala breathed a sigh of relief, but a sense of loss lingered in her heart.

Although she didn't know what she was feeling lost about.

Whether he likes mandala or aloe, it makes no difference in essence.

But at some point, she fell into a cognitive confusion between her identities as Mandala and Aro...

After a brief silence, she spoke again: "Let me see if you've practiced the skills I taught you properly..."

It was called a test, but she knew the truth in her heart.

She was leaving tomorrow, and she just wanted to spend a little more time with him...

After a while.

Mandala nodded slightly: "Not bad, you haven't fallen behind in these skills."

Lin Xuan didn't say anything.

His mind was a jumbled mess, and he had mostly remained silent since the beginning.

With no reason to stay any longer, Mandala stood up and said, "I'm leaving."

Lin Xuan finally spoke: "Where are you going, sir?"

Mandala said, "I've been away for so long this time, and there are so many things to take care of in Qianzhou, Sizhou and other places."

Lin Xuan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "I don't know when we'll see each other again. May I hug you, sir?"

Mandala did not respond to him, but she did not leave either; she simply stood quietly in place.

Lin Xuan stepped forward, stretched out his arms, and slowly embraced her.

Mandala's body trembled slightly, but she did not resist.

Soon, Lin Xuan released his arm, took a step back, and said, "Take care, my lord."

Mandala gave him one last look, then turned and left, disappearing into the night.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and continued his meditation.

With a light leap, she flew out of the courtyard and swiftly sped towards the alleyway.

All the sounds disappeared at the alley entrance.

A moment later, a slight sound came from the opposite courtyard again.

The wooden door to Aro's room turned a slight arc and then slowly closed.

A few faint sounds echoed in the room, then silence returned.

As Lin Xuan closed the door and turned to walk towards the table, she swayed and had to hold onto the table to steady herself.

His face was unusually pale. He picked up the teapot on the table, wanting to pour himself a cup of tea, but his arm was trembling violently. The composure he had forced in front of Mandala was now completely gone.

The warm and happy moments he shared with A'Luo kept flashing through his mind.

At the same time, the immense oppression and despair brought to him by the mandala, and the excruciating pain when the Heart-Eating Gu took effect, also clearly surfaced in his mind.

They alone brought him the ultimate darkness.

The other person was his light and salvation. But at this moment, these two figures were gradually merging in his mind.

He couldn't believe the guess, nor did he want to.

Aro is a datura flower...

How could Aro possibly be a datura!
Lin Xuan tried to deceive himself, but the effects of the calming pills were still in effect, and he found that he couldn't deceive himself at all.

Mandala, Ara...

She didn't even try to hide her name, yet he never once made that connection to her!
How could he possibly connect the two? One was a vicious woman who brought him torment and suffering, and the other was a gentle and obedient girl next door.
At that moment, Huang Yue's face inexplicably appeared in Lin Xuan's mind.

“Nanzhao spies don’t wear their spies on their sleeves. How do you know she isn’t? This person’s background is unknown. There are so many empty houses in Sizhou, yet she chose to rent the one next to Lin Xiaoqi’s. I have reason to suspect that she’s trying to get close to Lin Xiaoqi to gather confidential information from the Jingbian Division…”

At the time, Lin Xuan only thought that Huang Yue was framing him in retaliation.

Although he really wanted to frame someone.

However, it is reasonable for a flag officer of the Jingbian Division to have such doubts.

At the time, Lin Xuan, Zhang Hu, and Chen Bao were all caught up in the situation, and those involved were often blinded by their own perspective...

Lin Xuan leaned back in her chair, feeling icy cold all over.

His long-held fantasy of a wonderful life—the life with A'Luo after being freed from the Heart-Eating Gu and the Mandala—was shattered by this bloody reality!

It turns out that the mandala never left from beginning to end!

One can imagine what awaits him when he returns from the Jiuli tribe and reappears by A'Luo's side...

Shock, anger, and helplessness intertwined in his heart.

Never before had he felt so helpless since he came into this world.

After taking another calming pill, his violently beating heart slowed down considerably.

He threw the letter he had just written to them into the fire pit, and only sat back down in his chair after the flames had completely died out.

He leaned back in his chair, a mocking smile on his face...

As expected of Nanzhao's top secret agent, he can even fake his feelings.

He thought about how he was threatened by Mandala at night and comforted by A'luo during the day. He felt like a clown, being wantonly played with by her. She not only played with his body, but also with his feelings...

Lin Xuan didn't know what her purpose was in doing this, but he couldn't accept the fact.

He couldn't accept that the girl who had been with him through his darkest days was the darkness itself.

He sat there blankly until dawn.

There was a knock at the door. After a long while, Lin Xuan stood up, went outside, and opened the courtyard gate.

A Luo and Tian Qingluan stood outside.

Just as Tian Qingluan was about to say something, she saw Lin Xuan's pale face and distraught appearance, and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Lin Xuan roused himself, pulled her into his arms, and said, "I couldn't sleep a wink last night because I was thinking about how you're leaving today."

Tian Qingluan was no longer worried, and a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.

She gently kissed Lin Xuan on the cheek and said, "Then let's leave a few days later."

Lin Xuan released his hand and shook his head, saying, "If it had been a few days later, I would have been even more reluctant to let you leave. I can't let you delay the family's affairs because of me."

After saying that, he stretched out his arms to Aro.

A Luo smiled shyly and stepped into Lin Xuan's arms.

Lin Xuan gently hugged her and didn't let go for a long time.

He appeared calm, but his heart had already sunk into an abyss.

Although their body scents are different, the feeling of holding Mandala and holding Aro is the same.

Even if he was unwilling to admit it, he had no choice but to.

Aluo is the same as Mandala.

The belief that had sustained him all along collapsed at this moment.

(End of this chapter)