The sacred mountain descended into chaos.0

Though Sisi commanded powerful spirit beasts, her enemies had not come unprepared. Her goshawk and the Blood Ao clashed ferociously with the tigers and leopards of their enemies, while soldiers from both sides added to the disorder.0

Sisi’s greatest disadvantage lay in her inability to trust others freely. She could not place blind faith in the other elders and tribal chiefs, nor could she fully trust the Xia soldiers under her command, uncertain who might harbor treacherous intentions. Her strategy, therefore, relied heavily on her inner circle of seemingly unreliable servant girls—traitorous in petty matters, frequently mocking their saintess, yet steadfast in true crises. They knew that should anything happen to Sisi, their own fates would be grim—a reality well-documented in countless stories.0

But reliable though they were, their strength and experience were limited. Even knowing Sisi’s plans, they fumbled under the weight of the situation, struggling to organize the uninformed loyalists among the tribe.0

Under normal circumstances, this rebellion should have been quickly quelled. Sisi had her spirit beasts ready, and the conspirators inside the temple were already neutralized....0