While Xueyin leaned forward, the sect leaders glared at the golden dragon as he described their enemy.
Tian Long, especially, felt a bitter taste fill his mouth, quickly overwhelmed by the sourness of betrayal, which was reflected in his raspy voice. "Why did you wait three days to speak about what even we don't know? That's not how you treat your closest friend—that's not something I would do."
The dragon harrumphed. "Concealing information from your friends for your own benefit is exactly something you would do." He shook his head. "But in my case, things are different. I'm a golden dragon. Honor is more than a concept—it's a guiding principle. He showed mercy to me, to all of you, and I repaid him with three days of silence."
As Tian Long's lips twisted open to unleash a venomous answer, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, each joint cracking like rusted metal, until he met Xueyin's narrowed eyes.
