A chilling, seductive aura lingered in the air. Lily Ling dared not raise her eyes, only thinking to herself that Leo Leaf must have done something foolish, or was about to, to have angered Damien Gray so much. It seemed she was doomed!
Damien Gray looked at Lily Ling and said coldly, "You may leave now."
"Yes!" Lily Ling did not dare linger. An angry Damien Gray was a hundred times more dangerous than usual—she had wanted to escape for ages!
Once only Maxwell Jing remained, Damien Gray finally spoke. "You know what to do."
Maxwell Jing nodded. He knew Damien Gray had already decided to get rid of Leo Leaf, regardless of whether she had broken any guild rules.
If Leo Leaf had violated the rules, he would have every reason to remove her. But if she hadn't, then they would have to find a way to make her break them—a method Damien Gray had already devised. It wouldn't be difficult.
This incident was the perfect beginning.
For matters like these, Damien Gray kept Lily Ling in the dark because, aside from Quentin Soul and Maxwell Jing, the Four Hall Masters were not entirely within his circle of trust. Perhaps the other three were loyal now, but if they learned he was scheming against Leo Leaf, even if they said nothing, doubts would linger in their hearts.
Even if they disliked Leo Leaf, she was still one of the Four Hall Masters. If Damien Gray could plot against her, what was to stop him from doing the same to them one day? Any normal person would think so, even if only for a moment, and that fleeting thought would quietly erode their trust in their Sect Master.
Damien Gray didn't care about what others thought of him. But once trust was fractured, every future move would carry more risk—and that was not what he wanted. To put it coldly, he cared not for his subordinates’ opinions, but for whether these chess pieces would lose their value.
As for Ethan Gu and Maxwell Jing, both were bound to Damien Gray by a debt of gratitude, and truly respected this man. So, no matter what he did—even things they struggled to accept—they would do their best to comply.
In truth, they understood well: Damien Gray appeared cold and ruthless, but as long as they were wholeheartedly loyal, even if they made minor mistakes, he would turn a blind eye. In fact, Damien Gray was more lenient with them than anyone else. At least, until now, no one else would tolerate their subordinates consorting with the same sex. If the world found out, he too would be mocked. Perhaps he didn't care, and no one dared laugh openly, but his relationship with Ethan Gu could still bring trouble to the Ghost Guild.
Yet Damien Gray had never stopped them—in fact, they could sense his support!
Even among families, many would sever ties over such matters. But Damien Gray, a man who disliked trouble, didn't care if they brought him problems. What did that mean? He understood very well.
Having followed Damien Gray for so long, Ethan Gu and Maxwell Jing knew his cold methods better than anyone. Others might wonder if his tolerance was just a way to use them more effectively.
But both Ethan Gu and Maxwell Jing were perceptive. They had never believed Damien Gray was merely using them. To speak of usefulness, the Ghost Guild and the Sanctuary had little connection; the Ghost Guild gained little, nor did it need to. Yet Damien Gray had often helped Quentin Hua, though always with reluctance and as a trivial favor. If the Sanctuary Master were anyone but Quentin Hua, Damien Gray would never bother.
Damien Gray was not heartless—he simply buried his feelings too deeply for most to reach. Now, at last, there was someone he could love with all his heart, and who loved him just as fully, freeing him from loneliness. He felt deeply comforted.
Glancing at Morgan Shangguan in his arms, Maxwell Jing turned and left, ready to take action. He could guess why Damien Gray was suddenly so eager to get rid of Leo Leaf.
The person in his embrace stirred. Damien Gray looked down, as if nothing had happened, a gentle smile on his lips. He asked softly, "You're awake?"
Morgan Shangguan nodded, still nestled against his chest without any intention of moving. Damien Gray stroked her hair, savoring the warmth and softness in his arms.
Morgan Shangguan didn’t ask about his orders; she simply said, "In a few days, it’ll be time for us to set out."
September fifteenth, the day everyone was waiting for, was fast approaching. As it drew near, excitement was building, but no one had made any major moves yet. The reason was simple: the meaning of that cryptic phrase hadn’t been deciphered. Without its secret, no one knew the treasure’s exact location.
Suddenly, both the righteous and the wicked factions had quieted down—partly for this reason. The more people involved, the more hope there was, so for now, no one wanted to target anyone else. Unable to unravel the secret, all eyes turned to the major powers, waiting for someone to act. At present, the Ghost Guild and Cloud Guild were the main focus.
The righteous side claimed they couldn’t let the treasure fall into evil hands, but in truth, it was just greed. So now, no one talked of opposing the Ghost Guild or Cloud Guild. On one hand, the recent Martial Arts Conference had left a deep impression; on the other, their hopes of finding the treasure were pinned on Lord Ghost and the Cloud Guild Master.
Of course, if those two ended up fighting and both suffered, everyone else would be more than happy to see it!
Damien Gray raised his brows and chuckled softly. "So, the Cloud Guild Master knows where the treasure is?"
Morgan Shangguan sat up, her eyes lowered to meet his smiling gaze. She laughed, "Doesn’t Lord Ghost know as well?"
Both the Ghost Guild and Cloud Guild excelled in intelligence gathering and knew the terrain better than anyone. Since the cryptic phrase concerned the treasure, directly or indirectly, it must mention its location. If it did, they were confident they could find it.
Damien Gray laughed quietly, pulling her into his arms. "Once this matter is settled, we’ll set out." Naturally, he meant the issue with Leo Leaf.