Most of the martial world had no idea where the treasure was truly hidden. Liam Duanmu, however, remained calm and unreadable; aside from paying a bit more attention to Morgan Shangguan, he showed no signs of unusual behavior. No one could tell if he already knew the secret.
Gradually, everyone realized they were heading toward Azure Kingdom. Rumors spread—could the treasure be hidden there? If so, wouldn’t Azure Kingdom snatch it first? Fortunately, the matter of the treasure originated in Silvermoon Kingdom, so Azure Kingdom likely hadn’t received detailed information yet. Still, if the treasure was truly in Azure Kingdom, it would surely bring new trouble. The crowd grew anxious and uneasy.
Just as Morgan Shangguan had expected, when they reached the border between Azure Kingdom and Silvermoon Kingdom, people from Azure Kingdom were already waiting there.
Inside the carriage, Morgan Shangguan and Damien Gray gazed out at the small squad waiting outside. There were only about fifty men, but they were well-equipped and disciplined. Their cold, murderous aura was so intense that even seasoned martial artists kept their distance.
Morgan Shangguan narrowed her eyes and murmured, "It seems Azure Kingdom has gone all out!" Clearly, such a force would never be deployed lightly under normal circumstances.
And to think they had sent people here so early—it was obvious that Azure Kingdom had many spies in Silvermoon Kingdom.
Damien Gray draped an arm around Morgan Shangguan, leaning lazily against the carriage wall. He spoke with casual indifference, "If you truly want the treasure, I’ll make sure you get it—no matter what."
Morgan Shangguan smiled, but before she could reply, Damien Gray’s expression suddenly darkened. He glanced coldly at a certain rider outside, his eyes turning frosty as he said in a low voice, "But I don’t want to see that hypocrite again!" His gaze was so blatant—did he think the man was invisible?
If he weren’t worried that Morgan Shangguan would think he was causing trouble at a critical moment, Damien would have acted long ago!
In truth, Liam Duanmu’s gaze was neither aggressive nor possessive, not even overtly obvious. At most, his eyes lingered a bit longer on Morgan Shangguan. Yet for a certain possessive fox, even a single extra glance was unforgivable—especially since Liam Duanmu had been watching her all along!
Morgan Shangguan reached out and gently stroked his chest, as if trying to smooth the fur of an angry puppy. She chuckled softly, "This has nothing to do with me! Is the mighty Ghostmaster really so petty?"
Damien Gray let out a cold laugh, his arm around her waist tightening suddenly as he said in a deep voice, "Is the Cloud Guildmaster deliberately trying to provoke me?"
Morgan sighed helplessly and planted a kiss at the corner of his lips, speaking innocently, "I just felt sorry for you, seeing you bottle up your anger all this way." Her eyes truly held a trace of sympathy—though beneath it, she couldn't help but smile.
Damien snorted, lowering his head to gently nip at her lips. His muffled whisper slipped between them, "If he dares to have any improper thoughts, I’ll kill him myself!"
Damien had held back only because Noah Duanmu's gaze hadn't been aggressive, and now really wasn't the time to stir up trouble. Otherwise, how could he have swallowed his pride so quietly?
But to call it swallowing his pride—truthfully, he’d been sulking the whole way. Morgan had to comfort him so much she started to wonder if his bad mood was partly on purpose!
This time, the Cloud Guild sent Claude Yun and Muriel Murong. Since there had been some progress between Maurice Mo and Lily Ling, Morgan left them behind to nurture their relationship. Claude Yun had opened his spirit eye, making it easier to receive instructions if needed. As for Muriel Murong, whenever she was dispatched, Noah Duanmu always tagged along like a shadow. Ever since the last Martial Arts Conference, Noah had been afraid Muriel would run into danger on a mission, so he insisted on following her. Thankfully, as an elder, Muriel didn’t have to go out often.
At this moment, the two were passing by Damien Gray’s carriage, still arguing about something.
Muriel Murong said impatiently, "I told you not to come. Do you think I’m here for fun?"
Noah Duanmu, whether naturally mild-tempered or just especially patient with Muriel, didn’t seem the least bit annoyed by her unfriendly look. He just followed her with a cheeky grin, "I know!"
"You…" Muriel suddenly stopped and turned to glare at him, looking as if she wanted to slap him.
Noah Duanmu sighed, glanced at Liam Duanmu in the distance, and said softly, "Little demon, you have to trust me!" The whole martial world knew about the treasure hunt; there was no way Grandmaster’s Estate wouldn’t get involved. Muriel had opposed him coming along from the start, worried he’d be caught between the Estate and her. But he knew his own limits—and with the lure of treasure, anyone could lose themselves. Who knew what dangers lay ahead? He couldn’t possibly let her face it alone.
Muriel Murong looked at his earnest expression, wanting to say something, but in the end she just nodded.
But Noah Duanmu frowned, "Why do you trust people so easily?" Trusting so easily—she could be tricked away in a heartbeat!
Muriel was torn between anger and amusement. She scolded, "Idiot, it’s because it’s you!"
Noah curled his lips into a sly smile, clearly pleased. "Then from now on, just trust me!"
In that honeyed moment, Muriel declared righteously, "And the Guildmaster too!"
Noah’s face instantly darkened—Cloud, Wind, Light!
Noah felt powerless. He didn’t want to be petty and jealous of the Guildmaster, but why did his little demon have to idolize her so much? What a fate!
Looking at Muriel’s adoring expression, Noah muttered, "Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’d fallen for her!"
Muriel shot him a glare. "Don’t be ridiculous. Only a fairy-like beauty could be worthy of the Guildmaster’s immortal grace!"
Fairy? Morgan turned to glance at Damien, the curve of her lips growing ever wider. Fairy? More like a demon queen!