Prince Ethan's gaze shifted toward the intruders, his face darkening as he shouted angrily, "Third Brother, we are here praying for Father and for Silvermoon Kingdom. You barge in so recklessly and even injure people—what is your intention?" At his signal, a group of guards surrounded the three of them.
But how could Damien Gray not see through his little schemes? Still, he didn't mind giving Ethan a taste of victory.
Maxwell Jing looked at Prince Ethan with a trace of pity in his eyes. He truly felt the Prince was unlucky—used by the Princess Consort and now by the Ghost King as well. It wasn't that Prince Ethan was foolish; it was just that both Damien Gray and Morgan Shangguan were far too cunning. So even this clever prince could only become a tool for their flirtatious games.
Damien Gray still wore a gentle, jade-like smile, but softly instructed the two behind him, "Destroy the altar."
Upon hearing the command, Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu charged toward the altar without hesitation. The guards were momentarily stunned—either forgetting to stop them or perhaps never intending to.
Prince Ethan felt a flicker of doubt and suspicion in his heart. He couldn’t understand what Damien Gray was planning. He had always believed Damien Gray was not a simple man, and now that everything was unfolding exactly according to his script, it made Ethan uneasy.
Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu took their positions on either side of the altar and struck it simultaneously. With a thunderous crash, the altar was completely destroyed. The abbot, skilled in martial arts, floated lightly off the altar and landed on the ground. He pressed his palms together, chanted a Buddhist prayer, then closed his eyes and began to count his prayer beads, clearly uninterested in meddling with worldly affairs.
Prince Ethan hesitated for only a moment before shouting furiously, "How dare you! Seize them!" In his eyes flashed a resolute killing intent. No matter what happened today, Damien Gray would not leave alive.
As his order rang out, the guards swarmed forward. Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu started fighting with them. Prince Ethan’s eyes grew dark and calculating as he watched the scene. Suddenly, he turned to Morgan Shangguan and said with a smile, "Shouldn’t you step aside? After all, you’re still his Princess Consort!" A husband and wife’s bond is not easily severed; he didn’t truly believe Morgan would remain unmoved—she was a woman, after all.
Yet, even if Morgan Shangguan regretted her decision now, it would make no difference. Still, for reasons he couldn’t explain, Prince Ethan didn’t want her to witness such a scene firsthand.
Morgan Shangguan smiled faintly. "No need. I’m quite interested to watch the Ghost King breathe his last." Her gaze landed on Damien Gray, full of amusement, as if she were watching a show. She knew nothing would really happen to him, but seeing him exert himself brought a touch of balance to her heart.
Damien Gray met her eyes, a hint of a smile on his lips and helpless affection in his gaze. Morgan Shangguan looked away—he shouldn’t think she’d go soft. Seeing her like this, Damien Gray couldn’t help but find it amusing; sometimes, her stubbornness was rather endearing.
Seeing that Morgan Shangguan wasn’t resisting much, Prince Ethan said no more. He watched the battle unfolding, a glimmer of admiration in his eyes. His third brother’s followers were indeed extraordinary. As the chaos grew, Lucas Yan, standing beside Prince Ethan, signaled the archers to prepare.
The guards fighting Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu quickly retreated. The archers drew their bows to full, surrounding them. In the shadows, elite assassins from the Cloud Guild waited in ambush. With such a formation, even a bird would have trouble escaping.
But the Ghostmaster was no ordinary man. Morgan Shangguan’s smile deepened—she was eager to see Damien Gray’s next move.
Some of the concubines, fearing stray arrows might reach them, kept their distance. Yet the three surrounded in the center showed not a trace of panic.
Maxwell Jing sidled up to Ethan Gu, whispering, "The Ghost King said we can’t block the arrows for him, but he didn’t say we couldn’t dodge."
Ethan Gu shot him a glance. "Of course I know. I’m not stupid enough to die for nothing."
A cold light flashed in Prince Ethan’s eyes as he signaled for the archers to fire. Morgan Shangguan’s gaze held a hint of unnoticed mockery. Did he really think he could take down Damien Gray like this? It seemed her own people would have to step in.
But seeing those in the center neither dodging nor flinching, his expression changed.
A flash of white—then, before anyone could react, all the archers lay dead on the ground. The arrows fell harmlessly, and Morgan Shangguan was no longer calm and composed. She grabbed Damien Gray by the collar, her eyes blazing with fury. "Damien Gray, would you die if you didn’t go against me? Now you’ve won—are you happy? You... mm—"
Their lips met, eyes locked—hers burning with anger, his sparkling with amusement.
Morgan Shangguan was furious—she’d meant to vent her anger, but he’d turned the tables on her again! She pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to let him win, but didn’t push him away. Damien Gray’s smile deepened; he merely brushed her lips with his, not forcing her.
After a long moment, Damien Gray finally released her, his thumb gently stroking her lips as he chuckled, "Mo’er, didn’t you raise a whole group of Little Reapers? Why rush out yourself?" He knew her alliance with Prince Ethan wasn’t just to give him trouble, but now that partnership would be hard to maintain.
At his words, Morgan Shangguan’s anger flared even hotter. How dare he! If not for him, she wouldn’t have charged in so recklessly, ruining everything. Now, Prince Ethan would never trust her again!
Seeing the bright smile on Damien Gray’s face, Morgan Shangguan wanted to bite him—he knew this was exactly the outcome he wanted, forcing her to admit defeat no matter what.
With a sigh, she thought: It wasn’t that she was reckless, but Damien Gray was truly gambling with his life. Had she been a moment later, he really might have ended up riddled with arrows. This man was ruthless—more ruthless than she was. No wonder she always lost to him.
Watching the two embrace in the center, Prince Ethan’s eyes grew icy. Morgan Shangguan—how dare you! You actually played him for a fool!
He made a subtle gesture, signaling the hidden assassins to stand down. In this situation, he wouldn’t make another move—he couldn’t be sure this wasn’t all a trap set for him. Even the assassins were Morgan Shangguan’s idea; how could he dare act rashly now?