Whoosh...
Night had fallen. The cold wind suddenly picked up, and the temperature dropped sharply. Out here in the wild, with no shelter from the wind, it wouldn’t take long before you were frozen stiff.
Even though William Wang Jinling wore a thick, warm fur coat, it couldn’t protect him from lingering in the wilderness for so long. He pulled the coat tighter around himself, but still couldn’t block out the bone-chilling wind.
William felt cold everywhere, down to his bones. For the first time in his life, he truly understood what it meant to be chilled to the core, to feel so cold he was numb.
His lips were turning purple, his face was drained of color, and his fingers were growing stiff. To make things worse, the thick smell of blood all around made William feel sick. He’d thought about leaving countless times, but didn’t dare stray too far.
William knew right away it had to be Nolan’s men who’d taken down his dark-guards. If his guess was right, his own people were close by. Wandering off would be asking for trouble. He had a few tricks to save his skin, but with chaos raging at Skyvault Palace, getting snatched now would be downright humiliating.
He was so cold he could barely think straight. Muttering curses, William grumbled, "Nolan, you absolute bastard—if I ever get my hands on you, I’ll make sure you regret the day you crossed me. Freeze me out here, will you? Over my dead body!"
To warm himself up, William started pacing back and forth, all the while searching for any sign of his dark-guards.
He knew Nolan always had limits—he'd teach a lesson, but never gamble with William's life. Nolan understood perfectly well: if William died out here because of him, Serena would never let him live it down.
After pacing back and forth, William finally felt a little warmer. Night had fallen, and his stomach growled as he stared into the darkness.
"Nolan, you’re merciless. It’s the middle of the night and you still won’t let my men out. Are you trying to freeze me or starve me to death? Pick one already!"
William deliberately spoke loudly, hoping those hiding in the shadows would hear. But instead of a reply from his dark-guards, he heard a sudden burst of hoofbeats.
The sound of hoofbeats alone told William there was a crowd coming. He stepped aside, not eager to get run down, and waited for them to pass.
He wasn’t worried about whether they were enemies or allies—if they were enemies, all the better. The hidden guards would come out to protect him if he was in danger, and he’d finally be done freezing out here.
The hoofbeats drew closer, stirring up dust. William wrinkled his nose, waiting for them to pass—only to have the whole group stop right beside him.
"Young Mistress, there’s a strong smell of blood here. There must have been a big fight just now." A burly man rode forward and lit the torch in his hand.
By the faint torchlight, William saw that the leader was a woman in a black cloak. Her features were striking, but she carried herself with a tough, resolute air—definitely not a typical noblewoman.
"Check the area. If nothing’s wrong, we keep moving." The woman’s voice was urgent, and judging by the direction...
There was nowhere to go except Skyvault Palace Sect.
Were they enemies or allies? Would their arrival change the course of the war?
William didn’t have to wait long before someone spotted him: "Young Mistress, there’s someone here."
The speaker was sharp, noticing William’s fine clothes and not daring to push him aside. He stood in front of William with the torch, blocking his way.
The Wang clan’s dark-guards, seeing this, ignored their own safety. Despite the steel at their necks, they forced their way free and prepared to protect William.
Ahem... Prince Nolan’s dark-guards weren’t fools either. They’d already loosened their hold on the Wang dark-guards, and were even quicker—rushing out from the shadows to stand behind William.
With the dark-guards appearing, the whole situation changed. The black-clad woman’s group became instantly alert, dismounted, and faced off against William. The dark-guards quietly placed their hands on their sword hilts, ready to draw at any moment.
They were strangers meeting by chance, yet the atmosphere was charged and tense. The black-clad woman frowned and stepped forward to ask, "Who are you?"
The unfamiliar auras behind him made William uneasy, but he quickly realized what was happening. Wearing his usual gentle smile, he gave his name: "William Wang Jinling."
"William Wang Jinling? Never heard of you." The black-clad woman paused, then replied haughtily.
William just smiled, unfazed: "And who might you be, miss?"
If she didn’t know him, it meant this woman had nothing to do with the Four Kingdoms or Nine Cities. In the Nine Provinces Realm, anyone connected to the center of power would know the Wang Clan Patriarch, William Wang Jinling.
"Lily Li." The black-clad woman looked at William arrogantly, waiting for him to admit he didn’t know her. But William wasn’t that petty.
"Lily Li? The Young Mistress of Moonvault Palace Sect?" When William started investigating the situation at Skyvault Palace, he’d looked into the four major 'Xuan' sects in the jianghu.
Mystic Healer Valley, Skyvault Palace Sect, Moonvault Palace Sect, and Heartshadow Pavilion. Skyvault Palace needed no explanation. William had met the Mystic Healer Valley Master a few times—skilled, but a true wild card, clever and careful, never making enemies head-on.
As for Moonvault Palace Sect, it was based in Northlyn. Years ago, Moonvault’s master had played a major role in helping the Northlyn emperor ascend the throne, and the sect had close ties to the royal family. Lily Li was the Palace Master’s most beloved granddaughter.
Heartshadow Pavilion was a strange place, known only to be in Southlyn—extremely mysterious, and all its disciples were women, each one hurt by men. Their martial arts were designed for women filled with hatred; the deeper the hatred, the stronger their skills.
Legend had it that Heartshadow’s founder was a woman from a prestigious sect who fell for her senior brother. But he loved a noblewoman instead and left the jianghu for her. Heartbroken, the founder turned her pain into power, creating new techniques and founding Heartshadow Pavilion.
As for Lily Li, William knew she seemed to have feelings for Sean Xuan. Her arrival with so many people at this moment made William think hard.
Lily Li’s appearance was no coincidence. And Prince Nolan’s decision to stir up trouble today, then leave halfway—there was definitely meaning behind it...
William’s gaze softened toward Lily Li. He finally saw through Nolan’s scheme.
So cunning—just his style!
"You know who I am?" Lily Li looked surprised. Outside Northlyn, almost no one recognized her. Even Sean Xuan only knew a little about her identity.
Who was this man? Lily Li quietly placed her hand at her waist, where she kept a hidden weapon that could kill in an instant.
William might not have martial arts, but his sense of danger was sharp. He subtly moved back, blending in with his dark-guards. Joking aside, he was Sean Xuan’s enemy on the outside—he wasn’t about to risk his life.
William spoke gently: "No need to be angry, miss. I was only guessing. The four major 'Xuan' sects in the jianghu are well known. Anyone using the name Moonvault must be from Moonvault Palace Sect. As for why I guessed you were the Young Mistress, it was just from how your people addressed you."
Coming up with such a flawless excuse on the spot wasn’t easy for William, but luckily Lily Li wasn’t particularly shrewd. She believed his story and lowered her hand.
"Since you know I’m from Moonvault Palace Sect, get out of the way. We need to keep moving." Lily Li sized William up, decided he wasn’t a threat, and didn’t bother arguing.
"Please, after you." Facing the woman in pink—clearly here for Sean Xuan—William was not only polite but downright welcoming, stepping aside with a flourish to let Lily Li and her party head up the mountain.
He watched Lily Li’s group disappear into the night, then turned away, satisfied. "Find me a horse," he ordered his dark-guards. Time to head for Westlyn.
The Wang dark-guards, relieved that their master hadn’t blamed them for failing, wiped their cold sweat and didn’t dare ask questions. They obediently brought William’s horse and some hot food.
Once everything was ready, William set off, determined to chase after Nolan and Serena through the night. If he had to freeze in the wind, then Nolan sure as hell wasn’t going to enjoy himself either.
But just as William mounted his horse, one of Prince Nolan’s dark-guards—always lurking like a ghost—stepped forward to block his way. Respectfully, he said, "Young Master, our lord says if you don’t return to Dongling, he’ll tell you what your father’s planning for your marriage."
Pfft...
William was so startled he nearly fell off his horse. "What did you say?"
Marriage? He’d only been away from the capital a month, and already the Wang family dared to meddle in his affairs?
"Young Master, you heard correctly. Your father is choosing a bride for you. If you hurry back to Dongling before the New Year, you might still have time to refuse." The dark-guard spoke methodically, head lowered so no one could see his expression.
Since nothing was settled yet, William quickly regained his composure. "I understand. Please thank your lord for me."
His tone was so sincere that no one would guess he was furious enough to kill. Thinking of Lily Li’s appearance, William was sure his father’s matchmaking was no coincidence—and Prince Nolan was definitely involved.
Nolan—shameless as ever! Using family drama to get rid of me, thinking he and Sean Xuan are pushovers? Dream on, Ninth Uncle.
"No need to thank me, Young Master. Our lord says a true man should manage his family, rule the realm, and bring peace to the world. It’s time you married and had children." The dark-guard replied earnestly, apparently oblivious to William’s anger.
William wasn’t about to waste breath arguing with a guard. Instead, he flashed a sly smile and shot back, "Give Nolan a message for me: He’s old enough to get married himself. When I’m back in Dongling, I’ll submit a memorial in the Wang Clan’s name, asking His Majesty to invite Charlotte Chu from Chu City to arrange a marriage for your Ninth Prince. I bet the emperor will be thrilled to play matchmaker."
With that, William kicked his horse into motion and rode off, leaving Nolan’s dark-guards staring after him, dumbfounded.
The dark-guards exchanged glances. Maybe someone should warn Nolan: trying to marry off William might just land him in trouble himself—he wasn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore...