Ethan Gu didn't say much, only asked, "His Highness has been asleep for so long, is he really alright?"
At this, Maxwell Jing couldn't help but frown. "Yun Su said it was the Princess Consort's order for His Highness to rest well, and no one is to disturb him. So... it should be fine, right?"
Ethan Gu also frowned. "We should go check anyway!"
Damien Gray woke up and didn't find the person who should have been lying in his arms. He frowned, dressed, and searched everywhere, but still couldn't find her. Just then, he saw Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu walk in. He looked at Maxwell Jing and asked, "Where's Mo'er?"
Maxwell Jing was stunned for a moment and shook his head. How would he know?
Damien Gray's expression darkened. "Didn't I tell you to follow her?"
Maxwell Jing felt aggrieved—it was His Highness who told him to investigate the source of the medicine, and then the Princess Consort sent him to find a man. Though he ended up passing the task to Ethan Gu, he thought nothing would happen in the manor, especially with His Highness in the Shadow Court. How could he dare disturb him?
Besides, he couldn't follow the Princess Consort around all day! What if His Highness suddenly thought he was getting too close to her and decided to get rid of him?
Suddenly, a guard hurried toward the Shadow Court from outside. It was clear he had something urgent to report. Ethan Gu lightly kicked Maxwell Jing, whose eyes flashed before he dashed out.
Damien Gray seemed not to notice the little exchange between the two and didn't bother to comment. If Morgan Shangguan didn't want anyone following her, not even Maxwell Jing could keep up.
Just as he was about to find Susie Yun to ask, Maxwell Jing walked in with a grave expression. Damien Gray frowned and asked, "What happened?"
Maxwell Jing said in a low voice, "The Princess Consort is in Prince Ethan's hands and might be... used as a sacrifice."
Damien Gray's face darkened, a chilling murderous aura leaking from him. But after a moment, it faded. How could Morgan Shangguan be so easily caught by Prince Ethan? No one could have entered the Ghost King's Manor and taken her without alerting anyone, so she must have left on her own. But with Morgan Shangguan's skills, even if she was alone, Prince Ethan wouldn't catch her so easily. What was she trying to do?
Damien Gray's eyes grew deep and cold. "Find out the truth!" he ordered.
"Yes!" Maxwell Jing turned to leave, sighing inwardly. He knew trouble was brewing. Though it wasn't the hardest task, it was definitely more exhausting than finding a man!
Ethan Gu suddenly thought of something and spoke, "Your Highness, earlier the Princess Consort told us to tell you she was waiting for you to rescue her like a hero!" At the time, he hadn't understood and didn't think much of it. Now it seemed she must have known this would happen! Was it foresight, or had she planned it all along?
Hearing this, Damien Gray breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Morgan Shangguan really did have her own plans. But from her words, it was clear all of this was aimed at him!
Damien Gray suddenly smiled, shaking his head helplessly. It seemed she was unwilling to always be outmaneuvered by him. Now she wanted to win something back, or maybe she just couldn't accept defeat and wanted one last struggle?
The smile on Damien Gray's lips grew wider. He was sure to win this game of defense and pursuit—her heart could only belong to him! His eyes flashed with a dark light, and his voice was like a verdict: "Morgan Shangguan, accept your fate!"
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappled and warm. Morgan Shangguan lay on a soft couch beneath the tree, thoroughly enjoying herself. But suddenly, she shivered for no reason, frowned, and muttered, "Could that fox Damien Gray be scheming against me again?"
A cup of floral tea drifted in front of her. Morgan Shangguan reached out, took it, and sipped. "Not bad," she said softly. Though it was a bit inferior to Susie Yun's skills, the person had gone all the way back to the Shadow Court to pick flowers and had to avoid Damien Gray's eyes—it really wasn't easy.
"Master, it's all been found out. Emperor Alexander is unwell, and Lady Sapphire wants to set up an altar to pray for him and the kingdom before heading to Serenity Temple. Prince Ethan seized the opportunity to take charge. Now preparations are underway, and they'll deploy many guards to ensure the ritual isn't disturbed. Prince Ethan has already sent word to the Ghost King's Manor, saying you will be the sacrifice. Claude Yun suspects he's planning for the Ghost King to disrupt the ritual, so he can have an excuse to capture him. He'll surely try to provoke the Ghost King to resist, so he can have a reason to execute him on the spot. After all, Emperor Alexander's stance is hard to predict. To be safe, Prince Ethan has also hired assassins from the Cloud Guild."
Among these, aside from the information from the Cloud Guild, there were also messages gathered by their group of ghosts. People can't see ghosts, so if they want to eavesdrop, no one can guard against it.
The Claude Yun he mentioned is one of the five elders of the Cloud Guild, and Morgan Shangguan has opened his Yin Eye for easier message delivery. Ghosts move faster and more conveniently than people.
Morgan Shangguan smiled. She had mentioned the Cloud Guild to Prince Ethan, guessing that with his caution, he would likely hire assassins. Though the Ghost Guild was more famous in the martial world, it had existed for a long time. Prince Ethan, so wary of Damien Gray, surely had hired assassins before. Given how much he cared, he'd choose the best—naturally, he'd pick Ghost Guild assassins. Maybe the Ghost Guild declined, or maybe they failed. Either way, Prince Ethan would consider hiring other killers.
In fact, her guess was right. She had indeed made a profit this time.
Morgan Shangguan snorted coldly. It would be best if Damien Gray were shot full of arrows and chopped into mincemeat, to vent the anger in her heart!
Thinking this, she said, "Tell Claude Yun, no hurting anyone. If you can't win, just leave." She knew Damien Gray's abilities well enough—if the assassins didn't go for the kill, they probably wouldn't last long.
Actually, even if those assassins went all out, they probably couldn't hurt Damien Gray. Yet she couldn't help but instruct them not to harm him. Clearly, she wanted to vent her anger, but also didn't want him hurt. She was conflicted herself.
The ghost didn't find her instructions strange, only hesitated, "Master, Prince Ethan hired top-tier assassins. If we fail, it will damage the Cloud Guild's reputation."