Once you board a pirate ship, escaping is never easy. Consort Purity understood this well, and it was precisely this understanding that made her afraid—she wanted nothing to do with these people.
Consort Purity swayed, but stood even straighter, her voice firm: "You needn't say more, sir. I will not bargain with tigers for my skin. As I've said, I did nothing—this was all your doing, and has nothing to do with me. I never asked you to do any of this."
"Heh—Your Ladyship, while we carried out these deeds, it all began because of you, and it was you who made things convenient for us. Do you think denying it now will make Prince Nolan and the Wang Clan believe you? Do you think that without evidence, Ninth Royal Uncle and the Wang Clan can't touch you? Your Ladyship, you should know—neither Ninth Royal Uncle nor the Wang Clan Patriarch cares about evidence. If even a whisper of this leaks, you and your family will never recover."
The gray-clad man's calm statement carried no hint of threat, yet it chilled Consort Purity to the bone.
No one but the Emperor himself could bear the wrath of Prince Nolan and the Wang Clan. This truth had been proven time and again in recent days.
In the matter of the Menagerie fire, the most seriously injured was Su Rou of the Su Clan. Yet neither Southlyn nor the Su Clan pressed the Emperor; they only asked for an explanation. Soothed by the Emperor's appeasement, they remained peaceful, making no further demands or searching for the culprit.
Instead, it was Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang Jinling who pressed relentlessly, refusing to let the matter rest. They completely ignored the scapegoats offered up, insisting on finding the true mastermind, turning the palace upside down in the process.
Nearly half a month of investigation yielded no clues, yet Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang Jinling still refused to let go, clinging to the case and leaving the Emperor gnashing his teeth in frustration.
But with someone able to set such a vicious trap in the palace without anyone noticing, the Emperor worried for his own safety. So he turned a blind eye, letting Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang Jinling continue their hunt for the real culprit.
During this period, everyone in the palace grew fearful at the mere mention of Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang Jinling. In just half a month, they had killed over a hundred people—anyone suspicious was executed, better to kill by mistake than let one escape. And the Emperor supported them.
There was no helping it—no emperor could tolerate threats to his own safety. Prince Nolan and William Wang Jinling were ruthless, but those they killed truly were problematic. In fact, even if someone was innocent, Prince Nolan and William Wang Jinling would find a reason to make them guilty.
Faced with Prince Nolan and William Wang Jinling, who killed without blinking, no one in the palace was unafraid—not even Consort Purity, the Emperor’s current favorite. At this moment, she bitterly regretted her actions; a moment’s foolishness, and now there was no turning back.
The gray-clad man was quite satisfied with Consort Purity’s fear. He stopped pressing her and instead spoke gently: "Your Ladyship, don't worry. Now we're all grasshoppers tied to the same rope—if one falls, we all fall; if one prospers, we all prosper. You’ve seen our sincerity. My master truly wishes to cooperate with you and help you become the most favored woman in the harem."
First the threats and intimidation, then the promise of great rewards—he didn’t believe she wouldn’t be tempted.
"Sincerity? Is this what you call sincerity? Your so-called sincerity has ruined me." Consort Purity bit her lip until it bled.
A bead of blood fell to the floor and shattered instantly—just like her current predicament. Collaborating with the devil meant betraying not just her soul.
"Why be so angry, Your Ladyship? We’ve helped you remove a rival. Oh, no… in fact, counting the recent deaths, we've helped you eliminate several rivals. What more could you want? You haven’t had to do anything, nor stain your hands with blood. Just say the word, and we'll take care of anyone who threatens your position." The gray-clad man spoke calmly and confidently, gradually soothing Consort Purity’s nerves.
Things were indeed as the gray-clad man said—she was the one benefiting.
The risks were great, but so were the rewards.
"Can you guarantee this will never be discovered?" Consort Purity was tempted. Despite the palace’s tense atmosphere these past two weeks, no suspicion had fallen on her, proving these people were no ordinary schemers.
"What do you still have to worry about, Your Ladyship? Isn’t everything that’s happened these past two weeks proof enough?" The gray-clad man sneered.
They had deliberately waited half a month just so this foolish woman would trust them more, and obediently sell both her soul and her family to them.
Consort Purity wavered. Color returned to her cheeks, and her gaze toward the gray-clad man changed. He stood there smiling, letting her size him up.
After much thought, her hunger for power overcame her fear. Consort Purity nodded, "Fine. I agree to cooperate with you."
"Your Ladyship is wise. On behalf of my master, I congratulate you in advance on becoming mother of the realm." The gray-clad man was not surprised at all by her answer.
In truth, Consort Purity had no other choice. She was already on the pirate ship—if she refused to cooperate, she would have to face the wrath of Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang Jinling.
Although she hadn’t set the Menagerie fire herself, she had made things convenient for them—and they acted for her sake. Of course…
Their target was Su Rou; Serena Feng was merely implicated. That was the gray-clad man’s explanation, and Consort Purity believed it.
After receiving Consort Purity’s promise, the gray-clad man didn’t ask her to do anything right away. He gave her plenty of benefits, then left her palace, leaving Consort Purity both elated and anxious.
Foolish woman!
Lance Quinn couldn’t even be bothered to spare Consort Purity a glance—he was already chasing after the gray-clad man.
If his guess was correct, this gray-clad man was almost certainly connected to those who intercepted Serena Feng on the road that night. The people who arranged the Menagerie fire were definitely not just trying to kill Su Rou, as they claimed.
Lance Quinn’s qinggong was impressive, but his opponent’s skills were no less formidable. Whether intentionally or not, the gray-clad man always kept about twenty meters ahead, occasionally revealing himself so Lance could follow.
When Lance Quinn followed the gray-clad man out of the city, he realized he’d been discovered—the man was deliberately leading him into the desolate outskirts. Knowing it was a trap, Lance didn’t hesitate to follow.
This group had hidden in the shadows for so long—now that he finally had a lead, he couldn’t let go. If he missed this chance, who knew when the next would come? As for relying on Consort Purity to lure them out—she was far too foolish for that, and Lance Quinn wouldn’t dare count on her.
One chased, the other fled. As dawn approached, Lance Quinn lost patience, revealed himself in a clearing, and called out: "Come out."
Lance Quinn was making himself the target, forcing matters into the open…