Muriel Murong reached out to pry his hand away. "What does it matter to me if you’re bullied by someone else?"
Noah Duanmu pulled her forcefully into his arms, locking her in place. "You’re really that heartless? I saved your life, you know!"
Back then, he kept his word and let Muriel Murong go. But as soon as she stepped outside, she ran into Quentin Drake. Dressed in black nightwear and a stranger to them, Quentin tried to apprehend her immediately. In the end, Noah Duanmu had to claim Muriel was just one of his flings to get them out of trouble!
Otherwise, with Quentin Drake, Liam Duanmu, and all the guards of the Grandmaster’s Estate, not even wings could have helped Muriel Murong escape!
Muriel Murong glared at him. "How dare you! You took advantage of me in front of all those people!"
Noah Duanmu felt no remorse whatsoever. "Anyway, if it weren’t for me, my father would’ve finished you off ages ago!"
Muriel Murong snorted. "He wouldn’t dare! If he laid a finger on me, the Guildmaster would flatten the Grandmaster’s Estate to the ground!"
Seeing the worshipful light in her eyes when she mentioned the Guildmaster, Noah Duanmu said sourly, "Are you sure Fiona Yun would go to war with the Grandmaster’s Estate just for a little shrimp like you?"
Hearing that, Muriel Murong refused to back down. She shoved him hard and shouted, "Why wouldn’t she? The Guildmaster isn’t like you so-called righteous types—hypocrites! Fake saints! Shameless rogues!"
"Xiao Yan…" Morgan Shangguan had found the main hall dull, so she came out for a walk—only to stumble upon this scene.
"Guildmaster!" Muriel Murong hurriedly pushed Noah Duanmu aside and ran over obediently, gesturing animatedly as she explained, "Guildmaster, don't misunderstand, I'm not familiar with him at all!"
Morgan Shangguan smiled faintly and nodded, catching a glimpse of Noah Duanmu's darkened expression out of the corner of her eye. She felt a spark of amusement—these two definitely had something going on!
Morgan Shangguan reached out and patted Muriel Murong's head. Muriel looked utterly flattered, her smile sweet as honey—she couldn't help it, she worshipped her Guildmaster! Morgan always kept her distance from others, so this sudden gesture of closeness made Muriel genuinely happy.
Noticing Noah Duanmu's face growing even darker, Morgan Shangguan's smile widened. She didn't want to admit her own mischievousness, so she blamed it on spending too much time with Damien Gray—his bad habits must have rubbed off on her!
She had meant to stir things up a bit, but when she caught Damien Gray's displeased gaze, she quickly withdrew her hand. As much as she wanted to watch the drama unfold, she didn't want to invite trouble for herself.
She glanced at him again, sighing inwardly. She'd only left for a moment, and he had already followed her—wasn't he worried someone would notice?
Morgan Shangguan smiled at Muriel Murong and said, "The banquet is about to start. Let's head back!"
Muriel Murong nodded enthusiastically, trailing after her with a radiant grin.
Watching her leave without a word and completely ignoring him, Noah Duanmu's face darkened as he barked, "Little demon, get back here!"
Only then did Muriel Murong remember there was still that rogue. She turned back, made a funny face at him, and happily followed Morgan Shangguan away!
Noah Duanmu stood in place, fuming. "I'm so mad!" he muttered. Fiona Yun, right? He was about to see just how impressive she really was!
Damien Gray shook his head helplessly. His Princess Consort was always causing trouble. A simple stroll and she managed to attract a new rival—all because of him! And this rival was a man. Should he help her deal with it or not?
"Noah Duanmu, who is that woman?"
Hearing this voice, Noah Duanmu felt a headache coming on. The newcomer was none other than Serena Qin, the eldest miss of Qin Fortress!
Already annoyed with her, and now in a foul mood, Noah Duanmu's tone was naturally curt. "None of your business!"
"You..." Serena Qin stomped her foot angrily. "I don't care about the past, but after today, you can forget about flirting with anyone else!"
Noah Duanmu narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
Serena Qin smiled and declared, "Because today, our marriage will be settled!"
Damien Gray glanced at the two of them and turned away. Clearly, Noah Duanmu had plenty of trouble of his own—he didn't have time to bother his Princess Consort!
Noah Duanmu's face darkened. He snorted coldly, "I told you, I won't marry you!"
Serena Qin's face twisted with anger. She shouted, "What's so wrong with me?"
Noah Duanmu didn't want to deal with her anymore. He turned to leave, but Serena Qin stomped her foot and yelled at his retreating back, "Noah Duanmu, whether you like it or not, I'm marrying you!"
The main hall was lively and bustling. Morgan Shangguan wore a faint smile, waiting for the drama to unfold. Her gaze flickered toward Damien Gray, who met her eyes and frowned slightly, as if suddenly understanding something.
How could he forget that Morgan Shangguan had always wanted to beat him? It seemed this time he'd been outmaneuvered!
He just smiled, making no move to intervene—clearly, he didn't mind being outplayed by Morgan Shangguan at all.
As the wine flowed and the food disappeared, conversation grew livelier. People toasted each other and laughed, though everyone present was a figure of some renown in the martial world, so their revelry never crossed into true rowdiness. Still, with enough wine, even the reserved became bolder, and questions long held back were finally asked aloud.
Felix Yu patted Liu Feng on the shoulder and whispered, "Nephew, the person by your side seems to be from the Cloud Guild, isn't she?"
Liu Feng understood exactly what he meant—since ancient times, the Righteous Path and the demonic sects had never coexisted peacefully!
Kimberly Liu overheard and smiled. Liu Feng wanted to be with Marjorie Wan, but that was something he'd have to face eventually. She wasn't worried about them lasting forever—in her eyes, Liu Feng and Marjorie Wan were bound to break up sooner or later.
Liu Feng knew everyone was watching him with suspicion, but his feelings for Marjorie Wan were genuine, and he was willing to take the risk. Still, the problem couldn't be ignored forever. He glanced at Marjorie Wan, suddenly thought of a solution, and smiled at Felix Yu. "Soon, Marjorie will have nothing to do with the Cloud Guild, Uncle Felix, so you can rest easy."
Hearing this, Marjorie Wan's face darkened. Liu Feng wanted her to sever ties with the Cloud Guild—was she really going to do that?