She couldn't help but glance at Damien Gray, her brow furrowing. Where had Brother Ethan gone? Earlier, when Ethan Gu had fallen from the cliff, the panic in her heart had made her bold enough to run right up to Damien Gray and speak to him. But now, even watching him from a distance made her uneasy—he seemed so cold and intimidating, she didn't quite dare approach him to ask!
Besides, perhaps there was something important at Ghostmaster’s Gate, and Damien Gray had only sent Brother Ethan to handle it. If she went to ask, it would seem inappropriate.
Inside the cave, Maxwell Jing spoke up, “Knock out that group first!” After the Guildmaster leaves through here, open the door and move out all the gold and silver, then wake everyone up—no one would suspect a thing. They’d just think it was the cave’s traps!
Ethan Gu frowned, “I didn’t bring any medicine!” Suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly grabbed the boxes nearby and examined the jade carvings inside. He found two with something inside, but neither contained knockout powder.
Maxwell Jing frowned, "So what do we do now?" He hated leaving things unfinished. After all the effort of hauling these treasures in and hiding them, it was hard to accept exposing everything now!
Ethan Gu shook his head, “Let’s wait for the Guildmaster to act.”
Maxwell Jing sprawled out on the bed, letting out a long sigh. "Looks like we'll be waiting a while!" The Guildmaster would never act until he'd watched the drama play out, and now that the Princess Consort was here, his patience would only grow.
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a mechanism shifting echoed again. Maxwell Jing sat up abruptly and looked at Ethan Gu. Was someone else coming in?
“Eh? What’s going on, everyone? Is this a welcome party for me?” With so many eyes staring straight at him, Quentin Hua grinned brightly.
Morgan Shangguan and Damien Gray exchanged glances—Quentin Hua was getting more mysterious by the day!
Liam Duanmu spoke up, “Everyone, let’s head out for now!”
No one objected—after all, it was clear the treasure wasn’t here. The real task was to get out and figure out how to solve that riddle!
Marjorie Wan greeted Morgan Shangguan, then left with Liam Liu. Susie Yun pouted, “Seriously? Is that Liam Liu more important than Miss?”
Inside the stone chamber, only Morgan Shangguan, Damien Gray, Quentin Hua, and Susie Yun remained—plus Ryan Ouyang, the ghost!
Suddenly, the door connecting the cave and the stone chamber swung open. Ethan Gu and Maxwell Jing emerged. Seeing them, Quentin Hua rushed over, “Little Max, you’re alive? That’s wonderful…”
Halfway there, he abruptly jumped back, glaring at Ethan Gu in disbelief. “Ethan Gu, did you just kick me?”
Ethan Gu’s expression stayed cold. “I kicked you, all right!”
Maxwell Jing watched Quentin Hua get rebuffed and doubled over laughing. Earlier, Ethan Gu’s temperament had softened due to Wang Chen’s influence, his sharp edges dulled and a bit numb. Now that he was finally back to himself, he was colder than before—and even more infuriating!
Quentin Hua stared in shock, stunned for a moment, then turned to Damien Gray and asked, “Ghostmaster, is that really your Left Guardian?”
Damien Gray ignored him, and so did Ethan Gu. Ethan Gu simply looked to Damien Gray and said, “Guildmaster, there’s some gold and silver in the cave.”
Damien Gray glanced inside—the gold and silver treasures had been meant to distract everyone from the secret on the wall. But Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu had removed them, so everyone searched more carefully and discovered the writing!
Morgan Shangguan eyed the treasures and said calmly, “Ghostmaster probably doesn’t need this money, and it’s not easy to haul out anyway.”
Damien Gray curled his lips, “So, Cloud Guildmaster plans to keep it all for herself?”
Morgan Shangguan smiled lightly. “Exactly.” Though Snowvale belonged to Quentin Huang, nothing escaped his notice. But he wouldn’t meddle, and with little ghosts to help move things, he might not even find out!
Damien Gray smiled and put his arm around her as they walked out. Now wasn’t the time to move treasure anyway!
Quentin Hua was still watching Ethan Gu, but Ethan Gu simply grabbed Maxwell Jing and left, calling out, “Don’t close the door!” The mechanism had already been broken by Maxwell Jing—if the door shut, it’d be a hassle to get out again!
Quentin Hua hurried after them, nosily asking, “What’s going on with you two?” But deep down, he knew Ethan Gu must’ve remembered something!
Susie Yun followed, watching his nosy behavior and shaking her head with a sigh. What a way to ruin that image! He was supposed to be a breathtaking beauty!
Jenna Huang saw Maxwell Jing return and finally relaxed, her eyes reddening as she threw herself into his arms. Maxwell Jing was about to catch her, but met Ethan Gu’s amused gaze and quickly withdrew his hands, letting Jenna hug him but not daring to hug back!
Ethan Gu was about to head to his room when Yuna Ye approached, smiling, “Brother Ethan…” She was genuinely happy to see him, but for a moment, didn’t know what to say.
Quentin Hua let out a mocking sigh, "The falling flower yearns for the flowing water, but the water is indifferent!" He never cared for propriety, nor did he ever stop to wonder if his words might pierce someone's tender heart.
At his words, Yuna Ye’s face changed slightly. She knew Quentin Hua was talking about her. She glanced at Ethan Gu, but seeing no reaction, felt a little dejected.
Ethan Gu had done the math—Yuna Ye had saved him, and he’d saved her at Healer’s Sanctuary. That made them even.
It might seem a bit cold, since feelings can’t be measured so neatly. But he felt nothing for Yuna Ye—then or now.
No matter what Yuna Ye felt, he knew he could never have special feelings for her. After everything he'd endured to finally be with Maxwell Jing, he refused to let anything threaten that fragile happiness. His heart had long since closed to anyone else—he'd spent years trying to forget Maxwell Jing, but no one else ever touched him. It wasn't just the Oblivion Elixir that severed his emotions; his heart simply had no room left for another.
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